Mission Valley resident honored by Hassadah

The San Diego area of Hadassah held its second “Women of Excellence” event on Sunday, Dec. 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Carmel Mountain Ranch Estate. 

The event honored one outstanding member from each of Hadassah’s eight local groups, as well as its outgoing area president, who have all given their time and talent to further the goals of Hadassah. Keynote speaker Dafna Michaelson Jenet, member of the Colorado House of Representatives, cancer survivor and author shared her fascinating life experiences.

Mission Valley resident Naomi Blyveis was honored for her contributions to the Bat Shemesh group of Hadassah.

According to a press release from San Diego Hadassah, Blyveis was born in Michigan and settled in San Diego in 2008. Her first Hadassah experience occurred when her sister signed her up for a membership about 15 years ago while she was living in Denver. Four years ago, a friend invited her to be a part of the newly forming Bat Shemesh group which serves women 30 to 40 years old.

Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States.  With 300,000 members, associates and supporters Hadassah brings Jewish women together to effect change and advocate on critical issues such as medical care, research and women’s empowerment.

Through the Hadassah Medical Organization’s two hospitals, the world-renowned trauma center and the leading research facility in Jerusalem, Hadassah delivers exemplary care to over a million patients each year, without regard to race, religion, or nationality.

Mission Fed donates trees to Center for Children

On Dec. 2, Mission Federal Credit Union donated and delivered holiday trees to the San Diego Center for Children locations throughout the region.

Employee volunteers representing Mission Fed’s senior leadership plus staff from branches and departments joined the Center’s staff and children in decorating 14 holiday trees with lights, stands and ornaments.

The trees were placed in the residential cottages at the San Diego Center for Children’s main campus in Linda Vista, and at its additional program sites in Serra Mesa, La Mesa and El Cajon. Additionally, 12 mini trees will be donated to each classroom at the Center’s Academy, a WASC accredited K-12 nonpublic school. The Center provides therapeutic care, special education, foster care and transition age services to children and families struggling with mental, emotional and behavioral disorders.

“Mission Fed is excited to help spread holiday cheer to kids and teens at the San Diego Center for Children this holiday season,” said Angie Lasagna, vice president of community relations for Mission Federal Credit Union, in a press release. “Our employees truly find fulfillment in going into the community to help bring cheer to those in need, and with a special event like this, we can help the children share in the joy of the holiday season.”

This is the second year in a row that Mission Federal has donated trees to San Diego Center for Children.

“The donation of trees and employee volunteerism make a tremendous difference, not only for the children and teens who come to our campus every day, but most especially, for those who remain with us during the holiday,” said Moisés Barón, Ph.D., president and CEO of the San Diego Center for Children.

U of R business school accepted into Harvard network

El University of Redlands School of Business has been accepted into the Harvard Business School Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness Microeconomics of Competitiveness (MOC) Affiliate Network, providing new research and collaboration opportunities for students and faculty.

School of Business Senecal Endowed Dean Tom Horan kicked off the affiliation by speaking and participating in the Annual MOC Conference held Dec. 9–12 at Harvard Business School in Boston. In the upcoming year, U of R School of Business Professors Avijit Sarkar and Jim Pick will lead consideration of MOC offerings and research within the school.

“Participating in Harvard’s MOC Affiliated Network will allow us to incorporate high-quality research, case studies, and teaching materials into our business curriculum,” Horan said in a press release, “and allow us to explore academic partnerships with like-minded universities.”

U of R is now one of only 120 select affiliate institutions from across the globe in the MOC Affiliated Network, established by world renowned Professor Michael Porter and his colleagues at Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness.