Spotlight

Find the perfect dentist you’ve been searching for all these years with help from centralcoasthealthsource.com. The site compiles information and profiles on local healthcare providers, including doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies, all sorted by areas of expertise. There’s no medical advice on the San Luis Obispo-based site, but it does encourage Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, […]

Have a bite to eat, and learn a little more about COLAB at the same time. Andy Caldwell, founding executive director for the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, and Business, Santa Barbara County, will speak at the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Development Committee luncheon on Jan. 20. Caldwell hosts a radio talk show […]

Peoples’ Self-Help Housing, a nonprofit that develops affordable housing and community services for low-income households and homeownership opportunities for working families, has a new manager of housing development-rental.     Executive Director Jeanette Duncan noted Ken Trigueiro’s promotion in a press release. Trigueiro has been with the group since 2005. He previously worked in banking and […]

It’s a new year, full of new opportunities. Tap into some of them by networking at the Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association meeting on Jan. 13 at 8:30 a.m.     Kathy Janega-Dykes, CEO of the Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau and Film Commission, and economist Kenneth Harwood will talk about the state of the […]

    Local law firm Andre, Morris, and Buttery—with offices in Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, and Paso Robles—will celebrate its 60 years in business on the Central Coast with a symposium at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande on Jan. 26.     Bob Stapleton, owner of cycling’s Team Columbia, will be the keynote speaker. Stapleton […]

PathPoint, a nonprofit that gives work training and support services to people with disabilities, recently appointed Mary Hernandez as vice-president/director of North Santa Barbara County. The group’s employment, independent living, and community access services currently support 234 North County residents. For more information about PathPoint (formerly Work Training Programs), visit pathpoint.org. Executive Editor Ryan Miller […]

Learn how to take an active role in finding funds for local nonprofits with the Nonprofit Development Officer Certificate Program. A free information session is set for Jan. 14, 9 to 10:30 a.m., at Nonprofit Support Center’s Santa Maria office, 120 E. Jones St. There’s also a session set for Jan. 20, 9 a.m. to […]

Make a New Year’s resolution to open a new business. Women’s Economic Ventures will help you keep it with support from a Self-Employment Training 
program. The program runs for 56 hours, spread over 14 weeks, and teaches women and men (though the focus is on women) how to start, operate, or expand a business. By […]

On Dec. 16, Mission Community Bank opened its first branch location in Santa Barbara County. The new office is in Santa Maria at 1670 S. Broadway, and comes complete with a drive-up window and ATM. To celebrate its opening, the branch has a free checking offer and will hold a drawing for a $250 gas […]

Downsizing may be necessary, but it isn’t easy. Get a hand in dealing with the issue during a Jan. 6 employer workshop titled “Managing a Downsized Organization.” Topics for discussion during the free, four-hour event include an employer’s role in managing the change, dealing with the “survivors,” maintaining productivity, alternatives to downsizing, and maintaining employee […]

Paragon MMA and Fitness Academy (formerly West Coast Martial Arts) recently moved into its new home: a 7,300 square-foot facility at 4869 Bradley Road in Orcutt. The academy offers Brazilian jiu jitsu, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and conditioning classes, as well as a full cardio and weight area for adult members. Kids ages 3 to […]

On Dec. 16, Women’s Economic Ventures graduated a class of 82 Santa Barbara County residents, 17 of whom celebrated at a ceremony in Santa Maria. The class members were fresh from 14 weeks of lessons in finance, leadership skills, marketing, and more, courtesy of the organization’s Self-Employment Training program. The graduates are now poised to […]