Green Music Center Awarded Hewlett 50 Arts Commission

The Green Music Center is pleased to announce that we have been selected as one of ten recipients of this year’s Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions, a program of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The Green Music Center is among a stellar group of 10 Bay Area-based non-profit organizations and world-renowned artists that will receive $150,000 each to commission new works in the field of dance and movement-based performance.

This commission offers the opportunity for the Green Music Center to create and present Wicked Bodies (Sonoma), a new site-specific work by acclaimed arts leader and choreographer, Liz Lerman and her company.

Wicked Bodies (Sonoma) is part of a multi-site project developed through deep engagement with communities around the country. The resulting work, exploring depictions of women’s bodies across multiple historic periods, will be unique to Sonoma County, incorporating the particular experiences and concerns of local community members through a series of developmental residencies at Green Music Center.

Green Music Center Executive Director Jacob Yarrow states, “Supporting Liz Lerman in the creation process for Wicked Bodies (Sonoma) is a manifestation of our mission, which focuses on supporting artists, investigating the big ideas of our time, and ensuring that our projects are compelling and relevant to our local communities. We will work with Liz and her company to foster deep engagement at Sonoma State and throughout Sonoma County by creating a variety of experiences that educate, connect, and inspire.”

To support the Green Music Center’s commitment to bring new works of art to Sonoma County audiences, make a donation today.

https://gmc.sonoma.edu/annual-giving/

More information about the Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions can be found at: hewlett.org/50Commissions.

Builders Association Awards Scholarships

The Marin Builders Association has selected 16 local students for scholarship awards.

The winners are: Benjamin Gallagher, Redwood High School, $3,500; Theodore Koffman, Tamalpais High School; Rebecca Preis, Tamalpais High School, $1,500; Duncan Bailey, Redwood High School, $1,000; Lea Baskin Monk, Sir Francis Drake High School, $1,000; Amalia Bostian, Sir Francis Drake High School, $1,000; Kavi Dolasia, Tamalpais High School, $1,000; Jenna Evans, Terra Linda High School, $1,000; Natalya Feliciano, Tomales High School, $1,000; Jasmin Gonzalez Escobar, Terra Linda High School, $1,000; Bianca Raffety, Pathways Charter, $1,000; Walker Burdick, San Rafael High School, $500; Grace Moser, Redwood High School, $500; Sylvia Potovsky, Sir Francis Drake High School, $500; Liiyara Senadheera, Sir Francis Drake High School, $500; Payton Wilson, Sir Francis Drake High School, $500.

Honorees were selected by a committee that included Ken Lippi, assistant superintendent at the Marin County Office of Education; Cynthia Murray, president and CEO of the North Bay Leadership Council; and Rob Devincenzi, president and publisher of the Independent Journal.

The scholarships will be presented to the winners on Thursday.

Santa Rosa Junior College Response Fund

Dear Friends,

At the start of summer we are usually gathered together at the Annual President’s Address to the Community Luncheon where I would normally share a presentation on the state of the College. However, there is nothing “usual” or “normal” about our current environment and circumstances. The last three months have presented our entire community with unprecedented challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. SRJC has had to make many rapid adjustments, but we have been resilient and are dedicated to safety. Though we are unable to gather in person, I want to share an update on the College and recognize the unwavering support of our Sonoma County community.

In this short video message, you will learn how we have been able to pivot to support our students and each other in new and different ways. I especially want to highlight the SRJC Crisis Response Fund launched in mid-March. With your help, to date we have generated nearly $380,000 from more than 250 donors to assist students in need. Not all students are eligible to apply for government stimulus funds, so the Foundation is working to grow the SRJC Crisis Response Fund as a resource to support ALL students in need today, to aid in long-term recovery, and in preparation for emergencies to come.

That said, I also want to acknowledge that a lot has happened in the short time since this message was filmed. The brutal death of George Floyd has once again traumatized our black community and has created a worldwide movement focused on eradicating white supremacy and state-sanctioned violence. The structural racism in our society, including in our education system, has been brought to the forefront of our consciousness and priorities. I believe that education is a vehicle to the creation of a more just society, and I am committed to working with all SRJC employees and students to build a healthier and more inclusive community for Black/African American individuals at Santa Rosa Junior College and in Sonoma County.

Thank you for everything you are doing right now, and all that you do every day, to keep our community safe and our college strong. I’d like to express particular thanks to our loyal supporters who stepped up to sponsor this message in lieu of a table at the President’s Address event. Their contributions and commitment to the College and our students, especially in this challenging time, continue to be extraordinary.

For more than one hundred years, SRJC has been providing quality educational opportunities for Sonoma County. Through past disasters and those to come, we know that support for our students and programs is critical for the resilience of our workforce and our community. To make a difference in the lives of our students, please consider giving to the SRJC Crisis Response Fund. You can donate directly through this message or go to foundation.santarosa.edu for more information. All donations go directly to help students that have been financially impacted by this pandemic and will help us to respond immediately to help students when we face the next crisis together.

Thank you for your partnership and continuing support. We are in this together, even while we are apart.

In solidarity,

Dr. Frank Chong
President/Superintendent

Wine Business Institute Research Summit Scheduled for July 15, 2020

Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute Research Summit returns for a second year on July 15, 2020, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The live virtual event is expected to draw attendance from wine business professionals throughout California, the U.S., and globally. Sponsored by Rabo AgriFinance, the three-hour Summit will feature 15-minute sessions exploring a range of macro and micro topics. Stephen Rannekleiv, global sector strategist beverages from Rabo AgriFinance, will look at macro trends in a session titled Rethinking the Route to Consumer. Samual Riewe, professional Economics faculty member at Sonoma State University, will drill down to the micro level of wine club data in a talk titled The Connoisseurs’ Guide to Collecting and Analyzing Fine Data. Attendee registration is now open for the wine community for $45 at https://wbiresearchsummit.sonoma.edu.

“We have lined-up thought-provoking sessions on the economic, political, social, and management issues affecting the wine industry, and resilience strategies in the wake of the pandemic’s impact,” said Ray Johnson, executive director of the Wine Business Institute in the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University.

In addition to Rannekleiv and Riewe, confirmed speakers and topics include:

  • Kat Stark, director of Wine.com Experiences, on Live Stream Tastings.
  • Dr. Steven Cuellar, SSU professor of Economics, on Pricing in the Digital World.
  • Dr. Armand Gilinsky, SSU Korbel Professor of Wine Business, on Sustaining the Wine Industry During and After the Pandemic: Go Local? Go Social?
  • Pierre Costa, founder of Somm Digital and SSU professional wine business faculty member, on An Altered Landscape for Digital Marketing.
  • Dr. Robert Eyler, SSU professor of Economics, on COVID-19, the Economy in 2020 and 2021: How Can the Economy Rebound?
  • Terry Hill, partner in BPM’s Advisory Practice, on Managing Cash Flow and Deciding to Sustain or Chart a New Course.
  • Dr. David McCuan, SSU professor of Political Science, on 2020 Politics and Wine: Red, White, & the Unknown Amidst a Pandemic.

Full program details will be announced soon.

About the Wine Business Institute

The Wine Business Institute serves as an intellectual and industry hub for faculty, students, and the business community. Founded in 1996 as a partnership between the wine industry and the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University, the WBI provides cutting-edge research that informs industry best practices and program curriculum. The WBI offers online and in-person wine-focused degree and industry certifications. For more information about our degree and certificate programs or our wine business research, please contact us at winebiz@sonoma.edu, or visit https://sbe.sonoma.edu/winebiz.

Comcast Announces $100 Million Multiyear Plan to Advance Social Justice and Equality

Message below is from the President & CEO of Comcast/NBCUniversal:

Last Sunday, I wrote to you to express my outrage over the far too familiar and frequent acts of violence against the Black community, and to acknowledge the structural racism that fuels these injustices. I’ve spoken with many employees – as have our leaders across Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal and Sky – and we have begun to mobilize as a company. While we recognize we don’t have all the answers, we agree it’s time that we start putting our words into real, sustainable action.

We know that Comcast alone can’t remedy this complex issue. But you have my commitment that our company will try to play an integral role in driving lasting reform. Together, we hope to help create a more equitable, just and inclusive society.

