News

Women’s Leadership: Q&A with Sutter Health Executive Christina Oh image

Women’s Leadership: Q&A with Sutter Health Executive Christina Oh

With excitement growing for the Bay Area Council’s inaugural Women’s Leadership Summit presented by Sutter Health ...
Vancouver, BC, Trip Offers Inspiring Vision for Transforming Downtown, Urban Centers image

Vancouver, BC, Trip Offers Inspiring Vision for Transforming Downtown, Urban Centers

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This week the Bay Area Council took a delegation to Vancouver, British Colum...
Bay Area Council and Silicon Valley Leadership Group Exploring Partnership to Establish Nation’s Most Influential Business Group image

Bay Area Council and Silicon Valley Leadership Group Exploring Partnership to Establish Nation’s Most Influential Business Group

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The Bay Area Council and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group – two of California’s leading business associations – y...
Celebrating Inspiring Women of the San Francisco Bay Area image

Celebrating Inspiring Women of the San Francisco Bay Area

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The Bay Area is teeming with trailblazing women leaders whose immense social, civic, economic, spiritual, and cultural con...

What’s In a Name? A Lot, It Seems

The Port of Oakland last week 
Study: Building Market-Rate Housing Improves Affordability for Everyone image

Study: Building Market-Rate Housing Improves Affordability for Everyone

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We’ve been saying it for years, er, decades: building market-rate housing is one of the most cost-effective ways to impr...
Oakland Business Leaders Step Up to Help Address Crime, Safety Issues image

Oakland Business Leaders Step Up to Help Address Crime, Safety Issues

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Four Bay Area Council member organizations, including Blue Shield of California, The Clorox Company, Kaiser Permanente and...
Event: Innovation and the Future of Inland California image

Event: Innovation and the Future of Inland California

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Monday, April 8Program: 2:30-5 p.m.Reception: 5-6 p.m.The historic Klamath, Pier 9, Embarcadero, San F...
Visit by Top Greek Official Highlights Council’s Leading Role in Advancing Region’s Global Economic Connections image

Visit by Top Greek Official Highlights Council’s Leading Role in Advancing Region’s Global Economic Connections

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The historic Klamath, the Bay Area Council’s floating headquarters on the Embarcadero in San Francisco, continues to be ...
There’s a New Dolphin on the Bay image

There’s a New Dolphin on the Bay

On Monday (March 25) Bay Area Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman joined his fellow SF Bay Ferry board members, Assemb...
Critical Coastal Affordable Housing Project Approved behind Council’s Advocacy image

Critical Coastal Affordable Housing Project Approved behind Council’s Advocacy

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The Bay Area Council was proud to help member MidPen Housing secure unanimous approval this week for their long-awaited an...
Analysis: Changes Council Seeks to Proposed Regional Housing Bond Could Double Number of Units Produced image

Analysis: Changes Council Seeks to Proposed Regional Housing Bond Could Double Number of Units Produced

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With changes the Bay Area Council is seeking to make to a regional affordable housing bond measure being eyed for the Nove...
Join the BAC in D.C. (May 7-9)! image

Join the BAC in D.C. (May 7-9)!

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Washington DC is facing down what promises to be a historic election this November. A wave of retirements, ruthless intern...
Save the Date: Pacific Summit Set for May 30 in San Jose image

Save the Date: Pacific Summit Set for May 30 in San Jose

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Mark your calendars for the Pacific Summit presented by Sutter Health on May 30 from 12:30-4:30 p.m., wi...
Take the March Return to Office Survey image

Take the March Return to Office Survey

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The 
Council-Backed Reservoir Receives $205 Million Boost from Biden, Congress image

Council-Backed Reservoir Receives $205 Million Boost from Biden, Congress

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The Bay Area Council-backed Sites Reservoir project was awarded a $205.6 million grant from the federal Bureau of Reclamat...
Groundbreaking Court Win for Housing Reform Legislation image

Groundbreaking Court Win for Housing Reform Legislation

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Bay Area Council member Holland and Knight has secured an important legal victory in a 
Nothing Sluggish About ADU Construction image

Nothing Sluggish About ADU Construction

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Santa Cruz may be known for its banana slugs, but it hasn’t been sluggish when it comes to building accessory dwelling u...
Council Names Assemblymember Buffy Wicks Regionalist of the Year image

Council Names Assemblymember Buffy Wicks Regionalist of the Year

The Bay Area Council this week (March 19) announced Assemblymember Buffy Wic...
Council-Sponsored Homeless Legislation Clears First Hurdle image

Council-Sponsored Homeless Legislation Clears First Hurdle

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Legislation the Bay Area Council is co-sponsoring to streamline production of interim housing to address California’s un...
Member Event: SF Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year image

Member Event: SF Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year

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Thursday, March 285:15-8:30 p.m.Westin St. FrancisJoin ...
Save the Date: Pacific Summit Set for May 30 in San Jose image

Save the Date: Pacific Summit Set for May 30 in San Jose

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Mark your calendars for the Pacific Summit presented by Sutter Health on May 30 from 12:30-4:30 p.m., wi...
Take the March Return to Office Survey image

Take the March Return to Office Survey

The 
Bay Watch: Regional Jobs Recovery Too Good to Be True image

Bay Watch: Regional Jobs Recovery Too Good to Be True

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Over the past year, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute has reported on monthly data from the federal Bureau of Labor ...
For Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Automobile Commuters, a New Feeling: Hope image

For Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Automobile Commuters, a New Feeling: Hope

For morning commuters on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge who face a daily back-up that’s approaching 24 teeth-grinding mi...
New Study: Closing Racial Wage Gap Would Add $55 Billion to Bay Area Economy image

New Study: Closing Racial Wage Gap Would Add $55 Billion to Bay Area Economy

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With debate heating up nationally over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies to address historic racial inequitie...
Working to Realize Carbon-Free Future for Regional Ferry Service image

Working to Realize Carbon-Free Future for Regional Ferry Service

In addition to providing fast, convenient service that connects the region, activates our waterfront and strengthens our e...
New Study: Addressing Racial Wage Gap Would Add $55 Billion to Bay Area Economy image

New Study: Addressing Racial Wage Gap Would Add $55 Billion to Bay Area Economy

Study Comes as Debate Heats Up Nationally over Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Efforts by Public and Private Instituti...
Partner Event: Childcare Crisis and Business — The Case for Action image

Partner Event: Childcare Crisis and Business — The Case for Action

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Friday March 228:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.VirtualThere is a lack of affordable childcare in Sil...
Member Event: SF Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year image

Member Event: SF Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year

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Thursday, March 285:15-8:30 p.m.Westin St. FrancisJoin ...
Behind Council Advocacy, Waymo Gets OK to Expand image

Behind Council Advocacy, Waymo Gets OK to Expand

On Friday (March 1) state regulators authorized Bay Area Council member Waymo to expand its fully autonomous commercial ri...
Council Leads Amicus Brief in Pivotal U.S. Supreme Court Homelessness Case image

Council Leads Amicus Brief in Pivotal U.S. Supreme Court Homelessness Case

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The Bay Area Council and a coalition of over a dozen organizations submitted a second “friend of the court” brief to t...
Council Co-Sponsoring Game-Changing Legislation Aimed at Unsheltered Homelessness image

Council Co-Sponsoring Game-Changing Legislation Aimed at Unsheltered Homelessness

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The Bay Area Council and its partners at SPUR and DignityMoves joined Senator Josh Becker and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan at...
Voters Validate Council’s Ballot Endorsements image

Voters Validate Council’s Ballot Endorsements

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The Bay Area Council ran the table in San Francisco in yesterday’s primary election. Proposition A, a $300 million affor...
Bay Area Council and Silicon Valley Leadership Group Exploring Partnership to Establish Nation’s Most Influential Business Group image

Bay Area Council and Silicon Valley Leadership Group Exploring Partnership to Establish Nation’s Most Influential Business Group

First-of-its-kind partnership would represent hundreds of innovative businesses across both Silicon Valley and the...
Prop. F Offers New Tool to Address San Francisco Drug Overdose Crisis image

Prop. F Offers New Tool to Address San Francisco Drug Overdose Crisis

Drug overdose deaths in San Francisco this year are on track to exceed last year’s record total of 813, which was up fro...
Employers Pursue Many Strategies to Reduce Automobile Trips image

Employers Pursue Many Strategies to Reduce Automobile Trips

Some of the nation’s most innovative transportation professionals came together last week (Feb. 23) at the Bay Area Coun...
Bay Area Council Congratulates Sweden on New Consulate General in San Francisco image

Bay Area Council Congratulates Sweden on New Consulate General in San Francisco

Sweden last week (Feb. 20) formally opened a full consulate general in San Francisco, replacing its former honorary consul...
Bay Watch: After Gains, Fall Transit Ridership Dips image

Bay Watch: After Gains, Fall Transit Ridership Dips

Despite steady if not slow progress in recovering transit ridership since the depths of the pandemic, luring passengers ba...
Council Prepares Legislative Agenda on Homelessness image

Council Prepares Legislative Agenda on Homelessness

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The Bay Area Council’s Homelessness Committee and its partners are finalizing an ambitious legislative agenda to be unve...
Bay Area Council Voter Guide image

Bay Area Council Voter Guide

The Bay Area Council this week (Feb. 21) announced its positions on key state and local measures appearing on the March 5 ...
Much Work Before Regional Transportation Funding Measure Is Ready for the Ballot image

Much Work Before Regional Transportation Funding Measure Is Ready for the Ballot

As BART and other transit agencies work to recover ridership lost during the pandemic and the shift to remote work, the Ba...
Top State Water Official Briefs Council on Increasing Drought Resilience image

Top State Water Official Briefs Council on Increasing Drought Resilience

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The Bay Area Council’s Water & Climate Resilience Committee on Monday (Feb. 12) welcomed California Deputy Secretary...
Bay Area Council Joins State Legislators in Calling for Climate Resilience Bond image

Bay Area Council Joins State Legislators in Calling for Climate Resilience Bond

The Bay Area Council and Save the Bay joined state Assemblymembers Diane Papan (D-San Mateo) and Damon Connolly (D-Marin) ...
Getting a Whiff of that New (Cal)Train Smell image

Getting a Whiff of that New (Cal)Train Smell

The Bay Area Council was one of the earliest and strongest advocates for electrifying and modernizing the Caltrain commute...
Construction Afoot on Housing Project the Council Endorsed image

Construction Afoot on Housing Project the Council Endorsed

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Menlo Park will soon be welcoming 99 new homes in a project by March Capital Management on Haven Avenue that got the unani...
Proposed San Francisco Tax Reforms Need More Work image

Proposed San Francisco Tax Reforms Need More Work

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The Bay Area Council has long advocated for reforming a San Francisco tax system that imposes some of the highest levies o...
Bay Area Council Members in Oakland Share Concerns, Solutions to Address Rampant Crime image

Bay Area Council Members in Oakland Share Concerns, Solutions to Address Rampant Crime

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With crime in Oakland hitting crisis levels, the Bay Area Council on Monday (Feb. 5) convened member companies from the ci...
Bay Watch: Strong Finish for New Jobs in 2023 image

Bay Watch: Strong Finish for New Jobs in 2023

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Bay Watch is a regular feature of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute that provides analysis and insights on key l...
SF Bay Ferry Marks Year of Great Accomplishments image

SF Bay Ferry Marks Year of Great Accomplishments

Last Thursday (Jan. 25) Bay Area Council leadership and members joined the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA)...
Rampant Oakland Crime Prompts Companies to Take Extraordinary Safety Measures image

Rampant Oakland Crime Prompts Companies to Take Extraordinary Safety Measures

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The news was bleak out of Oakland this week as residents and businesses are increasinglyfalling victim to growing crim...
Perspective: Doubling Down on DEI image

Perspective: Doubling Down on DEI

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Bay Area Council Chair and Hanson Bridgett Managing Partner Kristina Lawson joined Hanson Bridgett Chief Diversity, Eq...
Planning Under Way for 2026 Regional Transportation Funding Measure image

Planning Under Way for 2026 Regional Transportation Funding Measure

While much attention is focused on the upcoming March primary election and the November Presidential election, it’s not ...
Council Weighs in on Regional Housing Bond Proposal image

Council Weighs in on Regional Housing Bond Proposal

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The November 2024 ballot, from top to bottom, is already shaping up to be one of the most consequential in modern times.&n...
Bay Area Council Endorses Prop. 1 on March Ballot; Announces Positions on Other Key Local Measures image

Bay Area Council Endorses Prop. 1 on March Ballot; Announces Positions on Other Key Local Measures

The Bay Area Council this week announced our endorsement of Proposition 1, the Be...
Bay Area Council Housing Reforms Paying Dividends image

Bay Area Council Housing Reforms Paying Dividends

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Housing reform legislation the Bay Area Council sponsored and supported in recent years is paying dividends for homebuilde...
San Mateo County Passes Bay Area Council-Backed Ordinance to Bring Homeless Residents Indoors image

San Mateo County Passes Bay Area Council-Backed Ordinance to Bring Homeless Residents Indoors

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Unsheltered homeless residents in San Mateo County will be required to accept shelter when available under a new ordinance...
Bay Watch: Population Woes May Be Easing image

Bay Watch: Population Woes May Be Easing

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The California Department of Finance released new county-level population data for 2023, and for the first time since 2012...
Member Spotlight: Big Win for Calpine Decarbonization Projects image

Member Spotlight: Big Win for Calpine Decarbonization Projects

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Calpine announced that its Sutter Decarbonization Project has been selected by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations w...
Bay Area Council Endorses Prop. 1 Behavioral Health Services Act image

Bay Area Council Endorses Prop. 1 Behavioral Health Services Act

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The Bay Area Council today (Jan. 22) announced its formal endorsement of Proposition 1, the
U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Bay Area Council in Taking up Controversial Homelessness Case image

U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Bay Area Council in Taking up Controversial Homelessness Case

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In a major victory for the Bay Area Council’s work to address homelessness, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review ...
Announcing 2024 Policy Committee Chairs image

Announcing 2024 Policy Committee Chairs

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The Bay Area Council is extremely fortunate to have incredible leaders to guide the important policy work we do. Because o...
BART Getting Busy with New, Secure Fare Gate Installation image

BART Getting Busy with New, Secure Fare Gate Installation

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BART has begun rolling out prototypes of its new, more secure fare...
SFO International Terminal Named in Honor of Sen. Dianne Feinstein image

SFO International Terminal Named in Honor of Sen. Dianne Feinstein

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The San Francisco Airport Commission this week voted to name the SFO international terminal in honor of Sen. Dianne Feinst...
Bay Area Council Insights on the 2024 Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show and China Night Forum image

Bay Area Council Insights on the 2024 Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show and China Night Forum

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Last week marked the annual kickoff for one of the world’s biggest technology showcases the 2024 Consumer Electronics Sh...
Bay Area Council Applauds Gov. Newsom for Rejecting Wealth Tax as He Unveils 2024-25 Budget Proposal image

Bay Area Council Applauds Gov. Newsom for Rejecting Wealth Tax as He Unveils 2024-25 Budget Proposal

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The Bay Area Council today (Jan. 10) issued the following statement in response to Gov. Newsom’s proposed 2024-25 budget...
End of an Era for the SF Business Times as Publisher and Visionary Leader Mary Huss Announces Retirement image

End of an Era for the SF Business Times as Publisher and Visionary Leader Mary Huss Announces Retirement

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After an illustrious 30-year career as head of the Bay Area’s preeminent business news publications, Mary Huss this week...
The Region’s Global Connections Run through the Council and its Floating HQ, the Klamath image

The Region’s Global Connections Run through the Council and its Floating HQ, the Klamath

2023 was a big year for the Bay Area Council on the international front. In addition to
As Homelessness Increases, Council Urges Bay Area Legislators to Embrace Interim Housing image

As Homelessness Increases, Council Urges Bay Area Legislators to Embrace Interim Housing

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California is losing ground in the fight against homelessness and should shift focus towards bringing people indoors and s...
Council Condemns Attacks that Cause Berkeley Councilmember to Step Down image

Council Condemns Attacks that Cause Berkeley Councilmember to Step Down

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Citing ongoing political “harassment, stalking and threats” from members of the community, Berkeley City Councilmember...
SCOTUS Hears Oral Arguments in Case Challenging Arbitrary Local Impact Fees image

SCOTUS Hears Oral Arguments in Case Challenging Arbitrary Local Impact Fees

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The U.S. Supreme Court this week heard oral arguments in a case in which the Bay Area Council submitted an
Homelessness Grew in California in 2023, but at a Slower Pace than the Rest of the U.S. image

Homelessness Grew in California in 2023, but at a Slower Pace than the Rest of the U.S.

