North County Economic Excellence Awards At Seabird Resort: PHOTOS

OCEANSIDE, CA — The 3rd Annual Excellence In North County Economic Development Awards was held last week at the Seabird Resort in Downtown Oceanside. More than 300 North County leaders gathered to celebrate economic development achievements throughout the region.

(The City of Oceanside Table)

The awards were presented by the San Diego North Economic Development Council (SDNEDC) to spotlight new businesses which have opened or relocated to North County, existing businesses that made significant expansions, new development and investments in our community, and policies and activities that make for a more economically competitive region.

The Award winners included:

• Kaiser Hospital, San Marcos – Kaiser Permanente has envisioned a new hospital in San Marcos since the late 1990s. The long-awaited new hospital will enhance community health and wellness with conveniently located facilities to save travel time and miles for more than 180,000 members in San Marcos and the North County region.
• Gary and Mary West PACE – An innovative, nationwide model of person-centered care for vulnerable seniors with chronic care needs. West PACE offers high-quality, comprehensive, and coordinated healthcare, social services, and support to enable seniors to successfully age in place. The nonprofit works to keep seniors safe, independent, and engaged.
• Cue Health Business Operations, Vista – The City of Vista worked with Cue Health to stand up operations to address the urgency in the demand for COVID-19 testing systems that Cue developed and deployed throughout the pandemic. Since its arrival, Cue has brought hundreds of jobs to the region and has become a contributing member of the North County business community.
• Alila Marea Resort Hotel, Encinitas - A decades-long effort to develop the clifftop property along Coast Highway in Encinitas culminated in a stunning resort that will bring hotel taxes and tourism to the city of Encinitas. The resort includes 130 rooms, the VAGA signature restaurant, meeting space for up to 380 guests, an oceanfront pool, and more.
• CSUSM Senior Experience Program / Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Project – A recipient of the Burnham Leadership Grant for non-profits, the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation utilized a CSUSM Senior Experience team to deliver a detailed market analysis of Agua Hedionda's virtual offerings and provided recommendations for the non-profit to increase revenue and expand its community programs.
• Thermo Fisher Expansion, Carlsbad – The recent renovation of Thermo Fisher's Carlsbad campus created a manufacturing space for materials used in plasmid DNA and mRNA vaccines. This expansion has led to 150 new jobs with many more to come. Thermo Fisher is a true anchor to North County's life science industry, attracting others to the region.
• Escondido Grand Avenue Project – When the COVID-19 pandemic changed how businesses operated to stay open, the city adopted a COVID-19 Emergency Business Recovery Strategy. In an effort to help businesses, the City placed k-rail barriers along Grand Avenue to allow for expanded outdoor sidewalk and on-street dining and retail. As operations moved outside, the Escondido art community came together to paint the k-rails with art murals to draw additional attention to these struggling businesses. What started as a temporary fix to keep business doors open, turned into a community movement that now brings visitors to see the art and support businesses they were not familiar with along the way.
• SD Malkin Properties Oceanside Beachfront Resorts - The largest oceanfront development in San Diego since Hotel del Coronado, the resort consists of two hotels along 700 feet of beachfront property. The opening of Mission Pacific Hotel and The Seabird Resort provides opportunity for the region and has already dramatically changed Oceanside's tremendous downtown.
• Bill Horn North County Steward Award: This award recognizes the four healthcare systems in North County: Tri-City Medical Center, Palomar Health, Kaiser, and Scripps Health. Together during 2020 and 2021, the frontline workers at these healthcare systems have heroically cared for tens of thousands of San Diegans fighting COVID-19.

The SDNEDC also honored Vista’s Economic Development Director Kevin Ham, who is retiring at the end of the month, with an award in his namesake. Erik Bruvold, CEO of San Diego North Economic Development Council, announced the inaugural 'Kevin Ham Impact Award' during the luncheon.“This award is designed to draw attention to and celebrate people in the economic development sphere in North County who are getting things done,” Bruvold said. “We wanted to have this as an opportunity to call attention to those successes, to celebrate them and make sure that people know about them."

Among the speakers were County Supervisor Jim Desmond and Congressman Mike Levin, who represent much of the North County region.

Watch video highlights of the 3rd Annual Excellence In North County Economic Development Awards.

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