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Jason Schwenkler, who has served as the director of the GIC since 2009, will serve as director of both agencies.
The CED’s core functions of applied research, grant support, and technical assistance are continuing into 2018, strengthened by the resources made available through this new partnership.
“The North State can rest assured that the Center for Economic Development will continue to provide many of the core services they’ve come to rely on. With the expertise of both the CED and GIC teams, I look forward to an exciting year ahead and connecting with current and future CED partners. We’re excited about the possibilities this partnership will bring to the region,” said Schwenkler.
The Center for Economic Development and the Geographical Information Center have long shared many overlapping project goals and a unifying mission of economic advancement in the North State.
Under Schwenkler’s guidance, the CED is uniquely positioned to better assist our rural communities and businesses with their data and economic analysis needs.
The GIC brings a strong internal support system and large regional network of public and private partners for whom geospatial intelligence has long been critical to understanding how to achieve economic development goals.
For more information, contact the Center for Economic Development at 530-898-4598.
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“The name CalSavers truly reflects what this program is all about – providing an opportunity for millions of Californians to easily save for retirement in a way that is safe, simple and portable,” said Chiang. “The program is a win-win-win for employees, employers and taxpayers in the Golden State. It will ensure that millions of working Californians can have a dignified retirement and won’t have to rely on meager social support services that leave them facing the all-too-real scenario of having to choose between buying medication and paying rent.”
Signed in to law in 2016, CalSavers has been hailed as the most significant expansion in retirement security since the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935.
CalSavers enables employees to save automatically for their retirement through payroll contributions with the ability to opt-out any time. The program will be professionally managed by a private-sector financial firm, yet to be named, with oversight from a transparent public board. Participants will be able to contribute to the plan throughout their careers regardless of job changes.
CalSavers will be self-sustaining through participant fees and there will be no cost or liability for the employer or taxpayers.
Development of the CalSavers program, including the search for a private sector financial firm to manage the participants’ accounts, is currently underway. The program is expected to be open for business statewide in early 2019.
“While the White House and Congressional Republicans bury their heads in the sand in the face of a growing retirement insecurity crisis, states have become laboratories of democracy coming up with high-impact, low-cost solutions aimed at preventing the growing national crisis from metastasizing into a full-bore humanitarian catastrophe,” Chiang said. “We look forward to rolling out CalSavers in the near future and will be working with employer groups and the business community to spread the word about how the program can aid millions of Californians with their retirement, while also helping businesses currently unable to offer plans compete with those that do.”
The governing board of CalSavers will continue to be known by the formal statutory name California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Investment Board.
For more news, please follow the Treasurer on Twitter at @CalTreasurer, and on Facebook at California State Treasurer's Office.
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"These AAA Diamond properties and their communities were ground zero for one of the worst natural disasters in California's history," said John Moreno, manager of public affairs for AAA Northern California. “As these communities rebuild, AAA is reminding people that a great way to help that recovery is to support their local economy, and tourism is an essential component of their economic engine."
The region is home to two Five Diamond restaurants: the French Laundry (Yountville) and The Restaurant at Meadowood (St. Helena).
Only 68 restaurants across the nation qualified for the exclusive Five Diamond rating, which requires establishments to consistently provide leading-edge cuisine of the finest ingredients, uniquely prepared by an acclaimed chef and served by expert service staff in extraordinary surroundings.
Sonoma County is home to several Four Diamond restaurants, including Santé (Sonoma) and Dry Creek Kitchen (Healdsburg). In Santa Rosa, visitors can stay in the Vintners Inn, which has kept its Four Diamond rating since 1988.
“Spring is the perfect time to visit Sonoma County. The hills are green, there is mustard in the vineyards and the beaches are beautiful. We invite those who know and love Sonoma County to come rediscover their favorite places and find new spots to enjoy,” said Tim Zahner, COO of Sonoma County Tourism.
Napa County is also home to many Four Diamond hotels and restaurants, including Solage (Calistoga), known for its stunning architecture, which first received the rating in 2013. Napa County tourism leaders said there was a misconception that the region had been decimated by the fires, which caused an estimated $3 billion in damage. As that perception fades, tourists are beginning to return.
“We greatly appreciate the support we have received from those who have visited the Napa Valley since the October 2017 wildfires," said Clay Gregory, president and CEO for Visit Napa Valley. "Thanks to visitor support, occupancy was 6.8 percent higher in December 2017 from the previous year, and total hotel revenue was up by 9.2 percent. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to experience the Napa Valley spirit in person and see for themselves that our valley is just as beautiful as ever."
For a full list of Five Diamond and Four Diamond rated hotels and restaurants, visit www.AAA.com/diamonds/diamond-awards.
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Continental Heritage Insurance Co. is the first insurer in the state to be approved to offer surety bonds for the cannabis industry.
"Cannabis businesses should have insurance coverage available to them just like any other California business," said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. "As insurance commissioner, my mission is insurance protection for all Californians, which includes insurance for California's legalized cannabis businesses. I encourage more insurance companies to file cannabis business insurance products with the department to meet the needs of this emerging market."
Cannabis Surety Bonds are needed for various entities seeking licensure under the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, or MAUCRSA. The state of California requires a surety bond in the amount of $5,000 for most licensing categories.
Surety bonds are required by licensing agencies to guarantee the behavior of licensees. A license bond guarantees that the entity will comply with the laws and regulations for that entity. These bonds ensure compliance with licensure and permit requirements, and guarantee payments related to the cost incurred for the destruction of cannabis goods and materials in the event of a violation of the applicable regulations.
The new program from Continental Heritage is the first-of-its-kind for California's new and evolving cannabis industry.
Commissioner Jones launched an initiative last year to encourage commercial insurance companies to write insurance to fill coverage gaps for the cannabis industry.
This first filing and approval of commercial insurance for the cannabis industry was announced in November of last year as a successful result of Commissioner Jones' initiative.
Jones has convened meetings between commercial insurance company executives and cannabis business owners to educate the insurance industry about the sophistication, professionalism and risk management of the cannabis industry. Jones has also organized tours for insurance executives at cannabis businesses.
In October of last year, Jones held a first-in-the-nation public hearing to identify insurance gaps faced by the cannabis industry. Cannabis businesses and insurance industry representatives testified about the limited availability of insurance for cannabis businesses.
The hearing revealed that while there is insurance available from surplus lines insurers, insurance coverage is limited in scope and, until the approval announced last November, commercial carriers were not yet writing insurance.
Jones also announced that department staff would be allocated to cannabis insurance filings.