General contractor Midstate Construction Corporation, and owner Burbank Housing Development Corporation recently completed tenant improvement and accessibility upgrades for the Burbank Housing office building in Santa Rosa, CA.
Designed by TLCD Architecture, this project includes demolition of existing interior conditions, construction of new walls, finishes and accessibility upgrades.
For Andrew McNeil and Rosario Avila, recognizing the unique needs of every human being has made their work as benefit advisers more fulfilling — and more successful.
That starts with their own differences. McNeil, a principal at Arrow Benefits Group, first met Avila when she joined the firm in 2016 as a consultant. On paper, they don’t have much in common, but the duo hit it off and formed a close working relationship that, six years later, has led to the creation of BenefitsTV (a Youtube and social media channel for bite-size benefits content) as well as Alianza, the company’s Spanish-language division.
Arrow Benefits is located within the Bay Area, serving a variety of employer organizations across the tech, manufacturing and wine industries. And for many Spanish-speaking employees within those organizations, benefits communications were often lost in translation.
Since McNeil and Avila pooled their talents to launch Alianza in 2017, the team has grown to a party of five and delivers tailored communications to clients’ employees, focusing on improving benefits utilization and providing expanded access to adviser expertise.
“We both look at employee groups differently, and really try to understand what happens at the employee level — what works, what doesn’t,” Avila says. “We don’t just focus on benefits — we focus on communication. What’s going to grab employees’ attention?”
McNeil and Avila spoke with EBN about the success they’ve found by looking at benefits through a personal lens and why it’s important to remember that in a relationship-based business, relationship-building takes time.
You two bring very different perspectives to your work. How has that impacted your relationship?
McNeil: We’re two completely different people: male, female, different generations, different races or ethnic backgrounds. By taking those two perspectives and bringing one solution to the client, it’s helped us strategize.
Avila: I’m a single mom, I’ve got older kids, and Andrew’s got young kids — he’s just starting on that journey with his family. All those differences have helped us. We considered every employee, their ages, what would grab their attention.
Which is what led you to launch Alianza in service of your clients’ Spanish-speaking employees. What are some of the challenges you’re working to solve?
McNeil: If we’re serving one of our manufacturing clients, as an example, time is money, so we’ll normally get a short amount of time to present and talk about benefits. You can do an English-speaking meeting in 10 minutes. But for Alianza meetings, it can take up to an hour because there are so many questions. It floored me the first time I saw it — I really don’t think anybody had effectively spoken to those employees about benefits before.
Avila: We’d see employees with coverage from Kaiser not understand the deductible or out-of-pocket maximum, or not understand that their employer was funding an HRA plan. So they’d get a big bill just for seeing a doctor, not understand how their benefits may cover or reimburse it, and they’d never go to the doctor again. Instead, they’d choose to go to the nearest Spanish-speaking clinic and pay $20 out of pocket.
That’s where we were able to come in, explain how to get reimbursed, explain that the money does not come out of their pocket, but their employer’s — and it was a game changer. The more we’ve built trust with employers and their teams, we get increasingly specific questions because they’re utilizing care more.
McNeil: Alianza also has a separate phone number that only rings at the Alianza member phones, so everything is answered in Spanish directly — not a “call and press one for Spanish” situation. We’ve also extended our hours: Arrow is normally open 9-to-5 but Alianza operates from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Even though we’re in the Bay Area, there are plenty of pockets in which you don’t have cell service, if you’re working in a vineyard or something like that. So letting people call us later allows us to give much better service, when our customers need it.
As you look back on 2022, what’s been your biggest win?
McNeil: Since COVID hit, it’s felt like one really long year. As we all got comfortable on Zoom and with visual meetings, we realized that we could really meet with individual employees and offer that as a service, so we’ve built this piece of our business that allows us to meet with an employee anytime, any place. It’s about communication, understanding and accessibility, and the accessibility piece had been missing for so long.
Avila: We’ve also received so much recognition, and people really understand what we’ve been doing under the Alianza name. Having clients and employees recognize the value we’re delivering, that’s our biggest win.
