High school students’ artwork, such as this painting, will be on display Wednesday, May 19 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 19 at California State University, San Bernardino. The students are in Abstract Minds, an organization that aims to foster the growth and development of economically disadvantaged youth.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) An art show focusing on students’ diverse intelligence takes place Wednesday, May 19, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at California State University, San Bernardino.
The Abstract Minds Spring 2010 Spatial Intelligence Art Show takes place in the Santos Manuel Student Union at CSUSB, 5500 University Parkway, San Bernardino. Students in grades 9-12 from throughout San Bernardino County are involved.
“Abstract Minds is an organization that aims to foster the growth and development of economically disadvantaged youth,” said Shalay Young, president of Abstract Minds. “Our mission is to promote the diverse intelligence types of students by allowing them to express their creative and artistic talents.”
Young said the students were supplied with art canvases, and encouraged to use any medium that would show up well on the canvas. Their works will also focus on any subject of interest to the student artist, so long as no vulgar or nude images are included.
“By allowing students to showcase projects where they are especially intelligent or gifted, Abstract Minds hopes to ultimately improve high school graduation rates by encouraging more economically disadvantaged youth to strive for enrollment in institutions of higher education, and ultimately, helping them become self sufficient through a career,” Young said.
“The organization also encourages the students to become involved in their communities. To accomplish these goals, we offer students outlets to extend their learning opportunities, we help them promote their best efforts, and we reinforce personal respect,” Young said.
For more information, call (760) 669-9118.
Jamie Crispin, principal of E-Institute High School in the Phoenix, Arizona area, tells the San Bernardino City Unified School District governing board about the success his school has had, and how the founding group could similarly help students in San Bernardino with Carden Virtual Academy. Photo by Chris Sloan
Carden’s Arizona students take state reading and math tests in the third, eighth grades and 10th grades. In 2008 the Carden Traditional Schools had 100 percent mastery of these tests in some cases, and no less than 80 percent in all other cases.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) A charter school that has helped elementary, middle and high school students in Arizona raise their state test scores and graduation rates plans to open in San Bernardino in August 2010.
“Carden Virtual Academy is not new to education,” said Executive Director Tim Smith. “We have a 14-year history of graduating 85 to 100 percent of our students in Arizona, and of producing state test scores that are well over the state average.”
Carden Virtual Academy will serve all students, kindergarten through 12th grade, in the San Bernardino City Unified School District. It will offer individualized education plans, which can include on-campus classes and online classes.
The school’s curriculum will be based on California education standards, and employ California certified teachers.
“Carden Virtual Academy’s mission is to deliver a high quality education focused on building skills, character and confidence,” Smith said. “The curriculum will be personalized for each student, offering a mix of onsite classes in day and evening hours, online classes and independent study. Onsite courses will include hands-on learning activities and high technology.”
Carden Virtual Academy is affiliated with the Phoenix-area’s Carden Traditional School of Glendale, Carden Traditional School of Surprise, both of which serve kindergarten through eighth grade, and E-Institute Charter Schools, which serve grades 9-12 on three campuses.
“E-Institute Charter High School, which opened in 2000, has a proven track record of successfully serving high school students that may be at risk of dropping out of school or not successfully completing school,” Smith said. “It uses a “hybrid” approach – in-class instruction led by a teacher, combined with personalized computer learning.”
“Working with parents and teachers, each E-Institute student develops a personalized learning plan,” Smith continued. “This plan identifies academic goals and completion deadlines to keep the student on the proper path to successfully passing Arizona’s high school exit exam and graduating.”
Arizona students take state reading and math tests in the third, eighth grades and 10th grades. In 2008 the Carden Traditional Schools had 100 percent mastery of these tests in some cases, and no less than 80 percent in all other cases.
Eighth-graders at Carden Traditional School of Surprise had 100 percent mastery in both subjects. Third-graders at this school had 89 percent mastery of reading, and 80 percent mastery of math.
Combined, the test results for Carden Traditional School of Surprise have qualified this campus for an elite list of Arizona’s “high-performing” schools. It is also the first charter school in Arizona to offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years program.
Carden Traditional School of Glendale also has high test scores, and is ranked in the top 29 of Arizona charter schools for its growth in both math and reading scores. All of its third-graders demonstrated mastery of reading in 2008 and 91 percent of its eighth-graders. In math, 83 percent of the third-graders and 75 percent of the eighth-graders demonstrated mastery.
