BizFed Announces New Officers; Issues 2014 Call to Lawmakers and Governor

LOS ANGELES - Feb. 19, 2014 - PRLog -- LOS ANGELES, CA – BizFed (Los Angeles County Business Federation), representing over 120 top business organizations with more than 260,000 business owners across the region – with more than 2.5 million employees across LA County - is pleased to announce its new officers for 2014 and a statement of principles by which BizFed is urging Senators, Assembly members and the Governor to legislate this year.

BizFed’s 2014 Officers

Chair: Don St. Clair, Immediate Past Chair, Valley Economic Development Center / Vice President for Enrollment Management, Woodbury University

Chair-Elect:

M C Townsend, President/CEO, Regional Black Chamber San Fernando Valley.

Advocacy Committee Co-Vice Chairs:

Christine Aghassi, Senior Vice President, The Dolphin Group

David Grannis, Partner, pointC, LLC

David Kissinger, Director of Government Affairs, South Bay Association of Realtors

Larry Kosmont, President/CEO, Kosmont Companies

Transportation Committee Co-Vice Chairs:

Robb Korinke, Co-Founder GrassrootsLab / Public Affairs Specialist, DART Container

Hilary Norton, Executive Director,Fixing Angelenos Stuck In Traffic (FAST).

Energy & Environment Committee Co-Vice Chairs:

Alex Pugh,Senior Project Manager, Policy & Project Management Team, Southern California Edison

Patty Senecal, Manager, Southern California Region and Infrastructure Issues,

Western States Petroleum Association.

Land Use/Development/Construction/Housing Committee Co-Vice Chairs:

David Foley, General Manager, Brookfield Properties

Sandy Sanchez, Director of Community Development, Newhall Land

Health Care Committee Co-Vice Chairs:

Stacy Miller, Founder, Stacy Miller Public Affairs / LA Outdoor Advertising Coalition

Michael Tou, Director Government Relations, Providence Health & Services Southern California

International Trade Committee Co-Vice Chairs:

Ken Duong, Chair, Vietnamese American Chamber / TDL International Law Firm

Scott Kurtz, Past President, Harbor Association of Industry & Commerce / Ninyo & Moore

Goods Movement Committee Co-Vice Chairs:

Fran Inman, Senior Vice President, Majestic Realty

Lupe Valdez, Director of Public Affairs, Union Pacific

Business Diversity Committee Co-Vice Chairs:

Claudia Bodan-Acuna, Senior Vice President, Market Manager, Bank of America

Mohammed Islam, Executive Director/Founder, South Asian Business Alliance Network

Polling & Research Committee Co-Vice Chairs:

Martha Cox-Nitikman, Vice President, Public Policy, Building Owners & Managers Association LA

Brad Jensen, Director of Public Policy, San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership

Treasurers, Co-Vice Chairs:

Ron Adams, President/CEO, West LA Chamber of Commerce

Steve Bullock, Glendale Chamber / Chief Financial Officer, Cerrell Associates Inc.

Advisory Council Co-Chairs

Joe Ahn, Regional Manager, Government and Public Affairs, Northrop Grumman

Dianne F. Harrison, President, California State University, Northridge

Peter Villegas, Vice President/Director of Local Government Relations, JPMorgan Chase

The Ambassadors

Mike Lewis, Senior Vice President, Construction Industry Air Quality Coalition and Construction Industry Coalition on Water Quality.

James W. Litz, Government Affairs Director, Beverly Hills/Greater LA Association of Realtors

Nominating Committee Vice Chair: Mark Wilbur, CEO, Employers Group

Secretary: Gilbert Ivey, Chief Administrative Officer, Metropolitan Water District Southern California

BizFed Statement of Principles for the 2014 Legislative Session

Ø  Engage the business community as a partner.  California’s business community has always been a source of dynamic leadership, problem solving, and innovation.  Before supporting or proposing solutions to problems, we urge you to reach out to us so we can work together toward effective solutions.  We are your constituents, we employ your constituents, and our collective success is a mutual proposition.  Let’s work together from the start so together we can build stronger and more successful communities.


Ø  Make job creation and economic growth your top priority.  According to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, one in four children in Los Angeles County lives in poverty.  While effective, accountable, fiscally responsible public programs are necessary short-term solutions to this crisis, the long-term solution must focus on creating good-paying jobs for your constituents that grow and sustain the economic vitality of our region.

Ø  Consider the cumulative effects of taxes, fees, and regulations on job creation and economic growth.  For the past three years, our members have consistently identified new taxes, fees, and regulations as their top concerns.  In isolation, individual new tax, fee, or regulatory proposals might seem reasonable.  However, the cumulative costs have become a hindrance to California’s economic success.  We urge you to consider how each proposal that crosses your desk will add to or reduce the cumulative burden on the businesses that employ and sustain quality of life for your constituents.

The Los Angeles County Business Federation is a grassroots alliance of over 120 existing business organizations with more than 260,000 businesses whose goal is to effectively mobilize the collective voice of the Los Angeles County business community.  For more information please visit http://www.bizfed.org