What’s the biggest challenge waiting for you in 2023?
McNeil: I don’t want to sound crass, but the challenge is breaking relationships that prospects have with other brokers, and trying to keep getting our story out there and getting people to see the value in it. I can’t count how many times we’ve met with a prospective client and they love everything we’re doing, but they’re friends with their broker, or they’ve been with their broker for 25 years.
Avila: It’s also time — we know what we can bring to the table, but sometimes it’s just the time it takes for an employer to see that they need more than they’re currently getting. We’re constantly evolving.
You both have very people-focused jobs with a lot of responsibility. When you need to feel refreshed, what do you do to find a clear headspace or inspiration?
Avila: Honestly my friendship with Andrew, that helps me de-stress. if I’m feeling stuck. I can vent, I can let him know, and he comes in not trying to fix it or save it, but just let me vent it out. Those conversations are so genuine. And of course we do share the podcasts or books we’re reading, and we share the latest memes. But we really just inspire each other through our work and problem-solving.
Do you ever disagree on the best path forward?
McNeil: The short answer is yes, and it hurts my feelings every time! But generally, if I go to Rosario and she puts her hand up and goes, “Nope.” I tend to just wait to hear her perspective, and once she throws it out, I’m like, “Oh, that’s 100% the right answer.”
Avila: We’re open to hearing the other side of the coin, and then we’re able to step back and find the best solution. And we do go Andrew’s way sometimes!
McNeil: Sometimes, not always.
BPM LLP, one of the 40 largest public accounting and advisory firms in the country, has been named to the North Bay Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” list for the 17th consecutive year. Of the 100 companies listed, BPM is one of only four to accomplish this.
The annual “Best Places to Work” list recognizes exceptional employers in the North Bay and highlights best workplace practices. BPM is one of a select few companies to make the list every year since the North Bay Business Journal began the award program. Winners will be celebrated during a Sept. 14 event at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa.
“BPM places an emphasis on cultivating a strong workplace that enables all colleagues to achieve the highest level of success, and our North Bay team continues to ‘walk the talk’ fostering a diverse, inclusive and productive environment,” said BPM North Bay Partner-in-Charge Michelle Muth Ausburn. “We’ve had an active year in the North Bay – highlighted by our combination with Elliott CPA – and together, we continue to lead with our brand promise: ‘Because People Matter.’ We are thrilled to see that our hard work and perseverance continue to be seen and recognized by our colleagues and the North Bay community.”
Earlier this year, BPM announced a combination with Santa Rosa-based Elliott CPA Group Inc., expanding its presence in the North Bay and broadening its relationships within the community. The combination strengthened the firm’s client service offerings and deepened its industry expertise. Additionally, in April 2022, Christopher Thomas was selected to the North Bay Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” awards list, further highlighting BPM’s North Bay impact.
This achievement continues BPM’s outstanding run as the firm of choice for clients operating in the region and stands as a testament to its “Because People Matter” commitment. In 2022 alone, the firm is ranked #21 on Vault’s 2023 “Accounting 25” rankings and #38 on Accounting Today’s “Top 100 Firms” list. BPM was recognized as a ClearlyRated 2022 Best of Accounting Award winner for the seventh consecutive year based on its client service excellence. The firm also placed #7 on the San Francisco Business Times’ “Largest Accounting Firms in the Greater Bay Area” list.
To explore career opportunities with BPM, visit the firm’s Careers page today.
About BPM
BPM LLP is one of the 40 largest public accounting and advisory firms in the United States. With a global team of more than 900 colleagues, we help clients succeed around the world. Now certified as a B Corporation, BPM offers a cross-functional approach that gives clients direct access to the best and most qualified resources. To learn more, visit our website.
For the first time ever, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will challenge the picturesque rolling hills of Sonoma Raceway at the DoorDash 250 on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
NASCAR announced today the Xfinity Series will join the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Sonoma Raceway next year for the first time in the history of the series as part of its full 2023 season schedule release. The Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race will return to Sonoma Raceway on Sunday June 11, 2023.