These Arizona schools started out in 1996 as International Studies Academy in Glendale, Ariz. At the time, International Studies Academy served college preparatory students in grades 7-12 only.
In 2000, the founders of International Studies Academy decided they needed to help the many Phoenix-area students who weren’t planning to go to college. This group developed the first campus of E-Institute Charter School, thus expanding the high school program to meet the needs of all students in the Phoenix area.
Since then, it has added two new campuses of E-Institute Charter Schools, one in the Phoenix metro area and another in Surprise.
In 2000, the founders also received a charter to operate Carden Elementary School for grades K-6 in Glendale, Ariz., now known as Carden Traditional School of Glendale. The founders opened the Carden Traditional School in Surprise, Arizona in 2002.
Carden Virtual Academy in San Bernardino is expected to be approved soon by the San Bernardino City Unified School District.
To attend an information session on March 25, or for more information, call Shannan Gonzales at (909) 888-0017.
Gene Wood has joined the Inland Community Bank Board of Directors. Wood says, My goal with ICB is simple: it’s to help the bank grow successfully. ICB is making loans. We lend to our current clients and are actively seeking new clients in need of project financing.
(Ontario, Calif.) Inland Community Bank (ICB), headquartered in Ontario, has brought aboard the local banking luminary Eugene “Gene” Wood as the newest member of the board of directors.
“Gene knows his stuff,” says bank President and Chief Executive Officer James Cooper. “While banks are contracting and closing, ICB is expanding, and Gene will contribute to that expansion as few others can.”
Born in San Bernardino and now a Beaumont resident, Wood has more than 45 years in banking. He brings a breadth and wealth of experience to ICB that few others nationwide could match.
Wood worked with former Security Pacific Bank (acquired by Bank of America in 1992) for 23 years, becoming manager of the Commercial Loan, Construction Loan and SBA Division for San Bernardino, Inyo and Mono counties.
As if that responsibility weren’t enough, in the late 1980s Wood took on the difficult, but successful, challenge of financially leading a large local supermarket chain in defeating a hostile takeover by another giant market chain. “It was a long, hard battle,” he recalls, “but one that was wonderfully rewarding.”
Wanting a change of pace, Wood then created his own consulting business, E.H. Wood & Associates in the Inland Empire. He served as sole advisor to many economic development agencies and arranged high-end municipal financing for their projects, including ones for an Inland Empire water district, and handled tax and revenue anticipation notes, which allowed municipalities to borrow funds on those expected taxes and revenues.
Additionally, Wood served as a consultant to several other large water districts, developers and municipalities, aiding them in formulating their various funding needs.
It was in 2000, while on the board of directors of Valley Bank in Moreno Valley, that Wood was asked to take over that 40-year-old financially troubled institution as president.
Within just two years Wood had transformed the bank into a well-capitalized business with no problem loans. The success caught the attention of the 11th largest bank in the world, Spain’s BBVA of Madrid, who soon bought the bank. Wood stayed on for a year as chief operating officer, leading the bank’s expansion from seven branches to 45 additional branch offices throughout California.
As Wood says, “I could have stayed on, but it was just time to do something different. A few
years later, in 2005, I left to establish Inland Valley Bank, a division of South County Bank in Orange County, acting as the President.” It was while there that he led the creation of a Redlands division, Inland Valley Bank, to serve small to medium sized businesses and among many other functions, finance loans for equipment, commercial real estate and construction.
A real highlight in Wood’s vast career happened in October of 1988. “I was running the National Orange Show and spent two weeks with President Ronald Reagan’s Secret Service advance detail and with the White House planning logistics and security for a speech by the president for 15,000 people at the Orange Show.
President Reagan was at the Orange Show for four hours and we all had lunch together, then the Secret Service came to me to ask if I’d like to spend 15 minutes privately with the President.
It was an amazing experience, just being together with him in conversation.” Years later, Wood met President Bill Clinton.
Over the years Wood has served in many community capacities. “When I was chairman of the World Affairs Council, I brought in prominent international speakers. I was able to line up such heavy hitters as the editorial staff and the chief editor of ‘Newsweek,’ American astronauts, and a China attaché.
