North Bay Business Journal

Kaiser to launch family medicine residency program

SANTA ROSA — Kaiser Permanente’s Santa Rosa Medical Center will launch a family medicine residency program to expand the number of primary care physicians being trained in Sonoma County, it was announced today.

New Tech to expand to dozens of more schools

NAPA — New Tech Network today announced it will expand by three dozen new middle and high schools schools this year, adding to 115 schools in 18 states already using the Napa-based nonprofit’s project-based learning methods.

Venture Greenhouse branches out with ‘Affiliate Program’

The Venture Greenhouse, Dominican University’s business incubator and accelerator program, has implemented a number of new initiatives since its official unveiling in October, including a pilot “Affiliate Program” that stands to broaden the incubator’s support for environmental and socially focused startups in Marin.

With state funding slimmer, SRJC’s Petaluma campus charts future

PETALUMA – The Sonoma County Junior College District is charting a future for its recently expanded Petaluma Campus, considering strategies at a time when reductions to state funding have stymied plans to increase enrollment and kept attendance hovering at about half the facility’s capacity.

Napa explores incubator at former airline training facility

NAPA COUNTY – Efforts to create a first-ever business incubator in Napa County could take another step forward in the coming weeks as project members seek additional startup funding from the county Board of Supervisors and the Napa City Council.

Anonymous $5 million SRJC donation is largest in 94-year history

SANTA ROSA – An anonymous $5 million gift to Santa Rosa Junior College, announced today, will generate approximately $175,000 in scholarship awards annually, according to the college.

Piner High School project to widen pathway to construction, science jobs

SANTA ROSA — A 4-year-old nationally recognized Piner High School program that gives students reality-based training in the science, technology and mathematics behind the latest gadgets that help drivers find destinations via their smartphones, surveyors map more precisely and efficiently, and crews grade roads more cost-effectively wants to do its own major upgrade this summer.

Exchange Bank charts path to restore Doyle

SANTA ROSA – Executives at Santa Rosa’s Exchange Bank see at least two paths to restoring the bank’s shareholder dividend and with it the iconic Doyle college scholarship and are optimistic that one scenario could allow its reinstatement by the end of this year.

San Rafael chamber, city, Dominican partner in ‘greening’ project

SAN RAFAEL — The City of San Rafael, Dominican University and the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce have teamed up with Natural Capitalism Solutions, a nonprofit that consults businesses on greening strategies, to form a partnership aimed at providing businesses with affordable measures for creating sustainable practices.

Empire, Dominican named to national community service ‘honor roll’

NORTH BAY – Empire College has become the only private, for-profit college in California to be named “with distinction” to the 2012 “President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll,” a national award recognizing colleges that inspire lifelong civic engagement among their students.

Dominican University of California in San Rafael was named to the list for a fifth year, part of the broader “Honor Roll.”

Business Journal Q&A: SRJC President Frank Chong

SANTA ROSA — The former deputy secretary for community colleges under the administration of President Barack Obama, Dr. Frank Chong, assumed the role of Santa Rosa Junior College president this January. A former president of Oakland’s Laney College, Dr. Chong oversaw a number of infrastructure and program improvements while forging a more robust relationship between the college and the business community.

Dr. Chong sat down with the North Bay Business Journal to share his insights and reflect on his first two months in Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa education tech firm celebrates milestone

Democrasoft, Inc. (OTC: Pinksheets: DEMO) announced two “significant milestones” this month for its flagship online education platform, Collaborize Classroom.

St. Joseph Health System to hold symposium on workforce wellness

SANTA ROSA — Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital will host a symposium for employers next week as part of the iWORKwell Workforce Wellness effort, a public-private program focused on employee health throughout Sonoma County.

The symposium targets employers looking to reduce ever-increasing health care expenses and to support their workforce’s well-being by offering more wellness programs.

Share your thoughts: CSU cuts off most spring 2013 enrollment

California State University officials chose to bar enrollment but for relatively a handful of students in the spring 2013 semester, a move meant to stave off further tuition hikes in the financially strained system.

What are your thoughts on the CSU’s decision to bar enrollment for nearly all students in the spring semester? How much impact will the CSU near ban on spring 2013 enrollment have on the local business community? What is the long-term impact of drastic cuts to the system? Will you vote for tax increases to fund education in November? Share your thoughts in the NBBJ Pulse Poll and in the comment section below.

Co-generation plant saves Pacific Union College $1 million a year in energy costs

ANGWIN – The ability to generate mechanical energy, megawatts of electricity and heat in the same engine using a process called co-generation is increasing in popularity due to skyrocketing fuel prices and continued uncertainty over the future availability of global oil supplies.

Survey: 9 in 10 doctors won’t recommend profession

NAPA — A new survey found that nine out of 10 physicians across the country are unwilling to recommend the profession to others, while 43 percent said they are contemplating retirement as a result of “transformative changes” in the health care system — results that will likely exacerbate a well-documented nationwide physician shortage.

Business, education partnership advances in San Rafael

An effort to foster a mutually beneficial partnership between the business and education communities in San Rafael reached an important milestone this month, after the formation of a 12-member business advisory group and the first meeting between that group and leaders from the San Rafael City Schools.

Dr. Dan Moshavi: Dominican, community are vitally connected

SAN RAFAEL — Dr. Dan Moshavi became dean of the School of Business and Leadership at Dominican University of California at the beginning of the 2011-’12 school year, most recently serving as dean of the College of Business at Montana State University. He was won more than a dozen teaching awards through his career and has consulted for organizations that include Nike and Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Farmworker education workshop set for March 1-2

This Thursday and Friday, March 1–2, Napa Valley Grapegrowers hosts the fifth annual Farmworker Education Workshop, held this year at Starmont winery south of Napa.

RCU seeks high schoolers for spring financial literacy program

SANTA ROSA — Redwood Credit Union will offer its sixth Financial Academy this March, a free high school financial literacy program that has graduated 172 students since it began in 2009.