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California continues to lose ground in its fight against homelessness, according to the latest data released Friday by the...
Council CEO Named to State Task Force to Reimagine Transit image

Council CEO Named to State Task Force to Reimagine Transit

Bay Area Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman has been appointed by California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin ...
Poll: Richmond Voters Feel Ignored by Regional Transportation Leaders, Overwhelmingly Support Opening Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Third Lane to Motorists image

Poll: Richmond Voters Feel Ignored by Regional Transportation Leaders, Overwhelmingly Support Opening Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Third Lane to Motorists

Eighty percent of Richmond voters support opening the third lane on the upper deck of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge for c...
Breached Bay Levee = Climate Resilience image

Breached Bay Levee = Climate Resilience

With the help of a large excavator, Bay water recently poured through a broken earthen levee and began filling an old, 300...
Delivering Results for the Bay Area and Our Members image

Delivering Results for the Bay Area and Our Members

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We’re going to need a bigger Flash. That’s what it feels like as ...
A Bright Future for California’s Supply Chain image

A Bright Future for California’s Supply Chain

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The importance of California’s supply chain cannot be overstated – it drives one-third of the state’s economy and cr...
Exploring the Promise of Carbon Sequestration image

Exploring the Promise of Carbon Sequestration

Achieving California’s ambitious climate goals will take many strategies, including prioritizing new and innovative tech...
Homeless Committee Welcomes New Chairs, Sets Ambitious 2024 Agenda image

Homeless Committee Welcomes New Chairs, Sets Ambitious 2024 Agenda

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The Bay Area Council’s Homelessness Committee yesterday (Dec. 5) introduced new co-chairs and adopted an ambitious agend...
New Survey Findings Suggests Trend Toward More In-Person Work image

New Survey Findings Suggests Trend Toward More In-Person Work

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The pendulum may be swinging. New data from the November Return to...
78th Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame Dazzles image

78th Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame Dazzles

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A record and very energetic crowd, including a Who’s Who of the region’s business leaders, celebrated two incredible B...
Bay Area Homelessness Leader Named CA Housing Secretary image

Bay Area Homelessness Leader Named CA Housing Secretary

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Yesterday (Nov. 28), Gov. Newsom
A Look Back at Council’s Role in Successful APEC Week image

A Look Back at Council’s Role in Successful APEC Week

The Bay Area Council was proud to play a key role in bringing the recent APEC Leaders Summit to San Francisco, where Presi...
Assembly Leadership Changes Could Bode Well for Bay Area image

Assembly Leadership Changes Could Bode Well for Bay Area

If you believe that whoever controls the levers of power conveys any political advantage, then the leadership and legislat...
Council Joins State Leaders to Reimagine Future of Bay Area Public Transit image

Council Joins State Leaders to Reimagine Future of Bay Area Public Transit

The Bay Area Council joined top transportation leaders at a Senate Select Committee hearing convened by Sen. Scott Wiener ...
Proposed Sites Reservoir Crosses Critical Milestone image

Proposed Sites Reservoir Crosses Critical Milestone

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Sites Reservoir, the proposed 1.5 million acre-foot off-stream reservoir that would be the 8th largest in Calif...
Event Highlights Power of Apprenticeships image

Event Highlights Power of Apprenticeships

On Friday November 18, the Bay Area Council and our partners in the Northern California Apprenticeship Network hosted a ce...
Council Statement on Gov. Newsom’s AI Announcement image

Council Statement on Gov. Newsom’s AI Announcement

The Bay Area Council this week (Nov. 21) issued the following statement on Gov. Newsom’s announcement about the release ...
Council Joins Supreme Court Case Challenging Arbitrary Local Impact Fees image

Council Joins Supreme Court Case Challenging Arbitrary Local Impact Fees

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Excessive and often arbitrary local fees have long contributed to California’s housing crisis, driving up the cost of bu...
Bay Area, San Francisco and Klamath Shine During Successful APEC Week image

Bay Area, San Francisco and Klamath Shine During Successful APEC Week

What a week that was!  San Francisco hosted what was by all accounts a very successful APEC Leaders Summit. The ...
Busy Week on the Housing Front image

Busy Week on the Housing Front

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It was a busy week on the housing front, with a key federal court ruling smacking down a lawsuit challenging legislation (...
As APEC Launches, the Bay Area and the Historic Klamath Take Center Stage image

As APEC Launches, the Bay Area and the Historic Klamath Take Center Stage

As Presidents Biden and Xi Jinping arrived in San Francisco this week for an historic gathering of Asia Pacific leaders, t...
New Reservoir Project Gets Accelerated behind Council’s Advocacy image

New Reservoir Project Gets Accelerated behind Council’s Advocacy

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California’s ability to update, improve and modernize its critical infrastructure has too often been delayed and made mo...
Gov. Newsom and California Delegation Fortifies Economic and Environmental Ties in China image

Gov. Newsom and California Delegation Fortifies Economic and Environmental Ties in China

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Over the past few weeks, a series of delegations to China spearheaded by Gov. Newsom and the California business community...
NBA All-Star Week Coming to the Bay Area image

NBA All-Star Week Coming to the Bay Area

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With world leaders getting ready to descend on San Francisco and the Bay Area for a major weeklong summit (see below), the...
Council Launches Hard-Hitting Ads to End Needless Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Traffic image

Council Launches Hard-Hitting Ads to End Needless Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Traffic

As part of a continuing campaign to ease eastbound morning congestion on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the Bay Area Coun...
California’s Top Transportation Officials Share Future Vision image

California’s Top Transportation Officials Share Future Vision

California Transportation Sec. Toks Omishakin and his top deputies met with dozens of Bay Area Council members for an excl...
Council’s Work to Address BART Safety, Cleanliness Concerns Showing Results image

Council’s Work to Address BART Safety, Cleanliness Concerns Showing Results

The Bay Area Council has advocated fiercely for an aggressive focus on addressing rising safety and cleanliness concerns o...
Member Spotlight: KTSF Offers Chinese Language Coverage of APEC Leaders Summit image

Member Spotlight: KTSF Offers Chinese Language Coverage of APEC Leaders Summit

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With San Francisco hosting the APEC 2023 Leaders Summit (see above) in November, KTSF news, having served the Chinese comm...
New Report Highlights Luxembourg’s Growing Connections to the Bay Area and California image

New Report Highlights Luxembourg’s Growing Connections to the Bay Area and California

The Bay Area Council Economic Institute this week released its 
State Blasts San Francisco’s Housing Recalcitrance image

State Blasts San Francisco’s Housing Recalcitrance

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No wonder San Francisco’s housing crisis seems worse than anywhere else. A scathing report by the California Department ...
All Aboard Transit: 49ers Fans, Hybrid Workers, and More! image

All Aboard Transit: 49ers Fans, Hybrid Workers, and More!

Bay Area Council members the San Francisco 49ers and the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) are teaming up to give 49ers fans...
Could the Fiscal Cliff Finally Lead to Transit Consolidation? image

Could the Fiscal Cliff Finally Lead to Transit Consolidation?

Maybe the fiscal cliff will finally do what the Bay Area Council has been advocating for years: achieving some form of con...
Council Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Leadership in China Diplomacy image

Council Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Leadership in China Diplomacy

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Over a decade ago, the Bay Area Council saw the power of subnational relationships between California, the Bay Area and Ch...
Get Your Tables Now for Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame image

Get Your Tables Now for Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame

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It’s one of our signature events and one we look forward to every year with great excitement because we get to spend a j...
Council Applauds Exciting Campaign to Celebrate, Promote San Francisco image

Council Applauds Exciting Campaign to Celebrate, Promote San Francisco

A consortium of San Francisco business leaders this week (Oct. 19) launched a groundbreaking multimedia campaign to remind...
Regional Commuter Rail Expansion Plans Face Post-Pandemic Realities image

Regional Commuter Rail Expansion Plans Face Post-Pandemic Realities

The plans are bold and visionary. They aspire to create a highly integrated network of rail transportation systems connect...
Bay Watch: Home Prices Rise for First Time in 14 Months image

Bay Watch: Home Prices Rise for First Time in 14 Months

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Last week news reports across the region celebrated that Bay Area home prices had risen for the first time in 14 months, f...
California Celebrates Selection as National Hydrogen Hub image

California Celebrates Selection as National Hydrogen Hub

In a transformative move for renewable energy, California 
Bay Area Council Stands with Israel in Wake of Barbaric Attack; Calls for Peace image

Bay Area Council Stands with Israel in Wake of Barbaric Attack; Calls for Peace

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The Bay Area Council this week issued the following statement in the wake of the violent attack by the terrorists group Ha...
Big Swell of Support for SF Waterfront Ferry Expansion image

Big Swell of Support for SF Waterfront Ferry Expansion

The wave of support for ferry expansion is growing in San Francisco, thanks to an effort spearheaded by the Bay Area Counc...
Council Welcomes Speaker Rivas for Discussion on Key Issues image

Council Welcomes Speaker Rivas for Discussion on Key Issues

New Speaker of the California State Assembly, Robert Rivas, today met with members of the Bay Area Council Executive Commi...
Banner Year in Sacramento for Bay Area Council Legislative, Budget Priorities image

Banner Year in Sacramento for Bay Area Council Legislative, Budget Priorities

With just one day left before the Oct. 14 deadline for Gov. Newsom to sign or veto legislation, the Bay Area Council is ce...
Member Spotlight: AWS’s Commitment to Bettering California Communities, Businesses and Environment image

Member Spotlight: AWS’s Commitment to Bettering California Communities, Businesses and Environment

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Silicon Valley is the global hub of tech innovation — making Northern California a natural home for the world’s most c...
Bay Area Council Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Veto of Legislation to Ease Penalties for Fare Evasion on Public Transit image

Bay Area Council Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Veto of Legislation to Ease Penalties for Fare Evasion on Public Transit

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The Bay Area Council today (Oct. 9) applauded Gov. Newsom’s veto of AB 819, legislation that would have eased penalties ...
Playback: Can We Innovate Our Way Out of Drought image

Playback: Can We Innovate Our Way Out of Drought

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Thank you to everyone who attended the Bay Area Council’s recent in-person forum on water sustainability aboard the Klam...
Spirited Discussion with BART Director Debora Allen image

Spirited Discussion with BART Director Debora Allen

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The Bay Area Council this week (Oct. 5) launched its Spirited Discussion speakers series on the Klamath, welcoming BART Bo...
RSVP: NY Times SF Bureau Chief Heather Knight Talks SF Present and Future image

RSVP: NY Times SF Bureau Chief Heather Knight Talks SF Present and Future

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Her stories and insights are real, infuriating, poignant, uplifting and painful. They reflect the kaleidoscope that is San...
Member Spotlight: Nor Cal Carpenters Union Works to Advance a Culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion image

Member Spotlight: Nor Cal Carpenters Union Works to Advance a Culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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The Nor Cal Carpenters Union has fought to change the culture of our industry since new leadership was elected to power in...
Meeting Climate Goals with Carbon Capture image

Meeting Climate Goals with Carbon Capture

On Monday (Oct. 2) the Bay Area Council Energy Committee, co-chaired by Carla Peterman, Executive Vice President of Corpor...
Making Inroads on Ending CEQA Abuse to Block Housing image

Making Inroads on Ending CEQA Abuse to Block Housing

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It was standing room only at the Bay Area Council Housing Committee meeting this week as members met with top lobbyists an...
Bay Watch: AI Boom is Anything but Artificial image

Bay Watch: AI Boom is Anything but Artificial

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As San Francisco and other cities across the region continue their post-pandemic economic recovery, the growth of the AI i...
Survey: Steady Uptick in Workers Returning to Office image

Survey: Steady Uptick in Workers Returning to Office

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There’s been a slow, but steady uptick in the number of workers leaving behind their slippers, pajamas and Zoom meetings...
Council Cheers Veto of Bill to Extend Unemployment Benefits to Striking Workers image

Council Cheers Veto of Bill to Extend Unemployment Benefits to Striking Workers

California’s unemployment insurance program was established to assist workers who lose their jobs through no fault of th...
Colombia Consul General Highlights Exciting Economic Opportunities in Bogota image

Colombia Consul General Highlights Exciting Economic Opportunities in Bogota

Last Friday, the Bay Area Council’s Global Business & Investment Committee (GBI) hosted a breakfast briefing with&nb...
China Greater Bay Area Development Business Conference image

China Greater Bay Area Development Business Conference

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The Bay Area Council’s Jennifer Zou participated recently in the first-ever Greater Bay Area (GBA) Development Business ...
Member Viewpoint: PG&E CEO Patti Poppe Challenges CPUC on Powerline Undergrounding image

Member Viewpoint: PG&E CEO Patti Poppe Challenges CPUC on Powerline Undergrounding

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PG&E CEO Patti Poppe in a commentary this week in the Mercury News highlights the utility’s four-year plan to invest...
Reports of SVB’s Death Are Greatly Exaggerated image

Reports of SVB’s Death Are Greatly Exaggerated

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Bay Area Council Economic Institute Senior Director Sean Randolph recently attended a conference at the office of Bay Area...
Bay Watch: Bay Area Remote Work Levels Dropping, Still Highest in the Country image

Bay Watch: Bay Area Remote Work Levels Dropping, Still Highest in the Country

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Bay Area workers are showing signs of leaving the virtual world behind and returning to offices and workplaces in person. ...
Council Uncorks “Spirited Discussion” Speaker Series image

Council Uncorks “Spirited Discussion” Speaker Series

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Join us on Thursday, October 5 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm for the first installment of the Bay Area Council's "Spirite...
Getting the Goods on Goods Movement image

Getting the Goods on Goods Movement

Assemblymember Mia Bonta this week joined the Bay Area Council’s Goods Movement Subcommittee for an engaging and informa...
Bay Area TDM Summit Explores New Ways to Move Around image

Bay Area TDM Summit Explores New Ways to Move Around

The Bay Area TDM Summit 2023 featured an all-star lineup of transportation experts and over 100 mobility enthusiasts last ...
Next, You’ll Tell Us There are Flying Ferries. Wait… What? image

Next, You’ll Tell Us There are Flying Ferries. Wait… What?

The Bay Area Council’s Waterfront Mobility Committee convened in a packed room of ferry enthusiasts on Wednesday (Sept. ...
Council’s Advocacy Helps Secure Veto of Harmful Driverless Vehicle Legislation image

Council’s Advocacy Helps Secure Veto of Harmful Driverless Vehicle Legislation

California’s ability to compete in the fast-growing autonomous vehicle space got a big boost last week when Gov. Newsom ...
Wunderman Named Chair of New California Coalition; Tracy Hernandez to Serve as CEO image

Wunderman Named Chair of New California Coalition; Tracy Hernandez to Serve as CEO

The New California Coalition (NCC), one of the state’s fastest growing business civic groups uniting tens of thousands o...
Sen. Dianne Feinstein Leaves Behind an Expansive Legacy of Leadership, Accomplishment, Service image

Sen. Dianne Feinstein Leaves Behind an Expansive Legacy of Leadership, Accomplishment, Service

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San Francisco, California and the nation lost a transformational leader today with the passing of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, w...
Bay Area Council Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Veto of Legislation (AB 316) that Would Have Hurt California’s Leadership, Competitiveness in Autonomous Trucking/Vehicle Technology image

Bay Area Council Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Veto of Legislation (AB 316) that Would Have Hurt California’s Leadership, Competitiveness in Autonomous Trucking/Vehicle Technology

The Bay Area Council today (Sept. 25) issued the following statement applauding Gov. Newsom for vetoing AB 316 and enablin...
Member Spotlight: Gilead Announces New Foster City Research Center image

Member Spotlight: Gilead Announces New Foster City Research Center

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Earlier this month, Gilead announced the company’s intent to build a new 
Get Your Tables Now for Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame image

Get Your Tables Now for Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame

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It’s one of our signature events and one we look forward to every year with great excitement because we get to spend a j...
Water Sustainability Forum: Can We Innovate Our Way Out of Drought? image

Water Sustainability Forum: Can We Innovate Our Way Out of Drought?

Friday, September 2911 a.m. to 12noonThe Klamath, Pier 9, the Embarcadero, San Francisco
Growing Ties with China at Greater Bay Area Development Business Conference image

Growing Ties with China at Greater Bay Area Development Business Conference

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The Bay Area Council’s Jennifer Zou participated recently in the first-ever Greater Bay Area (GBA) Development Business ...
Curtain Rises on Shutdown Theater image

Curtain Rises on Shutdown Theater

With House Republicans locked in an increasingly ugly intra-party battle and unable to even begin debate on the most nonco...
A Bridge (and Estuary) Not Too Far image

A Bridge (and Estuary) Not Too Far

The Bay Area Council was proud to join local leaders and stakeholders this week for a ferry ride in the Oakland-Alameda Es...
Bay Area Council Goes Nuclear image

Bay Area Council Goes Nuclear

With California chasing ambitious climate goals and demand for clean energy skyrocketing, the importance of the Diablo Can...
Council Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Intervene in Homelessness Ruling image

Council Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Intervene in Homelessness Ruling

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The Bay Area Council today formally asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower federal court ruling that has effective...
Leg Tracker: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly image

Leg Tracker: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

It was a banner year for Bay Area Council legislation on a range of issues, but the overall picture from Sacramento was fa...
Partner Event: Hotel Council of San Francisco image

Partner Event: Hotel Council of San Francisco

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The Hotel Council of San Francisco is delighted to announce its highly anticipated 29th Annual Golf Tournament, the signat...
Fleet Week Weekend Is a Bay Area Favorite! image

Fleet Week Weekend Is a Bay Area Favorite!