Wood served as President of the San Bernardino Chamber of Commerce and then President of the San Bernardino County Children’s Resources.
California Governor George Deukmejian appointed Wood as a member of the Mojave County Formation Commission.
“Northern San Bernardino County cities, such as Victorville and Barstow, wanted to split off and form a county of their own. The people of San Bernardino County didn’t vote for the proposal, though, so the creation of Mojave County never happened. But, this was a very fascinating effort to be involved in.”
Also, through consecutive reelections, Wood ultimately spent 18 years as a member of the San Bernardino Community College District, and today still serves as vice chairman of the Crafton Hills College Foundation and vice chairman of San Bernardino Valley College campus’ KVCR TV and Radio Foundation.
Academically, after starting out as a pharmacy major, then architecture, Wood earned his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of California San Diego. He earned subsequent Master’s in business from Southern Methodist University. Later he joined the faculty of the University of California Riverside teaching, naturally, Finance.
“My life has been a wonderful experience,” said Wood. “In my career I’ve had the opportunity to do things I’d never have dreamed I could be able to do when I was a young man, and I’ve met people I never thought I could have met.”
It was through a friend with ICB that he was urged to come out of his “retirement” to join the company in some capacity. Bank President and Chief Executive Officer James Cooper asked Wood to accept a coveted board of directors’ position as well as serve as Chairman of ICB’s Loan Committee.
The Loan Committee has four board members and two staffers. “My job is to use my 45 years of lending experience and knowledge to evaluate ICB’s largest loan applications,” said Wood.
It has been said that in today’s economy, banking is a daunting challenge, but at ICB things are a bit different.
Cooper says, “While most banks today are spending their time solving problems, at ICB we don’t have those same issues. We put our time into helping clients grow their businesses. I always tell them, ‘If we can’t add to your bottom line, you don’t need us.’
“ICB is making loans. We lend to our current clients and are actively seeking new clients in need of project financing,” said Cooper.
Cooper said that while most popular consumer-oriented banks may average deposits of $4,000 to $6,000, ICB’s average deposits range from $35,000 to $50,000.
Wood says, “My goal with ICB is simple: it’s to help the bank grow successfully. I want to see ICB expand to where we’re adding more select clients and more strategically located branches.” It’s something Wood has done before.
At ICB each new client is assigned a team of personal bankers to learn and understand the client’s specific needs. “We go the extra mile to ensure that ICB provides clients with the resources they need to meet their objectives. Also clients always are sure to be able to speak with or meet with a personal banker that knows and understands their financial needs,” said Cooper.
Businesses or professionals with gross annual revenue of $250,000 to $35 million are prime candidates to receive a team of personal bankers providing personal banking services.
“ICB is not the bank for everyone, but our clients quickly find that our relationship encourages their profitability, and for them we become the only bank,” said Cooper.
Deposits at ICB are fully insured by the FDIC. “We also assure each customer that any deposit made with ICB, regardless of size, is safe and sound,” said Cooper.
To schedule an appointment or for more information about ICB contact James Walling, Vice President or Christopher D. Maggio, Senior Vice President at (909) 796-7100.
About ICB
Since 1990 ICB has served select professionals and businesses with teams of personal bankers delivering a full range of banking
and financial services. ICB delivers one-on-one service to its clients through banking offices in Los Angeles, Duarte, Ontario, Loma Linda and Rialto.
ICB is a publicly traded company listed on the OTC Bulletin Board: ICBN. The website is www.ICBBank.com. ICB is headquartered in Ontario, California.
Safe Harbor Statement
ICB and its management may make certain statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation reform Act of 1995. We make forward-looking statements when we use words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “should,” “may,” “can,” “will,” “outlook,” “project,” or similar expressions. These statements are not historical facts, but instead represent ICB’s current expectations, plans or forecasts of its future results and revenues, asset growth, loan volume, interest margin, effective tax rate, noninterest expense, and other matters. These statements are not guarantees of future results or performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and are often beyond ICB’s control. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any of these forward-looking statements.
