Family-Owned Business Forum, “Your Next Move,” Set for September 8

The Family-Owned Business Forum will help sustain business and family success across generations.

According to the Family Firm Institute, only 30 percent of family-owned businesses make it to the second generation, 10 percent to the third generation, and 3 percent to the fourth.  While all ventures are vulnerable to failure, family-owned businesses face unique challenges, including planning for succession, keeping products or services competitive through the generations, maintaining branding, going public, and recruiting the right outside employees.

“As we face the most significant economic crisis in 80 years and we are just beginning to understand the ‘new normal,’ many family-owned businesses in Southern California are at a crossroad,” says Enrique Perez, J.D., assistant vice chancellor of educational services for Rancho Santiago Community College District.  “The Family-Owned Business Forum is designed to help them successfully strategize their next move and plan for even greater future success.”

The Orange County Small Business Development Center (Orange County SBDC) and the Institute for Women Entrepreneurs (IWE) are hosting the Family-Owned Business Forum at the Hilton Anaheim, 777 Convention Way, Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, September 8 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration for the full-day forum tailor-made for family-owned businesses is $250 with a family discount (with two or more paid registrants) of $195 per participant. To register, visit www.familyownedbusinessforum.com or contact (714) 564-5200.

This inaugural forum’s presentations include succession planning, key lending strategies, current employment challenges, and branding.  Jan Norman, Orange County Register small business columnist, is the luncheon keynote speaker.  Forum sponsors include State Farm Insurance; Northern Trust; Anderson & Knuf; and Adorno Yoss Alvarado & Smith. For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Leila Mozaffari at (714) 564-5200.

Parents and Community Volunteers Walk Neighborhoods for Success

On August 7, some 300 community volunteers will knock on doors to increase the visibility of higher education in Santa Ana.

On Saturday, August 7, Santa Ana parent Elfy Gaona will lace up her walking shoes as she has done for the past seven years one Saturday in August. By 8 a.m., she will join some 300 community volunteers at six high schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District – Century, Saddleback, Santa Ana, Segerstrom, Godinez, and Valley – where they will begin the tenth annual “Camino de Amistad” (Walk for Success).

The annual event, organized by Santa Ana College’s “Padres Promotores de la Educación” (Parent Promoters of Education), is designed to increase the visibility of higher education throughout Santa Ana. Parents and high school volunteers canvas neighborhoods as they distribute 20,000 door hangers listing the dates for high school registration and the first day of school.

Why does Gaona devote a Saturday to this event? It’s simple. “Children have to prepare themselves to get a better job. Competition is tremendous today. We want our children to know that they can do it,” she said.

As the parents and youth volunteers knock on doors, they often find local parents who are anxious for the information, reports Gaona. Besides delivering the door hangers, the walkers share upcoming high school open house dates and they invite parents to visit the Higher Education Center at each of the high schools.

“Many parents haven’t had the opportunity to visit the schools,” said Gaona. “Sometimes, they don’t have the information about school meetings. Other times because of work, they don’t find time to go, but they are always happy to see us.”

The “Camino de Amistad” volunteers will target neighborhoods where school-to-home communication has been the lowest. High school students who assist with the project can earn community service hours for participating with their parents. A free lunch is provided volunteers following the walk at Adams Park, the corner of Raitt St. and Warner Ave. in Santa Ana. Key partners in the “Camino de Amistad” are Santa Ana Unified School District, Santa Ana College, Latino Health Access, Delhi Community Center, UC Irvine, and CSU Fullerton.

Former Chancellor of RSCCD Bill Wenrich Remembered

Bill Wenrich's contributions left a lasting legacy.

J. William “Bill” Wenrich, who served as Rancho Santiago Community College District’s (RSCCD) second chancellor from 1979 to 1984, died on July 6 from pancreatic cancer. He was 73.

 “Bill Wenrich was a great man to work with and for,” said Neal Rogers, Ph.D., Santa Ana College (SAC) professor of mathematics and sociology and the college’s former vice president of student affairs. “He had an incredible ability to bring people together, to inspire people. He believed in open communication and knew everyone by their first name from the person cutting the grass to the faculty.”

