Redwood Credit Union Recognized by Forbes as One of “America’s Best Small Employers 2023″

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 Redwood Credit Union has been named by Forbes as one of “America’s Best Small Employers 2023.” The list ranks the 300 U.S. companies—with more than 200 employees, but fewer than 1,000—most highly recommended as a top place to work.

“It’s an honor to be ranked as one of the best employers in the nation,” said Brett Martinez, President and CEO of Redwood Credit Union. “We are purposeful about creating a supportive and inclusive culture that helps team members reach their full potential and build rewarding careers. I firmly believe that when employees are well cared for, they’re better able to care for our members. Given the growth we’re seeing at RCU with more members entrusting us with their financial well-being, I’d say we’re all doing something right.”

To compile the list, Forbes partnered with the market research firm Statista, which implemented a wide range of assessment tools. These included anonymous surveys, social listening of news, websites, blogs and social media channels to assess the company’s relationship with its employees, and tracking of job-related websites to gauge employer reputation, engagement, retention, benefits, and more.

Out of the 300 U.S. companies that made the list, only four of them are California-based financial institutions, with RCU being one of the four. See the Forbes complete list here.

About Redwood Credit Union

Founded in 1950, Redwood Credit Union is a full-service financial institution providing personal and business banking to consumers and businesses in the North Bay and San Francisco. With a mission to passionately serve the best interests of its Members, team members, and communities, RCU delivers many ways for its Members to save and build money through checking and savings accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, digital banking, business services, commercial and SBA lending, and more. Wealth management and investment services are available through CUSO Financial Services L.P., and insurance and auto-purchasing services are also offered through RCU Services Group (RCU’s wholly owned subsidiary). RCU has more than $8 billion in assets and serves more than 445,000 members with full-service branches from San Francisco to Ukiah. For more information, call 1 (800) 479-7928, visit redwoodcu.org, or follow RCU on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for news and updates.

Midstate Construction Completes Mirasol Village Block A (formerly Twin Rivers)

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General contractor Midstate Construction Corporation, and developer McCormack Baron Salazar in coordination with Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency recently completed Mirasol Village Block A (formerly Twin Rivers), a new 104 unit mixed-income residential complex in Sacramento, CA.

Designed by SVA Architects Inc., Block A includes new construction of 8 two and three story buildings providing 104 units via one, two, three, four and five bedroom layouts. Community spaces include a 1.2-acre community park, 2/3-acre community garden, fruit tree orchard, garden learning center, pool, playgrounds, and walking paths.

Mirasol Village Block A is the second phase of the four phase Mirasol Village redevelopment project, creating 427 units of mixed-income housing on a 22 acre parcel. The remaining phases are projected to complete by Q4 2024.

Sonoma County Winegrowers Team Up with the San Francisco Giants to Feature Local Wines

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Building on the success of their partnership which began shortly before Spring Training this year, the Sonoma County Winegrowers and the San Francisco Giants are teaming up for a “Sonoma in the City” theme in the Cloud Club, one of Oracle Park’s private lounges. During twelve (12) home games from August 25 through September 13, the Cloud Club will exclusively feature wines, winegrowers and wineries from the iconic region. 

The San Francisco Giants historic hiring of Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein last year established  the team as the first professional sports organization to invest in the wine industry. This partnership underscores the Giants dedication to providing exceptional gameday experiences by cultivating the look, taste and feel of Sonoma County throughout the Cloud Club for all visitors. 

“This is an incredible opportunity for us to showcase Sonoma County’s diverse, world-class wines to the San Francisco Giants community and fans,” said Karissa Kruse, president and CEO of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. “There is nothing like enjoying Giants baseball with some of the region’s finest wines while spending time with friends and family. We are proud to partner with  the Giants and believe our wines embody the experience of a memorable day at Oracle Park.” 

The Cloud Club is a private lounge on the Suite Level of Oracle Park  that affords extraordinary views of the field, San Francisco Bay and Oakland Hills. The Club features rotating decor and programming that celebrates the art, culture, culinary scene and famous personalities of San Francisco’s unique neighborhoods, and now, Sonoma County wine country.  