You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement and should consider all of the following uncertainties and risks, as well as those discussed in ICB’s Annual Report and in any of ICB’s subsequent SEC filings. Risks include but are not limited to negative economic conditions that adversely affect the general economy, housing prices, the job market, consumer confidence and spending habits; the level and volatility of the capital markets, interest rates, currency values and other market indices; changes in consumer, investor and counterparty confidence in, and the related impact on, financial markets and institutions; ICB’s credit ratings; estimates of fair value of certain ICB assets and liabilities; legislative and regulatory actions in the United States; the impact of litigation and regulatory investigations, including costs, expenses, settlements and judgments; various monetary and fiscal policies and regulations of the U.S.; changes in accounting standards, rules and interpretations (including SFAS 166 and 167) and the impact on ICB’s financial statements; increased globalization of the financial services industry and competition with other financial institutions; ICB’s ability to attract new employees and retain and motivate existing employees; mergers and acquisitions and their integration into ICB; ICB’s reputation; and decisions to downsize, sell or close units or otherwise change the business mix of ICB. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and ICB undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statement was made.
Mayor Pat Morris, his son Jim and Grandsons Owen and Aden plant a tree in San Bernardino’s Secombe Lake Park
San Bernardino City Council Member Virginia Marquez plants a tree in San Bernardino’s Secombe Lake Park
Rabbi Hillel Cohn, Bicentennial Chairperson and Mayor Patrick Morris, plant a tree in San Bernardino’s Secombe Lake Park
San Bernardino Visitors and Convention Executive Director Wayne Austin and Council member Virginia Marquez plant a tree in San Bernardino’s Secombe Lake Park
Cal State San Bernardino Sigma Chi & Alpha Delta Pi and Rabbi Hillel Cohn plant trees at Tom Minor Park
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) As part of the Bicentennial Celebration Mayor Patrick Morris, Councilmembers Virginia Marquez, Bicentennial Chairperson Rabbi Hillel Cohn and volunteers including San Bernardino Visitors and Convention Executive Director Wayne Austin planted 200 trees in the City of San Bernardino, each representing a year of San Bernardino’s existence. “The 200 hundred trees were planted as a lasting tribute to San Bernardino’s Bicentennial and its residents’ philanthropic spirit.” said Nick Calero, chair of the Bicentennial Celebration’s Tree Planting Committee. “When we first began formulating plans for the celebration of our Bicentennial we knew that we wanted to leave a legacy to the future generations. Trees will not only beautify our city now, but they will continue to provide beauty for generations to come. Just as we enjoy the trees that our forbearers planted, so we have plant trees for those who come after us,” said Rabbi Hillel Cohn, Bicentennial Committee Chairperson.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Singer, Helen McNair performs a concert celebrating the glory of Easter on Tuesday, March 30, at 10:00 a.m. on 780 E. 21st Street in San Bernardino at Perris Hills Senior Center.
McNair says, “Singing is a joy to me and I am blessed to be able to share that joy with others.”
She will also perform at 5th Street Senior Center on April 1, at 9:30 a.m. at 600 W. 5th Street in San Bernardino.
Her performance includes: My Tribute(To God Be The Glory), What A Wonderful World, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Just a Closer Walk With Thee, Blessed Assurance, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, You Are So Beautiful, He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands and Wind Beneath My Wings.
“I like to sing Gospel, spiritual songs, and the classics,” said McNair. She performs for weddings, banquets, religious functions and community organizations throughout the Inland Empire and Los Angeles.
McNair has performed on stage with some of gospel’s greatest artists including: The Clara Ward Singers, Professor James Cleveland, Professor Raymond Rasberry, Gregory Perkins-Bowen, Vernard Johnson, Shirley Caesar and Albertina Walker.
McNair is a member of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in San Bernardino, where she is an active member of the Sanctuary Choir, the Mass Choir, and Mission Chorus.
For more information or to book McNair, call (951) 315-5961 or fax (909) 888-2331.
The California theater is just one of the many beautiful building recently restored in San Bernardino. Residents are invited to participate in a citywide beautification contest during the month of April as part of the Bicentennial Celebration.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (March 17, 2010) – The City of San Bernardino invites residents to participate in a citywide beautification contest during the month of April as part of the Bicentennial Celebration.
Projects for the contest include property repairs, painting, landscaping or cleaning up a piece of property. The Bicentennial Celebration Committee will award plaques to the winners in various categories.
All who submit a project will be entered into an opportunity drawing with a chance to win one of many prizes.
