Navajo planners to hold elections March 11

The Navajo Community Planners, Inc. will hold its annual board of directors election at the organization’s regular monthly meeting on March 11 at 7 p.m.

All residents, business owners and property owners in the Allied Gardens, Del Cerro, Grantville and San Carlos are eligible to vote for the board’s seven open seats.

The board’s 16 members serve two-year terms, and after eight consecutive years, board members are required to take a year off before seeking reelection.

The Navajo Community Planners is the area’s officially recognized community group advising the City Council on local land-use and development issues.

The election will take place at the group’s new permanent meeting location, Tifereth Israel Synagogue at 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd. Regular meetings take place on the second Wednesday of each month.

Taste of Navajo set for April 17

The Green Elementary Foundation will host the 2015 Taste of Navajo from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 17 at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor and Interpretive Center. The event celebrates eateries, wineries and breweries in Allied Gardens, Del Cerro, Grantville, San Carlos and surrounding areas.

In addition to local fare, a silent auction and live music, guests will have the opportunity to learn about the night sky from an on-site astronomer, and about the park itself from a volunteer park ranger.

Event proceeds go to the Green Elementary Foundation, which supports infrastructure needs of the Myron B. Green Elementary School in San Carlos.

For more information about this event, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact event chair Erin Liddell at 858-692-9187, or visit tasteofnavajo.com.

Del Cerro business educator receives statewide award

Dr. Irina Weisblat, an assistant professor at the Forbes School of Business at Ashford University and longtime Del Cerro resident, was recently named one of four “Outstanding Business Educators” by the California Business Education Association (CBEA).

Weisblat has taught business courses at the online university part-time for over a decade, and recently became a full-time faculty member. She came to the university with more than 15 years of private sector experience, including time at Qualcomm and other San Diego businesses. She is a past president of the CBEA.

A native Russian with a bachelor’s degree from St. Petersburg, Russia, Weisblat earned a master’s at National University and a doctorate in educational leadership from San Diego State.

While she acknowledged that online instruction presents challenges not faced in the traditional classroom, she prefers the creative, multimedia atmosphere allowed by a virtual learning environment.

“Jobs in the 21st century require advanced competencies, work ethic, leadership, critical thinking and ability to innovate,” she stated in a press release. “These are the core values that Ashford University’s academic programs focus on, and I’m honored to participate in fostering these qualities in business students.”