During exclusive wine tastings and events, the Cloud Club will feature several wineries, including Bucher Vineyards, Lando Wines, Kosta Browne Winery, DaVero Farms & Winery, O’Connell Family Wines, Inman Family Wines, Lynmar Estate Winery, Paul Hobb’s Crossbarn Winery, Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, MacRostie Winery, Bricoleur Vineyards and Cartograph Wines. Six (6) Sonoma County wines will also be regularly available at the Cloud Club bar from J. Vineyards, Bricoleur Vineyards, The Calling, Inman Family Wines, Dutton-Goldfield Winery and Kenwood Vineyards. The featured wines will highlight the wide range of grape varieties that are grown in Sonoma County’s 19 distinct American Viticulture Areas (AVAs).  

“We’re so excited to bring Sonoma County wine to Giants fans to help create memorable connections,” continued Kruse. “Baseball and wine have much in common, so engaging with an important and beloved franchise like the Giants is a perfect pairing.” 

Sonoma County Winegrowers and the San Francisco Giants will also launch a new video series titled, “Giants in Sonoma”, across digital channels, in-ballpark and TV, hosted by Evan Goldstein and Giants ambassador Amy G. The videos highlight the region and the unique intersection of wine, viticulture and baseball with accompanying stories from Rodney Strong Vineyards, Balletto Vineyards and Sangiacomo Family Wines.  

https://www.wineindustrynetwork.com/c/sonoma-county-winegrowers?fid=Tg9JichtAqVnMOy2&utm_source=wineindustrynetwork.com&utm_medium=website#feed_post_Tg9JichtAqVnMOy2

Midstate Construction Completes Mirasol Village Block A (Formerly Twin Rivers)

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General contractor Midstate Construction Corporation, and developer McCormack Baron Salazar in coordination with Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency recently completed Mirasol Village Block A (formerly Twin Rivers), a new 104 unit mixed-income residential complex in Sacramento, CA.

Designed by SVA Architects Inc., Block A includes new construction of 8 two and three story buildings providing 104 units via one, two, three, four and five bedroom layouts. Community spaces include a 1.2-acre community park, 2/3-acre community garden, fruit tree orchard, garden learning center, pool, playgrounds, and walking paths.

Mirasol Village Block A is the second phase of the four phase Mirasol Village redevelopment project, creating 427 units of mixed-income housing on a 22 acre parcel. The remaining phases are projected to complete by Q4 2024.

NorCal Public Media is a Finalist in 4 Award Categories in the 55th Public Media Awards, Presented by NETA

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Posted on LinkedIn,” We are very excited to share that NorCal Public Media is a finalist in 4 award categories in the 55th Public Media Awards, presented by NETA! We’re proud of our fantastic team for being recognized for their incredible work.

The projects that have been nominated are:
Radio – Environment: Ear to the Wild
Innovation in Education – My Planet My Voice
Topical Feature – From Homeless to Housed: Labath Landing
Annual Report – 2022 Local Content and Service Report to the Community

Discover these projects below:
https://lnkd.in/gPny4rB6
https://lnkd.in/gS6Ud5hx
https://lnkd.in/gAdy4wT3
https://lnkd.in/gDrYqfjF

Congratulations to all the finalists!!”

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/krcb-television_we-are-very-excited-to-share-that-norcal-activity-7097626647532634112-fAP7/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

Redwood Credit Union Recognized by Forbes as One of “America’s Best Small Employers 2023”

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Redwood Credit Union has been named by Forbes as one of “America’s Best Small Employers 2023.” The list ranks the 300 U.S. companies—with more than 200 employees, but fewer than 1,000—most highly recommended as a top place to work.

“It’s an honor to be ranked as one of the best employers in the nation,” said Brett Martinez, President and CEO of Redwood Credit Union. “We are purposeful about creating a supportive and inclusive culture that helps team members reach their full potential and build rewarding careers. I firmly believe that when employees are well cared for, they’re better able to care for our members. Given the growth we’re seeing at RCU with more members entrusting us with their financial well-being, I’d say we’re all doing something right.”