“We’re very excited about giving our residents a chance to make a difference in the city and take part in the Bicentennial celebration in this way,” said Jean Bulinski, co-chair of the Bicentennial Beautification Committee.
“The city is holding a year-long party and inviting thousands of guests,” Bulinski continued, “and this is a way for residents to help our guests feel more welcome.”
Individuals, businesses and organizations throughout the city can submit “before” and “after” photos of a project. Entries must include two dated street-view photos of the property before the project and two dated photos of the completed project from the same location. Entries must be received at the Mayor’s Office or emailed to beautification@erinbrinker.com by 4:00 pm, April 26, 2010. Winners will be announced at the end of April.
For more information and complete rules, visit www.sanbernardino200.org and click on Neighborhood Beautification.
Other upcoming Bicentennial Celebration Events:
April 12 will take a look at “Indigenous Pre-Hispanic People of San Bernardino” at the University’s Pfau Library.
On May 1, the San Bernardino Symphony will perform a “Celebrate America” concert at the California Theatre of Performing Arts in honor of the city’s birthday as well as for the centennial of the Community Hospital of San Bernardino.
More music will highlight May 7 and 8 with an adaptation of Mozart’s opera “Cossi Fan Tutte” at the University’s P.A. Recital Hall.
May 8 and 9, the celebration debuts Railroad Days at the San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum at the historic Depot. The historic Santa Fe 3750 steam locomotive will be brought to San Bernardino for this event,
May 15th will launch a “countdown” celebration with an elaborate gala at the National Orange Show Events Center, with the 16th capped by a Bicentennial Mayor’s Run and Youth Safety Expo at Arrowhead Credit Union Park and a Festival of Faiths at the Western Region Little League Stadium.
There will be a Centennial Monument rededication as well as a Bicentennial Monument dedication on May 20 at Inland Center Drive and “I” Street with a reception to follow at the California Welcome Center – San Bernardino.
June 19 will see another unique event when the city introduces the “San Bernardino’s Got Talent” competition at the Sturges Theatre. Auditions will take place at the San Bernardino Feldheym Library on April 24 and April 26 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The Bicentennial festivities continue on July 4th at the 66ers Stadium in the Arrowhead Credit Union Park, the 4th of July Extravaganza with a fireworks display unlike any the city has previously seen.
The Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous, the Western Regional Little League Tournament and other events taking place in the latter part of 2010 will also feature a tie-in to San Bernardino’s Bicentennial, keeping the celebration alive throughout the year.
Rabbi Hillel Cohn is the chairman of the Bicentennial Celebration Committee, and Erin Brinker is the chair of its Public Relations & Marketing and Independence Day Extravaganza committees. Other Bicentennial Celebration Committee members are Jim Smith (chair of the Community Engagement committee), Cheryl Brown (chair of the Youth Council, Intergovernmental and Arts committees), Beverly Bird (chair of the Legend of the Arrowhead committee), Steven Shaw (chair of the History committee), David Smith (chair of the Finance committee), Jane Sneddon (chair of the Parade committee) and Martha Pinkney (chair of the Gala committee.) The mayor and members of the San Bernardino Common Council appointed these members.
Additional community volunteers who have taken on leadership of other committees are: Trudy Freidel (Festival of Faiths), Edward Martinez (Leadership Cabinet), Peggi Hazlett (Mayor’s Run), Dr. Charles “Skip” Herbert (Coloring Books for Schools), Karen Blanco (Media) and The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire (Design).
For additional details, contact Erin Brinker at (951) 323-9337 or go to http://sanbernardino200.org
Marco Ofelio Garcia, executive chef of Ontario Convention Center –
photo by Dave Earhart
(ONTARIO, Calif.) Chef Marco Ofelio Garcia has been named the executive chef of the Ontario Convention Center.
His job is to change the way people think about convention center food. Under his leadership, the Ontario Convention Center’s restaurants and banquets will soon expand their fare, providing guests with a fine restaurant style dining experience.
“I create new food ideas,” Chef Garcia said. “I want people to know that if they come here, they will have a unique culinary experience in the style of the finest restaurants.”
Garcia received his certification as a certified executive chef (CEC), at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. He also spent part of 2006 working while gaining tremendous experience as a chef in Barcelona and other regions in Spain.