To that end, we are developing a comprehensive, multiyear plan to allocate $100 million to fight injustice and inequality against any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or ability. There will be $75 million in cash and $25 million in media that will be distributed over the next three years, in addition to the existing commitments our company currently makes to thousands of organizations supporting underrepresented communities through our Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation and social impact programs.

Craig Robinson, EVP and Chief Diversity Officer for NBCUniversal, will be spearheading these efforts with me at the corporate level and will coordinate with business leaders across Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky to build programs, allocate resources and partner with national and local organizations to drive meaningful change. Each of our companies will create sustainable programs within their businesses and will be proactively soliciting ideas from employees so that we can build this effort together. We will share more about these initiatives and our plans in the weeks ahead, but today we want to outline our key focus areas:

Social Justice: We will partner with, and provide significant grants to, organizations working to eradicate injustice and inequity. Organizations will include but not be limited to: the National Urban League, the Equal Justice Initiative, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Action Network and the Community Justice Action Fund.

Employees: We will accelerate our efforts in all areas of Diversity & Inclusion, including advancement, hiring and training. We will educate everyone across the company to better understand race-related issues and have the important conversations – however uncomfortable – through Town Halls, speaker series and mandatory anti-racism and anti-bias training. We will provide additional financial support to our Employee Resource Groups and invest in our diverse talent, providing them with visibility, opportunity and sponsorship, while continuing to strengthen our diversity recruiting strategy. Together, we aim to encourage racial sensitivity and eradicate explicit and implicit bias in the workplace at all levels across Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky.

Awareness & Education: We will put the full weight of our company’s media resources behind highlighting Black voices and Black stories and educating our viewers on diverse and inclusive cultures, perspectives and experiences, by making anti-racism education and inequality awareness a Symphony priority. We will use our platforms across the organization to continue to shed light on societal issues related to race. NBC News will host a series of Town Halls, similar to their ‘Can You Hear Us Now’ special that aired this past Tuesday, and we will use the X1, Flex, Peacock and Sky platforms to promote and amplify multicultural content.

Digital Equity: We will deepen our company’s long-standing commitment to addressing digital inequities, which disproportionately impact communities of color. Over the last 10 years, Comcast’s Internet Essentials has connected more than eight million low-income people to the internet at home. Beyond connectivity, we are scaling up our pledge to provide digital skills training to young people and to upskilling adults with the aim of improving economic mobility. Supporting organizations such as Black Girls Code, which empowers girls of color to become innovators in STEM fields, and BUILD, which ignites the potential of young people from under-resourced communities, are two examples.

Small Business Opportunity: We will commit funds to help small businesses that have been affected by extended closures in the wake of COVID-19, allocating a substantial portion of those funds to businesses owned by people of color. Comcast Business and Effectv will support businesses impacted by the events of the last few months and provide airtime and commercial production when they are ready to open. Additionally, we will create new LIFT Labs programs for Black founders, invest in diverse entrepreneurs through Comcast Ventures and our accelerators and expand the Catalyst program, which focuses on investing in Black, Latinx and female entrepreneurs.

I want to sincerely thank those of you who have reached out and courageously shared your experiences and fears. We look forward to hearing more of your insightful ideas for our path ahead to a better future. Together we are facing a painful yet powerful moment – one that presents us with a renewed opportunity to do better, and to create substantive and sustainable change.

Brian L. Roberts
Chairman and CEO
Comcast Corporation

https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/comcast-announces-100-million-multiyear-plan-social-justice-and-equality

Bank of America Announces $1 Billion/4-Year Commitment to Support Economic Opportunity Initiatives

Bank of America announced today that it is making a $1 billion, four-year commitment of additional support to help local communities address economic and racial inequality accelerated by a global pandemic. The programs will be focused on assisting people and communities of color that have experienced a greater impact from the health crisis.

“Underlying economic and social disparities that exist have accelerated and intensified during the global pandemic,” said CEO Brian Moynihan. “The events of the past week have created a sense of true urgency that has arisen across our nation, particularly in view of the racial injustices we have seen in the communities where we work and live. We all need to do more.”

The work builds on economic mobility and workforce development programs Bank of America already supports in local markets, but will sharpen the focus of that work, accelerate the resources, and add a particular emphasis on health services during the pandemic. The announcement is aligned with the company’s commitment to responsible growth for clients, shareholders, employees and communities.