The Xfinity Series is a proving ground for up-and-coming NASCAR Cup Series drivers and has produced some of NASCAR’s biggest stars. Fans will be treated to three days of racing action over the weekend.
“We are thrilled to have the Xfinity Series racing here in Sonoma for the first time ever,” said raceway executive vice president and general manager Jill Gregory. “This is part of our promise to our fans to keep raising the bar. And we expect several of the Cup Series racers to pull double duty and run the Xfinity Series race as well.”
The 2023 date remains fixed on the same weekend as this past June. The Toyota/Save Mart 350 will span 110 laps and will run the historically popular chute configuration, adding to the fan experience with more opportunities for passing and on-track action.
Practice and qualifying times, other companion events and TV broadcast information will be provided at a later date.
Tickets and camping information for the 2023 Toyota/Save Mart 350 weekend can be found by visiting SonomaRaceway.com or calling 800-970-RACE (7223).
Sutter Health, a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system serving more than 3 million patients across Northern California, announced today it has appointed Warner L. Thomas as its next president and CEO, effective Dec. 1, 2022.
For the past 10 years, Thomas has served as the president and CEO of Ochsner Health. Ochsner is nationally recognized for its clinical leadership and includes 40 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and specialty hospitals, and more than 300 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner is the largest private employer in Louisiana, with 36,000 employees and more than 4,600 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. Ochsner also conducts more than 700 clinical research studies each year. During his tenure, Thomas helped grow the organization’s digital health capabilities and value-based payer partnerships – and expanded its integrated care network to serve more than 1.4 million patients each year.
“After a comprehensive national search, we are thrilled to have found the right leader for the next chapter of Sutter Health. Warner is a CEO grounded in Sutter’s community roots and values,” said Gubby Barlow, chair of Sutter Health’s Board of Directors. “As the first external CEO of this organization in more than 40 years, Warner brings a fresh perspective, strategic vision and an exceptional ability to navigate the dynamic healthcare landscape. We look forward to welcoming him to the Sutter Health family.”
Thomas is passionate about community impact and has made critical investments and commitments to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, both within Ochsner and its surrounding communities. This includes the development of a population health focus leading the organization to unprecedented performance in nationally ranked quality results. As part of these efforts, Thomas initiated multiple programs – including a major 10-year Healthy State initiative, with $100 million committed in the first five years – to successfully improve access to quality, equitable healthcare for underserved communities.
“I’m honored to be joining Sutter Health, where I’m committed to furthering its patient-focused mission as a leading not-for-profit integrated healthcare system. As the landscape continues to evolve, I believe there are opportunities for Sutter Health to continue to advance the future of healthcare,” Thomas said. “Leaning on my years of experience growing complex, integrated healthcare systems through developing medical programs, expanding physician networks and creating new payer partnerships, I’m excited to help build on Sutter Health’s past successes. I look forward to helping shape an era of equitable, accessible and affordable healthcare with long-lasting benefits to Sutter Health’s patients and communities in Northern California.”
Known as a grounded-yet-visionary leader, and the first non-physician CEO at Ochsner, Thomas has demonstrated the ability to connect with the physician community by engaging them in the strategic decision-making process, as well as building physician and administrative leadership programs to support the improved delivery of care. Ochsner has been ranked as the No. 1 hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report for over a decade. The organization is also consistently ranked as the top children’s hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report and is nationally ranked for its pediatric specialty care. Ochsner was also named one of the “100 Greatest Hospitals in America” by Becker’s Hospital Review.
Thomas values innovation and has driven transformative change to benefit patients and communities in the Gulf South. In his current role, Thomas expanded digital capabilities at Ochsner, from building a robust platform allowing patients to keep track of their information to a comprehensive telemedicine platform. He also created the team that launched innovationOchsner, a think tank and health tech incubator focused on digital health, advanced analytics and personalized medicine.
