San Diego North Economic Development Council (SDNEDC) hosted its third Chairman’s Dinner of 2024 at the beautiful Firenze Trattoria restaurant in Encinitas on August 15. Chairman Jim Callaghan Jr. and CEO Erik Bruvold of SDNEDC gathered 30 attendees from different fields including business leaders from Viasat, Turner Construction, San Diego Wildlife Alliance, H.G. Fenton, AES Clean Energy, Scripps Health, The Classical Academies, and more.
Big Wins for North County & Bipartisan Initiatives
Congressman Mike Levin, who represents North County San Diego and South Orange County, gave a briefing on his current projects such as the HUD-Vash program, the PACT Act, and the Chips & Science Act. Congressman Levin’s aims with these bipartisan projects are to help homeless veterans live in adequate housing; help 9/11 veterans receive proper healthcare; and regulate clean energy efforts, foreign and domestic manufacturing of microchips, and more.
Local Vision for Encinitas’ Future
Mayor Tony Kranz of Encinitas was also in attendance. He spoke of continuing projects and new developments in Encinitas, like building more housing, the El Camino Real Project, and alleviating current flooding. Mayor Kranz took inspiration from Mayor Rebecca Jones of San Marcos, who was also present, regarding the housing issue by stating that “she has really led the way – she has done a lot over in San Marcos.” Mayor Kranz also credits Congressman Levin for bringing in $4 Million in federal funding through HUD regarding housing and flooding efforts. The City of Encinitas plans on constructing a new 60-inch pipe to reduce current flooding, especially in more rural areas.
Powering Progress: SDNEDC’s Impactful Partnerships
In addition, SDNEDC COO Caitlyn Canby spoke about the Economic Impact Report that the Council conducted for Encinitas’E3 Collaborative. This collaboration supports over 1,400 jobs, generates $145.2 million in total economic activity (nearly the same impact as COMIC-CON in 2023), and is composed of local organizations that provide environmental education, volunteer opportunities, elder care, and other similar services.
Chairman’s Dinners are invitation-only events, hosted by SDNEDC’s current Board Chair, for North County business professionals and elected officials. SDNEDC aims to limit its attendees to these dinners to around 30-40 people per dinner to promote opportunities for connection. The next Chairman’s Dinner will be in late October or early November.
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Event
Additionally, our 6th Excellence in North County Economic Development Awards event will take place on Dec 19 at the Seabird Resort in Oceanside. Nominations for this event will open in September. To learn more about Chairman’s Dinners or for sponsorship opportunities for December’s event, please contact Caitlyn Canby at ccanby@sdnedc.org.
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About the Author
Katja Hokanson is the Marketing and Events Coordinator at SDNEDC. She has her bachelor’s degree in history with a Minor in Business obtained from UC San Diego. She has experience in the hospitality and tourism industry as well as in marketing and communication. Katja moved to San Diego from Los Angeles and loves learning more about and being a part of the San Diego community. Katja enjoys traveling, exploring new places, picking up new hobbies and overall being creative!