His most recent prior experience is working as the senior executive chef at Angels Stadium of Anaheim. He was there from 1998-2009, dating back to when it was known as Edison Field.
At Angels’ Stadium he oversaw food preparation for three in-stadium restaurants and 83 skybox suites, as well as for special events at the stadium besides the Angels’ games.
During his time there, even the take-out menus broadly expanded from traditional stadium fare, and the sit-down restaurants now offer some of the finest dining in Anaheim.
Chef Garcia worked as, the concessionaire for Angels Stadium, starting in 1993. Before moving over to Angels’ Stadium, he was the sous chef at Arrowhead Pond, and the executive chef at Los Angeles Convention Center.
Prior to working in sports venues and convention centers, Chef Garcia worked as the executive chef at restaurants in San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago, and for Pinnacle Industries. He also worked at restaurants such as the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, and the officers’ dining lounges at two military bases in southern California.
Chef Garcia grew up in San Francisco, where he first gained exposure to the Mexican, Asian, Southwest and Mediterranean cuisines that continue to influence his repertoire. He also broadens his influence by traveling to different cities, tasting the cuisine of each.
The Ontario Convention Center is a contemporary design building, encompassing 225,000 square feet of space that can be configured to meet a variety of convention and other meeting needs. All areas of the Ontario Convention Center contain advanced communications technology, including wireless Internet access and video conferencing.
For a tour or more information, call Amita Patel at (909) 937-3000 or toll-free at (800) 455-5755, email info@ontariocvb.com or go to www.ontariocc.com
Melissa Foster is learning how a leading PR firm promotes its clients through her internship with Dameron Communications. Chris Sloan photo
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Melissa Foster is developing public relations and social networking online strategies to advance the success of Dameron Communications clients.
Foster has increased her skills and writes press releases for agency clients. She also promotes events for the company on many different social networks including Facebook, Myspace, Eventful, Zvents, and Entertainment Lifestyles.
Foster has had the opportunity to interview and work with government officials, business leaders, community leaders and volunteers.
Foster has realized print media is where you begin and is the foundation of all public relations communications. Foster’s university professors in public relations taught print media is outdated because people use online sources to get their information.
“Earning coverage in a newspapers and magazines is the foundation of good public relations. Many radio, TV and websites draw their content from newspapers. The information in the press release is then used in slightly different forms to promote events through online media,” Foster said.
As an example, a major local newspaper distributes 190,000 newspapers daily with 630,000 readers per day. That’s 18.9 million readers a month, offering more media hits than any Inland Empire online media delivers.
A press release allows for all the information to be in one place, permitting fast distribution of materials through all social networks and other online channels.
Foster joined Southern California’s leading public relations and advertising agency, Dameron Communications to build a foundation in public relations and decide if this is the career for her.
Foster is mentored by Carl Dameron, agency director of Dameron Communications and has learned the most important thing is to gather information, research, write a good press release and tell the story across all media including print, online, TV and radio.
“I have learned how to communicate information and learned that the foundation of communications is the same as it was 20 years ago. We just have new ways of getting information out,” Foster said.
“I know I am greatly expanding my knowledge and skills to be competitive in the field of public relations,” Foster said. “This has been a great experience and a wonderful opportunity.”
Foster began her communications major with a concentration in public relations, April of 2009. Now as a senior at Cal State San Bernardino, she hopes to land a job at a prominent public relations firm before graduation in March 2011.
“My university education has taught me critical thinking skills, effective communication and crisis communication,” Foster said.
At Cal State San Bernardino, Foster joined Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). She learned more about public relations and how new trends in the field of communications could be applied in the business world.
Activities included listening to guest speakers in the field of public relations and establishing networking connections.
Dameron said, “It is a pleasure to have Melissa work with us. She has quickly learned to write a good press release that has earned media coverage, a difficult task for people with years of professional experience. Every one of her stories has run in several local daily and weekly publications. She is a hard working young professional who I believe will be very successful in this business.”
