North Bay Business Journal

Gary Heck, owner and president of Korbel Champagne Cellars and Kenwood Vineyards, became an honorary inductee of the Sonoma State University chapter of the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society last month. …

Amid the rising popularity of a for-credit “Banking and Finance Academy” program operated in partnership with Santa Rosa City Schools, Redwood Credit Union recent took part in a new “Bite of Reality” financial literacy program in San Rafael. …

Dominican University’s Venture Greenhouse incubator and accelerator program will host a “Marinnovation” showcase for innovators and entrepreneurs from Marin County on May 15, with Netflix co-founder and Mill Valley resident Mitch Lowe as keynote. …

On May 10, College of Marin will host a celebration for its recently opened Science, Math and Nursing building at the school’s Kentfield Campus, featuring a lecture by alumnus Adam Steltzner from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mars Rover “Curiosity” expedition. …

Stephen Olson, long-time agriculture instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College and a major force behind the college’s Shone Farm programs, has been selected to receive one of the school’s highest honors for staff, the President’s Medallion of Honor. …

While many businesses, homebuyers and individuals have benefited from the Federal Reserve’s continuing effort to keep interest rates low, that same economic policy — along with heightened pressure from regulators and tepid demand for new loans — has added up to a time of historic challenge for community lenders in the North Bay and beyond.

Executives at North Bay financial institutions said they saw no clear end for the current conditions.

American River Bank, a subsidiary of American River Bankshares [NASDAQ-GS: AMRB], with the American River Bankshares Foundation awarded $147,500 to nine nonprofit organizations in Northern California, including Legal Aid of Sonoma County. …

Redwood Trust, Inc. (NYSE:RWT) declared a first-quarter regular dividend of 28 cents per share, the first increase in six years. …

Rabobank, N.A., launched a program that automatically rewards customers for everyday banking. …

Redwood Credit Union, in partnership with the Sonoma County Office of Education and Santa Rosa City Schools, plans to offer eighth free 16-hour Financial Academy sessions for Sonoma County high school juniors and seniors on March 19–21. …

The application deadline for the Doyle Scholarship at Santa Rosa Junior College, restored for the 2013–14 academic year, is March 14. …

Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) said the 902-kilowatt photovoltaic project at Strain Ranches in Arbuckle was successfully commissioned. …

SANTA ROSA — Citing marked improvements in the financial footing of its members, Redwood Credit Union reported increases in portfolio quality, lending, equity, total membership and a number of other measures during 2012.

Sunny Hills Services, a private nonprofit organization with more than 15 programs throughout the Bay Area serving vulnerable children, youth, and their families, was recently named a recipient of a $5,000 grant by Umpqua Bank, through the bank’s “Joy of Giving” campaign on Facebook. …

Redwood Credit Union recently provided $7,787 to assist the American Red Cross with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Members and employees contributed more than $3,500 to the fund over the past several weeks, making donations at all 18 RCU branches or via an option in their online banking. …

Santa Rosa’s Food & Wine Trails, the 28-year-old tour division of the HMS Travel Group, announced that Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, one of Italy’s most lauded wineries, will be the winery host on Food & Wine Magazine’s fourth-annual Wine Voyage. …

The Angel Resource Institute and Silicon Valley Bank released their third-quarter Halo Report, a nationwide survey of angel group investment activity with data from CB Insights. …

2K Sports, based in Novato, announced that the company has reached an agreement with Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and Major League Baseball Advanced Media to release Major League Baseball 2K13, the next iteration of the popular MLB 2K franchise. …

Santa Rosa-based Liquid Image announced completed development of the Ego Mini, a wi-fi equipped high-definition video sport/DVR/IP camera nearly half the size of the company’s Ego model, which is currently the smallest camera of the same application. …

Calling, downloading apps and surfing the web on the Verizon Wireless network is now easier and faster for residents and travelers in Sonoma County thanks to new cell sites in Healdsburg, Petaluma and Santa Rosa. …

NORTH BAY — While the Federal Reserve’s continued effort to keep interest rates as low as possible has helped many borrowers to refinance existing debt or purchase property in 2012, that same economic policy has also narrowed margins for financial institutions and investors and created a period of historic challenge for firms of all sizes in the North Bay and beyond.

Most of us have already begun making our shopping lists and travel plans for the upcoming holiday season, as we look forward to celebrations with friends and family and to the traditions that bring warmth and meaning to this time of year.

This year, I’d like to encourage you to add another tradition to your family’s list: giving to the holiday food and toy drives Redwood Credit Union has hosted at our branches in the North Bay and San Francisco for over 20 years.

SANTA ROSA — Two of the North Bay’s largest financial institutions have unveiled new mobile banking applications, seeking to address a wave of consumer demand for technology that was once only within reach of the nation’s largest banks.

