KBLX Hoodie Awards Promotion Info!

Alameda CTC Insurance Brokerage RFP

Insurance Brokerage Services (RFP A12-0020)

The Alameda CTC intends to retain a qualified firm through this RFP to provide insurance brokerage services on behalf of Alameda CTC for the following insurance coverage: Commercial Property, General Liability and Hired/Non-Owned Auto, Excess Liability, Crime, Worker’s Compensation, Directors and Officers/Errors and Omissions Liability, and Employment Practices Liability.

• Pre-Proposal Meeting: June 25, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
• Proposal Due Date: July 16, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)

EBMUD RFP Opportunities

From time to time, the Chamber is made aware of local business opportunities and projects relevant to our members and other community based organizations. Right now, EBMUD is looking forward to having more OMCC members do business with them, so don’t hesitate! See below for the most recent opportunity spotlight:

Order Fulfillment EBMUD is seeking qualified vendors to submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide fulfillment services for customer orders placed at the online store. The majority of the merchandise is water conservation related, including garden hose nozzles, faucet aerators, low-flow shower heads and educational booklets. In addition, the items available may also include other books and publications including educational materials for use in schools. This contract will be for a one-year period beginning July 1, 2012, with two one-year optional periods.

Please respond to this RFP no later than 4:00 p.m. on May 24, 2012.

Collection Services on Delinquent Accounts EBMUD invites qualified firms to submit a Request for Proposal to provide collection services on delinquent accounts, for a three-year term beginning August 1, 2012 and ending July 31, 2015 with two (2) options to extend the contract for an additional one year period, to be exercised at the sole discretion of the District.

Please respond to this Request for Proposal no later than 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6, 2012.
The RFPs for both and additional information can be found on the EBMUD website at http://www.ebmud.com/business-opportunities/professional-and-general-services.

If you have any questions on contracting opportunities with EBMUD, please contact the Contract Equity Office Director: Beverly Johnson, MCA at 510-287-0114 or bjohnson (at) ebmud.com.

Warriors Move: It's No Slam Dunk

If there is to be a contest to be the home of the Golden State Warriors, the game is at tip-off – not late in the fourth quarter.  All the good reasons for the team to stay in Oakland will remain and become more apparent.  These include a location much closer to the geographic center of the fan base, an existing arena that will not face community objections, better access to highways, public transportation and parking and more.  

As this game plays out, this feint to San Francisco may look like nothing more than a negotiating ploy to get better terms from the City and County.  The Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce remains confident that the Warriors and the City of Oakland can and will find a path to keep the team in Oakland.

Protecting Speech – Preventing Violence

Signs not shields.  Speech not spray paint.  Collaboration not clubs.  Any of these might be an alliterative effort to explain an ordinance before the Public Safety committee of the Oakland City Council tomorrow night.  Public safety Chair Pat Kernighan and City Attorney Barbara Parker are sponsoring the ordinance that attempts to protect people and property during a demonstration.

The ordinance cites examples of hammers and clubs being used as weapons, pressurized paint sprayers being used for graffiti, fire accelerants being used to destroy property and shields being used to protect people who were throwing objects at police. The ordinance also cites other cities that have similar speech protections that have been upheld in Federal Courts. 

Non-Profit Grant Opportunity

Calling all non-profits, check out this "Breakfast of Champions 2012 Education Grant Application". The Breakfast of Champions (BOC) applications is now available On-Line, click here to download the application:   http://oaklandboc.com/grants.html
BOC encourages and supports educational endeavors.  Applicant program must be non-profit located within Alameda or Contra Costa County, must be involved in educating within the architectural, engineering, planning, environmental and/or construction disciplines.  BOC invites anyone who may be interested to apply. 

Please address all questions and/or comments to Beth Power by email:  bpower (at)caltrop.com  or visit  the BOC Home Page:   http://oaklandboc.com.
The grant application is due Monday, June 25, 2012, and grant recipient(s) will be notified by July 2, 2012.

Doing Business with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

While Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and the University of California have announced that Richmond has been identified as the preferred site for the Lab’s second campus, the planning, environmental review, construction and approvals process will take several years - fortunately LBNL does millions in Procurement in its ongoing operation today. Upcoming workshops be available to discuss how to connect with LBNL right now. For more information on upcoming events in this area contact:

Contracts Management and Administration

CE2 Corporation

Email: tblengino (at) ce2corp.com

Web: http://ce2corp.com/

EBMUD Job Postings

From time to time, the Chamber is made aware of local business opportunities and projects relevant to our members and other community based organizations. See below for the most recent opportunity spotlight from the East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD):

EBMUD has a number of great opportunities available to recent graduates right now, check them out at the link below, and apply today.