“In service to Sutter Health’s legacy of caring for patients and deep roots in the community, the Sutter Health Board of Directors chose Thomas through a comprehensive, rigorous and transparent search process that included strong involvement and perspective from physicians and senior leaders across the organization,” said Cheryl Scott, a member of the Sutter Health Board of Directors and chair of the Board’s CEO Search Committee. “We’re pleased to have found such a highly-qualified candidate with Warner’s exceptional track record to lead Sutter Health. The Board would also like to thank our interim CEO James Conforti for his significant role this year as a steady hand and steward of the organization.”
Thomas will succeed Conforti, Sutter Health’s chief operating officer who has been serving as interim CEO since January 2022.
Announced in a LinkedIn Post,
“NorCal received four nominations for this year’s awards consideration. News & Public Affairs: MOVING OFF MORRIS STREET – a report on homelessness and the RV community. Visual Arts: INSIYA DHATT – paper artist. Annual Report: 2021 ANNUAL REPORT – report to the community. Excellence in Community Engagement: overall community engagement efforts 2021.
Good luck to the dedicated staff of NorCal Public Media and thank you to the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) for presenting the Public Media Awards and honoring stations across the nation doing great work in their communities.”
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6975541312309628928/
Dominican University of California has been named among the top 20 regional universities in the west by U.S. News & World Report in its annual ranking of universities and colleges in the United States.
The San Francisco Bay Area-based university has jumped five spots to number 18 in the Best Regional Universities (West) category of the U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023 Best Colleges guide. The ranking reflects Dominican’s strength in several categories, including graduation and retention rates, student selectivity, and alumni giving.
This is the first time the university has cracked the top 20 spot in the western region, which includes California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Alaska. Regional universities provide a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs.
In addition, Dominican came out tops in many U.S. News & World Report individual lists, including:
Strong graduation and retention rates, combined with Dominican’s small class sizes and the academic strength of incoming students class – almost 50 percent of last year’s first-year class graduated in the top 25 percent of their high school class – all contributed to this year’s ranking.
Elevating student success and enhancing collaboration across campus is at the heart of the Dominican Experience. The Dominican Experience ensures that all undergraduates have access to:
Student success as defined by graduation rates has improved by more than 70 percent since 2011. The four-year graduation rate is 72 percent and six-year is 74 percent, well above the national average of 41 and 60 percent. In this same time period, the percentage of students identifying as ethnically diverse has increased by nearly 30 percent. Last fall, student retention between first-to-second year was at 87.5 percent — the highest in the last decade.
Today, more than 70 percent of Dominican’s undergraduate students identify as ethnically diverse. Earlier this year, Dominican was designated a Minority Service Institution, specifically both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).
Nearly 99 percent of Dominican undergraduate students receive financial aid, making the Dominican Experience and its tangible results a reality for students and their families. Dominican awards more than $23 million in scholarships each year to ensure equitable access to a top-quality education.
Did you know that you can earn an MBA at Sonoma State University in just 18 months?
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A message from Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa:
We are grateful to announce that Catholic Charities, in partnership with the City of Santa Rosa, has been awarded Homekey Program funds in the amount of $11,360,000 for Caritas Center.
This award fulfilled the necessary funding to build Caritas Center. This is a huge milestone for the project, and it allows Catholic Charities to focus completely on bringing together the programs, partners, volunteers, and resources we need to deliver on the promise of Caritas Center going forward – ensuring that our most vulnerable brothers and sisters find a safe place to live as quickly and securely as possible.
All Homekey awards require a significant matching component, which we were, fortunately, able to demonstrate thanks to the unprecedented generosity of donors to the Caritas Village Campaign, who together gave almost $35M in private philanthropy. Without the support of this community, we would never have been able to apply for these much-needed funds to complete the project.
That Caritas Village has inspired such coordination and commitment from so many stakeholders speaks volumes about the amazing community we live in.
We are deeply grateful to Governor Gavin Newsom and the State of California for fast-tracking these funds to Caritas Center, and to the City of Santa Rosa for partnering with Catholic Charities in applying for the funds. In addition, we thank our partners Santa Rosa Community Health, Community Action Partnership Sonoma, and Burbank Housing, who have come together with us to create this first-of-its-kind model for ending homelessness in Sonoma County.