The board of directors of Hennessy Advisors, Inc. declared a quarterly dividend. …

Julie Jones, author of Estate Documents Organizer, and Daren Blonski, financial adviser with Edward Jones in Sonoma, will hold two Tuesday estate-planning workshops. …

Bay Area Development Co. completed U.S. Small Business Administration 504 funding for trade journal Vineyard Winery & Management in Santa Rosa. …

Redwood Credit Union is accepting contributions to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund to directly assist those affected by Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast. …

Dominican University of California in fall 2013 will launch a master’s of science degree program in clinical laboratory science (CLS) with an emphasis in molecular diagnostics. …

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) completed its acquisition of China Kanghui Holdings (NYSE: KH), a major provider of orthopedic devices in China. …

American Institute of Architects Redwood Empire chapter presented its design awards for a number of North Bay projects on Oct. 27 in the Kaiser Air hanger at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport. …

Novato commercial solar power products and services provider SPG Solar completed a cutting-edge solar tracking system at a wastewater treatment plant in Williams. …

The volume of small business lending backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration in the Bay Area reached an all-time high during the last fiscal year, and volume for such loans in three North Bay counties grew by more than one-third.

Sonoma County businesses and lenders are co-dependent in the region’s economic recovery, with a first-ever countywide report showing that a financial sector that was hard-hit during the recession has been seeing opportunities for lending amid the renewed activity in other industries.

Read profiles about winners of the Business Journal’s Best Places to Work 2012 with 251 to 500 employees: Bradley Real Estate, Exchange Bank, Mary’s Pizza Shack and Redwood Credit Union.

RCU Services Group, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Redwood Credit Union, named Lisa Wittke Schaffner as a board member for a one-year term. …

Stellar Energy announced the addition of two solar industry veterans to its operations team: Michael Mittleman as senior vice president of operations, and Wayne Williford as operations and maintenance manager. …

Sanovas, Inc. announced has hired three industry veterans to serve on its executive team. …

Tash Bunge has joined Grgich Hills Estate as its Northern California Area sales manager, which includes Napa, Sonoma and Sacramento counties. …

Parallel Napa Valley announced the appointment of its first employee, Lindsay Faith Weinhold, who will be manager of business development. …

Dalla Terra Winery Direct announced that Amelia Di Marco has joined the sales team as New York and New Jersey district manager. …

North Bay lenders are lamenting the imminent expiration of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s temporary 504 refinance program, which allows a one-time refinance of debt and reinvestment of equity.

The temporary program, launched by the Jumpstart Our Small Businesses (JOBS) Act of 2010, allows a small-business owner to refinance debt through the typical 504 loan structure used for financing property and other tangible assets: a 10 percent equity contribution from the borrower, a 40 percent, 20-year fixed-rate government loan and a 50 percent second mortgage from a second commercial lender. In combination, up to $10 million can be refinanced through the program.

The Business Journal surveyed wealth management advisers across the North Bay on three questions related to the investment climate today and long term.

Wealth managers surveyed were Colleen Supran of Bingham, Osborn & Scarborough, Charles Root of Double Eagle Financial, Steven Jenkins of Exchange Bank, Brian Pon of Financial Connections, James Burleson of Greenleaf & Burleson Wealth Management, Neil Hennessy of Hennessy Funds, Noah Jacobson of Jacobson & Breen Wealth Strategies, James Demmert of Main Street Research, Montgomery Taylor of Montgomery Taylor & Company, John Whiting of Moss Adams Wealth Advisors, Greg Friedman of Private Ocean, Clark Jorgensen of Private Wealth Partners, Michael Gradl of Redwood Credit Union, Michael Schmitz of Schmitz Capital Partners, Eric Aanes of Titus Wealth Management, Jon Mallon of UBS Financial Services, Evan Oliver of VERITY Wealth Advisors, Henry Pilger of Vista Wealth Management, Irv Rothenberg of Wealth Management Consultants, Bruce Dzieza of Willow Creek Financial Services and Alice King of Wine Country Wealth Management.

A unique summer algebra academy pioneered in Santa Rosa has grown throughout the North Bay, and organizations as far away as Arizona are expressing interest in duplicating the public-private partnership that works to expose English language-learners to real-world applications for math.

North Bay financial institutions are increasingly employing the latest generation of Web and mobile technologies, addressing a wave of consumer demand for conveniences that were once only within reach of large, national banks.

Cogenra Solar, a Mountain View-based provider of distributed solar cogeneration systems, announced its first dairy solar cogeneration system at the Clover Stornetta Farms Dairy Processing Plant in Petaluma. …

B.R. Cohn Winery, based in Glen Ellen, received three gold medals at the California State Fair Wine Competition for the 2009 Mendocino County Barbera, the 2010 Carneros Chardonnay and the 2010 Russian River Pinot Noir. …

Twenty-six volunteers from the business community and government agencies have been working together to conduct interviews throughout the county in recent weeks as part of Sonoma County BEST’s “100 in 100” effort. …

United Way recently honored local businesses with their annual Community Partnership Awards. …

Three outpatient clinical programs in Sutter Medical Network, Sutter Health’s physician network, were recognized for statewide best practices in the California Association of Physician Groups’ annual Standards of Excellence Survey of medical group features and capabilities. …

For the first time in its six-year history, two organizations tied for Nonprofit Organization of the Year in the Napa Community Awards, presented at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa. …

At a time when investors face widely swinging markets and an uncertain legislative outlook, several North Bay wealth advisers maintain that a long-term approach remains the core of a sound wealth management strategy. North Bay Business Journal asked advisers to comment on the current investment climate, the top concerns of clients, current pitfalls and how upcoming economic and legislative events might affect the world of wealth management.

News about professionals in the north San Francisco Bay area