To compile the list, Forbes partnered with the market research firm Statista, which implemented a wide range of assessment tools. These included anonymous surveys, social listening of news, websites, blogs and social media channels to assess the company’s relationship with its employees, and tracking of job-related websites to gauge employer reputation, engagement, retention, benefits, and more.

Out of the 300 U.S. companies that made the list, only four of them are California-based financial institutions, with RCU being one of the four. See the Forbes complete list here.

About Redwood Credit Union
Founded in 1950, Redwood Credit Union is a full-service financial institution providing personal and business banking to consumers and businesses in the North Bay and San Francisco. With a mission to passionately serve the best interests of its Members, team members, and communities, RCU delivers many ways for its Members to save and build money through checking and savings accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, digital banking, business services, commercial and SBA lending, and more. Wealth management and investment services are available through CUSO Financial Services L.P., and insurance and auto-purchasing services are also offered through RCU Services Group (RCU’s wholly owned subsidiary). RCU has more than $8 billion in assets and serves more than 445,000 members with full-service branches from San Francisco to Ukiah. For more information, call 1 (800) 479-7928, visit redwoodcu.org, or follow RCU on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for news and updates.

PG&E Holds Bilingual 811, Safety Workshop at Graton Day Labor Center

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¿Cómo funciona el 811?¿Cuánto tiempo se tarda en localizar y marcar las líneas? ¿Cuesta dinero llamar al 811? These questions on how 811 works, how long it takes, and whether it costs money, were some of many posed by day workers at the Graton Day Labor Center during a safety workshop held by PG&E this summer.

On July 13, a North Coast PG&E team spent the morning in Graton, a small town 10 miles west of Santa Rosa, to speak with a group of day workers on the importance of calling 811 before any digging project, as well as the safety clearance around overhead electric powerlines. The safety workshop was conducted in both English and Spanish.

“When it comes to community safety, we all have a role to play. This means homeowners, contractors, dayworkers – essentially anyone conducting a home improvement project that involves digging. The goal of this workshop was to get the word out on the importance of calling 811, clear up any misunderstandings about how the system works and giving workers the information they need to stay safe on the job. I think we accomplished all those things,” said Ron Richardson, vice president for PG&E’s North Coast Region.

One of the participants was Juan Cuandon, who visits the Graton Day Labor Center almost every weekday morning to look for work.

“PG&E is saving lives. I appreciate that PG&E cares about us and reminds us of the potential dangers while working around gas and electricity. The information we receive teaches us where to dig safely and what to do before and during an excavation project. Thank you, PG&E, for coming to present to Centro Laboral de Graton (Graton Day Labor Center) about calling 811,” said Cuandon.

The mission of Centro Laboral de Graton (Graton Day Labor Center) is to advance and protect the human, labor, and civil rights of immigrant day laborers, domestic workers, and their families by promoting participatory democratic leadership and worker solidarity to develop greater opportunities for employment, health, education, and civic participation.

Thalia Becerril, the labor center’s deputy director, said she was pleased to partner with PG&E to educate the day labor community on the importance of calling 811.

“We look forward to more opportunities to increase awareness about gas and electricity among our members and also the homeowners who seek help for their residential projects,” Becerril said.

Also present at the workshop was Ted Honey, who provided a demonstration on PG&E’s public safety demo board — a large interactive table — that illustrates the safety challenges of working around gas and electricity. Honey is a retired PG&E lineman who conducts safety presentations in many communities; he worked with the labor center’s Becerril to translate and deliver the demonstration in Graton.

About 40,000 people are either employed as day laborers or looking for day labor jobs on any given day in California, according to a study by the Public Policy Institute of California before the pandemic. To increase the awareness of gas and electric safety among the day worker community, PG&E’s Integrated Multicultural Communications (IMC) team has partnered with various day worker centers in Northern and Central California since 2014 to share important safety information with day workers, majority of them can only speak Spanish.

