Happy Birthday Carroll
Volumes of Pleasure Bookshoppe is celebrating owner Carroll, who is gracefully rolling into her 80s, with an open house birthday party on Thursday, June 30 at the store, 1016 Los Osos Valley Rd, Los Osos. They will have refreshments, a bit of local entertainment, including a hula performance and a big card for all to sign. Come on by with your good wishes and good spirits. All are welcome.
Is Your Business a Family-Friendly Workplace?
SLO County Family-Friendly Workplaces unveiled a new awards program for public, private and nonprofit employers of any size on the Central Coast to recognize and support organizations that adopt key practices for their employees.
The award structure is designed to uplift employers working towards more family-friendly practices at any level of implementation. There are five award levels: 1) Employer-Sponsored Child Care Benefits, 2) Flexible Work and Scheduling, 3) Paid and Unpaid Leave, 4) Health Care Benefits and Flexible Spending, and 5) New Parent Accommodation and Support.
Employers throughout the county are encouraged to take the Family-Friendly Workplace assessment at surveymonkey.com/r/slofamilyfriendly. It serves as a tool to gauge current policies, celebrate what they already have in place, and connect them directly with personalized assistance to learn more about practical and tangible next steps.
The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce launched the program in October 2021 with the belief that improving culture and creating more human centric policies is essential to support business success, grow the economy, and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workforce. It will help businesses attract and sustain a strong, local workforce through the implementation of family-friendly policies, getting more parents back to work.
Any business that completes the assessment will receive an invitation to meet with the SLO Chamber Workforce Development Manager and be given tools and resources to further their efforts.
Employers who complete the assessment and meet the recognition criteria will receive a certificate of recognition, a SLO County Family-Friendly Workplace seal for use on the organization’s website, promotion and recruiting materials, media recognition, inclusion of the employer on the SLO Family-Friendly Workplace website and invitations to networking opportunities and special events. Additionally, a Family-Friendly Workplace toolkit is available as a resource for all businesses.
SLO Village Announces New Executive Director
SLO Village, the membership organization that connects seniors living independently in their own homes, named Julia Ogden as its new executive director. Ogden succeeds Kerry Sheets, who retired recently after holding the position for two years.
Ogden spent 35 years as a nonprofit executive, most recently with Habitat for Humanity for San Luis Obispo County, where she served as chief executive officer for nine years. She retired from Habitat but felt the pull of continued service, especially in the older adult arena.
Ogden said she was drawn to the SLO Village organization for its unique approach to aging that helps members age in place while enjoying vibrant, connected lives.
“I understand the struggles many older adults manage,” said Ogden, “and I love knowing I can be a part of making later years fun and fulfilling, rather than lonely and isolating.”
Dave Kuykendall, SLO Village Board President and one of the local Village founders, said the group is “delighted” to add Ogden to the team. “We have had an increase in membership in the last two years, especially as we supported members through the difficult challenges of COVID,” he said. “With Julie’s help, we will keep growing our programs and services. It’s an exciting time for SLO Village.
SLO Village is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016. It currently serves members in San Luis Obispo County.
For more information, go to www.slovillage.org or call the office at (805) 242-6440.
French Hospital Earns Top Grade, Again
Dignity Health Central Coast hospitals, which include Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and French Hospital Medical Center, once again, received “A” grades on the rating report from The Leapfrog Group, which focuses on patient safety. Additionally, FHMC has received straight “A” grades since 2012.
The Leapfrog Group, one of the nation’s leading hospital ratings organizations, awards hospitals based on safety, quality of care, and value metrics using a set of 28 national measures. The Leapfrog Group provides consumers ranked statistics and informative data for selecting a medical center. The premise of the group is to provide accessibility to the public while allowing medical facilities the opportunity to measure improvements. Dignity Health Central Coast actively participates in the program, and the process offers a calculable opportunity for standardized advancements in the care, safety, and quality of our patients.
Copeland Receives Posthumous Honorary Degree
During commencement last week, Cal Poly awarded an honorary degree to the late Jim Copeland, a longtime San Luis Obispo County business leader who was instrumental in revitalizing downtown San Luis Obispo.
Copeland, who died April 25 at age 80, received a posthumous honorary doctorate of humane letters June 12 during the Orfalea College of Business ceremony. He graduated from San Luis Obispo High in 1959, attended the College of the Sequoias in Visalia and later Cal Poly, before joining the U.S. Army. He and his brother, Tom, co-founded Copeland Sports, growing a single sporting goods store in San Luis Obispo to more than 50 locations in four states. They sold the retail chain along with other sporting goods manufacturing companies in 2001.
The Copelands were instrumental in revitalizing downtown San Luis Obispo by preserving historic buildings and creating new developments, including Hotel San Luis Obispo, Downtown Center and Court Street. They also own premier office buildings and retail centers throughout the nation as partners in Jamestown, an Atlanta-based real estate investment and management company.
Jim Copeland and his wife, Sandy, are philanthropists supporting health care, the arts, academia and athletics. They are founding sponsors of French Hospital Medical Center’s Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center, Hearst Cancer Resource Center and Copeland Health and Education Pavilion, as well as significant donors to the Christopher Cohen Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum, Old Mission School retrofit, and the new San Luis Obispo County Jail Behavioral Health Unit that benefits inmates with mental health issues
Mixing it Up
Foghorn Brewhouse, 2940 Main St. in Morro Bay, hosted a Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Mixer. Folks got a chance to try some Foghorn food, wine from Tooth and Nail Winery and beer from Santa Maria Brewing.
Check them out at facebook.com/foghornbrewhousemorrobay
Photo by Dean Sullivan
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