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Held annually between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, The San Francisco Fleet Week Air Show presented by United attra...
Member Spotlight: Hallcon Opens Largest EV Charging Facility of Its Kind in Bay Area image

Member Spotlight: Hallcon Opens Largest EV Charging Facility of Its Kind in Bay Area

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Hallcon Corporation, a leading provider of mobility and infrastructure solutions, this week (Sept. 12) held the grand open...
Bay Watch: Region Gained 3,000 Jobs in August, but Growth Starting to Slow image

Bay Watch: Region Gained 3,000 Jobs in August, but Growth Starting to Slow

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The nine-county Bay Area added 3,000 jobs last month — a reversal that defied a slight downtick in July, when the r...
Historic Investment in Fighting Retail Theft and Crime image

Historic Investment in Fighting Retail Theft and Crime

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It seems like hardly a day goes by that some video goes viral on social media showing groups of criminals brazenly robbing...
Gov. Newsom is Headed to China image

Gov. Newsom is Headed to China

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The Bay Area Council this week (Sept. 14) loudly applauded an announcement by Gov. Newsom that he will travel to China nex...
Council Cheers Passage of Major Housing (CEQA) Reform Legislation image

Council Cheers Passage of Major Housing (CEQA) Reform Legislation

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Following a Herculean advocacy effort, the Bay Area Council yesterday (Sept. 14) cheered the passage of legislation (AB 16...
Bay Area Council Applauds Gov. Newsom on Announcing China Trip to Highlight Climate Issues image

Bay Area Council Applauds Gov. Newsom on Announcing China Trip to Highlight Climate Issues

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The Bay Area Council today applauded Gov. Newsom’s announcement that he will lead a group of California government offic...
Unpacking U.S.-India Technology Cooperation image

Unpacking U.S.-India Technology Cooperation

June’s meeting between U.S. President Biden and India’s Prime Minister Modi advanced the U.S.-India connection to a ne...
Learn About New Business Opportunities in China image

Learn About New Business Opportunities in China

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The Bay Area Council invites you to Investment and Trade with China - New Business Opportunities 
Get Your Tables Now for Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame image

Get Your Tables Now for Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame

Posted In:
It’s one of our signature events and one we look forward to every year with great excitement because we get to spend a j...
Commentary: Time for San Francisco to Pull Plug on Electric Infrastructure Takeover image

Commentary: Time for San Francisco to Pull Plug on Electric Infrastructure Takeover

This commentary by Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman appeared today in the San Francisco Examiner.
Commentary: California Businesses Are Ready to Help California Lead on Climate Goals image

Commentary: California Businesses Are Ready to Help California Lead on Climate Goals

Joydeep Ganguly, Senior Vice President for Global Operations at Gilead Sciences and Co-Chair of the Bay Area Council’s C...
Regional Economic Recovery Remains Sluggish image

Regional Economic Recovery Remains Sluggish

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For the third quarter in a row, the San Francisco metro area remains second to last in a list of 25 large metropolitan are...
Good News from Initial Court Ruling on Homeless Encampments image

Good News from Initial Court Ruling on Homeless Encampments

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San Francisco, as part of its efforts to provide shelter to the unhoused, can resume removing illegal encampments that ...
Housing Streamlining Bill Gets a Big Win image

Housing Streamlining Bill Gets a Big Win

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The Bay Area Council applauds state Sen. Scott Wiener on his resounding success in passing SB 423, which extends his landm...
Time to Pull Out the Veto Pen image

Time to Pull Out the Veto Pen

Two bills – one that would undermine work being done to address crime and safety issues on public transit and another th...
Council Urges Assembly to Reject Disastrous Unemployment Insurance Expansion image

Council Urges Assembly to Reject Disastrous Unemployment Insurance Expansion

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California’s unemployment insurance system is currently saddled with $19 billion in debt from claims made during the pan...
Council Members Step Up as San Francisco’s APEC Planning Picks Up Steam image

Council Members Step Up as San Francisco’s APEC Planning Picks Up Steam

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Preparations for the arrival of the APEC Leaders Summit in November are picking up steam with recent data from the office ...
As BART Plans New Fare Gates, D.C. Metro Success Shows the Pay Off image

As BART Plans New Fare Gates, D.C. Metro Success Shows the Pay Off

With the installation of new more secure fare gates, the Metro transit system serving Washington, D.C., 
Buses, Trains, and Ferries, Oh My! Soon Bay Area Transit Commuters Could Ride All with a Single Card image

Buses, Trains, and Ferries, Oh My! Soon Bay Area Transit Commuters Could Ride All with a Single Card

Congratulations to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) on completing the first year of the 
Council Congratulates North Bay Sen. Mike McGuire on Being Named Next Senate Pro Tem image

Council Congratulates North Bay Sen. Mike McGuire on Being Named Next Senate Pro Tem

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The Bay Area Council this week congratulated state Sen. Mike McGuire, who represents a wide swath of the North Bay an...
Research Reveals Power of Bay Area Council’s Groundbreaking ADU Reforms image

Research Reveals Power of Bay Area Council’s Groundbreaking ADU Reforms

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New research shows the benefits of the Bay Area Council’s landmark accessory dwelling unit (ADUs) reforms and that those...
Date Set for Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame Honoring Two Amazing Leaders image

Date Set for Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame Honoring Two Amazing Leaders

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It’s one of our signature events and one we look forward to every year with great excitement because we get to spend a j...
Great Day in the Legislature for Council’s Housing Reform Efforts image

Great Day in the Legislature for Council’s Housing Reform Efforts

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Today was a great day for housing reform in California, with priority housing bills passing out of a critical final legisl...
Member Spotlight: Crown Castle’s Collective Work and Impact Celebrated in Smithsonian Display image

Member Spotlight: Crown Castle’s Collective Work and Impact Celebrated in Smithsonian Display

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The work Crown Castle does every day that enables people to connect with the...
Council Hears about Gov. Newsom’s Bold Mental Health Plan image

Council Hears about Gov. Newsom’s Bold Mental Health Plan

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With debate heating up over a bold proposal by Gov. Newsom to address California’s growing mental health crisis, the Bay...
Onerous Stormwater Regulations Threaten Critical Housing image

Onerous Stormwater Regulations Threaten Critical Housing

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If California was as good at making it easy to build housing as it is making it difficult to build housing, we’d have no...
9th Circuit Hints at Relief in Critical Homelessness Case image

9th Circuit Hints at Relief in Critical Homelessness Case

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Judges for the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday appeared poised to answer San Francisco’s pleas for clarit...
Council Shares Key Priorities with CA Transportation Secretary and Caltrans Regional Director image

Council Shares Key Priorities with CA Transportation Secretary and Caltrans Regional Director

California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin visited the Klamath this week to discuss several key regional transp...
Behind Council’s Advocacy, Bridge Toll Hike Paused image

Behind Council’s Advocacy, Bridge Toll Hike Paused

The Bay Area Council was the first and loudest to oppose a proposed $1.50 bridge toll hike that divided the region, failed...
San Francisco Steers Wrong Direction on Driverless Cars image

San Francisco Steers Wrong Direction on Driverless Cars

At a time when San Francisco should be doing everything in its power to create a welcoming environment for innovative tech...
New Poll Supports Council’s Work to Reform CEQA, Land Use Laws image

New Poll Supports Council’s Work to Reform CEQA, Land Use Laws

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A new 
Council-Supported Affordable Homeownership Project Advances image

Council-Supported Affordable Homeownership Project Advances

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The Bay Area Council fought for and won support for a housing project in Sunnyvale this week that will deliver 114 new hom...
Council Applauds New California-Australia Climate Partnership image

Council Applauds New California-Australia Climate Partnership

Just a few weeks after his top environmental secretary helped lead the Bay Area Council’s business delegation trip to Au...
Capitol Weekly Honors Council’s Wunderman as One of California’s Top 100 Influencers image

Capitol Weekly Honors Council’s Wunderman as One of California’s Top 100 Influencers

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Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman was once again honored by Capitol Weekly as one California’s Top 100 political movers...
APEC Meets California and Silicon Valley (Nov. 13-17) image

APEC Meets California and Silicon Valley (Nov. 13-17)

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As the Bay Area Council prepares for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, an historic and monumental event...
BART Making Strong Moves to Address Crime, Safety and Cleanliness Concerns image

BART Making Strong Moves to Address Crime, Safety and Cleanliness Concerns

BART is making some strong moves to address concerns about crime, safety and cleanliness that many riders say are keeping ...
Partner Event: LA Business Council Sustainability Summit image

Partner Event: LA Business Council Sustainability Summit

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Please join the Los Angeles Business Council on September 22 at USC for their Sustainability Summit. This year's Summit wi...
Join the Council in the Clean Air Challenge image

Join the Council in the Clean Air Challenge

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The Bay Area Council has joined the Coalition for Clean Air's 
Bay Watch: State of Bay Area Business Travel image

Bay Watch: State of Bay Area Business Travel

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As some cities experience a resurgence in business travel, reaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels of hotel occupancy, c...
Keeping Up with Housing image

Keeping Up with Housing

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With the Legislature scheduled to return to session next week, the Bay Area Council will be watching closely to ensure a n...
Important Milestones for Expanding Ferry Service to Berkeley image

Important Milestones for Expanding Ferry Service to Berkeley

Council Leading Business Delegation to China Nov. 1-8 image

Council Leading Business Delegation to China Nov. 1-8

The Bay Area Council invites you to participate in our upcoming 2023 California Trade Delegation to China on November 1-8,...
Council Hails Ruling on Driverless Vehicles in San Francisco image

Council Hails Ruling on Driverless Vehicles in San Francisco

In a big win for transportation innovation, expanded mobility options and safer streets, the California Public Utilities C...
Council Applauds Letter from Congressional Representatives Decrying Misguided Bridge Toll Increase image

Council Applauds Letter from Congressional Representatives Decrying Misguided Bridge Toll Increase

Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman Had Urged Representatives to Oppose Toll Hike Legislation
Member Spotlight: 49ers Unveil License Plates to Benefit Forests image

Member Spotlight: 49ers Unveil License Plates to Benefit Forests

Posted In:
The San Francisco 49ers and the 
Member Spotlight: Year Up Bay Area Graduation Honors AAPI Women image

Member Spotlight: Year Up Bay Area Graduation Honors AAPI Women

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On Saturday, July 29, Year Up Bay Area celebrated over 250 students who graduated from their program. These students, now ...
Council Hosts Discussion with Congresswoman Barbara Lee image

Council Hosts Discussion with Congresswoman Barbara Lee

The Bay Area Council was honored to welcome Congresswoman and U.S. Senate candidate Barbara Lee aboard the Klamath for a d...
Caltrain Electrification Chugging Along image

Caltrain Electrification Chugging Along

Caltrain is on-track for a fully electrified fleet! This past Saturday (July 29), Peninsula and Silicon Valley residents g...
California Resilience Challenge Announces Statewide Request for Proposals for Climate Adaptation Projects image

California Resilience Challenge Announces Statewide Request for Proposals for Climate Adaptation Projects

The Bay Area Council Foundation this week (Aug. 1) launched the official request for proposals for the California Resilien...
G’Day from Australia: Council Delegation Mixes Business and Fun image

G’Day from Australia: Council Delegation Mixes Business and Fun

The Bay Area Council-United Airlines Australia Delegation – led by California Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfo...
Seven Bay Area Congressional Representatives Decry Bridge Toll Increase as Not in Best Interests of Residents image

Seven Bay Area Congressional Representatives Decry Bridge Toll Increase as Not in Best Interests of Residents

In a 
California Resilience Challenge Announces Statewide Request for Proposals for Climate Adaptation Projects image

California Resilience Challenge Announces Statewide Request for Proposals for Climate Adaptation Projects

Grants of up to $200,000 available to help protect under-resourced communities against wildfire, drought, flood, and e...
Major Redwood City Life Sciences Project Advances image

Major Redwood City Life Sciences Project Advances

This week the Redwood City Council approved Longfellow Real Estate Partners to begin theCalifornia Environm...
Opinion: Driverless Technology Can Make Streets Safer image

Opinion: Driverless Technology Can Make Streets Safer

With a key decision looming by the California Public Utilities (CPUC) to allow expanded operation of driverless ...
Council Applauds BART Vote to Oppose Bill Weakening Fare Evasion Penalties image

Council Applauds BART Vote to Oppose Bill Weakening Fare Evasion Penalties

The Bay Area Council this week applauded a 5-3 vote by the BART Board of Directors to oppose legislation th...
U.S. Wildfire Symposium Addresses Risks to California Insurance Markets image

U.S. Wildfire Symposium Addresses Risks to California Insurance Markets

With more insurers fleeing California, industry experts convened at an event organized by Bay Area Council member CSAA in ...
Millions of Californians Must Re-Qualify for Medi-Cal image

Millions of Californians Must Re-Qualify for Medi-Cal

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Bay Area Council Executive Committee member and Anthem Blue Cross President Beth Andersen wrote the following...
Forum Highlights U.S.-EU Cooperation on AI, other Tech Issues image

Forum Highlights U.S.-EU Cooperation on AI, other Tech Issues

Posted In:
The Bay Area Council was honored on July 14 to host a policy dialogue with Didier Reynard, the Commissioner...
Meeting with Chinese Ambassador Promotes Economic Partnership image

Meeting with Chinese Ambassador Promotes Economic Partnership

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Over the last several years US-China tensions have reached high levels. Recent meetings between American and Chi...
BART Responds to Council Request to Speed New Fare Gates image

BART Responds to Council Request to Speed New Fare Gates

The Bay Area Council got a quick and thorough response from BART on our request to speed up installation of new fare gate...
Clearing the Air on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Traffic image

Clearing the Air on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Traffic

North Bay Assembly member Damon Connolly on Monday (July 17) joined Richmond City Council member Cesar Zapeda and other Ri...
Council Names Hanson Bridgett Managing Partner Kristina Lawson New Board Chair image

Council Names Hanson Bridgett Managing Partner Kristina Lawson New Board Chair

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The Bay Area Council this week announced the appointment of 
Council Calls on BART to Dramatically Accelerate New Fare Gates to Better Secure System, Help Bring Back Riders and Generate Badly Needed Revenue image

Council Calls on BART to Dramatically Accelerate New Fare Gates to Better Secure System, Help Bring Back Riders and Generate Badly Needed Revenue

Modern, secure fare gates could generate tens of millions annually in revenue for the financially strapped system and ...
Council Hosts Brazilian Delegation image

Council Hosts Brazilian Delegation

On Thursday, July 13, partnering with Stanford University, the Bay Area Council hosted a Brazilian delegation of 30 repres...
Council Engages with Gov. Newsom on Proposed Mental Health Reforms image

Council Engages with Gov. Newsom on Proposed Mental Health Reforms

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This week the Bay Area Council joined Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), Assemblymember ...
Bay Watch: Are Wealthy People Actually Leaving the Bay Area in Droves? image

Bay Watch: Are Wealthy People Actually Leaving the Bay Area in Droves?

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Short answer: no. However, they are leaving the region at a faster rate than they were before the pandemic, or after the G...
Reigning in Business Taxes Key to Economic Recovery image

Reigning in Business Taxes Key to Economic Recovery

Posted In:
The San Francisco Office of the Controller this week (July 12) released a 
U.S. Wildfire Symposium Addresses Risks to California Insurance Markets image

U.S. Wildfire Symposium Addresses Risks to California Insurance Markets

With more insurers fleeing California, industry experts convened at an event organized by Bay Area Council member CSAA in ...
Council Pushes for Expansion of Autonomous Vehicles to Realize Safety, Environmental Benefits image

Council Pushes for Expansion of Autonomous Vehicles to Realize Safety, Environmental Benefits

The Bay Area Council continued its advocacy this week (July 13) to expand access to autonomous vehicles in San Francisco. ...
Council Calls on BART to Accelerate Installation of New, Secure Fare Gates by at Least a Full Year image

Council Calls on BART to Accelerate Installation of New, Secure Fare Gates by at Least a Full Year

The Bay Area Council is calling on BART to accelerate its timeline for installing new, more secure fare gates to address c...
Community Colleges Provide Innovative Pathways to Workforce Opportunities image

Community Colleges Provide Innovative Pathways to Workforce Opportunities

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The Baccalaureate Degree Programs at California Community Colleges have been a catalyst of economic and regional developme...
New Report Highlights Economic Impact of CA’s Federal Labs & Research Centers image

New Report Highlights Economic Impact of CA’s Federal Labs & Research Centers

Through research (on Earth and beyond) and community engagement, California’s federal labs and research centers bring la...
Landmark UCSF Study on Homelessness Reinforces Council’s Focus on Housing Production image

Landmark UCSF Study on Homelessness Reinforces Council’s Focus on Housing Production

Posted In:
A statewide 
Council Hosts Southeast Asian Ambassadors image

Council Hosts Southeast Asian Ambassadors

On June 21 the Bay Area Council hosted four U.S. Ambassadors to the ASEAN region (Southeast Asia) for a discussion of regi...
Governor’s Office Briefs Council on Infrastructure Package image

Governor’s Office Briefs Council on Infrastructure Package

With Governor Newsom’s CEQA streamlining proposal for clean energy, water, and semiconductor infrastructure projects fac...
BART Takes Big Step to Increase Police on the System image

BART Takes Big Step to Increase Police on the System

This week the BART Board voted unanimously to instantly boost the salaries of their police in July by 21% in a bold statem...
Countering the False Narrative on San Francisco image

Countering the False Narrative on San Francisco

Posted In:
The Bay Area Council is a regional organization, but we are headquartered in San Francisco. So, we take particular umbrage...
2023 Pacific Summit Explores Key Trends, Issues and Challenges image

2023 Pacific Summit Explores Key Trends, Issues and Challenges

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The Klamath hosted its first-ever Pacific Summit this week (June 20) with top leaders in business, government, and academi...
Wanted: Innovative Ideas for Revitalizing SF image

Wanted: Innovative Ideas for Revitalizing SF

Bay Area Council members Deloitte and Salesforce are among a coalition of organizations behind a new initiative inviting e...
Port of Oakland Hails Labor Agreement image

Port of Oakland Hails Labor Agreement

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A shroud of uncertainty lifted from the Port of Oakland this week with the announcement of a tentative agreement in long-r...
Visionary Google Plan with 7K Homes Gets Approval image

Visionary Google Plan with 7K Homes Gets Approval

We are thrilled to celebrate the momentous and unanimous approval of the Google North Bayshore Master Plan by the Mountain...
San Mateo County Governments Skirt Council-Supported Housing Law image

San Mateo County Governments Skirt Council-Supported Housing Law

Posted In:
In 2015 the Bay Area Council sponsored SB 1069 (Wieckowski) recognizing that Accessory Dwelling Units were an under-utiliz...
Bay Watch: Strong Job Gains in May, Defying Tech Layoffs and March Losses image