Wenrich lived by the motto, “Be fair, right, and decent to everyone.” From the first staff barbecue called, the “Wenrich Round-Up,” his engaging and genuine personality was embraced across the district. He encouraged his managers to broaden their perspectives and see the big picture. By identifying strengths and weaknesses and being open to taking risks, forward-thinking strategies were developed.

“He was looking for collaboration,” said Judy Chitlik, RSCCD’s assistant vice chancellor of human resources and former SAC professor of English as a Second Language (ESL). “He was interested in helping move the faculty into the 21^st century. He saw his role as a facilitator rather than as a caretaker. He had great regard for faculty; he saw us as professionals.”

A number of Wenrich’s contributions left a lasting legacy. They include:

• Purchasing land in Orange for an instructional site.
• Strengthening the role of the Santa Ana College Foundation by selecting a director.
• Elevating the status of Continuing Education faculty.
• Moving the SAC School of Continuing Education from a warehouse to Centennial Education Center.
• Hiring more women and minorities across the district.

“He always had a way about him that encouraged people to think out of the box and towards the future,” said Dean Strenger, retired Santiago Canyon College president and SAC dean of science and technology during Wenrich’s tenure. “He was supportive. He would rather see an occasional mistake than to always play it safe. He was always encouraging the district to provide leadership on a state and national level in innovation.”

His diverse career spanned the field of education, private industry, and the U.S. Foreign Service.  Fluent in Spanish, Wenrich worked as a foreign service officer in Bolivia and for the International Development Foundation in the Dominican Republic in the 1960s before beginning a nearly 40-year career in higher education. In addition to his tenure at RSCCD, Wenrich served as president of Ferris State University (Michigan), Canada College in California, and as chancellor of the San Diego Community College District (1988-1990) and he became chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District  (1990-2003).

Bill Wenrich was a visionary who always kept his focus on the needs of community college students. His integrity, inspired leadership, innovation, strategic thinking, and collaborative ways left an indelible mark on RSCCD.

Digital Media Center Business Incubator Launches Affiliate Program

The Digital Media Center Affiliate Program provides pipeline to help early-stage technology ventures.

Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Digital Media Center (DMC) Business Incubator is fully leased out and can not accommodate additional resident businesses at its Santa Ana site.  Nevertheless, there is still a demand for its services and support within the emerging digital media market. To meet that need, the DMC announces its new Affiliate Program.

 “Our goal is to have a pipeline to help companies at an earlier stage,’ said Gustavo Chamorro, director of the DMC. “This program is perfect for someone who wants to start a new venture while still remaining employed.”

Through membership in the DMC Affiliate Program, early-stage entrepreneurial technology companies can access services that will help boost their development and success. Without having to lease office space at the DMC, affiliates will have access to the following services:

•  A shared office and conference rooms during business hours (limit of 10 hours per month);
• Business counseling services: legal, marketing, IT, and business development;
• No cost or discounted access to workshops and networking events;
• Professional business address and mailbox;
• Office equipment including copier and fax; and
• Wired and wireless Internet connection at the DMC.

To qualify for the DMC Affiliate Program, businesses must meet the following requirements:

•  Have a product or service that represents a unique technology that could create a competitive advantage;
• Not be in direct competition with Business Incubator residents or other Affiliate Program members;
• Have no legal claims or lawsuits pending against the business;
• The needs of the company and the resources available to Affiliate Program members match; and
• The company has potential for growth and job creation.

Membership in the DMC Affiliate Program is $100 per month or $500 for a six-month membership. For more information, call (714) 241-5836 or (714) 241-5810 or visit www.dmc-works.com.

Digital Media Center Incubator Adds New Resident Business

The Digital Media Center is helping launch new ideas and grow the economy.

Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Digital Media Center (DMC) Business Incubator has announced one new resident company at its Santa Ana facility. The new resident is Wildflower Technologies, Inc., making smart electronic modules that are easy to use for non-technical designers. These components can be readily integrated into everyday products and venues, including cakes, furniture, artwork, interactive displays, theaters, homes, and more. With its addition, the DMC Business Incubator is at capacity with nine resident digital media companies.

