San Diego SMALL BUSINESS

Point Loma Credit Union will sponsor a free seminar on March 4 to introduce its new Small Business Administration loan program. It will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Point Loma Credit Union, 9420 Farnham St., San Diego.

Ruben Garcia, San Diego district director of the SBA, will give an overview of SBA loans, and Monty Dickinson, president of SCORE San Diego, will provide information about SCORE San Diego’s workshops and one-on-one counseling sessions. The free seminar is open to the public and will include a question-and-answer session by a panel of three local, small business owners.

Amy Alexander, business service specialist with PLCU, says that small businesses and prospective entrepreneurs should be aware of the benefits of an SBA loan. "SBA loans often have a lower interest rate and require a lower down payment than typical commercial loans," says Alexander. "PLCU has money to lend and, for business owners with the right concept and tools, we are here to help."

Since small business owners are required to present a business plan when requesting an SBA loan, understanding how to develop a winning plan is critical, says Dickinson. "Through our one-on-one counseling sessions and ‘Business Plan 101: How to Write a Winning Business Plan’ workshops, SCORE San Diego is an enormous resource to help entrepreneurs prepare for the approval process," says Dickinson.

Garcia says the seminar is a great collaboration between SCORE San Diego, the SBA and PLCU. "We are gratified by the growth and participation of PLCU in providing SBA loans to its members. Credit unions just recently began participating with the SBA and we are appreciative of this joint effort with SCORE San Diego to expose potential entrepreneurs to what is available to them."

For more information about the seminar, visit PLCU’s Website, www.plcu.com, or contact any of PLCU’s 14 branches.

San Diego REAL ESTATE BUSINESS

Three San Diego County residents have been named to the board of the California Association of Community Managers for 2009. They are Vicki MacHale, the Prescott Companies, Carlsbad; Cherié McColley, Common Interest Development Consultants, Chula Vista; and Melinda Young, the Walters Co., San Diego. The board oversees association programs and activities, monitors legal and legislative issues, upholds the association’s code of ethics and standards of practice and advises CACM on its educational and certification program for community association managers.

***

JMI Management Inc. leased 4,300 square feet of office space at 7590 Fay Ave. in La Jolla. The five-year lease is valued at $716,448. Jill Morton of CB Richard Ellis represented the lessor, Modern Castles II. Brunson Howard of Cushman & Wakefield represented JMI Management.

San Diego BIOTECH BUSINESS

Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the appointments of Francois-Xavier Frapaise as senior v.p. and chief scientific officer and Peter E. Grebow to the company’s board of directors. Frapaise will lead all clinical and pre-clinical drug discovery programs as well as any post-marketing studies. Frapaise has more than 30 years of international drug development, strategic planning and marketing experience at major pharmaceutical companies. Grebow has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and currently serves as executive v.p. of worldwide technical operations at Cephalon Inc.

San Diego WIRELESS INDUSTRY

Luis Cruz, a 20-year leader in the wireless industry, has been tapped to serve as president of Verizon Wireless’ Southern California Region, which extends from Ventura County in the north to Riverside County in the east and San Diego County in the south. Cruz is responsible for the strategic direction, sales and overall operations for Verizon Wireless in ßouthern California. He is based at the company’s Southern California Region headquarters in Irvine. Previously, the SDSU graduate served as Verizon Wireless’ president-Central Texas Region since 2004. He began his wireless career in 1988 as a business development analyst with PacTel Cellular in San Diego. Since then he has held a series of strategic assignments for Verizon Wireless, leading national distribution planning, marketing programs, indirect sales channel and retail distribution strategy.

San Diego EDUCATION

The Grossmont College Career Center will host "Occupational Outlook for 2009," a free informational meeting discussing the most popular careers and new eco-friendly "green" jobs, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday (Feb. 25) at the Career Center, Room 627, on campus. The public is invited to attend. For more information or to reserve a seat, phone (619) 644-7614 or visit www.grossmont.edu/jobplacement. The college is located at 8800 Grossmont College Drive in El Cajon.

***

The 21st annual Grossmont College Pow-Wow, a celebration of American Indian culture, will be held on Saturday (Feb. 28) at the college’s Student Center. Admission is free. The day-long event, which begins at noon with gourd dancing and giveaways, features American Indian dancers and drummers. Vendors will sell American Indian cuisine, clothing, art and jewelry. The Grand Entry, a procession of about 100 dancers, begins at 6 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by the Barona Band of Kumeyaay Indians, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, Grossmont College Extended Opportunity Programs and Services and the Grossmont College Cross-Cultural Studies Department. For more information, call Tom Gamboa of Grossmont College at (619) 644-7529.

San Diego HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

The Old Spaghetti Factory reopened Monday at its original Gaslamp Quarter location at 275 Fifth Ave. in Downtown San Diego. The Old Spaghetti Factory first opened its San Diego restaurant in 1974, but closed in 2005 when part of the building was redeveloped for the Hard Rock Hotel. "We’ve been longtime members of the San Diego community," says Chris Dussin, president of the Dussin Group. "Through the years we’ve seen the neighborhood change and we felt that this was the right time to reestablish the restaurant as a place for community gatherings and family traditions."

The Old Spaghetti Factory is partnering with its neighbor, The New Children’s Museum, to offer free kids meals to those who sign up for a new museum membership. "The museum is excited to work together with The Old Spaghetti Factory," says Karen Coutts, associate director of development for The New Children’s Museum.

The Old Spaghetti Factory will be open to guests for dinner seven days a week. The new restaurant will also feature The Dussini Loft Bar on the building’s upper floor.

San Diego PARADE WORKSHOPS

The San Diego Pride parade committee will hold "information and idea workshops" at 6:30 p.m. on March 25 and at 1 p.m. on May 2 to give tips on how to design and construct entries in the annual San Diego LGBT Pride Parade on July 19 in Hillcrest. The workshops will be at The Center, 3909 Centre St. Parade committee members and other experts will be on hand to answer questions and share ideas on float design and construction materials. Individuals, nonprofit and government entries are allowed the use of up to two vehicles in the parade. And for local businesses, national corporations and franchises, which are permitted to enter walking contingents, decorated stake bed trucks, flatbed trailers and floats, the workshops will provide tips on making their contingents more colorful and exciting. Each workshop will conclude with a hands-on vehicle decoration demonstration.

The annual San Diego LGBT Pride Parade is the fifth largest in the United States, attracting 160,000 spectators. For more information, call (619) 297-7683 or visit the Website: SanDiegoPride.org.

ABOUT US

San Diego Business Report is your choice for San Diego business news. If you are a new business in San Diego and need to figure out who's who or a long standing business in San Diego that has something to be proud of; you have a home in San Diego’s original business email blast.