Bay Watch: Strong Job Gains in May, Defying Tech Layoffs and March Losses

Posted In:
In March 2023, the Bay Area’s two-year growth streak came to an end when the region lost 4,400 jobs, which many saw as&n...
Oakland Mayor Thao, Oakland Port Welcomes Council Executive Committee image

Oakland Mayor Thao, Oakland Port Welcomes Council Executive Committee

New Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao welcomed the Bay Area Council Executive Committee to her city on Thursday, hosted by executiv...
Council Scores Big Win to Save + Improve Transit image

Council Scores Big Win to Save + Improve Transit

After months of tireless advocacy, the Bay Area Council applauded the state Legislature this week as it voted to approve a...
Bay Watch: Regional Banking Sector Withdraws image

Bay Watch: Regional Banking Sector Withdraws

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The recent turmoil in the banking sector has put the spotlight on the Bay Area, with the notable failure of Silicon Valley...
Study Endorses Regionalism to Counter Wane in California’s Competitiveness image

Study Endorses Regionalism to Counter Wane in California’s Competitiveness

Posted In:
If California were a country, it would be the fifth largest economy in the world, poised to surpass Germany and become the...
43rd U.S. Treasurer “Pays” Visit to the Klamath image

43rd U.S. Treasurer “Pays” Visit to the Klamath

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The Bay Area Council welcomed a special visitor this week who you may know from her signature on your cash – 43rd Treasu...
Going Green: Caltrain Begins Testing Electrified Trains image

Going Green: Caltrain Begins Testing Electrified Trains

In an exciting step toward full electrification, Caltrain ran its first tests running trains using its electric catenary ...
Cutting Red Tape to Spur More Housing, Lower Costs image

Cutting Red Tape to Spur More Housing, Lower Costs

Posted In:
This week, the Bay Area Council submitted a letter to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in support of a proposed ordi...
Shoe Leather Sacrificed In Push For Newsom Infrastructure Package image

Shoe Leather Sacrificed In Push For Newsom Infrastructure Package

The Bay Area Council wore out a lot of shoe leather this week in Sacramento in our continuing advocacy for Gov. Newsom’s...
Bay Watch: Bay Area Aging Faster Than Ever Before image

Bay Watch: Bay Area Aging Faster Than Ever Before

Posted In:
Last week, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute wrote about significant racial demographic shifts with data from the la...
Regional Shift Toward Shelter in City Homelessness Budgets image

Regional Shift Toward Shelter in City Homelessness Budgets

Posted In:
The mayors of the Bay Area’s two largest cities are proposing to shift resources allocated to addressing homelessness aw...
Piling On: New Study Highlights CEQA’s Role in Housing Crisis image

Piling On: New Study Highlights CEQA’s Role in Housing Crisis

Posted In:
A new study by Bay Area Council member Holland & Knight reveals that housing remains the top target of California Envi...
NCC Rallies Support for Governor’s Infrastructure Proposal image

NCC Rallies Support for Governor’s Infrastructure Proposal

The New California Coalition – co-lead by Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman and CEO of LA BizFed Tracy Hernandez – th...
Transit Safety Concerns Show Early Signs of Softening image

Transit Safety Concerns Show Early Signs of Softening

The most recent 
Bay Area Council Continues Focus on Fiscal Cliff as Budget Deadline Looms image

Bay Area Council Continues Focus on Fiscal Cliff as Budget Deadline Looms

As Bay Area transit systems face the daunting reality of hitting a “fiscal cliff” as early as 2024 –which would subs...
Bay Watch: New Census Data Highlights Shifting Diversity image

Bay Watch: New Census Data Highlights Shifting Diversity

Posted In:
New demographic data released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week highlights an increasingly diverse Bay Area population. ...
New Partnership Focuses on Growing Life Sciences Jobs image

New Partnership Focuses on Growing Life Sciences Jobs

This week Bay Area Council Senior Vice President Matt Regan visited Ohlone College in Newark for a tour of their state-of-...
CA-China Business Forum Highlights Economic Cooperation image

CA-China Business Forum Highlights Economic Cooperation

This week, in a significant stride toward rebuilding bilateral economic cooperation, the China-California Business Forum ...
Council CEO Shares Ideas with Governor on Addressing San Francisco’s Many Issues image

Council CEO Shares Ideas with Governor on Addressing San Francisco’s Many Issues

Gov. Newsom on Wednesday (March 24) focused his attention on the city he once led, convening top San Francisco business le...
Ferry Impressive: WETA Completes Clean Ferry Conversion Project image

Ferry Impressive: WETA Completes Clean Ferry Conversion Project

The Bay Area Council joined the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, and other tran...
Chip, Chip Hooray! VP Harris Hails New $4 Billion Silicon Valley High-Tech Manufacturing Plant image

Chip, Chip Hooray! VP Harris Hails New $4 Billion Silicon Valley High-Tech Manufacturing Plant

Highlighting the Bay Area’s continuing tech and innovation dominance, Vice President Kamala Harris this week (May 22) tr...
Coming Down to Crunch Time for Transit image

Coming Down to Crunch Time for Transit

As state budget negotiations are heating up in the Legislature, the Bay Area Council has launched a full court press to se...
West Coast Best Coast: New Study Shows Tourism Returning to California image

West Coast Best Coast: New Study Shows Tourism Returning to California

Posted In:
Few industries suffered during the pandemic quite like tourism as operations ground to a halt and travelers remained wary ...
Council-Supported Victory for Housing in Redwood City image

Council-Supported Victory for Housing in Redwood City

Posted In:
The Bay Area Council put our commitment to alleviate this region’s housing crisis to work on Tuesday evening (May 16) an...
The Bay Area Council is Bringing “California” to CIIE image

The Bay Area Council is Bringing “California” to CIIE

The Bay Area Council is excited to announce that we’re full steam ahead in preparing for the China Internat...
Bay Area Job Gains in April Defy Tech Layoffs and Previous Month’s Losses image

Bay Area Job Gains in April Defy Tech Layoffs and Previous Month’s Losses

Posted In:
The Bay Area’s two-year job growth streak came to an end in March 2023 when the region lost 4,400 jobs – a blow many a...
Council Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Unveiling of Bold New Infrastructure Package for California’s Future image

Council Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Unveiling of Bold New Infrastructure Package for California’s Future

As an expected $180 billion from the federal infrastructure and climate bills is poised to head to California, the state m...
Senate Appropriations Committee Results Announce Future of Council-Sponsored Bills image

Senate Appropriations Committee Results Announce Future of Council-Sponsored Bills

The much-anticipated, but often obscure Suspense File process in the California Legislature for the Appropriations Committ...
Council Applauds Federal Bill that Aims to Eliminate Parking Requirements Near Transit image

Council Applauds Federal Bill that Aims to Eliminate Parking Requirements Near Transit

If a bill drops in Congress during debt ceiling negotiations with the fate of the world economy in the balance, does it ma...
CEQA Strikes Again!! image

CEQA Strikes Again!!

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Citing costly delays from an abusive CEQA lawsuit, a nonprofit builder of a proposed UC Berkeley project to provide housin...
Gimme Shelter: Council Research Cited in SF Resolution Calling for More Temporary Housing image

Gimme Shelter: Council Research Cited in SF Resolution Calling for More Temporary Housing

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Like many jurisdictions across California, San Francisco has for years prioritized the construction of permanent housing o...
May Budget Revise Offers Narrow Opening for More Transit Funding to Ward Off Fiscal Cliff image

May Budget Revise Offers Narrow Opening for More Transit Funding to Ward Off Fiscal Cliff

Gov. Newsom today (May 12) unveiled his May budget revision and the overall picture has worsened since he first proposed h...
New Poll: Overwhelming Support for More Police on BART, Greater Focus on Cleanliness and Stronger Enforcement of Rules  image

New Poll: Overwhelming Support for More Police on BART, Greater Focus on Cleanliness and Stronger Enforcement of Rules 

 San Francisco—BART riders and others who have stopped using the system or reduced their use drama...
Celebrating Centennial of Hetch Hetchy’s O’Shaughnessy Dam image

Celebrating Centennial of Hetch Hetchy’s O’Shaughnessy Dam

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed and Bay Area and federal officials joined the San Francisco Public Utilities...
New BART Tool Will Help Give Passengers a Smoother Ride image

New BART Tool Will Help Give Passengers a Smoother Ride

On May 3, BART unveiled its newly acquired geometry car, known as the Rail Inspection Vehicle or RIV for short, which will...
Bay Watch: Bay Area Population Loss Since 2020 Surpasses 200,000 People image

Bay Watch: Bay Area Population Loss Since 2020 Surpasses 200,000 People

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New data released this week by the California Department of Finance shows a continuation of population losses in the nine-...
Gilead Unveils New R&D Facilities, Highlighting Bay Area Life Sciences Growth image

Gilead Unveils New R&D Facilities, Highlighting Bay Area Life Sciences Growth

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As a continuing sign of the boom in biotechnology in the Bay Area, the Bay Area Council helped celebrate the opening of tw...
Costly Berkeley Housing Mandates Highlight Need for Continuing Reform image

Costly Berkeley Housing Mandates Highlight Need for Continuing Reform

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Costly, excessive and often unnecessary local fees, regulations and other mandates have been a major contributor to Cal...
Small Housing Victories in Marin Worth Celebrating; Highlight Council’s Statewide Reform Victories image

Small Housing Victories in Marin Worth Celebrating; Highlight Council’s Statewide Reform Victories

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Getting new housing approved in Marin County is notoriously difficult so it’s worth celebrating when even a smaller proj...
Council-Sponsored Legislation Advancing image

Council-Sponsored Legislation Advancing

The Bay Area Council’s biggest package of legislation in recent memory crossed an important milestone last week when 10 ...
Forum Emphasizes Importance of Broadband Infrastructure image

Forum Emphasizes Importance of Broadband Infrastructure

The Bay Area Council Economic Institute added to a busy week in Sacramento as it hosted aroundtable discussion on broa...
Viewpoint: With World Leaders Coming, SF and Bay Area Can Reset Perceptions image

Viewpoint: With World Leaders Coming, SF and Bay Area Can Reset Perceptions

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With President Biden, China President Xi Jinping and other top world leaders preparing todescend on San Francisco in N...
CEO Transit Ride-Along Highlights Importance of StateFunding Support image

CEO Transit Ride-Along Highlights Importance of StateFunding Support

On April 21, Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman joined 10 transit CEOs from across theBay Area for a multimodal, three...
Big Win for Bay Area Council Capital Transportation Funding Priorities image

Big Win for Bay Area Council Capital Transportation Funding Priorities

Nearly $141 million in state funding will flow to important public transportation projects acrossthe region that the B...
Council Gaining Traction in Securing Transit Funding toAvert Fiscal Cliff image

Council Gaining Traction in Securing Transit Funding toAvert Fiscal Cliff

As transit agencies across the state are barreling towards a fiscal cliff, the Bay Area Council andits partners in the...
Studies Shows Council’s Efforts on Housing Reforms Are Making an Impact image

Studies Shows Council’s Efforts on Housing Reforms Are Making an Impact

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Two recent
Senate Tax Increase Proposal Boggles the Mind, Brings Swift Rebuke image

Senate Tax Increase Proposal Boggles the Mind, Brings Swift Rebuke

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State Senate Democrats this week unveiled their proposed spending plan, including a taxincrease on California’s larg...
California Can’t Make Progress Without CEQA Reform image

California Can’t Make Progress Without CEQA Reform

California’s signature environmental law, the California Environmen...
Impact of Council’s California Resilience Challenge Reverberates Across State image

Impact of Council’s California Resilience Challenge Reverberates Across State

The Bay Area Council Foundation’s California Resilience Challenge was launched in 2019 withthe aim of speeding clima...
Homeless Housing Legislation Clears Major Hurdle image

Homeless Housing Legislation Clears Major Hurdle

With an estimated 170,000 Californians experiencing homelessness on any given day, it’scritical that we find fast, a...
Boooo! Oakland A’s Announce Las Vegas Stadium Land Deal image

Boooo! Oakland A’s Announce Las Vegas Stadium Land Deal

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Heartbreak. Shock. Anger. Sadness. The announcement Wednesday that the Oakland A’s hadentered into a binding agreeme...
New study shows how communities in the Wildland Urban Interface can drastically reduce fire risk and reduce insurance premiums image

New study shows how communities in the Wildland Urban Interface can drastically reduce fire risk and reduce insurance premiums

Huge implications for insurance coverage and housing construction in ...
New Economic Institute Report Highlights Importance of Improving Connectivity in California image

New Economic Institute Report Highlights Importance of Improving Connectivity in California

While California companies have pioneered the communications innovations that are now an everyday part of life for billion...
SF State Breaks Ground on New Affordable Student Housing image

SF State Breaks Ground on New Affordable Student Housing

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San Francisco State University this week broke ground on its West Campus Green project, which includes a first-year reside...
Council-Backed Housing Bills Move Forward image

Council-Backed Housing Bills Move Forward

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The Bay Area Council’s housing bills are all doing well as the Legislature holds its first round of hearings. This week ...
Transit Leaders Discuss Ways to Avoid Fiscal Cliff image

Transit Leaders Discuss Ways to Avoid Fiscal Cliff

Finding a solution to the fiscal cliff facing many Bay Area transit agencies is a top priority for the Bay Area Council an...
Streamline Permitting of Existing Distribution Power Lines image

Streamline Permitting of Existing Distribution Power Lines

As constant new warnings emerge about the devastating impacts of climate change, it is more important than ever that we ma...
Perfect the enemy of the good: Court ruling may worsen San Francisco’s homelessness crisis image

Perfect the enemy of the good: Court ruling may worsen San Francisco’s homelessness crisis

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Street sleeping is unhealthy for people experiencing homelessness and carries with it a higher risk of chronic disease, in...
Story Highlights Exciting Future of Autonomous Vehicles image

Story Highlights Exciting Future of Autonomous Vehicles

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A fascinating CBS/KPIX news story this week highlighted the exciting potential ...
Promoting Economic Opportunities in China image

Promoting Economic Opportunities in China

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Represented by Vice President of Global Initiatives Jennifer Zou, the Bay Area Council this week joined the launch ceremon...
Council Partners with Law Enforcement on Recruitment Campaign to Address Critical Officer Shortage image

Council Partners with Law Enforcement on Recruitment Campaign to Address Critical Officer Shortage

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On Thursday (March 30), the Bay Area Council hosted over 50 law enforcement personnel from 35 of region’s police and she...
California Resilience Challenge Winners Announced image

California Resilience Challenge Winners Announced

More than 100 climate leaders from across the U.S. convened aboard the Bay Area Council’s floating headquarters the Klam...
New Report Examines Bay Area-India Economic Ties image

New Report Examines Bay Area-India Economic Ties

India has the fastest growing major economy in the world, with a dynamic startup environment and massive digitalization th...
New Report: A California Strategy for Competing for CHIPS Act Funding image

New Report: A California Strategy for Competing for CHIPS Act Funding

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California has the opportunity to capture a significant share of funding from the 2022 Creating Helpful Incentives to Prod...
Bay Watch: Despite Slowdown, Bay Area VC Investment Remains Strong image

Bay Watch: Despite Slowdown, Bay Area VC Investment Remains Strong

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The Bay Area economy is considered one of the most innovative business ecosystems in the world, leading in both startups a...
Steee-rike: Court Tosses Abusive CEQA Lawsuit Challenging Oakland A’s Ballpark, Waterfront Development Plan image

Steee-rike: Court Tosses Abusive CEQA Lawsuit Challenging Oakland A’s Ballpark, Waterfront Development Plan

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A state court of appeal this week tossed a lawsuit seeking to disrupt and delay plans by the Oakland A’s to build a new ...
Member Spotlight: Year Up Bay Area Honors Bank of America-Silicon Valley Market image

Member Spotlight: Year Up Bay Area Honors Bank of America-Silicon Valley Market

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This month, Year Up Bay Area presented The Cornerstone Award to Bank of America – ...
Klamath Recognized at Real Estate Deal of the Year Awards image

Klamath Recognized at Real Estate Deal of the Year Awards

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It was a wild idea and an even wilder project: Take an aging ferry boat with a leaky hull and dreary interior and transfor...
Campaign Unveiled to Promote Making Your Future in San Francisco image

Campaign Unveiled to Promote Making Your Future in San Francisco

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On Monday (March 20), the City of San Francisco, Mayor London Breed, and a coalition of business groups comprised of the B...
Good Week on the Public Safety Front image

Good Week on the Public Safety Front

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There was a triple shot of good news this week for addressing public concerns about crime, safety and cleanliness on BART ...
Please Permit Us to End Onerous Housing Permit Review image

Please Permit Us to End Onerous Housing Permit Review

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With the Legislative session briskly underway, the Bay Area Council is excited that our priority housing streamlining bill...
New Council-Sponsored Bill a Game Changer in Battle Against Homelessness image

New Council-Sponsored Bill a Game Changer in Battle Against Homelessness

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Providing permanent housing is the end goal for addressing our homelessness crisis and getting unhoused people off the str...
Edelman Trust Barometer: Navigating a Polarized World image

Edelman Trust Barometer: Navigating a Polarized World

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On March 7, over 120 business and thought leaders met on the Klamath for the release of Bay Area Council member Edelman’...
Region’s Top Science and Innovations Leaders Convene image

Region’s Top Science and Innovations Leaders Convene

The Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium (BASIC) Board of Directo...
International Data Center Day Highlights Critical Importance of Industry to Our Economy image

International Data Center Day Highlights Critical Importance of Industry to Our Economy

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We are excited to be celebrating International Data Center Day. International Data Center Day is designed to create i...
Celebrating World Water Day image