“Our company’s name stems from the idea that when anyone looks at a flower, they see something that is very pretty, but flowers are actually highly functional. And this is what we aim to do, to help people create beautiful things that are also functional and sophisticated,” said Mark Merlo, president of Wildflower Technologies.

Merlo, who is working on his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at the University of California, Irvine, (UCI), describes his emerging technology company as a spinoff from UCI.  In fact, the four partners in the enterprise have all been colleagues at UCI’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering.

“Our team includes experts in embedded electronics, microsensors, microdevices, wireless networks, and software development with years of experience integrating technology into non-technical projects,” said Merlo.

The applications for Wildflower Technologies’ smart modules are countless. For example, the company’s smart modules will assist a Los Angeles-based artist in creating a puppet show. By simply connecting a smart module to the puppets, the smart module can control the opening and closing of the puppets’ mouths to the tune of “Happy Birthday.” The smart modules will allow artists with no technical background to create works that are responsive and interactive to environmental stimuli, such as sound, temperature, motion, and light.  

According to Merlo, the DMC is a perfect location for their emerging company. “Artists and designers come here every day,” he said. “The location, facilities, and lower rent are all great, as well as access to creative people.”

Uniquely hosted by a community college district, the DMC affords businesses a close connection with the Santa Ana College’s educational programs in digital media arts, television and video, business, and digital music. In addition to Wildflower Technologies, the DMC Business Incubator includes Abroadcasting, CouponEx, DesiYou, Just Enjoy, MelRoK Corporation, Nuvolo, Reazon Systems, and Topgallant Power & Locomotion.

For more information about the DMC Business Incubator, call (714) 241-5836 or visit www.dmc-works.com.

New Student Trustee Arrives on Rancho Santiago Community College District Board

Nathan Selvidge has been named student trustee for 2010-2011.

Rancho Santiago Community College District has appointed 19-year-old Nathan Selvidge to serve as the student representative on its Board of Trustees. 

Selvidge, a second-year philosophy major at Santiago Canyon College (SCC) with a 3.4 GPA, has his sights set on law school.  As director of public relations for the SCC Associated Student Government (ASG), he helped facilitate better student advocacy strategies and worked to build better relationships with faculty and student leadership. His future plans include transferring to a four-year university and studying law with the goal of practicing criminal law.

After his parents’ divorce when he was in middle school, his grades took a nosedive. By the time he was in high school, he thought there was nothing he could do to improve his future outlook.

“After my graduation from Villa Park High, my grandpa sat me down and told me to get serious,” says Selvidge. “I love community college because it is affordable and it gave me a chance to start with a clean slate.”

After enrolling at SCC, he saw getting involved with ASG as a chance to do something for the campus. He is most proud of his advocacy for a resolution for creating a dedicated smoking area in the college’s parking lot. SCC has a smoke-free campus with designated smoking areas in perimeter parking lots only. He also assisted in orchestrating a successful student rally held to oppose any student enrollment fee increases. He sees serving as student trustee as an extension of the work he has already done.

“I want to be part of anything that advocates for students,” Selvidge says. “My goal is to build strong relationships with the board members and student leaders.”

One month into his tenure as student trustee, he is researching how best to serve his fellow students. Among the most important issues are adequate library hours, recycling, and keeping student enrollment fees at $26 a unit he says.

“I am looking forward to doing something positive and long-lasting to benefit students,” says Selvidge.

Santa Ana College Ranked Eighteenth in Nation in Awarding Associate Degrees to Minority Students

Santa Ana College strives to help students meet academic goals.

According to Community College Week, a national publication for two-year college professionals, Santa Ana College ranks 18th among the top 100 associate degree producers for “total minority” students in the nation. The 95-year-old college is one of six California community colleges in the top twenty nationwide in this category and the only Orange County community college among the top-ranking performers.