Visit:  http://www.ebmud.com/job-opportunities for more.

Port of Oakland RFP for Aviation Noise Consulting

From time to time, the Chamber is made aware of local business opportunities and projects relevant to our members and other community based organizations. See below for the most recent opportunity spotlight from the Port of Oakland:

The Port of Oakland is calling for Request for Proposal (RFP) packages for Aviation Noise Consulting Services (RFP 11-12/05), to be delivered to the Noise/Environmental Compliance Office, Oakland International Airport, Terminal 1, 2nd Floor, 1 Airport Drive, Oakland, CA 94621, until 3:00 PM on June 22, 2012.

The RFP process is designed to select a qualified firm with demonstrated technical expertise and experience in providing aviation noise consulting services to a major commercial airport.  The qualified firm must have extensive experience (minimum of six years) in working with regulatory agencies and scientific organizations related to noise standards and aircraft operations, demonstrated command of the local and national regulatory environment, understand the latest industry trends and policy directions, and demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with the public.

Copies of the RFP may be obtained at Port of Oakland, Purchasing Department, 530 Water Street, Oakland, CA  94607, (510) 627-1526, Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., or by visiting the Port’s website at: http://portofoakland.com/business/rfpsrfqs.asp and downloading the RFP packet.

Oakland At Work: A conversation at the NonProfit Roundtable

Oakland at Work

A conversation at the Nonprofit Roundtable

By Jerry Metzker

Biotech Partners

Co-Chair of the Nonprofit Roundtable

The April Oakland Chamber Nonprofit Roundtable meeting focused on workforce development and how it leads to economic development.

Enjoying delicious pastry from The Bread Project, a local service organization that trains individuals with limited resources for employment in the food industry, the meeting commenced with a conversation of how employment has a positive effect not only on personal financial situation, but also on self-esteem, personal value, self-efficacy and the community. Jobs bring individuals real lessons that carry them through life.

Lorraine Giordano and Margot Prado of Oakland’s office of economic and workforce development shared the three workforce/economic goals for the city: 1) provide training for entry level positions, including a focus on self-sufficiency; 2) assisting employers with training needs for current workers; and 3) support a jobs center near the former Oakland Army base, particularly focused on expanding the Port of Oakland.

 A recent strategic planning process identified six specific employment growth opportunities for Oakland: 1) arts and digital media; 2) food production and distribution; 3) green industry; 4) healthcare and bioscience; 5) international trade and logistics; and 6) retail. The presenters noted that Oakland is ideal and has tremendous strength in small business development, and is developing more strategies to improve prospects for youth. The higher the employment rate the lower the crime rate.

Partner presenters Manuel Garvin of Youth Uprising and me from Biotech Partners shared different opportunities for guiding youth through their education and into the workforce. Since 1993, Biotech Partners has been supporting youth from populations underrepresented in the bioscience industries through high school, into higher education and well-paid entry-level lab positions. The target population includes children of color, low income youth and girls. A feature of this academic and workforce development program is paid internships in the bioscience field, a growing industry in the Bay Area.

Youth Uprising matches workforce development to social enterprises. Its youth and young adults receive paid on-the-job training under the guidance of experienced professionals in Data Management, Input and Research; Janitorial and Light Industrial Services; Digital Media, Design, Music, and Video Production; and Catering and Food Services. Garvin especially noted that its Corners Café has a student manager and is available for catering.

Both Biotech Partners and Youth Uprising noted the importance of attaching income to their training programs and provide workforce development in areas identified by the Oakland Office of Economic Development as target growth areas for the City.

For more information from presenters, contact them:

Lorraine Giordano of Oakland Office of Economic Development (lgiordano@oaklandnet.com)

Margot Prado of Oakland Office of Economic Development (mprado@oaklandnet.com)

Manuel Garvin of Youth Uprising (mgarvin@youthuprising.org)

Jerry Metzker of Biotech Partners (jerry.metzker@bayer.com)

As Executive Director of CARD (Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters), Roundtable Co-Chair Âna-Marie Jones reminded everyone that April was preparedness month and led a fun interactive exercise on the multiple uses of a sealable plastic sandwich bag. (amj@cardcanhelp.org)

The Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit Roundtable meets in the Chamber Boardroom on the third Tuesday of each month from 2:30-4:30 pm, providing the opportunity for the community benefits and the private sector to interact to make a difference in the Oakland Community and beyond. All are welcome.