About Dameron Communications Since 1989 Dameron Communications has creatively met the needs of our diverse client base locally, regionally and nationally. It is an award-winning agency that creates integrated advertising and public relations solutions to increase clients’ sales and profits, win elections, inform the public or gain acceptance of potentially controversial issues.Dameron Communications creates advertising for television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and billboards, web sites, mobile web applications, email and more. Public relations services include press releases, press conferences, media relations, television programs, web sites, opinion editorials, promotions, event creation and management, government relations and community relations. Dameron Communications has earned media coverage for clients from: ABC, CBS, NBC, CNBC, CBS MarketWatch; Fox News, CNN, CNNfn, Nightly Business Report; The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Dow Jones News Wire, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press and many more.For more information go to: http://www.DameronCommunications.com/ or call (909) 888-0017.
Amita Patel has been promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing for the Ontario Convention Center. Photo by Dave Earhart
(ONTARIO, Calif.) Amita Patel has been promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing for the Ontario Convention Center and the Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“Every day is different in my job,” she said. “And I am a very driven person who enjoys seeing things come together, especially on the regular basis when we help our clients plan conventions that exceed the expectations of their delegates and board members.”
Patel has been on the sales and marketing staff for both the convention center and the visitor’s bureau since 2002, but for some of those years, sales and marketing were regarded as separate functions.
Last year, the staff began a new approach in working to bring more events to Ontario, and this new approach ties sales and marketing more closely together, explained General Manger Bob Brown. It also closely aligns the mission of the Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau with that of the Convention Center.
“The Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau promotes all of the opportunities in Ontario, including the Convention Center, the Citizens’ Business Bank Arena, local hotels, restaurants and stores,” Brown explained. “We now consider ourselves a one-stop shop for Convention Center clients.”
That is where the marketing skills of Amita Patel come into play.
“I determine what the clients’ needs are,” Patel said. “Then I work with the sales staff, which I continue to oversee, so we can customize a proposal that addresses the needs of the client, increasing our opportunity to confirm the business for the city .”
Patel also develops marketing materials to inform potential clients how Bureau services can assist them in planning an exceptional event at the Ontario Convention Center, and oversees creation of press releases and other promotional materials.
Patel was born in England, but moved with her family to California in 1976. She now lives in Ontario.
She obtained a bachelor’s degree in microbiology at the University of Oklahoma and began her career in hotel sales and marketing shortly thereafter.
Patel says she loves challenges. Her competitive spirit drives her along with her sales team to develop value enhanced bid proposals to secure business for the city of Ontario’s hotel community and the Ontario Convention Center.
Her love of challenges led her to pursue science in college. However, due to a desire to pursue something very different, she was able to obtain a rewarding entry-level position as the sales manager of the historic Galvez Hotel in Galveston, Texas.
As director of Sales and Marketing at the Red Lion Hotel – Ontario Airport, she transitioned the brand to the Doubletree Hotel in 1996. With this experience, she was hired at the Holiday Inn Pasadena in Pasadena, CA in 1997, where she was the director of sales and marketing.
In 2000, the hotel was transitioned to the Sheraton brand. While there, she oversaw a campaign to transform the hotel from a mid-level brand focusing on the needs of tourists and other travelers, to an upscale hotel that hosted conventions and meetings.
The hotel grew in revenue after the transformation, Patel said, because even though room rates increased from $63 to $115, “we repositioned the hotel to generate more profitable business as a convention-based property than it did as a tour/travel based hotel.”
The Ontario Convention Center is a contemporary design building, encompassing 225,000 square feet of space that can be configured to meet a variety of convention and other meeting needs for groups of less than 100 and up to 10,000. All areas of the Ontario Convention Center contain advanced communications technology, including wireless Internet access and video conferencing.
The Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau assists event planners to create conventions of any size in Ontario, whether at the Ontario Convention Center, at other venues in the city, or a combination of both.
For a tour or more information, call Amita Patel at (909) 937-3000 or toll-free at (800) 455-5755, email info@ontariocvb.com or go to www.ontariocc.com
Parades have been celebrated in San Bernardino for many of the 200 years the city has been known by that name. A parade marking San Bernardino’s Bicentennial takes place Saturday, May 22. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (March 8, 2010) The City of San Bernardino continues its 200th anniversary celebration with a parade marking the city’s Bicentennial.
The parade, which is being organized by the Bicentennial Parade Committee, starts Saturday, May 22 at 7th & “E” Streets, ending at Meadowbrook Park. The festivities begin at 12 noon and conclude at 9 p.m. The parade itself begins at 4 p.m.
