Rialda (Ria) Grobler, RN, has been named Director, Maternal Child Services at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. In this role, Grobler is responsible for management and operations of both the Labor and Delivery and Mother Baby Units. 

On average, about 100 babies are born at Sierra Vista each month. Grobler brings more than 35 years of experience to our community in clinical care.

During the last two decades she has held numerous leadership positions in medical centers throughout the country, most recently as the director of women’s services at Central Texas Medical Center.

While there, Grobler was involved with the planning and implementation of a new women’s services building and credited with improved patient satisfaction scores.

Prior to that, she was at Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville North Carolina, serving four years as director of the birthing center. 

The van is a great resource for visiting guests and locals who need to move kids around for sporting events. Even nonprofit agencies are using the van to shuttle guests at their special events. The van is easy to drive and you do not need a special license.

The Sexual Assault Recovery & Prevention (SARP) Center of San Luis Obispo County recently kicked off its 4th Annual Fundraising Campaign with an ambitious goal of $15,000 to support the agency’s prevention education groups in local schools.

The SARP Center’s MyStrength and Her Power groups aim to protect, inform, and empower young people by raising awareness, promoting discussion, and changing attitudes.

Within the MyStrength program, participants discuss how traditional masculinity can contribute to violence, gender inequality, and unhealthy relationships. MyStrength encourages young men to rise up as leaders to promote gender equality and prevent men’s violence among their friends and in their community.

As one MyStrength student explained, “I learned a real man is measured by morals, not muscles.”

San Luis Obispo ALPHA announced recently the participation of professional cyclists from around the world at the inaugural SLO GranFondo, presented by HED Ardennes on Oct. 23 in San Luis Obispo, California.

Riders from Team HTC-Columbia, including American riders Tejay Van Garderen and Craig Lewis, German road champion Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, and US time trial champion Evie Stevens will join hundreds of amateur riders of all abilities for the GranFondo ride along the rugged coast of San Luis Obispo County. 

California Trails and Greenways honored the work of Leadership San Luis Obispo’s class legacy project this spring at a conference attended by outdoor specialists including State Parks personnel and community recreation directors from around California.

At the sold-out conference in Cambria, the City of San Luis Obispo, the Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers Association and Leadership Class XVII were recognized for its collaborative work in creating public access and promoting our area’s natural beauty while simultaneously protecting delicate riparian and field habitat.
 
Leadership’s Class XVII chose to work on the (at the time) newly acquired Johnson Ranch in preparation for opening it for public enjoyment.

The annual Homes of Distinction Tour celebrates a decade of elegance on Sept. 19, as hundreds of people will make their way through five carefully selected homes in downtown San Luis Obispo and Avila Beach.  

Presented by the Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo, the self-guided tour will be open to the public on Sept. 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Visitors will not only enjoy a relaxing tour through unique homes at their own pace, but proceeds from every ticket purchased will go towards fulfilling the primary purpose of the event: Rotary’s funding of thousands of dollars in college scholarships for local students, as well as contributing thousands of dollars to local charities.

Tickets are $25 each, granting access to all five homes. Keeping with tradition, the homes selected are unique. 

"Three of the homes are complete remodels from older homes," said Wilda Rosene, the event director. "Some have incorporated green techniques, including one that has water on demand."

TechXpress, a provider of IT services in San Luis Obispo, announced recently that its CEO and founder Bryan Sarlitt has been included in the third annual MSPmentor 250 report, a list of the world's top IT managed services executives, entrepreneurs, experts, and community leaders.

IT managed services leaders were selected based on criteria such as company profits and growth, customer satisfaction, and industry participation and recognition.

"Being named to the MSPmentor 250 is a real honor," said Sarlitt. "Knowing the prestigious mention is driven by word-of-mouth and personal reputation is a great feeling. This acknowledgment only solidifies TechXpress' commitment of being among the best in the industry."

Heritage Oaks Bank has promoted William Filippin to executive vice president / chief credit officer and Ronald Oliveira to president / chief operating officer. Lawrence P. Ward will continue to serve as chief executive officer of the Bank and as president / chief executive officer of Heritage Oaks Bancorp, the holding company for Heritage Oaks Bank.

Before his promotion, Filippin served the bank as senior vice president / commercial lending manager since joining the bank in April 2009. Prior to this, Filippin served as chief credit officer for American Principle Bank.

Oliveira had been serving as executive vice president / chief credit officer / chief operating officer since he joined the team in July 2009. Prior to his appointment with the bank, Oliveira served as senior vice president at Rabobank, assisting with the expansion of both its deposit and lending presence in the mid-state region of California. Prior to that, Oliveira was chairman at Equipoint Financial Services, a $2 billion diversified real estate banking institution.

The San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund was awarded a $500,000 grant earlier this month by the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund of the US Treasury.

The grant funds will be used to provide financing for affordable housing projects in San Luis Obispo County. This was the Housing Trust Fund’s second award from the CDFI Fund.

"We are ecstatic about the CDFI Fund award," states Jerry Rioux, the Housing Trust Fund’s executive director. "With the receipt of this grant, we will have nearly $3 million available to finance affordable housing projects in San Luis Obispo County."