The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, May 15, 2012, from 2:30-4:30pm. Discussion topics and presenters will center on financial needs and opportunities. For more information, contact Triche Christmon at tchristmon@oaklandchamber.com.

More Bicycle Lanes – Fewer Traffic Lanes

The Public Works Committee of the Oakland City Council is considering a plan to reduce the number of traffic lanes and the creation of bike lanes along some heavily traveled routes in Oakland.  Among the changes to be discussed at the committee meeting at 9:30 this morning:

•             MacArthur Blvd.  – along Mills College (Richards Rd. to Seminary) 4 lanes down to 2 – one lane of traffic in each direction and eliminate parking on the Mills College side of road – add bike lane in each direction

•             Broadway – from 30th up to Broadway Terrace 6 lanes down to 4 – 2 lanes of traffic in each direction – add bike lane in each direction

•             East 12th St. – from 14th Ave. to Fruitvale 6 lanes down to 4 – 2 lanes of traffic in each direction – add bike lane in each direction

Clorox voices support to keep A’s in Oakland

Don Knauss, the chairman and chief executive officer of The Clorox Company, recently held a press conference to express his desire to keep the Oakland A’s “where they belong” – in Oakland.

“Clorox strongly and enthusiastically endorses the efforts of the East Bay business community and city of Oakland to keep the Oakland A’s here in a new, world-class stadium,” he said.

Knauss continued that, “The business community is committed to helping drive an effort to support the current ownership group in their quest for a new stadium so long as they are committed to staying in Oakland. However, if the current ownership group is not committed to Oakland, we want to make clear that Oakland and the East Bay business community are ready to step up to the plate to help ensure the A’s stay home where they belong – in Oakland.”

Knauss, in fact, said that a new potential ownership group has been identified should the current ownership wish to sell.

Knauss is the former president and CEO of the Minute Maid Company, where he was actively involved in the design of the new Houston Astros downtown ballpark and subsequently secured naming rights to change the name to Minute Maid Park.

Chamber Member Spotlight: Skin Deep Professionals - Do real men wax?

Do Real Men Wax?By Debbie Spalla of Skin Deep Professionals

http://skindeepprofessional.com/

The short answer is: Yes, of course! They just don't talk about it as much as women. What are the common things men wax you might wonder? The most common are unibrows, ears and nose hairs. Ouch?!

Here's the painful truth about that. The unibrow is not so bad, the nose really doesn't hurt at all and the ears hurt according to my clientele. Surprised me too. Especially the nose. I was convinced that the nose must hurt a lot. It doesn't. My clients (men and women) told me it doesnt and I finally tried it. Nope it doesn't hurt.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because men don't talk about it and everyone (including them) would like to know more. Since I have been in this business for a long time, I know a lot.

What else do they wax? The most common are backs, chest, feet, shoulders, adam's apple. Why?

Eyebrows? Usually to fix a unibrow and sometimes a trim. Just clean it up. I personally like a man's brow to stay very masculine but groomed is great. You don't want to look like the guy on 60 Minutes! Also, I am told by my clients in the military they are not allowed to have a unibrow so they must wax, shave or tweeze. I don't know if its true but good grooming is good grooming.

Backs? Too much hair usually. Police remove it because of ingrowns with bullet proof vests. Girlfriends don't like it depending upon which generation you belong to. Guys don't like it.

Chest? They simply don't like it or its all white and is "blinding everyone in Hawaii" once they hit the beach.

Feet? "They look like Hobbit feet" with that much hair.

Shoulders? Usually its part of a back wax. If back is really hairy it just continues on down the shoulders into the arms and hands. Just too much hair.

Adam's Apple? If it protrudes prominently it can be difficult to shave and waxing is easier and lasts longer.

Noses? Looks really bad if you have a lot of hair protruding out the bottom of the nostril. Much better than clipping. Doesn't hurt and it stays gone much longer. Legs? Mostly for athletic reasons, swimming, biking (tape) and sometimes just because they like it. I don't ask.

Ears? Looks really bad. The barber can clean it up but it comes back really fast. Same as the nose, its gone, stays gone much longer. Looks really clean.

Thought you might like to know.