Celebrating World Water Day

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World Water Day (March 22) inspires awareness and action to promote access to clean water worldwide. This year is all abou...
Member Spotlight: Nossaman Exec Yuliya Oryol Hits Her Stride image

Member Spotlight: Nossaman Exec Yuliya Oryol Hits Her Stride

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Congratulations to Nossaman Partner and Bay Area Council Board Member
Additional SF Police Funding Council Supported Clears First Hurdle image

Additional SF Police Funding Council Supported Clears First Hurdle

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Restoring a sense of safety in our cities is critical to bringing workers and visitors back to our downtowns, supporting l...
With Council’s Help, Bay Area Debuts Nation’s First Hydrogen Ferry image

With Council’s Help, Bay Area Debuts Nation’s First Hydrogen Ferry

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The nation’s first commercial zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell ferry arrived in the Bay Area this week, and the Bay Area...
About Time! CA Supreme Court Tosses Abusive CEQA Lawsuit; Clears Way for Lafayette Housing image

About Time! CA Supreme Court Tosses Abusive CEQA Lawsuit; Clears Way for Lafayette Housing

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While the news was good, even if it took so long, for a 315-unit housing project in Lafayette (item above), a
Bay Watch: Bay Area Employment Recovers to Pre-Pandemic Levels, with South Bay Leading the Way image

Bay Watch: Bay Area Employment Recovers to Pre-Pandemic Levels, with South Bay Leading the Way

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After 3 years of steady, slow growth, the Bay Area has fully recovered its pre-pandemic jobs.A Bay Area Council Econom...
Annual SacDay Advocacy Trip Highlights Council’s Ambitious Legislative Agenda image

Annual SacDay Advocacy Trip Highlights Council’s Ambitious Legislative Agenda

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The path to addressing many of the Bay Area’s biggest challenges often runs straight through Sacramento, which is why th...
New First-Of-Its-Kind Tool Will Track San Francisco Bay Area’s Pandemic Recovery Against Other Major Metropolitan Areas image

New First-Of-Its-Kind Tool Will Track San Francisco Bay Area’s Pandemic Recovery Against Other Major Metropolitan Areas

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The Bay Area Council Economic Institute and CBRE benchmark economic activity across 15 indicators
Bay Watch: Leisure, Hospitality Industry Slow to Recover image

Bay Watch: Leisure, Hospitality Industry Slow to Recover

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The Bay Area’s tourism industry has experienced one of the slowest recoveries in the nation. Between shutdowns during th...
Council Welcomes Order by Newsom to Increase Delta Water Deliveries image

Council Welcomes Order by Newsom to Increase Delta Water Deliveries

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Capturing water from atmospheric river storms and storing it for future use by people and the environment is more importan...
Council Applauds Appointment of Andrew Fremier to Lead Metropolitan Transportation Commission image

Council Applauds Appointment of Andrew Fremier to Lead Metropolitan Transportation Commission

The Bay Area Council this week applauded the appointment of veteran transportation leader Andrew Fremier as Executive Dire...
BART Doubling Police Presence on Trains image

BART Doubling Police Presence on Trains

Moving to address concerns about safety and cleanliness on the region’s backbone transit system, BART President Janice L...
Council-Sponsored Bill Seeks to Accelerate Housing Permitting in San Francisco image

Council-Sponsored Bill Seeks to Accelerate Housing Permitting in San Francisco

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San Francisco is one of the only jurisdictions in the country that requires developers to go through arduous and discretio...
Former Council Chair Nelson Rising Passes Away image

Former Council Chair Nelson Rising Passes Away

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Member Spotlight: BART Unveils New Communications Campaigns to Complement Ridership Recovery image

Member Spotlight: BART Unveils New Communications Campaigns to Complement Ridership Recovery

With a focus on rider experience and community engagement, especially of younger demographics, BART has unveiled new campa...
A Tireless Champion for California, the Bay Area and San Francisco, Sen. Feinstein Announces Retirement image

A Tireless Champion for California, the Bay Area and San Francisco, Sen. Feinstein Announces Retirement

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Climate Bond Debate Heats Up image

Climate Bond Debate Heats Up

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Following the Governor’s call for a climate resilience bond on the 2024 ballot, Senators Eggman and Niello on Friday int...
Can a Statewide Ballot Measure Solve Unsheltered Homelessness? image

Can a Statewide Ballot Measure Solve Unsheltered Homelessness?

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Unsheltered homelessness costs lives. This winter alone, six homeless residents died in the cold on a single night in San ...
New Report: Technology, China and the New U.S. Industrial Policy image

New Report: Technology, China and the New U.S. Industrial Policy

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In the 2000s, from China’s entry into the WTO in 2001 to 2016, San Francisco Bay Area companies were at the heart of an ...
Spring Festival Celebrates Bay Area’s Strong Ties with China image

Spring Festival Celebrates Bay Area’s Strong Ties with China

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The Bay Area Council on Thursday (Feb. 16) ushered in the Year of the Rabbit with our signature Spring Festival Celebratio...
New Study: San Francisco Business Taxes Far Surpass Other Bay Area Cities image

New Study: San Francisco Business Taxes Far Surpass Other Bay Area Cities

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Most businesses have choices in where they decide to locate, invest, create jobs and grow, and many factors play into thos...
<a>Restoring Rider Confidence Critical to BART’s Future</a> image

Restoring Rider Confidence Critical to BART’s Future

Restoring public confidence in the safety of BART is critical to restoring ridership on the Bay Area’s backbone public t...
New Study: San Francisco Business Taxes Far Surpass Other Bay Area Cities image

New Study: San Francisco Business Taxes Far Surpass Other Bay Area Cities

Findings Highlight Significance of Business Taxes as Cities Ramp Up C...
Statement on Sen. Dianne Feinstein Announcing She Will Not Seek Re-election image

Statement on Sen. Dianne Feinstein Announcing She Will Not Seek Re-election

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The Bay Area Council today issued the following statement on the announcement by Sen. Dianne Feinstein that she will not b...
Council Mourns Passing of Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle image

Council Mourns Passing of Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle

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Opinion: Would Government Reform Lead to Better Outcomes on Key Issues? image

Opinion: Would Government Reform Lead to Better Outcomes on Key Issues?

Money—and more accurately, taxpayer money--often seems to be the solution to many of the problems that ail us, from home...
Latest Return to Work/Transit Survey Shows New Habits Getting Locked In image

Latest Return to Work/Transit Survey Shows New Habits Getting Locked In

Since April 2021, the Bay Area Council has been collecting data from the Bay Area’s biggest employers on their return to...
Renewed Push for SALT Relief in DC image

Renewed Push for SALT Relief in DC

When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 passed in November of that year, many Americans and U.S. businesses hailed its lowe...
Take Down of Crime Ring Highlights Effectiveness of Multi-Agency Law Enforcement Response image

Take Down of Crime Ring Highlights Effectiveness of Multi-Agency Law Enforcement Response

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Brazen daylight robberies, thefts and other street-level crimes against individuals and businesses take a steep toll on th...
State Workers’ Comp System Proves Reforms Can Work image

State Workers’ Comp System Proves Reforms Can Work

Achieving meaningful and comprehensive government reforms can seem impossible in a place as politically and bureaucratical...
Council Hosts Early APEC Planning Meeting image

Council Hosts Early APEC Planning Meeting

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The Bay Area Council this week (Feb. 1) hosted business and government leaders aboard our floating headquarters, the Klama...
Bay Watch: As Transit Struggles, Traffic Surges image

Bay Watch: As Transit Struggles, Traffic Surges

Since the onset of the pandemic, transit agencies that rely on office workers for sustained ridership have struggled to re...
Council Applauds State Grant to Complete Caltrain Electrification image

Council Applauds State Grant to Complete Caltrain Electrification

This week the State of California awarded $367 million to Caltrain to complete its electrification project that will fully...
<a>Majority of Bay Area Cities Shirk Housing Deadline</a> image

Majority of Bay Area Cities Shirk Housing Deadline

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A majority of Bay Area cities and counties this week struggled to meet a deadline for submitting plans required by the sta...
Bay Area Council Hails State Supreme Court Ruling Rejecting Challenge to Regional Measure 3 (RM3) image

Bay Area Council Hails State Supreme Court Ruling Rejecting Challenge to Regional Measure 3 (RM3)

The Bay Area Council today (Jan. 25) released the following statement applauding a ruling by the state Supreme Court defea...
Council Celebrates Ruling for Livermore 100% Affordable Housing Project image

Council Celebrates Ruling for Livermore 100% Affordable Housing Project

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A rabid anti-housing group in Livermore recently got a solid beat down in its lawsuit opposing a 100% affordable housing p...
Not Again: Zombie Wealth Tax Bill Returns image

Not Again: Zombie Wealth Tax Bill Returns

Like a zombie from a B-grade horror movie, it appears legislation to chase away jobs and investment by raising taxes on hi...
Bay Watch: Region Ends the Year Strong, but Layoffs Loom image

Bay Watch: Region Ends the Year Strong, but Layoffs Loom

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The Bay Area ended the year strong, adding nearly 14,000 jobs and bringing unemployment rates across the region down even ...
New Data: Professional Workers Returning to San Francisco Bay Area image

New Data: Professional Workers Returning to San Francisco Bay Area

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We’re not out of the woods yet, by a long shot, but
Council Urges State Funding to Avoid Transit Fiscal Cliff image

Council Urges State Funding to Avoid Transit Fiscal Cliff

Staring down the barrel of at least a $22 billion budget deficit, Gov. Newsom and the Legislature will have some hard choi...
Bay Watch: Bay Area Population Falls for Third Straight Year image

Bay Watch: Bay Area Population Falls for Third Straight Year

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New data released this week by the California Department of Finance offers a first look at the region’s population in 20...
Council Applauds Federal Grant for Critical Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Work image

Council Applauds Federal Grant for Critical Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Work

Federal officials gathered in San Francisco this week (Jan. 23) to celebrate the awarding of a $400 million federal grant ...
Bay Area Must Address Police Officer Shortages image

Bay Area Must Address Police Officer Shortages

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Police departments across the Bay Area are experiencing severe officer shortages and the timing couldn’t be worse as con...
New Global Business and Investment Committee Launches Consuls General Speaker Series; Announces APEC Emphasis image

New Global Business and Investment Committee Launches Consuls General Speaker Series; Announces APEC Emphasis

The Bay Area Council’s new Global Business a...
<a>Major Victory! CA Supreme Court Ruling Unlocks Windfall for Bay Area Transportation</a> image

Major Victory! CA Supreme Court Ruling Unlocks Windfall for Bay Area Transportation

Better late than never. The Bay Area Council this week (Jan. 25) wildly cheered a ruling by the California Supreme Court t...
Bay Watch: Have We Really Turned the Corner on Inflation? image

Bay Watch: Have We Really Turned the Corner on Inflation?

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New data released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics had markets excited about easing inflation readings for the ...
What a Waste: Time Is Now to Accelerate New Water Storage image

What a Waste: Time Is Now to Accelerate New Water Storage

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The recent storms that tore a destructive path across California also dumped an estimated 24 trillion gallons of water, en...
Governor’s Proposed Budget Sees Big Deficit, and It Could Get Worse image

Governor’s Proposed Budget Sees Big Deficit, and It Could Get Worse

The state’s reservoirs may be filling from historic rainfall, but the budget coffers are not enjoying a similar downpour...
CEQA Court Case Could Be Unmitigated Disaster for California’s Housing Crisis image

CEQA Court Case Could Be Unmitigated Disaster for California’s Housing Crisis

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The stakes could not be higher for addressing California’s historic housing shortage and affordability crisis than the o...
Bay Area Council Statement on Gov. Newsom’s Proposed 2023 Budget image

Bay Area Council Statement on Gov. Newsom’s Proposed 2023 Budget

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San Francisco—The Bay Area Council today (Jan. 10) issued the following statement on Gov. Newsom’s pr...
Bay Area Council Launches 2023 Workforce Initiative image

Bay Area Council Launches 2023 Workforce Initiative

2023 promises to be a very big year for the Bay Area Council Workforce Committee.  Significant new philanthropic fund...
Big Bay Area Wins in Omnibus Package image

Big Bay Area Wins in Omnibus Package

The Bay Area’s global innovation and technological dominance was on full display this week when Bay Area Council member ...
Christmas Miracle: Federal San Francisco Bay Restoration Program Gets Huge Boost image

Christmas Miracle: Federal San Francisco Bay Restoration Program Gets Huge Boost

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San Francisco Bay is one of the largest and most ecologically important estuaries in the United States, but you would neve...
Council Working to Restore Confidence in Public Transit image

Council Working to Restore Confidence in Public Transit

Public safety is the core of a functioning and productive society and vital for attracting and retaining a competitive wor...
A New Year, A New Agenda for Recovery, Growth image

A New Year, A New Agenda for Recovery, Growth

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The Bay Area Council begins the new year with a renewed sense of optimism and energy, along with a sober and focused deter...
Up, Up and Away: United Bringing New Jobs to SFO image

Up, Up and Away: United Bringing New Jobs to SFO

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Bay Area Council member United is planning to add 2,200 jobs at San Francisco International Airport next year as part of a...
We Have Ignition: Bay Area Innovation Engine Goes Nuclear image

We Have Ignition: Bay Area Innovation Engine Goes Nuclear

The Bay Area’s global innovation and technological dominance was on full display this week when Bay Area Council member ...
Celebrating 200 Years of U.S.-Mexico Relations image

Celebrating 200 Years of U.S.-Mexico Relations

For his work on advancing deeper economic ties between the Bay Area, California and Mexico, Bay Area Council Economic Inst...
Building Support for More U.S. Investment in Housing image

Building Support for More U.S. Investment in Housing

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The Bay Area Council and 30 of our members met this week with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Stei...
Return to Work Survey: 65% of Employers at “New Normal” image

Return to Work Survey: 65% of Employers at “New Normal”

The future of the Bay Area’s transit systems and urban centers is becoming more clear thanks to new data from the bi-mon...
Bay Area Council Hails Selection of San Francisco for Major Asia-Pacific Economic Leadership Summit image

Bay Area Council Hails Selection of San Francisco for Major Asia-Pacific Economic Leadership Summit

The Bay Area Council hailed the announcement today (Nov. 18) that San Francisco will host the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic C...
To Meet Governor’s Drought Goals, These Projects Deserve Support image

To Meet Governor’s Drought Goals, These Projects Deserve Support

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By Jim Wunderman and Charley Wilson Governor Newsom recently unveiled...
A “Sub”-Par Day – Klamath Rams WWII Submarine, During WWII image

A “Sub”-Par Day – Klamath Rams WWII Submarine, During WWII

The Klamath is nearly 100 years old and has sailed through many turbulent times (get it, cause boats?) but perhap...
Bay Area Council Applauds Governor’s Water Supply Strategy to Adapt to Drought, Climate Change image

Bay Area Council Applauds Governor’s Water Supply Strategy to Adapt to Drought, Climate Change

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The Bay Area Council today (Aug. 11, 2022) applauded Governor Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy to strengthen the state’s...
5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Historic Klamath image

5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Historic Klamath

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The Bay Area Council put the Klamath out of business!  The Klamath started her service running ...
Bay Area Council Adds Powerhouse Team to Bolster Housing, State Government Relations Work image

Bay Area Council Adds Powerhouse Team to Bolster Housing, State Government Relations Work

Alex Torres and Louis Mirante Bring Deep Connections, Strong Record...
California Resilience Challenge Announces Statewide Request for Proposals for Climate Adaptation Projects image

California Resilience Challenge Announces Statewide Request for Proposals for Climate Adaptation Projects

Grants of up to $200,000 ava...
Webinar Replay: Homeless Encampments and the Law image

Webinar Replay: Homeless Encampments and the Law

The Bay Area Council on Thursday (May 26) hosted a webinar exploring the complex legal issues surrounding the proliferatio...
Howard Terminal Steps Up to Bat at Crucial Hearing Next Week image

Howard Terminal Steps Up to Bat at Crucial Hearing Next Week

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The visionary plan by the Oakland A’s to transform an underutilized cargo terminal at Howard Terminal into a gleaming wa...
Progress in Effort to Better Unify Regional Transportation Systems image

Progress in Effort to Better Unify Regional Transportation Systems

Do you think the region is best served by 28 separate transit and transportation agencies that often operate independently...
Big Week for Water Transportation image

Big Week for Water Transportation

There was a lot going on over the past week in the regional water transportation (aka ferry) world. The Bay Area Council h...
State Court Lambastes CEQA Abuse image

State Court Lambastes CEQA Abuse

The Bay Area Council is hailing a recent decision by the First District of the California Court of Appeal that included wi...
Rivas Emerges as New Assembly Speaker image

Rivas Emerges as New Assembly Speaker

Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) today released a statement announcing he has secured enough votes within the Democ...
Warriors Make a Splash, Heading to NBA Finals image

Warriors Make a Splash, Heading to NBA Finals

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The Bay Area Council sends congratulations to the Golden State Warriors, whose Rick Welts sits on our Executive Committee,...
Partner Spotlight: Edison International Calls for More Urgency in Climate Change Response image

Partner Spotlight: Edison International Calls for More Urgency in Climate Change Response

California must act with more urgency to address the continuing effects of climate change because the cost of inaction is ...
Member Spotlight: Visa Foundation Commits $12 Million to Address Youth Homelessness image

Member Spotlight: Visa Foundation Commits $12 Million to Address Youth Homelessness

Visa Foundation has announced a $12 million grant to
Fang Family Makes Major Gift to Recognize AAPI Month image

Fang Family Makes Major Gift to Recognize AAPI Month

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The Florence Fang Family Foundation, in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, on Thursday (Ma...
Exciting Outlook for Waterfront Mobility in the Bay Area image

Exciting Outlook for Waterfront Mobility in the Bay Area

This week the Bay Area Council launched its new Waterfront Mobility Committee under the leadership of co-chairs Heather Sa...
Biden Housing Plan Gives a Nod to Council Strategies image

Biden Housing Plan Gives a Nod to Council Strategies

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Fresh off a successful DC advocacy trip that focused heavily on housing reforms, and our 2021 decision to open a permanent...
Member Spotlight: A Golden Opportunity for Sunnyvale Wells Fargo Business Owner  image

Member Spotlight: A Golden Opportunity for Sunnyvale Wells Fargo Business Owner 

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Bay Area Council member Wells Fargo serves more than 3 million small business customers. Priya Vasan of Sunnyvale is one o...
Return of Workers to Offices Creeping Up as More Employers Embrace “New Normal” image

Return of Workers to Offices Creeping Up as More Employers Embrace “New Normal”

Thirteen months of survey data provided by Bay Area employers show we may be living in the “new normal” for in-person ...
New Report: No, Global Innovation/Tech Organizations Aren’t Leaving the Bay Area image

New Report: No, Global Innovation/Tech Organizations Aren’t Leaving the Bay Area

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While the Bay Area has lost some residents and companies during the pandemic, the good news is that we have continued to g...
A’s Howard Terminal Plan Gets (Green) Thumbs Up image

A’s Howard Terminal Plan Gets (Green) Thumbs Up

Helps ease unwanted sprawl. Check. Reduces automobile emissions. Check. Avoids development in areas threatened by wildfire...
New Homelessness Counts Offer Bad News, Good News image

New Homelessness Counts Offer Bad News, Good News

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New data released this week shows that homelessness in the Bay Area is getting worse, with the region’s unhoused populat...
Member Spotlight: Intel Commits to Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2040 image

Member Spotlight: Intel Commits to Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2040

In April, Intel Corporation announced plans to further reduce our direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions to develop ...
New Report: Benefits of Optimizing Land Uses Near Transit Stations image

New Report: Benefits of Optimizing Land Uses Near Transit Stations

A new brief from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute this week highlights the benefits of optimizing land use at trans...
Council Launches New Committees on Waterfront Mobility and Goods Movement image

Council Launches New Committees on Waterfront Mobility and Goods Movement

The Bay Area Council is launching two new policy committees to address pressing regional policy challenges. Next week, the...
$300,000,000,000 image

$300,000,000,000

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The California tax machine is running at full throttle. Gov. Newsom today unveiled his May budget revision, and the number...
Council Brings the Region’s Priorities to D.C. image

Council Brings the Region’s Priorities to D.C.

