Hannah Brown and Jonah Stepro recently joined the team at TekTegrity, one of San Luis Obispo County’s largest provider of Managed IT Services.

Hannah Brown, previously at Transitions Mental Health Association, will be working directly with TekTegrity clients in her new role as account manager.

Brown is now in charge of monitoring and ensuring that TekTegrity's client care and customer satisfaction remains to the company's high standards.

Gil Stork, Ed.D., superintendent/president of Cuesta College, has been elected to the Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center Governing Board.

Stork will fill the remaining term of Dave Pelham, former superintendent/president of Cuesta College, who left the area.

In his role at Cuesta College, Stork heads a student body of more than 13,000 students, nearly 600 full-time and part-time faculty who grant two-year degrees in 64 programs and 119 certificate programs. Cuesta College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and College.

Stork has been affiliated with Cuesta College since 1967 when he served as a physical education instructor and assistant football coach.

Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center recently received both the Get With The Guidelines SM – Heart Failure Gold Performance Achievement Award and the Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Gold Performance Achievement Award from the American Heart Association.

The recognition signifies that Sierra Vista has reached an aggressive goal of treating heart failure and coronary artery disease patients with 85 percent compliance for at least 24 months to core standard levels of care as outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines for heart failure patients.

Get With The Guidelines is a quality-improvement initiative that provides hospital staff with tools that follow proven evidence-based guidelines and procedures in caring for heart-failure patients to prevent future hospitalizations.

United Way of San Luis Obispo County brought the year to a successful close by awarding more than $100,000 in grants and awards to local health and human service programs that provide the community with a wide array of resources.

As part of United Way’s annual Community Impact Fund, nearly 40 community volunteers reviewed 50 grant applications, requesting a total of over $244,000 to help meet the most pressing needs in the county. After careful consideration, 20 grants totaling $100,000 were awarded in the areas of education, income and health.

The United Way of San Luis Obispo County Innovation Award recognizes a local not-for-profit organization for inventive approaches and programs.

The 2010 recipient is the Liberty Tattoo Removal program, provided by Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc.

Deep Blue Integration Inc. (DBI) is the newest distributor for Hirsch Electronics, the premier manufacturer of Access Control System components and software.

DBI offers consulting, design, service and installation, for a variety of low voltage technologies. These systems include fire alarm, intrusion detection, access control, data and telecom infrastructure, public address/mass notification, and surveillance cameras.

Commencement on Saturday provided a chance for students and faculty to reflect on the Class of 2010’s transformation from whip-smart, wide-eyed freshmen to motivated new professionals with hands-on experience, ready to do the work their first day on the job.

And in the midst of one of the toughest job markets since the Great Depression, this year's graduates are having success landing professional career positions.

"I’m not surprised that our students are enjoying success in their job hunting," said Robert Koob, Cal Poly provost. "Our students are known for being academically motivated and while they know theory, they also have experience with practical application. When you combine that with our learn-by-doing philosophy, you get resourceful professionals who are prepared to contribute from their first day on the job. Employers know that and appreciate that about Cal Poly graduates."

The intersection of Foothill and California Boulevards will be closed each night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Sunday, June 13 through Thursday, June 17, while the City Public Works Department installs new storm drains and traffic signal wiring within the intersection. 

These installations are being completed in conjunction with the City’s ongoing Railroad Safety Trail expansion, awarded to R. Burke Corporation at a contract amount of $521,000.

American Principle Bank officially changed its name last week to American Perspective Bank (APB).

On May 25, shareholders voted to confirm the legal name change and that change was made official on June 10.  

"This is a change in legal name only," President and CEO Tom Beene said. "We are delighted to be making this change, however, as it better reflects the unique business banking services and localized perspective we offer."

American Perspective Bank remains the same company, with no changes in owners, directors, management, or employees; no change in office location or mailing address; no change in phone numbers or bank account numbers.

As an augmentation to an ongoing community education initiative called CLEAN HANDS + CLEAN ENVIRONMENT = THE ANSWER TO INFECTION PREVENTION, Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center released a video last week. 

"I'm Gonna Wash My Hands" to the tune of the Beatles song "I Want to Hold Your Hand," features Sierra Vista employees and was produced completely in-house.

Filmed over a three-day period with music performed by local band Bluz Dogz (featuring Sierra Vista neurosurgeon Dr. Harold Segal), employees in every department at Sierra Vista participated.