A note from the newsroom as the Business Times turns 22
As the masthead on the current edition of the Business Times signifies, we will soon turn the calendar to volume 23.
The Business Times began publishing on March, 17, 2000, and we’re looking forward to our 22nd anniversary with a lot on our plate as we enter a new year. A few highlights:
• Our first live Central Coast Innovation Awards program in two years will be at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara Resort & Spa on March 25. We’ll have our biggest and best Startup Village ever beginning at 3 p.m., and our award program honoring Apeel Sciences Founder James Rogers, Meissner Filtration, Pashion Footwear and others will begin at 4:30 p.m. It’s all outdoors and proof of vaccination is required.
• Iris Rideau, who founded Rideau Vineyard 25 years ago, will be our keynote speaker and Distinguished Achievement Award winner at this year’s Top 50 Women in Business program in April. We’re announcing this year’s winners in our special report on March 24. If you would like to advertise or sponsor this year’s program, contact our publisher, Linda le Brock, at llebrock@pacbiztimes.com.
From the Editor
• Our Hall of Fame inductee for 2022 will be Jesus “Chuy” Loza, a co-founder of Freska Produce International, a global leader in the mango industry and a true home-grown entrepreneur. We’ll be presenting several Company of the Year awards at our May event at the Museum of Ventura County.
• Nominations are open for our Best Places to Work awards, which spins out as its own event with a special report in May and a program in June at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
• Our Latino Business Awards special report in June will be followed by an awards program at the Limoneira ranch in Santa Paula in July, as we leverage our events to showcase the region’s great institutions.
• Our Spirit of Small Business Awards will again be presented in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration. We’ll return to Bacara for an awards reception in August.
• We’re taking nominations for our final two events, 40 under 40 and Fastest Growing Companies, including our CFO of the Year.
• If you join us as a subscriber today, we’ll get you a special March Madness discount. Just email circulation@pacbiztimes.com for details.
For more information on any of our events and special reports, to subscribe to the Business Times, to nominate someone for any of our awards, and to take the Best Places to Work survey about your workplace, visit our newly redesigned website, pacbiztimes.com. The direct link to nominate people and businesses for our awards and special sections is here, and you can take the 2022 Central Coast Best Places to Work survey here.
OUR LINEUP
The past 22 years have included their fair share of challenges, but I’m pleased to say that we’ve never lost our vision of creating quality news and special reports that serve the entire region from Westlake Village to northern San Luis Obispo County.
Leading our team is business news veteran Tony Biasotti, who was promoted to executive editor at the beginning of the year. He’s joined by Amber Hair, who was promoted in the fall to assistant managing editor for special reports and research. Our staff writers Brooke Holland and Jorge Mercado round out the news team.
Publisher Linda le Brock leads a team that includes advertising executives Sean McCullough and Veronica Kusmuk, who is celebrating 10 years at the Business Times this year. We lean heavily on advertising graphic designer Cory Yniguez for that Business Times look in print and online, and I’m delighted that Jennifer Carusa has rejoined us as advertising coordinator.
And, for more than 20 years, Debra Giles has juggled a dual role as circulation director and office manager.
I’m extremely proud of what our team has been able to accomplish over the past two years as we all juggled remote work, family issues and the insanity of dealing with the pandemic.
ANOTHER BIRTHDAY
The Business Times is proud of being an independent, privately owned company based in the region.
We share our St. Patrick’s Day birthday with another privately owned, independent, regional company, Montecito Bank & Trust. The region’s largest bank is exactly 25 years older than the Business Times.
So, to Chair Janet Garufis, COO George Leis, CFO Bruce Stevens and the entire team across the street, happy 47th.
And happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone. It’s time to (carefully) go out and celebrate.
• Henry Dubroff is the owner and editor of the Pacific Coast Business Times. He can be reached at hdubroff@pacbiztimes.com.
