Hospitality & Tourism
The Meritage Resort and Spa in south Napa received a 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments worldwide that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor. Only the top-performing 10 percent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award. To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months. The Meritage Resort has a four rating and more than 500 reviews on the site.Wine
California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance certified St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, in recognition of the company's years of working toward environmental leadership status in cellar, lab, and vineyard green practices and an extensive multi-year audit and application process. The process began before St. Francis installed its “first in the Valley” 457 kilowatt solar energy system on the roof of their cellar and barrel room in 2004, along with work to conserve the nearby creeks and waterways, sustainable recycling initiatives, work to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and a leadership role in the current Sonoma Clean Power initiative. Nonprofits
Marin Theatre Company’s artistic director Jasson Minadakis, managing director Michael Barker and board of directors’ Development Committee chair Fred Taylor announced that the company received a two-year $350,000 challenge grant from an anonymous Marin couple. The grant will match dollar-for-dollar all donations from supporters who have not previously contributed to the company. The grant will also match each dollar given above the amount a returning donor gave in 2012. Gifts doubled by 2012 donors will be matched in full, doubling the impact of their contributions. Based in Mill Valley, the theatrical organization is a 46-year-old 501(c)3 nonprofit with an annual expense budget of $2.9 million in fiscal 2012, which ended June 30. With revenues of $3.0 million during that same fiscal year, the company received 52 percent of its income from contributed sources like individual donations, foundations, corporations, governments, donated services and materials, and special events -- with just over half of that (54 percent) being from individual donations alone. It was the fourth year in a row the company ended its season with a revenue surplus.