Areas of focus will be:

  1. Health
  2. Jobs/Training/Reskilling/Upskilling
  3. Support to Small Businesses
  4. Housing

The programs will be executed through the company’s 90 local U.S. market presidents and non-U.S. country executives to help develop the opportunities to execute on these commitments in areas that include:

  • Virus testing, telemedicine, flu vaccination clinics, and other health services, with a special focus on communities of color.
  • Partnerships with historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions in the United States for hiring, research programs, and other areas of mutual opportunity.
  • Support to minority-owned small businesses, including clients and vendors.
  • Career reskilling/upskilling through partnerships with high schools and community colleges.
  • Operating support and investment for affordable housing/neighborhood revitalization, leveraging our nearly $5 billion in Community Development Banking.
  • Further recruitment and retention of teammates in low-to-moderate-income and disadvantaged communities to build on work the company has already done to serve clients locally.

This work builds on steps the company has already taken, including an additional $100 million to support its nonprofit partners across its communities, and $250 million to assist with lending to the smallest and minority-owned businesses through its support to community development financial and minority depository institutions.

Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, including approximately 3,000 lending centers, 2,700 financial centers with a Consumer Investment Financial Solutions Advisor and approximately 2,100 business centers; approximately 16,900 ATMs; and award-winning digital banking with approximately 39 million active users, including approximately 30 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom.

CannaCraft’s New Board Members

CannaCraft, a large-scale cannabis manufacturer based in California, recently expanded its board of directors.

The new members — Leon Sharyon, Mason Garrity and Gareth Clarke — join a board consisting of Chairwoman Terry Wheatley, who was appointed to the Board of Directors in November 2019, company co-founders Ned Fussell and Dennis Hunter, and Tiffany Devitt, CannaCraft’s President of Wellness.

Meet The Members

Sharyon, the former long-time CFO for Lagunitas Brewing Co., played an instrumental role in the brewery’s acquisition by Heineken, a landmark transaction in the booming craft beer world.

Garrity, a recognized innovator in digital growth marketing and consumer goods, brings decades of corporate strategy and organizational planning to the board, and is currently the COO of the Rudd Collection.

Clarke, after an accomplished career spanning 20 years as a CEO, has an international background including strong strategic, financial, and marketing skills, with a strong focus on the health care sector.

“Looking ahead, we see the potential for growth across a range of brands, geographies and distribution channels and these new board members bring significant, relevant experience,” says CannaCraft CEO Jim Hourigan. “Their insights will be very valuable both for running our current business and for planning our next growth phase.”

https://amp-benzinga-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.benzinga.com/amp/content/16107493

The Buck Institute for Research on Aging Continues Conversations at the Buck Informed, Evidence-Based Perspectives About the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Buck is the world’s premier scientific research institute focused solely on the biology of aging. For more than 20 years our mission has been to end the threat of age-related disease to help people live better longer. Because the novel coronavirus disproportionately impacts adults over 60 we know that our expertise is critical, and that is why we have refocused the work of many of our labs to join the fight against COVID-19.

During this time of disruption, we are eager to lean into our scientific expertise to fight this virus – a fight which includes a commitment to provide the public with evidence-based information on health and disease.

Our ongoing event series, Conversations at the Buck brings together colleagues inside and outside of the Buck who have important perspectives on how to think about, deal with, and potentially treat this pandemic. We feel privileged to be able to share their insights with you in this special web series focused on COVID-19.

Join us live for these upcoming, evidence-based conversations.

Discover how scientists are thinking about, dealing with, and working to stop the COVID-19 pandemic.

Buck Institute: The COVID-19 pandemic and the science aimed at bringing it to an end

First 5 Sonoma County Ensures Families and Child Care Providers Have Access to Emergency Supplies and Basic Needs

First 5 Sonoma County is working to address the needs of vulnerable families and children during the COVID-19 crisis by providing supplies and funding to child care providers and Family Resource Centers.

The Redwood Empire Food Bank will serve as an access point for multiple deliveries in June as part of a $5 million-dollar statewide effort funded by First 5 California. Cleaning supplies, masks, books, diapers and hand soap will be distributed to child care providers across the county through Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County (4Cs) and River to Coast Children’s Services. Child Parent Institute and Redwood Empire Food Bank will also distribute diapers directly to families in need.