The Bay Area Council this week stormed (not like that) the nation’s capital to meet with top Congressional leaders and B...
Bay Area Council Urges State and Federal Leaders to Invest in High-Speed Rail image

Bay Area Council Urges State and Federal Leaders to Invest in High-Speed Rail

The Bay Area Council joined with three former US Transportation Secretaries, who chair the US High Speed Rail Coalition, a...
Council Testifies on Harm of Over-Reaching Federal Anti-Trust Legislation image

Council Testifies on Harm of Over-Reaching Federal Anti-Trust Legislation

The Bay Area’s world-leading innovation economy has flourished in large part because of a free-market system that encour...
Member Spotlight: The Force is with Alaska Airlines image

Member Spotlight: The Force is with Alaska Airlines

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Alaska Airlines joined forces with Disneyland Resort on May the Fourth to unveil a new, one-of-its-kind Star Wars-themed a...
Council Mourns Passing of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta image

Council Mourns Passing of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta

The Bay Area Council joined the chorus of community members and Congressional leaders who mourned the passing this week of...
Council Hosts Briefing with Attorney General Rob Bonta image

Council Hosts Briefing with Attorney General Rob Bonta

On Tuesday evening (May 3), California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined members of the Bay Area Council Executive Committ...
WETA Votes to Propel Region into Greener Future image

WETA Votes to Propel Region into Greener Future

The Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) Board of Directors voted yesterday (May 5) to launch the first zero-em...
Encouraging News for Oakland A’s Howard Terminal Project image

Encouraging News for Oakland A’s Howard Terminal Project

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The visionary plan by the Oakland A’s to transform an underutilized cargo terminal at Howard Terminal into a gleaming wa...
Apprenticeship Gaining Steam as a Key Tool in California’s Workforce Strategy image

Apprenticeship Gaining Steam as a Key Tool in California’s Workforce Strategy

The Bay Area Council is committed to apprenticeship programs as key to developing a workforce that meets the talent demand...
Continuing Population Decline a Warning for California image

Continuing Population Decline a Warning for California

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In an ominous sign for California’s economic future, the state recorded its second straight year of population loss. In ...
Member Spotlight: The Force is with Alaska Airlines image

Member Spotlight: The Force is with Alaska Airlines

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Alaska Airlines joined forces with Disneyland Resort on May the Fourth to unveil a new, one-of-its-kind Star Wars-the...
Report on Single-Payer Health Care Leaves “More Questions than Answers” image

Report on Single-Payer Health Care Leaves “More Questions than Answers”

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Four months after disastrous legislation (AB 1400) to create a so-called single-payer healthcare system in California died...
Council Supports Tax Exemption for Manufacturing, R&D Equipment image

Council Supports Tax Exemption for Manufacturing, R&D Equipment

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California’s economic competitiveness would get a big boost under legislation (SB 1951, Grayson) the Bay Area Council is...
Analysis: Howard Terminal Not Viable for Cargo Uses image

Analysis: Howard Terminal Not Viable for Cargo Uses

Some critics of a visionary plan by the Oakland A’s to transform an aging and underutilized cargo terminal at the Port o...
Council-Sponsored CARE Court Bill Faces First Test image

Council-Sponsored CARE Court Bill Faces First Test

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The Bay Area Council was on hand Monday for a meeting with Governor Newsom and state and local elected leaders to discuss...
Seamless Regional Transit Advancing image

Seamless Regional Transit Advancing

Work is progressing on the development of sweeping changes to the Bay Area’s transit system that would deliver more inte...
Bay Area Council Applauds Key Decision on High-Speed Rail Valley-to-Valley Segment image

Bay Area Council Applauds Key Decision on High-Speed Rail Valley-to-Valley Segment

The California High-Speed Rail Authority on Thursday (April 28) unanimously approved the
California’s High-Speed Rail Project: Approval of the San Jose to Merced Environmental Documents is Essential for Jobs, the Environment, Business Competitiveness and Quality of Life image

California’s High-Speed Rail Project: Approval of the San Jose to Merced Environmental Documents is Essential for Jobs, the Environment, Business Competitiveness and Quality of Life

By Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council, Ashley Swearengin, President and CEO of...
State Must Fulfill Its Commitment to Calbright College image

State Must Fulfill Its Commitment to Calbright College

Colleges across America are experiencing an unprecedented enrollment crisis. California’s own community college system h...
Council Talks with Rep. Doris Matsui about U.S. Competitiveness Legislation image

Council Talks with Rep. Doris Matsui about U.S. Competitiveness Legislation

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The Bay Area Council Government Relations Committee held a special meeting with Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) ...
Council-Sponsored Homelessness Bill Faces First Test image

Council-Sponsored Homelessness Bill Faces First Test

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SB 2211 (Ting), a bill the Bay Area Council is co-sponsoring to expand California’s inventory of emergency shelters, wil...
Council-Sponsored Water Innovation Bill Clears First Committee Hurdle image

Council-Sponsored Water Innovation Bill Clears First Committee Hurdle

A bill co-sponsored by the Bay Area Council and the California Municipal Utilities Association to advance technological in...
Bay Area Council Leads North-South-Valley Coalition to Boost Drought Resilience image

Bay Area Council Leads North-South-Valley Coalition to Boost Drought Resilience

The Bay Area Council and the Southern California Water Coalition this week asked state leaders to commit $6.5 billion from...
New Analysis: Tech Jobs and the Many Jobs They Create image

New Analysis: Tech Jobs and the Many Jobs They Create

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An analysis released this week (April 13) by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute found that technology jobs are as imp...
Major Council-Backed Sea Level Rise Project Breaks Ground image

Major Council-Backed Sea Level Rise Project Breaks Ground

The US Army Corps of Engineers broke ground Thursday (April 14) on a project to build four miles of 15 foot high levees an...
New Regional Leadership Focuses on Housing Solutions image

New Regional Leadership Focuses on Housing Solutions

The Bay Area Council has long advocated for a strong regional approach to addressing our housing crisis, including sup...
Bay Area Council Poll: Voters Say It’s Getting Much Harder to Find Housing image

Bay Area Council Poll: Voters Say It’s Getting Much Harder to Find Housing

Overwhelming support for ADUs, infill and transit-oriented housing and converting unused office space to housing; supp...
2022 Bay Area Council Poll: COVID Fears Linger with Many Saying a Return to “Normal” Could be Six Months, One Year Away image

2022 Bay Area Council Poll: COVID Fears Linger with Many Saying a Return to “Normal” Could be Six Months, One Year Away

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Even as the COVID pandemic recedes, almost half of Bay Area voters (49%) harbor concern about contracting the deadly virus...
2022 Bay Area Council Poll: Voters Demand “Get Tough” Approach on Homelessness image

2022 Bay Area Council Poll: Voters Demand “Get Tough” Approach on Homelessness

Bay Area voters have reached their breaking point when it comes to a seemingly intractable homeless crisis that is wreckin...
2022 Bay Area Council Poll Registers Big Jump in Concerns about Crime and Safety image

2022 Bay Area Council Poll Registers Big Jump in Concerns about Crime and Safety

Nearly 2/3rds avoid big city downtowns because of concerns about crime
Report: Future of California Advanced Technology and Basic Research image

Report: Future of California Advanced Technology and Basic Research

The Bay Area Council Economic Institute released today (March 29) its Future of Basic Science and Advanced Technology Repo...
2022 Bay Area Council Poll Finds Deep Malaise Settling Over the Region image

2022 Bay Area Council Poll Finds Deep Malaise Settling Over the Region

With the Bay Area still working to shake off the jarring and painful effects of the COVID pandemic while long-standing pro...
Analysis: Plan for Massive Oakland Business Tax Hike Would Be Ruinous for Jobs Recovery, Economic Growth image

Analysis: Plan for Massive Oakland Business Tax Hike Would Be Ruinous for Jobs Recovery, Economic Growth

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A proposed business tax increase the Oakland City Council is exploring would jeopardize the city’s already lagging jobs ...
Show me the Money; Bay Area Competes for Federal Transportation Largesse image

Show me the Money; Bay Area Competes for Federal Transportation Largesse

From electrifying Caltrain to extending BART to San Jose, the Bay Area is lining up its top transportation infrastructure ...
Inexplicable Advisory Vote on Howard Terminal image

Inexplicable Advisory Vote on Howard Terminal

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Even when the evidence seemed indisputable that plans by the Oakland A’s to build a transformative new ballpark at Howar...
Housing the Middle: Council Sponsors Conversation on Affordable Housing Solutions image

Housing the Middle: Council Sponsors Conversation on Affordable Housing Solutions

The Council was proud to sponsor Housing the Middle: Bay Area Affordable Housing Solutions, a provocative, solutions-orie...
Member Spotlight: Calbright College Making Strides and Building Career Pathways for Californians image

Member Spotlight: Calbright College Making Strides and Building Career Pathways for Californians

California’s first and only fully-online, public community college is making exceptional progress under the new leadersh...
Employer Survey: Almost 70% See “New Normal” Operations by Summer image

Employer Survey: Almost 70% See “New Normal” Operations by Summer

Almost one full year of survey data provided by Bay Area employers shows the post-pandemic “new normal” for in-person ...
Bay Area Council Calls on Legislature to Enact Comprehensive Reforms to End Abuse of CEQA image

Bay Area Council Calls on Legislature to Enact Comprehensive Reforms to End Abuse of CEQA

In the wake of an abusive and shameful California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lawsuit that effectively will deny enro...
We’re Not Done Yet: Council Sponsors New ADU Reform Bill image

We’re Not Done Yet: Council Sponsors New ADU Reform Bill

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Six years after the Bay Area Council sponsored the legislation (SB 1069, Wieckowski) that launched a statewide and nationa...
New CA Housing Goals Better Reflect Actual Need image

New CA Housing Goals Better Reflect Actual Need

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One of the primary challenges in addressing California’s decades-old housing affordability crisis is the ridiculously lo...
Council Examining Newsom Plan for Treating Homeless with Mental Health, Substance Abuse Disorders image

Council Examining Newsom Plan for Treating Homeless with Mental Health, Substance Abuse Disorders

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Amidst growing scenes of human suffering and despair on California’s streets, Governor Newsom on Thursday (March 3) anno...
Council Announces New Policy Focus on Maritime, Goods Movement image

Council Announces New Policy Focus on Maritime, Goods Movement

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The maritime and goods movement industry is a major driver of economic activity across the Bay Area. It encompasses our po...
Let It Flow: Federal Funding for Bay Area Transportation image

Let It Flow: Federal Funding for Bay Area Transportation

The Federal Transit Administration announced yesterday (March 3) that five Bay Area transit operators will receive an addi...
San Francisco Mayor London Breed Unveils “Welcome Back to SF” Campaign image

San Francisco Mayor London Breed Unveils “Welcome Back to SF” Campaign

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed this week announced commitments by major employers to return to in-person work during the...
Biden SOTU Highlights Importance of Apprenticeships image

Biden SOTU Highlights Importance of Apprenticeships

President Biden in his State of the Union on Tuesday (March 1) underscored the critical role our workforce will play in th...
California Resilience Challenge Winners Announced image

California Resilience Challenge Winners Announced

Today (Feb. 28) the California Resilience Challenge, an initiative of the Bay Area Council Foundation, announced the 13 wi...
Webinar: Can We Restore the California Dream? image

Webinar: Can We Restore the California Dream?

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There was a time when people were California dreamin’ and flocking to the Golden State with flowers in their hair. Not s...
Council Hosts Trans-Pacific Ceremony to Celebrate Chinese New Year image

Council Hosts Trans-Pacific Ceremony to Celebrate Chinese New Year

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Last night (Feb. 24), the Bay Area Council hosted our annual Chinese New Year Celebration and Global Leadership Award Cere...
State Water Allocations Highlight Urgency to Create More H2O image

State Water Allocations Highlight Urgency to Create More H2O

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As we enter the third year of our most recent drought, the federal Bureau of Reclamation this week announced dramatic redu...
Legislation Addresses UC Berkeley Enrollment Freeze image

Legislation Addresses UC Berkeley Enrollment Freeze

New legislation (SB 866) introduced this week (Feb. 21) by state Sen. Scott Weiner (San Francisco) would shield student an...
Gov. Newsom Reappoints Wunderman Chair of Regional Ferry Board image

Gov. Newsom Reappoints Wunderman Chair of Regional Ferry Board

Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced the reappointment of Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman as Chair of the
Council Co-Sponsors Legislation to Alleviate Unsheltered Homelessness Crisis image

Council Co-Sponsors Legislation to Alleviate Unsheltered Homelessness Crisis

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California has the least sheltered homeless population in the U.S. Just 30% of homeless Californians have access to emerge...
Abusive CEQA Lawsuit Threatens UC Berkeley Admissions image

Abusive CEQA Lawsuit Threatens UC Berkeley Admissions

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Thousands of prospective UC Berkeley students would be denied admission next year under a misguided and disastrous court r...
Big Win for Oakland A’s Ballpark Plans image

Big Win for Oakland A’s Ballpark Plans

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There’s still a long way to go, but Bay Area Council member Oakland A’s reached an important milestone this week (Feb....
Big Month for Regional Ferry Service image

Big Month for Regional Ferry Service

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There was a lot of good news this past month for fans of regional ferry service. The Port of Redwood City this week (Feb. ...
Worst Drought in 1,200 Years? How About We Make More Water image

Worst Drought in 1,200 Years? How About We Make More Water

New resear...
Not Again! Failed Wealth Tax Legislation Returns image

Not Again! Failed Wealth Tax Legislation Returns

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We worked hard to kill it once and we’ll do it again. San Jose Assemblymember Alex Lee has returned with legislation to ...
Council Sponsors Legislation to Fast Track Transportation Infrastructure Projects image

Council Sponsors Legislation to Fast Track Transportation Infrastructure Projects

With billions of dollars in new federal infrastructure funding poised to pour into the Bay Area, new legislation (SB 922) ...
Gov. Newsom Signs Legislation Reinstating Business Tax Credits image

Gov. Newsom Signs Legislation Reinstating Business Tax Credits

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There was a ray of good news this week for thousands of businesses statewide struggling (see related story below) to recov...
California Holds Highest Unemployment Rate in the Nation image

California Holds Highest Unemployment Rate in the Nation

Though California’s joblessness peaked at 16.4 percent in April 2020, our state’s unemployment rate remains the highes...
New Data Highlights Impact of Bay Area’s Horrible Housing Shortage image

New Data Highlights Impact of Bay Area’s Horrible Housing Shortage

Not that we need more evidence of California’s historic housing shortage and affordability crisis, but the National Asso...
Council Advocates for Megaregion Dozen Transportation Projects image

Council Advocates for Megaregion Dozen Transportation Projects

Last Friday, the Megaregion Working Group – comprised of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Sacramento Area Cou...
Revitalizing East Bay Manufacturing image

Revitalizing East Bay Manufacturing

The Bay Area tech economy is much more than companies building new software off lines of code. Advanced manufacturing is a...
ADUs Come to the White House image

ADUs Come to the White House

Almost six years after legislation the Bay Area Council sponsored ignited a statewide surge in new accessory dwelling unit...
Council Co-Sponsoring Seamless Transit Transformation Act image