In addition, Santa Ana College ranks 22nd among the top 100 associate degree producers for Hispanic and Asian American students in the nation. In fall 2009, the college’s enrollment demographics included one percent American Indian, two percent African-American, 13 percent Asian, 53 percent Latino, 19 percent Caucasian, two percent Filipino, two percent other, and eight percent declined to state.

The publication’s June 14 issue ranked two-year colleges based on degrees conferred during the 2008-2009 academic year. The report is based on data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Set completions survey.

During the 2008-2009 academic year, Santa Ana College conferred a total of 1,294 associate degrees. In addition, 524 SAC students earned vocational certificates in the same year and 1,791 Santa Ana College students transferred to baccalaureate-granting institutions. This past year, 27 Middle College High School seniors graduated with both a high school diploma and an associate degree from Santa Ana College.

“Even as community colleges face unprecedented budget cuts, Santa Ana College continues to think about how we can maximize our academic offerings to ensure we are helping our students meet their goals. These rankings help prove that we are heading in the right direction,” said Erlinda J. Martinez, Ed.D., president, Santa Ana College.

In fall 2009, the college’s total enrollment, including credit and non-credit programs, was 34,881.

Santa Ana College Inducts Distinguished Alumni Into Its 2010 Hall of Fame

Four SAC alumni will be inducted into the Alumni Achievement Hall of Fame on June 3.

Four alumni from Santa Ana College will be inducted into the Alumni Achievement Hall of Fame on Thursday, June 3, in Santa Ana College’s Phillips Hall at 3:30 p.m. The 2010 inductees are Ruben Barron, Ed.D. (Class of 1971); Mark A. Lowry (Class of 1977); Joel Ohlgren, J.D. (Class of 1963); and Karen Gardner Richards (Class of 1967).

Ruben Barron, Ed.D., is retired after a 30-year career as an educator.  He grew up in a migrant family and came to Santa Ana College (SAC) in 1968 after completing a tour of duty in the U.S. Army that took him to Vietnam during the Tet Offensive.  He graduated with honors from SAC in 1971 and earned a B.A. from Cal State Fullerton along with a teaching credential. A master’s degree from Cal State Fullerton followed, and later his Ed.D. from Arizona State University in 1993.

After serving as a classroom teacher for seven years, he became director of bilingual programs for the La Habra City School District. He went on to be a principal in the McFarland Unified School District in Kern County, CA.

Mark A. Lowry, a believer in community service and addressing social issues, serves as the director of the Orange County Food Bank.

After receiving an associate degree in administration of justice from SAC in 1977, he earned a B.A. in social ecology from the University of California, Irvine. From there, he joined Lutheran Social Services as a marketing director. Later, he served as an occupancy specialist for the Orange County Housing Authority. With the Community Action Partnership of Orange County, he served as a research analyst, then as manager of a homeless program. In 1989, he became manager of the Orange County Food Bank, and later its director.

Joel Ohlgren, J.D., is retired from his legal career with Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton in Santa Barbara where he is still “Of Counsel.” His areas of practice are bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, international insolvency, and commercial law. 

In 1962, Ohlgren was on the Dons football team that won its second consecutive Easter Conference championship. He graduated with an associate degree in economics in June 1963 and transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he earned a B.A. in economics. He received a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law in 1968. From 1968 to 1970, he taught law at the University of Malawi in Central Africa. From there, he joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton.

He served as a member of the International Insolvency Institute delegation the United Nations Commission on International Trade in 2006 and 2007.

Karen Gardner Richards, an educator in the Tustin Unified School District for 37 years, was named Teacher of the Year for 2002-2003 at W.R. Nelson School. In supporting her nomination, alumnus Doug Davert (Class of 1985) recalled, “Karen Richards was my third grade teacher. I largely credit [her] with fostering my love for learning and giving me much of the foundation that has led to my successes as an adult.”

Richards entered SAC after graduating from Santa Ana Valley High School in 1965. At SAC, she felt nurtured and supported by her instructors. After graduating from SAC, Richards went on to earn her teaching credential and a B.A. from California State University, Long Beach. In 2003, she earned her M.A. in teaching from Grand Canyon University. In 1992, she received the “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” award.