First 5 Sonoma dedicated $145,000 in May to support Family Resource Centers (FRC’s) throughout the county to distribute food, diapers and other basic needs to families hard hit by the pandemic. The FRCs are also assisting families to apply for financial support such as Pandemic Unemployment Insurance and Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants, ensuring linkage to health care and other services. First 5 was able to access state funds to support the critical work of the FRCs, and is providing matching funds through the First Commission’s Responsive Grants Program. First 5 contributed $100,000 to emergency child care for healthcare workers during the early months of the COVID-19 crisis, and will make additional grants from the Responsive Grants Fund later this month.

Bank of America Announces $1 Billion/4-Year Commitment to Support Economic Opportunity Initiatives

Dear Cynthia,

We at Bank of America share sincere concern about what we are seeing and experiencing right now in the North Bay, and in many communities across the country. The global pandemic is intensifying underlying economic and social disparities, and the urgency is clear for us all to do more.

Yesterday, our company announced a $1 billion commitment to help drive economic opportunity, health care initiatives and racial equality. Our particular focus in this work is to help create opportunity for people and communities of color.

For many years, we have worked with you, and with many elected officials, business and civic leaders, and others in the communities we serve to help drive economic opportunity and upward mobility. Our work has been in education, workforce development, affordable housing, access to healthcare, community engagement and economic development. We will now substantially increase these efforts.

See the full press release below for more details.

Our long-term commitment to the success of Napa, Marin, Sonoma and California, by delivering for our local communities, our clients, and working with you and other leaders will be deepened and enhanced through this effort. We look forward to sharing more with you as the work progresses. Please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss these matters or any other.

Thank you for your continued leadership.

Amy Loflin
Market Manager; Napa, Marin, Sonoma

 

June 2, 2020

Bank of America Announces $1 Billion/4-Year Commitment to Support Economic Opportunity Initiatives

CHARLOTTE – Bank of America announced today that it is making a $1 billion, four-year commitment of additional support to help local communities address economic and racial inequality accelerated by a global pandemic. The programs will be focused on assisting people and communities of color that have experienced a greater impact from the health crisis.

“Underlying economic and social disparities that exist have accelerated and intensified during the global pandemic,” said CEO Brian Moynihan. “The events of the past week have created a sense of true urgency that has arisen across our nation, particularly in view of the racial injustices we have seen in the communities where we work and live. We all need to do more.”

The work builds on economic mobility and workforce development programs Bank of America already supports in local markets, but will sharpen the focus of that work, accelerate the resources, and add a particular emphasis on health services during the pandemic. The announcement is aligned with the company’s commitment to responsible growth for clients, shareholders, employees and communities.

Areas of focus will be:

1.     Health

2.     Jobs/Training/Reskilling/Upskilling

3.     Support to Small Businesses

4.     Housing

The programs will be executed through the company’s 91 local U.S. market presidents and non-U.S. country executives to help develop the opportunities to execute on these commitments in areas that include:

·        Virus testing, telemedicine, flu vaccination clinics, and other health services, with a special focus on communities of color.

·        Partnerships with historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions in the United States for hiring, research programs, and other areas of mutual opportunity.

·        Support to minority-owned small businesses, including clients and vendors.

·        Career reskilling/upskilling through partnerships with high schools and community colleges.

·        Operating support and investment for affordable housing/neighborhood revitalization, leveraging our nearly $5 billion in Community Development Banking.

·        Further recruitment and retention of teammates in low-to-moderate-income and disadvantaged communities to build on work the company has already done to serve clients locally.

This work builds on steps the company has already taken, including an additional $100 million to support its nonprofit partners across its communities, and $250 million to assist with lending to the smallest and minority-owned businesses through its support to community development financial and minority depository institutions.

 

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, including approximately 3,000 lending centers, 2,700 financial centers with a Consumer Investment Financial Solutions Advisor and approximately 2,100 business centers; approximately 16,900 ATMs; and award-winning digital banking with approximately 39 million active users, including approximately 30 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

 

www.bankofamerica.com