Council Co-Sponsoring Seamless Transit Transformation Act

Getting commuters back on transit is hard enough with lingering concerns about COVID, but our region’s disjointed and la...
Bay Area Council Cheers Demise of AB 1400 Single Payer Healthcare Legislation image

Bay Area Council Cheers Demise of AB 1400 Single Payer Healthcare Legislation

The Bay Area Council today (Jan. 31) issued the following statement on the demise of AB 1400, single-payer healthcare legi...
High Stakes Wager Sets Stage for 49ers-Rams Showdown image

High Stakes Wager Sets Stage for 49ers-Rams Showdown

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Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman and Los Angeles Business Federation CEO Tracy Hernandez are most often seen collaborati...
Despite Gains in 2021, Regional Economic and Transit Recovery Face Uphill Battle image

Despite Gains in 2021, Regional Economic and Transit Recovery Face Uphill Battle

New data from December 2021 show modest gains in employment in the Bay Area, California and the nation overall, ending a y...
Governor’s Proposed Housing Investments in 2022-2023 Budget image

Governor’s Proposed Housing Investments in 2022-2023 Budget

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Governor Newsom’s proposed 2022-2023 budget lays out his priorities for tackling the state's housing crisis and inc...
Getting More Value in California from New Federal Infrastructure Spending image

Getting More Value in California from New Federal Infrastructure Spending

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For decades California has faced an infrastructure financing deficit, as federal and state support has declined and counti...
Save the Date: Celebrate the 2021 California Resilience Challenge image

Save the Date: Celebrate the 2021 California Resilience Challenge

Join the Bay Area Council Foundation the evening of Monday, February 28 for a hybrid virtual and in-per...
Council CEO Jim Wunderman Named to MTC Network Manager Advisory Group image

Council CEO Jim Wunderman Named to MTC Network Manager Advisory Group

The rubber is about to meet the road on our way to a more integrated Bay Area transit system. Bay Area Council President a...
Council-Endorsed Housing Development in Alameda Wins Preliminary Approval image

Council-Endorsed Housing Development in Alameda Wins Preliminary Approval

This week (Jan. 18) the Alameda City Council on a 4-1 vote moved ahead with the approval process for a 589-unit mixed use ...
Legislation to Dismantle CA Healthcare System Moves to Assembly Floor image

Legislation to Dismantle CA Healthcare System Moves to Assembly Floor

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This week (Jan. 19) the Assembly Appropriations Committee approved AB 1400 (Kalra), a sweeping piece of legislation propos...
Partner Spotlight: Growth Sector Trains Community College Students for Engineering Careers image

Partner Spotlight: Growth Sector Trains Community College Students for Engineering Careers

The Bay Area remains a hub for national labs, cutting edge engineering, and biotech companies, many of whom are represente...
Member Spotlight: New Comcast RISE Business Directory image

Member Spotlight: New Comcast RISE Business Directory

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Last year, Comcast launched Comcast RISE, a national effort to uplift and support local small businesses hardest hit by th...
Does Record State Budget Mask Deeper Threats? image

Does Record State Budget Mask Deeper Threats?

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It’s hard not feel good when there’s a blizzard of cash raining down on you. But it can also mask serious issues, much...
Council CEO Jim Wunderman to Headline Statewide Desalination Conference image

Council CEO Jim Wunderman to Headline Statewide Desalination Conference

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The recent deluge of rain and snow started to refill California reservoirs and aquifers badly depleted by record drought, ...
Council Member Accenture Commits to Big Expansion of Apprenticeship Hiring image

Council Member Accenture Commits to Big Expansion of Apprenticeship Hiring

Last week (Jan. 13), Accenture made massive strides in increasing apprenticeship opportunities within their recruitment st...
Council-Endorsed Housing Development in Daly City Wins Preliminary Approval image

Council-Endorsed Housing Development in Daly City Wins Preliminary Approval

The Daly City City Council last week gave an initial OK to 1,200 units of new housing as part of a larger development the ...
Council-Sponsored Reforms Tighten Screws on Cities to Produce Housing image

Council-Sponsored Reforms Tighten Screws on Cities to Produce Housing

It was supposed to be the blueprint for meeting the Bay Area’s housing needs. But it was barely worth the paper it was p...
Massive $163 Billion Tax Hike Proposed to Dismantle CA Healthcare System image

Massive $163 Billion Tax Hike Proposed to Dismantle CA Healthcare System

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Taxes on California businesses and consumers would be increased a stunning $163 billion annually (yes, annually!) under di...
Bay Area Council Joins Key State Transportation Working Group on Infrastructure Investment image

Bay Area Council Joins Key State Transportation Working Group on Infrastructure Investment

As a key California transportation stakeholder, the Bay Area Council has been invited by California Transportation Sec. Da...
Steep Drop in Migration to CA a Troubling Sign for the Economy image

Steep Drop in Migration to CA a Troubling Sign for the Economy

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A big part of California’s economic success over the decades is the migration here of top talent from other states and o...
Council Advocacy Helps Push Two Major Water Projects Closer to the Finish Line image

Council Advocacy Helps Push Two Major Water Projects Closer to the Finish Line

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Plans to build the new Sites Reservoir and expand the Pacheco Reservoir both cleared major hurdles at the California Water...
Major Milestone for Oakland A’s Waterfront Ballpark image

Major Milestone for Oakland A’s Waterfront Ballpark

The Oakland A’s bold plans for a new waterfront ballpark and surrounding commercial and residential development at Howar...
Downtown SF Rail Extension, Cornerstone of Regional Transit Network, Achieves New Milestone image

Downtown SF Rail Extension, Cornerstone of Regional Transit Network, Achieves New Milestone

The Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA), which owns and operates the multimodal Salesforce Transit Center in downtown S...
Bayer Gets Green Light for Berkeley Campus Plans image

Bayer Gets Green Light for Berkeley Campus Plans

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Plans by biopharmaceutical leader and Bay Area Council member Bayer to transform its Berkeley product development and manu...
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks Appointed Housing Committee Chair image

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks Appointed Housing Committee Chair

California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon this week (Dec. 7) appointed East Bay Assemblymember Buffy Wicks Chair of the A...
Council Confronts Tough Options for Boosting Drought Resilience image

Council Confronts Tough Options for Boosting Drought Resilience

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With California plunging deeper into drought, the Bay Area Council Water & Climate Resilience Committee met with Natur...
With Political Changes, Big Opportunity for Business image

With Political Changes, Big Opportunity for Business

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From redistricting, term limits and demographic shifts to a wave of legislative retirements, California’s political land...
Housing, Homelessness Top Bay Area Council Priorities for 2022 image

Housing, Homelessness Top Bay Area Council Priorities for 2022

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Two of the Bay Area’s most intractable and worsening problems are housing and homelessness, and the Bay Area Council, ou...
Survey: Fewer Days at the Office, More Traffic image

Survey: Fewer Days at the Office, More Traffic

The Bay Area commute may never be the same again, but what that means for the region’s highways and mass transit systems...
Member Spotlight: Comcast image

Member Spotlight: Comcast

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Comcast recently announced it will award $1 million in total grants as well as technology and marketing resources to 100 O...
Celebrating 76 Years of Business, Philanthropic Leadership image

Celebrating 76 Years of Business, Philanthropic Leadership

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In our first major in-person event since the COVID pandemic forced us all into a virtual world, the Bay Area Council and C...
New Report Examines Growing Economic Losses from Wildfires image

New Report Examines Growing Economic Losses from Wildfires

California’s record-breaking fires over the last five years have illustrated an urgent need for policy action to reduce ...
Ten Years On, an East Bay Housing Project Poised to Move Forward image

Ten Years On, an East Bay Housing Project Poised to Move Forward

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When Bay Area Council Senior Vice President Matt Regan first testified in support of a 315-unit housing project in Lafayet...
Santa Clara Knuckles Under to Opponents of Homeless Housing image

Santa Clara Knuckles Under to Opponents of Homeless Housing

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The Santa Clara City Council this week knuckled under to angry local opponents of a proposed 60-unit project to provide tr...
Member Spotlight: California Life Sciences image

Member Spotlight: California Life Sciences

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California Life Sciences (CLS) announced its 2021 Pantheon award winners–an annual celebration of those companies and in...
Steep Water Restrictions Loom as Talks Collapse image

Steep Water Restrictions Loom as Talks Collapse

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Millions of Bay Area water users could see cuts of up to 50% in dry years after state water officials walked away from neg...
Big Housing Wins, But Much More to Do image

Big Housing Wins, But Much More to Do

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This week, the Bay Area Council’s Housing Committee led a discussion with state leaders on their priorities for housing ...
Bridge Crossing Data a Good News, Bad News Story image

Bridge Crossing Data a Good News, Bad News Story

The good news is that the number of commuters crossing Bay Area bridges has returned to pre-pandemic levels. That’s also...
Member Spotlight: DoorDash Launches Safety Initiative image

Member Spotlight: DoorDash Launches Safety Initiative

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We’re excited to announce another major development to continue improving the Dasher experience. We’re
Important Step for Oakland A’s Waterfront Ballpark and Development image

Important Step for Oakland A’s Waterfront Ballpark and Development

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The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Oct. 26) delivered the equivalent of an inning-saving base hit to adva...
Creating More Seamless Regional Transportation image

Creating More Seamless Regional Transportation

Better integrating fares among the region’s many transit providers. Creating more seamless transit connections between s...
Pitching for World Cup in the Bay Area image

Pitching for World Cup in the Bay Area

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Bay Area elected leaders and business leaders are joining forces to bring the World Cup to Levi’s Stadium in 2026. San J...
The Pen is Not Mightier than the Drought image

The Pen is Not Mightier than the Drought

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Bay Area Council CEO this week penned an OpEd for Calmatters highlighting the urgency of developing new water sources ...
New Report Examines Future Manufacturing Careers image

New Report Examines Future Manufacturing Careers

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Manufacturing holds an important key to the economy of California, which is the nation’s largest manufacturing state. It...
Member Spotlight: Automotus Accelerates Commercial Adoption of EVs, Improves Parking Turnover for Local Businesses image

Member Spotlight: Automotus Accelerates Commercial Adoption of EVs, Improves Parking Turnover for Local Businesses

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Founded in 2017, new Bay Area Council member Automotus uses first-of-its-kind computer vision technology to help cities, a...
Campaign Seeks Hybrid Lane on Richmond Bridge image

Campaign Seeks Hybrid Lane on Richmond Bridge

Advocates for less congestion on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge led by the Bay Area Council recently launched the Common S...
New Study Examines California’s Landmark Paid Family Leave Program Over 20 Years image

New Study Examines California’s Landmark Paid Family Leave Program Over 20 Years

California’s first-in-the-nation paid family leave (PFL) program is almost two decades old and a new in-depth Bay Area C...
Gov. Newsom Signs Council-Sponsored Bill to Close Major Housing Reform Loophole image

Gov. Newsom Signs Council-Sponsored Bill to Close Major Housing Reform Loophole

The Bay Area Council today (Sept. 16) applauded Gov. Gavin Newsom for signing urgency legislation (AB 1174, Tim Grayson) i...
Statement on Gov. Newsom’s Recall Victory image

Statement on Gov. Newsom’s Recall Victory

The Bay Area Council today (Sept. 15) issued the following statement on the resounding defeat of an effort to recall Gov. ...
Bay Area Council Urges Gov. Newsom to Sign Wildfire Bill image

Bay Area Council Urges Gov. Newsom to Sign Wildfire Bill

For centuries, California’s indigenous residents used small, controlled fires to manage vegetation growth in forests and...
Jim Wunderman Answers Questions about Regional Ferry Service image

Jim Wunderman Answers Questions about Regional Ferry Service

As the Bay Area makes good progress in stamping out COVID and business activity picks up around the region, so has ferrybo...
Member Spotlight: Cal Water Proposes Over $1 Billion Investment in State Water Systems image

Member Spotlight: Cal Water Proposes Over $1 Billion Investment in State Water Systems

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In July, Cal Water submitted its 2022-2024 infrastructure improvement plans for all of its California districts with the s...
Watch: Opportunities for U.S. Partnerships in China’s Greater Bay Area Region image

Watch: Opportunities for U.S. Partnerships in China’s Greater Bay Area Region

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This week (Sept. 8), Bay Area Council Economic Institute Senior Director Sean Randolph presented the findings of
Economists Target Restrictive Zoning in Housing Crisis image

Economists Target Restrictive Zoning in Housing Crisis

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A report this week by the White House Council of Economic Advisors came at just the right time as two bills the Bay Area C...
Data Visualization Tool Highlights California’s Slowing Population Growth Since 1990s image

Data Visualization Tool Highlights California’s Slowing Population Growth Since 1990s

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A new visualization tool created by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute tracking California’s demographic trends by ...
Bay Area Council Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for All Private Sector Employers, Businesses image

Bay Area Council Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for All Private Sector Employers, Businesses

The Bay Area Council today (Aug. 31) announced it is formally recommending all private sector employers, businesses and ot...
Big Win for Housing image

Big Win for Housing

Breaking the stranglehold of single-family zoning on California’s housing landscape has long been seen as a critical par...
Survey: As Delta Variant Surges, Employers Delaying Return to Office Plans image

Survey: As Delta Variant Surges, Employers Delaying Return to Office Plans

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The fast-spreading COVID-19 delta variant appears to be causing some Bay Area businesses to pull back slightly on their pl...
Bay Area Council Helps Plan Sea Level Rise Defense image

Bay Area Council Helps Plan Sea Level Rise Defense

How will the Bay Area pay for defending its shoreline from rising sea levels? How can we speed projects to ensure action i...
Council CEO Jim Wunderman Again Named to Capitol Weekly Top 100 image

Council CEO Jim Wunderman Again Named to Capitol Weekly Top 100

We’ve frankly lost count of the number of times Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman has been named to the state’s most-...
Bay Area Council Calls for State Forestry Stimulus to Fight Wildfires image

Bay Area Council Calls for State Forestry Stimulus to Fight Wildfires

With record wildfires again sweeping California and state and federal agencies struggling to manage California’s 33 mill...
Council Asks Legislature to Help Silicon Valley Stave Off Drought Disaster image

Council Asks Legislature to Help Silicon Valley Stave Off Drought Disaster

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The Bay Area Council this week called on state legislators to appropriate $20 million to help Valley Water—Silicon Valle...
Housing and Homelessness Committees Meet image

Housing and Homelessness Committees Meet

The Bay Area Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committees this week welcomed Dr. U.S. Housing and Urban Development Sen...
All Aboard Bay Area Transit image

All Aboard Bay Area Transit

The Bay Area Council is proud to support the newly-launched All Aboard Bay Area Transit campaign, a one-stop shop for info...
Attention Shifts to State Water Plan as Drought Worsens image

Attention Shifts to State Water Plan as Drought Worsens

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Plans by state agencies to force water users in the Bay Area and elsewhere to leave more water in rivers and streams at th...
Picture Worth 1,000 Words – and Even More ADUs image

Picture Worth 1,000 Words – and Even More ADUs

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Member Spotlight: 49ers Elevate Bay Area Black-Owned Businesses image

Member Spotlight: 49ers Elevate Bay Area Black-Owned Businesses

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Amid both the ongoing pandemic and the fight against social injustice, the San Francisco 49ers, a longtime member of the B...
How much would it cost to drought-proof the Bay Area? image

How much would it cost to drought-proof the Bay Area?

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Even a small risk of supply disruption warrants big investments in drought-proof water.
Bay Area Council Employer Survey: 40% Expect Return to Workplaces Just Three Days a Week Post-Pandemic image

Bay Area Council Employer Survey: 40% Expect Return to Workplaces Just Three Days a Week Post-Pandemic

The Bay Area commute may never be the same again, but what that means for the region’s highways and mass transit systems...
Stage Set for 2021 Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame Presented by Kaiser Permanente image

Stage Set for 2021 Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame Presented by Kaiser Permanente

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The stage is set for a big, in-person return this year of the Annual Dinner and Bay Area Business Hall of Fame presented b...
State Approves $13 Million Council-Backed Request to Advance Desalination image

State Approves $13 Million Council-Backed Request to Advance Desalination

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California this week approved $13 million for a major desalination research and development initiative that the Bay Area C...
Tour Highlights Innovative Sares Regis, LifeMoves Homeless Housing image

Tour Highlights Innovative Sares Regis, LifeMoves Homeless Housing

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Several Bay Area Council members and partner organizations toured the award-winning LifeMoves supportive interim housing c...
TixforTransit Winners Announced image

TixforTransit Winners Announced

We have our winners. The Bay Area Council recently partnered with five of our Bay Area professional sports teams on Tixfor...
BART Making Good Progress on Measure RR Work image

BART Making Good Progress on Measure RR Work

The Bay Area Council was proud to help lead the regional campaign that succeeded in overwhelmingly passing Measure RR in 2...
Council Headlines China Technology Summit image

Council Headlines China Technology Summit

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This week (July 26), the Bay Area Council offered opening remarks at the 23rd Annual Meeting of China Association for Scie...
Bay Area Council Economic Institute and Silicon Valley Leadership Group Receive California 100 Grant to Examine CA’s Advanced Technology Future image

Bay Area Council Economic Institute and Silicon Valley Leadership Group Receive California 100 Grant to Examine CA’s Advanced Technology Future

The Bay Area Council Economic Institute (BACEI) and Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) today announced that they are t...
Enter and Win: Council Announces #TixforTransit Contest image

Enter and Win: Council Announces #TixforTransit Contest

Bay Area transit systems are continuing to ramp up service and provide reduced fares while also taking strong measures to ...
Council Launches 2021 California Resilience Challenge Amidst Drought, Wildfire Emergencies image

Council Launches 2021 California Resilience Challenge Amidst Drought, Wildfire Emergencies

The Bay Area Council Foundation on Monday, July 12 launched the official request for proposals for the California Resilien...
California Unemployment Badly Lags Pre-Pandemic Trends image

California Unemployment Badly Lags Pre-Pandemic Trends

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While many media outlets and business climate deniers across the state continue their fixation on the lack of a so-called ...
Keeping the Oakland A’s in Oakland image

Keeping the Oakland A’s in Oakland

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With a key vote looming on the Oakland A’s plan to build a new ballpark at Howard Terminal north of Jack London Square, ...
California Clean Air Day 2021: Microgrants Program image

California Clean Air Day 2021: Microgrants Program

On Wednesday, October 6, the Bay Area Council and 250 businesses and organizations across the state will unite to take par...
Redwood City Ferry Terminal Steaming Ahead image

Redwood City Ferry Terminal Steaming Ahead

Plans for extending regional ferry service to Silicon Valley are accelerating, with Gov. Newsom this week signing budget l...
California Resilience Challenge Announces Statewide Request for Proposals for Climate Adaptation Projects image

California Resilience Challenge Announces Statewide Request for Proposals for Climate Adaptation Projects

The Bay Area Council Foundation today launched the official request for proposals for the California Resilience Challenge ...
California Economic Future: What, Me Worry? image

California Economic Future: What, Me Worry?