For more information, contact Director of College Advancement Christina Romero at the Foundation Office, (714) 564-6091.

 

Four Rancho Santiago Community College District Child Development Centers Earn National NAEYC Reaccreditation

Rancho Santiago Community College District operates five Child Development Centers.

Four Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) Child Development Centers have earned reaccreditation from the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  NAEYC is the nation’s leading organization for early childhood professionals.  The centers are located at Santa Ana College, Centennial Education Center, Santiago Canyon College, and Orange Education Center. The district’s fifth center that opened in 2009, the Santa Ana College East Campus, is not eligible for accreditation yet.

“For many years, RSCCD has believed our child development programs to be of the highest quality,” said RSCCD Director of Child Development Services Dee Tucker. “Reaccreditation by NAEYC lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning opportunities possible.”

In the 23 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education.  Almost 8,000 programs, serving one million young children, are currently accredited by NAEYC—approximately 8 percent of all preschools and other early childhood programs.

 “To earn NAEYC reaccreditation, our centers went through an extensive self-study process measuring our program and its services against the ten NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related accreditation criteria.  Reaccreditation endorses the quality aspects of our programs and helps us focus on areas that can be improved upon,” said Tucker. 

 Founded in 1970, RSCCD Child Development Centers operate a total of five centers.  Each center supports and promotes the district’s commitment to student success by providing access to vital, comprehensive, and quality early childhood education programs and services, which reflect and address the needs of a diverse community.  The four long-standing centers also have earned Five Star Quality Ratings through the Orange County United Way.

The centers provide:

• Lab schools for college students studying human development and nursing.
• Care, education, and nurturing for more than 1,150 youngsters from six months to five-years-old.
• Free and low-cost services for families that qualify.
• Counseling services, parenting education, and one-on-one referrals to health and social services through the district’s federal Early Head Start Program.
• Support to families living in Anaheim Hills, Garden Grove, Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin and Villa Park. 
• Play with purpose as the primary vehicle for instruction.

For more information about the Rancho Santiago Community College District Child Development Centers, call (714) 480-7546 or visit us online.

Wells Fargo Awards $100,000 Technical Assistance Grant to the Orange County SBDC

Orange County SBDC receives $100,000 from Wells Fargo to help Vietnamese small business owners.

A $100,000 Wells Fargo grant announced today will allow the Orange County Small Business Development Center (SBDC), an economic development program of Rancho Santiago Community College District, to continue providing business consulting and training to Vietnamese small business owners. The Orange County SBDC is among 12 community 501c3 organizations selected statewide to receive technical assistance grants Well Fargo.

The Orange County SBDC will receive $100,000 for two years. It is the third time it has received a grant through the bank’s Technical Assistance Initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to help businesses access capital and resources to support sustainable growth.

Orange County SBDC Director Leila Mozaffari said that the SBDC will use the grant to continue the momentum built over the last four years in partnership with Wells Fargo and the Vietnamese community.

“Orange County’s Vietnamese business community is extremely entrepreneurial,” said Katie KieuDung Nguyen, Orange County SBDC business consultant. “Our partnership with Wells Fargo allows us to more effectively serve this important community.”

Thanks to this grant, the Orange County SBDC will continue to focus on helping Vietnamese small business owners access needed capital. At regularly scheduled “Financing for Small Businesses and Start-ups” seminars offered in Vietnamese at the Wells Fargo Bolsa Golden West store, attendees learn about loan programs available through community lenders, banks, and other financial institutions. Lenders are on hand to discuss individual needs and options and questions are answered by a seasoned financial consultant.

One-on-one technical assistance is also available from the Orange County SBDC to help businesses successfully access the resources needed to launch or expand their enterprises.

The recent grant brings Wells Fargo’s total investment in the Orange County SBDC-related projects to $300,000.  The foundation has awarded two other $100,000 grants since 2006 enabling the Orange County SBDC to help the Vietnamese small business community.

For more information, visit www.ocsbdc.com.