Our mission is to advance the economic vitality of greater Irvine.
Our core initiatives are to be a catalyst for local economic growth, champion for the business community with all levels of government, and to convene greater Irvine stakeholders.
(CalChamber) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber President and CEO Allan Zaremberg and Albertsons Companies Senior Vice President of External Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer Jonathan Mayes discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and provide best practices to help foster a diverse workforce, which will help the company succeed. Mayes, who also is a member of the CalChamber Board of Directors, tells Zaremberg there are many benefits of employing a diverse and inclusive workforce, and one benefit is that diversity helps businesses be more successful. Research consistently shows that companies which embrace diversity and inclusion outperform those that don’t. For example, Mayes says, research has shown that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability and companies in top quartile for race and ethnic diversity are 33% more likely to experience above-average profitability, compared with companies in the lowest quartile. One way to drive home the importance of diversity in the workplace to management teams is to make the business case for it, he tells Zaremberg. Why Teaching Diversity Can Be Hard Teaching the importance of diversity and inclusion can be hard because of the reality of unconscious bias, Mayes explains. “It’s th...
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(Sacramento Bee) California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $202 billion budget June 29 with emergency pandemic funding, expanded unemployment aid and billions of dollars in cuts forced by the coronavirus-caused recession. The budget that takes effect July 1 assumed a $54 billion deficit brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and Newsom’s March stay-at-home order, which halted much of the state’s economy. “In the face of a global pandemic that has also caused a recession across the world and here in California, our state has passed a budget that is balanced, responsible and protects public safety and health, education, and services to Californians facing the greatest hardships,” Newsom said in a written statement. The 2020-21 budget gives Newsom power to withhold $2.5 billion from cities and counties if they do not follow his administration’s COVID-19 rules designed to slow spread of the virus, including his statewide mask mandate. Newsom warned he will use that power if counties don’t obey his orders to roll back reopening when the state directs them. His administration is currently urging Imperial County, where a surge in coronavirus cases has overwhelmed hospitals, to reinstate strict stay-at-home rules. And on June 28 he told seven counties they must close bars to slow sprea...
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The Washington Post featured Irvine’s 62 miles of hiking and biking trails and Orange County Great Park in a recent article highlighting the top 10 cities for parks in the United States. The article outlines information from the annual Trust for Public Land ParkScore index which ranks U.S. cities on their parks, based on acreage, access for residents, amenities, and investment. “Thanks to this SoCal city’s Master Plan, one-third of Irvine’s land is preserved for outdoor recreation — including 62 miles of off-street trails and the largest acreage of natural habitats and wild lands in Orange County,” the article reads. Also featured in the article is Colonel Bill BarberMarine Corps Memorial Park, Jeffrey Open Space Trail, Bommer Canyon, Quail Hill, and the Irvine Open Space Preserve. Read the full article here.
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(ABC7) Editor's note: Irvine's Al Fresco campaign lists restaurant and retail centers in the city that offer outdoor dining. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the return of some stricter restrictions amid a concerning surge of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. Effective immediately, California is instructing certain sectors to close indoor operations for all counties that have been on the state's watch list for three consecutive days. The affected sectors are: restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums and cardrooms. Those businesses can still operate outdoors. That applies to 19 counties which represent more than 70% of the state's population and include several counties in Southern California. Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura are all on the list of those impacted by the mandate. These restrictions will remain in place for at least three weeks, Newsom said. California isn't requiring all beaches to close ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, the governor said, but it is taking measures to avoid the chance of overcrowding. "The state of California is not mandating the closure of beaches this weekend, but we are modifying our parking facility operations and closing them to traffic throughout Southern California, as well as parts of Monterey County, Santa Cruz, through the Bay Area and up along th...
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