“Entries may include floats, marching bands, horse drawn vehicles, marching groups such as drill teams, drum squads, walking groups, mascots, vintage vehicles, re-enactors and equestrian groups,” said Jane Sneddon, chair of the Parade Committee. For an application go to www.sb200.org or call Sneddon at 909.289.2730. “A Rich History, A Bright Future” the overall Bicentennial Celebration’s theme, is also the theme of the parade,” said Rabbi Hillel Cohn, Bicentennial Committee Chairman. “This history begins with the presence of the Serrano Indians, the indigenous Native American population. In 1810 Father Dumetz came to the valley and named it. The parade will portray the early history as well as more recent history and will end with San Bernardino’s bright future.”
Entries currently include floats of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, a depiction of the first Mass in 1810, the arrival of the Mormon pioneers, the Jewish community and African-Americans. There will also be an entry from the National Orange Show, a 1910 buggy used by the mayor in the city’s centennial parade and five marching bands from the San Bernardino Unified School District.
Throughout the day there will be food and merchandise vendors, a mini-carnival and entertainment provided by the Redlands 4th of July Band, San Bernardino High School Jazz Band and The Main Street Community Band.After the parade, floats will be on display at the park.
Other upcoming Bicentennial Celebration Events:
In March and April of 2010, the city will conduct beautification events including spearheading the planting of 200 trees. On March 17, California State University at San Bernardino hosts the 23rd Annual Morrow-McCombs Memorial Lecture, which will explore “Can’t We All Get Along?” Bicentennial Committee Chairman Rabbi Hillel Cohn’s reflections on 200 years of the city’s religious life. April 12 will take a look at “Indigenous Pre-Hispanic People of San Bernardino” at the university’s Pfau Library.
On May 1, the San Bernardino Symphony will perform a “Celebrate America” concert at the California Theatre of Performing Arts in honor of the city’s birthday as well as for the centennial of the Community Hospital of San Bernardino. More music will highlight May 7 and 8 with an adaptation of Mozart’s opera “Cossi Fan Tutte” at the University’s P.A. Recital Hall. May 8 and 9, the celebration debuts Railroad Days at the San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum at the historic Depot. “We’ll be bringing in steam locomotive Santa Fe 3750,” Cohn says, “which actually used to serve the city.” May 15th will launch a “countdown” celebration with an elaborate gala at the National Orange Show Events Center, with the 16th capped by a Bicentennial Mayor’s Run and Youth Safety Expo at Arrowhead Credit Union Park and a Festival of Faiths at the Western Region Little League Stadium. There will be a Centennial Monument rededication as well as a Bicentennial Monument dedication on May 20 at Inland Center Drive and “I” Street. June 17-18 will see another unique event when the city introduces the “San Bernardino’s Got Talent” competition at a location to be determined.
The Bicentennial festivities continue on July 4th at the 66ers Stadium in the Arrowhead Credit Union Park, the 4th of July Extravaganza with a fireworks display unlike any the city has previously seen. The Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous, the Western Regional Little League Tournament and other events taking place in the latter part of 2010 will also feature a tie-in to San Bernardino’s Bicentennial, keeping the celebration alive throughout the year.
Rabbi Hillel Cohn is the chairman of the Bicentennial Celebration Committee, and Erin Brinker is the chair of its Public Relations & Marketing and Independence Day Extravaganza committees. Other Bicentennial Celebration Committee members are Jim Smith (chair of the Community Engagement committee), Cheryl Brown (chair of the Youth Council, Intergovernmental and Arts committees), Beverly Bird (chair of the Legend of the Arrowhead committee), Steven Shaw (chair of the History committee), David Smith (chair of the Finance committee), Jane Sneddon (chair of the Parade committee) and Martha Pinkney (chair of the Gala committee.) The mayor and members of the San Bernardino Common Council appointed these members.
Additional community volunteers who have taken on leadership of other committees are: Trudy Freidel (Festival of Faiths), Edward Martinez (Leadership Cabinet), Peggi Hazlett (Mayor’s Run), Dr. Charles “Skip” Herbert (Coloring Books for Schools), Karen Blanco (Media) and The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire (Design). For additional details, contact Erin Brinker at (951) 323-9337 or go to http://sanbernardino200.org