Besides reaching out to the Spanish-speaking day workers, PG&E’s IMC team also partnered with Spanish radio stations throughout the service area to bring safety workshop in the field to the farmworkers. Since 2014, the program has conducted safety outreach to over 2,500 Spanish-speaking day workers and farmworkers.

https://www.pgecurrents.com/articles/3796-sonoma-county-pg-e-holds-bilingual-811-safety-workshop-graton-day-labor-center

Exchange Bank is Included as One of the Bay Area’s Top Corporate Philanthropists for the Second Year in a Row

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Shared on a LinkedIn post, “We are excited to announce that Exchange Bank is included as one of the Bay Area’s top corporate philanthropists for the second year in a row. The San Francisco Business Times top 100 list of companies is based on the percentage of charitable cash contributions relative to the company’s income before taxes.

We would like to recognize and thank all employees who volunteer and serve on nonprofit boards. It feels good to work for an organization – and with teammates – who make a meaningful difference in our communities.”

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/exchange-bank_exchangebank-sanfranciscobusinesstimes-downtownsantarosa-activity-7095071631512924161-ANxD/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

Providence Sonoma County, Sutter Health, and Kaiser Permanente All Recognized by U.S. News as Best Regional Hospitals

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We recognize that it’s not always possible to travel distances to receive ongoing care, therefore U.S. News created the Best Regional Hospitals which ranks hospitals in both states and major metro areas and recognizes hospitals in every region of the country. Within a state or metro area, the regional hospital rank is determined by a hospital’s performance in the adult specialty rankings analysis and by its scores across each of the twenty-one procedure and condition areas we evaluate. For the best hospitals across the nation, check out the hospitals that made our 2023-2024 Honor Roll.

https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area

BioMarin’s Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A Approved by United States FDA

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved BioMarin Pharmaceutical’s (BMRN.O) gene therapy for severe hemophilia A, the company said, giving patients with the inherited bleeding disorder an alternative to regular injections of missing blood proteins.

It priced the one-time therapy, Roctavian, at $2.9 million. Pivotal trial results showed that Roctavian reduced bleeding events, but its durability is not known, and the company said it would include a warranty to health insurers.

BioMarin said most study participants continued to respond to the gene therapy through year three and beyond, and it would continue to monitor them for 15 years.

Gene therapies use a deactivated virus to deliver the needed genes and the immune system would recognize and eliminate a second dose of the therapy.

The company said it would offer all U.S. health insurers a “warranty”, under which it would reimburse the wholesale cost if a patient does not respond. The company said the reimbursement would be “pro-rated” for patients that stopped responding in the first four years after treatment.

Roctavian is the first gene replacement therapy for the most common form of hemophilia, enabling patients a way to forego or reduce the need for lifetime treatment with factor proteins needed to help blood clot or with monthly doses of a newer antibody drug.

Shares of the California-based company closed 3.6% lower on Thursday.

The approval was pretty widely expected and now there is debate on how the uptake will pan out, said Joel Beatty, senior research analyst at Robert W Baird.

Roctavian, which is manufactured at the company’s facility in Novato, California, works by delivering a functional copy of the missing gene that would help hemophilia A patients make a blood-clotting protein known as factor VIII.

“Roctavian’s launch will probably be a little slow at first, because there are already some effective treatment options on the market. But longer-term, one-time dosing will likely end up being attractive to a lot of patients,” Beatty added.

BioMarin’s therapy will compete for market share with Roche’s (ROG.S) Hemlibra, an antibody drug which mimics the function of the blood clotting protein missing in hemophilia A patients.

Roctavian was approved for hemophilia A in the European Union last year, and is sold under the same brand name.

In April, BioMarin cut its annual sales forecast range for Roctavian to $50 million to $100 million, from $100 million to $200 million.

The company said on Thursday it expects about 2,500 of around 6,500 adults living with severe hemophilia A in the United States to be eligible to receive Roctavian with this initial approval.

There are about 16,000 patients in the United States with hemophilia A in which they are missing the factor VIII clotting protein.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-fda-approves-biomarins-gene-therapy-hemophilia-2023-06-29/#:~:text=Roctavian%2C%20which%20is%20manufactured%20at,protein%20known%20as%20factor%20VIII