Construction is complete, and when it opens this September, Caritas Center (Latin for “love for all”) will provide safe, trauma-informed interim housing and services for 192 unhoused children and adults at a time, including housing counseling, onsite medical and recuperative care, childcare, outreach services, and academic support for children and youth.
We know we need to be bold and innovative if we really want to challenge the status quo of homelessness in our community. This funding is exactly the kind of informed public investment that makes that possible. Between these funds and the continued support of our amazing existing family of donors and funders, we believe we can significantly move the needle on ending family homelessness in our region.
Thank you for being a part of the solution.
BPM LLP, one of the 40 largest public accounting and advisory firms in the country, is certified as a B Corporation or B Corp. With more than 5,500 B Corps worldwide, BPM is one of only 15 accounting firms in the U.S. to achieve the prestigious B Corp distinction.
“B Corp status is the highest standard for socially responsible business, and this is a path BPM walks with great pride,” said BPM CEO Jim Wallace. “This certification is an important milestone in our journey of accountability, transparency and simply doing the right thing. The culture and corresponding effort that helped us to become a B Corp are not new. Since our founding more than 36 years ago, BPM’s colleagues have made a difference – not just to each other, but to our clients, communities, profession and environment.”
Leaders of a global movement using business as a force for good, certified B Corps undergo a rigorous assessment by the nonprofit organization, B Lab. This ensures they meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, ethical governance and legal accountability. Since the B Corp movement began 15 years ago, the B Corp network has now reached 79 countries and more than 150 industries.
BPM’s B Corp certification, a more than two-year process that assessed many of the Firm’s operations and procedures, marks the culmination of various overlapping corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives for the firm. Chief among these is BPM’s commitment to its “Because People Matter” brand promise. By cultivating a diverse and inclusive business environment, fostering leadership opportunities for women and members of underrepresented communities, and implementing a values-driven culture, the firm has established a reputation for delivering on this promise.
BPM’s B Corp status furthers our commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and broader sustainability initiatives. “We have long upheld strong standards for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and believed in making a positive impact on the environment and in our community,” states ESG Co-leader Su Rim. “ESG has become a crucial part of the modern business model and realizing our clients’ demand for expertise in this area, we found it our responsibility to launch our client-focused ESG practice.”
BPM has received numerous national awards and recognitions for its achievements in DEI, and the B Corp certification serves as an additional layer of third-party validation, transparency and accountability. It gives clients a 360-degree view of a company’s impact, further fostering a culture of trust and value.
“We take our dedication to corporate responsibility and driving social change very seriously,” said BPM Board Chair Rich Bellucci. “By achieving B Corp status, we are proud to take the next step in furthering our mission to help our clients and colleagues succeed in work and life, and to help the communities in which we operate prosper.”
As part of its commitment to the community and in honor of colleagues’ dedication to the B Corp mission, BPM is partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation to help restore forests in greatest need. Through this partnership, trees will be planted in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Oregon, and the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, Calif., which was devastated by the 2016 Sand Fire. Efforts to restore critical habitat and rehabilitate watersheds in the fire-stricken area will be completed through this gift, so that endangered species like the California spotted owl can once again thrive.
To view BPM’s B Impact Assessment and profile, click here.
About BPM
BPM LLP is one of the 40 largest public accounting and advisory firms in the United States. With a global team of more than 900 colleagues, we help clients succeed around the world. Now certified as a B Corporation, BPM offers a cross-functional approach that gives clients direct access to the best and most qualified resources. To learn more, visit our website.
Over thirty years ago, business leaders founded the North Bay Leadership Council on a simple premise: We can accomplish more by working together. Today, the Council includes 54 leading employers in the North Bay. Our members represent a wide variety of businesses, non-profits and educational institutions, with a workforce in excess of 25,000. As business and civic leaders, our goal is to promote sound public policy, innovation and sustainability to make our region a better place to live and work. For more information: Call 707.283.0028 / E-mail info@northbayleadership.org