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Almost 50% of Californians said they are seriously thinking of leaving the state in the next few years or are giving it so...
Transit Agencies Getting Aggressive to Promote Ridership image

Transit Agencies Getting Aggressive to Promote Ridership

As the Bay Area economy reopens, the regional commute is also revving up. And while new data shows commuters are choosing ...
Council Helps Push Record State Investments to Fight Homelessness image

Council Helps Push Record State Investments to Fight Homelessness

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The budget Gov. Newsom signed last week commits a record $12 billion over the next two years to fight homelessness, and ca...
Climate Priorities Poised for Big Wins in State Budget – But Fight’s Not Over image

Climate Priorities Poised for Big Wins in State Budget – But Fight’s Not Over

The record budget Gov. Newsom signed last week includes nearly $8 billion for unspecified climate resilience, drought, and...
Partner Spotlight: CEO Action for Racial Equity image

Partner Spotlight: CEO Action for Racial Equity

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Launched in October 2020, CEO Action for Racial Equity
Report: Rethinking Mexico and Its Ties to Silicon Valley image

Report: Rethinking Mexico and Its Ties to Silicon Valley

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The Bay Area Council Economic Institute recently released a report authored by Senior Director Dr. Sean Randolph exami...
WETA Launches New Alameda Seaplane Lagoon Route, Increases Other SF Bay Ferry Services image

WETA Launches New Alameda Seaplane Lagoon Route, Increases Other SF Bay Ferry Services

This week (July 1), the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), the City of Alameda and Alameda Point Partne...
Berryessa TOD Project Advances in San Jose image

Berryessa TOD Project Advances in San Jose

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A mixed-use development directly adjacent to the Berryessa BART station in San Jose that proposes to create 3,450 resident...
Bernard J. Tyson’s Legacy Celebrated with Portrait Unveiling image

Bernard J. Tyson’s Legacy Celebrated with Portrait Unveiling

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The Bay Area Council was honored to be included in a celebration of the legacy and contributions of Bernard J. Tyson this ...
Litigation Abuse Under CEQA Delays Yet Another Affordable Housing Project image

Litigation Abuse Under CEQA Delays Yet Another Affordable Housing Project

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After an exhaustive review process with multiple public hearings and countless hours of community outreach and input, the ...
Bay Area Council Applauds BART for Restoring Service Hours Ahead of Schedule, Bolstering Economic Recovery image

Bay Area Council Applauds BART for Restoring Service Hours Ahead of Schedule, Bolstering Economic Recovery

SAN FRANCISCO—On July 1, BART agreed to restore near pre-pandemic service four weeks earlier than originally planned, as...
Bay Area Council Implores BART Board to Add Additional Service to Aid California Economy image

Bay Area Council Implores BART Board to Add Additional Service to Aid California Economy

The Bay Area Council, in partnership with the Golden Gate Restaurant Association and Bay Area concert venues and performin...
Fighting Back Against Misguided, Ham-Fisted Federal Legislation to Hobble California’s Innovation Economy image

Fighting Back Against Misguided, Ham-Fisted Federal Legislation to Hobble California’s Innovation Economy

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California’s innovation economy is under direct siege by misguided lawmakers in D.C. who want to dismantle some of the w...
Congressman Garamendi’s Strong Leadership Could Finally Make Hovercraft a Reality in the Bay Area image

Congressman Garamendi’s Strong Leadership Could Finally Make Hovercraft a Reality in the Bay Area

San Francisco—The Bay Area could finally add hovercraft to its arsenal of regional traffic-fighting too...
New Report Outlines $11.8 Billion Regional Strategy for Ending Bay Area Homelessness image

New Report Outlines $11.8 Billion Regional Strategy for Ending Bay Area Homelessness

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With the Bay Area accounting for 30% of the total rise in U.S. homelessness since 2017, the nation’s highest rate of uns...
Council Condemns Latest Anti-Asian Violence image

Council Condemns Latest Anti-Asian Violence

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Another in a series of violent attacks against Asians left two San Francisco women seriously injured this week when a knif...
Gov. Newsom Unveils Record Budget image

Gov. Newsom Unveils Record Budget

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Gov. Newsom today released his revised budget, a sweeping and historic $267 billion spending plan that is designed to get ...
Art Gensler: Architectural Visionary Transformed the Profession image

Art Gensler: Architectural Visionary Transformed the Profession

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The Bay Area Council mourns the passing this week of visionary architect and good friend Art Gensler. The outpouring of re...
State Audit Highlights Calbright College’s Potential image

State Audit Highlights Calbright College’s Potential

Calbright College, California’s first statewide online community college, got off to a bumpy start but deserves the oppo...
#MeetLocalSF Can Help Speed Up Economic Recovery, Boost Jobs image

#MeetLocalSF Can Help Speed Up Economic Recovery, Boost Jobs

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What is one way businesses can help boost the local economy and get us back on the road to recovery? By meeting local! As ...
Bay Area Council Poll: Homelessness Dominates Concerns image

Bay Area Council Poll: Homelessness Dominates Concerns

Housing Costs and Affordability Remain Top Concerns, while Concerns Soften about the Bay Area’s Notorious...
Northern California Apprentice Network Launches image

Northern California Apprentice Network Launches

As the Bay Area and the greater Northern California megaregion begin the recovery process, increasing equitable opportunit...
Google’s Bold San Jose Mixed-Use Transit Village Clears Key Hurdle image

Google’s Bold San Jose Mixed-Use Transit Village Clears Key Hurdle

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Google’s bold plans for creating a mixed-use transit village west of downtown San Jose took a big step forward this week...
Tax Increase Legislation Advances on Questionable Voting Practice image

Tax Increase Legislation Advances on Questionable Voting Practice

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Even with Gov. Newsom pledging not to sign any legislation that would raise taxes, a bill to do exactly that is moving for...
Member Spotlight: Blue Shield of California Sets NextGen Sustainability Goals image

Member Spotlight: Blue Shield of California Sets NextGen Sustainability Goals

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Climate change is an urgent public health issue. According to a recent
Bay Area Council Poll Finds Huge Support for Merging Caltrain and BART image

Bay Area Council Poll Finds Huge Support for Merging Caltrain and BART

Merging two of the region’s largest commuter rail systems into a single system ringing the bay is a winning idea, accord...
Bay Area Residents Cite Significant Concerns About the Burdens, Obstacles Facing Businesses image

Bay Area Residents Cite Significant Concerns About the Burdens, Obstacles Facing Businesses

Even as the Bay Area economy begins to reopen and recover from a year-long COVID shutdown, a strong majority of residents ...
Study: Bayer Expansion Would Generate $613M in Economic Activity, Support 3,800 Jobs image

Study: Bayer Expansion Would Generate $613M in Economic Activity, Support 3,800 Jobs

The Bay Area’s life sciences industry is booming, and plans by Bayer to dramatically expand its Berkeley product develop...
Following Chauvin Verdict, Much Work Remains image

Following Chauvin Verdict, Much Work Remains

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The nation breathed a deep sigh of relief this week with the conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for th...
Coalition for CA’s Future Picks Up Steam image

Coalition for CA’s Future Picks Up Steam

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Does the minting of new startup billionaires mean California shouldn’t be concerned about the economy? Don’t tell that...
Headwinds Buffet California Jobs Recovery image

Headwinds Buffet California Jobs Recovery

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New state unemployment data released this week highlights the headwinds that continue to buffet California’s economic re...
California Housing Permits Badly Lag Competitor States image

California Housing Permits Badly Lag Competitor States

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California continues to struggle to permit housing at the level necessary due to a lack of land zoned at the appropriate d...
Bay Area Council Helps Climate Resilience Bond Clear First Hurdle image

Bay Area Council Helps Climate Resilience Bond Clear First Hurdle

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California moved one step closer Thursday (April 8) to voting on a $6.7 billion climate resilience bond on the fall 2022 b...
Help Create Real Estate Career Opportunities for Bay Area Youth image

Help Create Real Estate Career Opportunities for Bay Area Youth

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The Bay Area Council continues to work closely with Project Destined, a paid vi...
Member Spotlight: United Launches Pilot Training Academy image

Member Spotlight: United Launches Pilot Training Academy

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United Airlines, the only major U.S. airline to own a flight school, has begun accepting applications as it embarks on an ...
Finally, It’s Infrastructure Week image

Finally, It’s Infrastructure Week

President Biden this week unveiled his $2.3 trillion proposal to invest in upgrading and expanding the nation’s crumblin...
Analysis Shows Lifting SALT Cap Would Create Thousands of CA Jobs image

Analysis Shows Lifting SALT Cap Would Create Thousands of CA Jobs

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A new analysis by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute suggests that restoring the full state and local tax (SALT) dedu...
Council Urges Consideration of Alternative Water Plan as Drought Worsens image

Council Urges Consideration of Alternative Water Plan as Drought Worsens

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For the second straight year, California’s Sierra snowpack is far below the historic April 1 average, according to the s...
Bay Area Council Applauds WETA’s Pandemic Recovery Program image

Bay Area Council Applauds WETA’s Pandemic Recovery Program

Yesterday (April 1) the WETA Board of Directors, chaired by Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman, unanimously approved its
As Concerns Grow of New COVID Surge, Bay Area Council Poll Finds Troubling Pockets of Vaccine Hesitancy image

As Concerns Grow of New COVID Surge, Bay Area Council Poll Finds Troubling Pockets of Vaccine Hesitancy

As concerns grow about a possible fourth COVID surge and public health officials race to roll out vaccines, the 2021 Bay A...
Council’s D.C. Week Comes at Key Time, Helps Deepen Important Relationships image

Council’s D.C. Week Comes at Key Time, Helps Deepen Important Relationships

With the recent passage of the federal COVID relief package and ahead of an expected federal infrastructure bill, the Bay ...
Whoa, Not More Taxes image

Whoa, Not More Taxes

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Another tax on California’s economy surfaced this week (March 22) even as the state announced that budget revenues are e...
Member Spotlight: Siemens Supports Feeding America image

Member Spotlight: Siemens Supports Feeding America

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In partnership with Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, the Siemens Foundation recently an...
Partner Spotlight: California Rebuilding Fund image

Partner Spotlight: California Rebuilding Fund

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The COVID-19 shock to California’s economy has been deep and pervasive, hitting both small towns and large cities across...
We Must Stand Together in Condemning Racial Violence and Hatred image

We Must Stand Together in Condemning Racial Violence and Hatred

The horrific attack this week at three spas in Atlanta, Georgia, that left eight people dead, including six Asian women, h...
Another Tax Hike Rears Its Ugly Head image

Another Tax Hike Rears Its Ugly Head

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Not again. Another misguided tax hike proposal has reared its head in Sacramento as California sits on record revenues, ro...
Workforce Retraining Critical to Strong Economic Rebound image

Workforce Retraining Critical to Strong Economic Rebound

The COVID pandemic has upended and disrupted labor markets in profound ways. Millions of jobs lost, many that may never re...
Council Endorses 1,729 Homes in Menlo Park image

Council Endorses 1,729 Homes in Menlo Park

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This week the Bay Area Council Housing Endorsement Committee voted to endorse Willow Village in Menlo Park, an ambitious c...
Join: Return to Work Employer Network image

Join: Return to Work Employer Network

Understanding employers’ plans for returning to work will be crucial in reopening and ramping up capacity of the Bay Are...
Member Spotlight: Verizon Initiative Supporting Women image

Member Spotlight: Verizon Initiative Supporting Women

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Verizon has announced Verizon Women’s CoLab, a new effort to support women amid the current crisis of women leaving the ...
Member Spotlight: Google Fueling Economic Recovery image

Member Spotlight: Google Fueling Economic Recovery

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Google this week announced bold plans to help accelerate economic recovery by investing over $7 billion in offices and dat...
Bay Area Loses Over 65,000 More Jobs Than Originally Estimated image

Bay Area Loses Over 65,000 More Jobs Than Originally Estimated

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Annual revisions released today by the California Employment Development Department show that the nine-county Bay Area los...
Council Celebrates Year of the Ox, Honors Former Gov. Brown image

Council Celebrates Year of the Ox, Honors Former Gov. Brown

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The Bay Area Council celebrated the Lunar New Year and the arrival of the Year of the Ox during a virtual event this week ...
Big Price Tag for SF’s Safe Sleeping Sites for Homeless image

Big Price Tag for SF’s Safe Sleeping Sites for Homeless

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You might think that small, temporary tent compounds to house the homeless in San Francisco would be less costly than rent...
Charging into the Future on Road Usage Charging image

Charging into the Future on Road Usage Charging

As California moves to electrify its transportation sector, funding from gas taxes that is critical to maintaining the sta...
Member Spotlight: DoorDash Pledges Main Street Strong Initiatives image

Member Spotlight: DoorDash Pledges Main Street Strong Initiatives

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The COVID-19 Restaurant Relief Grant program is part of DoorDash’s five-year, $200 million 
Partner Spotlight: Oakland Chamber Highlights Internship Opportunities image

Partner Spotlight: Oakland Chamber Highlights Internship Opportunities

Are you hosting a summer intern? Do you want to hire a summer intern but not sure where to start? This summer, the Ba...
Study: SF Arts Organizations Generate $1.7 Billion in Economic Activity image

Study: SF Arts Organizations Generate $1.7 Billion in Economic Activity

As COVID restrictions begin to lift, the reopening of San Francisco’s nonprofit arts and cultural organizations will be ...
Council Backs Push for Action on Infrastructure image

Council Backs Push for Action on Infrastructure

The Bay Area Council has joined over 3...
Member Spotlight: A’s Hit Key Milestone on Waterfront Ballpark image

Member Spotlight: A’s Hit Key Milestone on Waterfront Ballpark

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The city of Oakland on Feb. 26 released its Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), which offers an incredibly thorough ...
Council Endorses Legislation for $6.7 Billion Climate Resilience Bond image

Council Endorses Legislation for $6.7 Billion Climate Resilience Bond

Assemblymember Kevin Mullin (San Mateo) joined the Bay Area Council’s Water and Climate Resilience Committee recently fo...
Waiting for Economic Point of No Return Not an Option image

Waiting for Economic Point of No Return Not an Option

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The Bay Area Council didn’t coin the term “exodus” to describe anecdotal stories of companies, jobs and investment l...
New Housing Report Studies Regional Initiatives That Can Be Replicated Statewide image

New Housing Report Studies Regional Initiatives That Can Be Replicated Statewide

The Bay Area isn’t the only region in California facing a housing crisis. In every corner of the state, housing advocate...
Council Congratulates New MTC Chair Alfredo Pedroza image

Council Congratulates New MTC Chair Alfredo Pedroza

The Bay Area Council congratulates Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza on being named this week (Feb. 24) Chair of the ...
Council Announces New Partnership to Deepen Board, Executive Diversity image

Council Announces New Partnership to Deepen Board, Executive Diversity

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Despite years of hard work, women and communities of color continue to be underrepresented in the highest echelons of busi...
Council Meets with Governor’s Senior Counselor on Housing and Homeless image

Council Meets with Governor’s Senior Counselor on Housing and Homeless

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The Bay Area Council’s Housing Committee this week welcomed Jason Elliott, Senior Counselor to Gov. Newsom on Housing an...
Celebrating the Year of the Ox image

Celebrating the Year of the Ox

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The Bay Area Council wishes you a happy, healthy and prosperous Lunar New Year. We are optimistic that the Year of the Ox ...
Liccardo: Don’t Blame Tech for Exodus image

Liccardo: Don’t Blame Tech for Exodus

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As the Bay Area Council moves quickly to advance our Business Climate Initiative, we were encouraged to read a powerful co...
Council Co-Sponsors Water Innovation Bill image

Council Co-Sponsors Water Innovation Bill

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The Bay Area Council is proud to partner with the California Municipal Utilities Association in sponsoring SB 351 which au...
Terner Center Study Affirms Value of Housing Reforms image

Terner Center Study Affirms Value of Housing Reforms

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Legislation (SB 35) the Bay Area Council supported has been effective in reducing housing costs and streamlining productio...
State Audit Details “Disjointed” Homeless Response image

State Audit Details “Disjointed” Homeless Response

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California’s approach to addressing homelessness is disjointed between siloed state agencies, and the entity tasked with...
George P. Shultz: An Appreciation image

George P. Shultz: An Appreciation

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With the recent passing George P. Shultz, who served as U.S. Secretary of State from 1982 to 1989, America lost perhaps it...
Partner Spotlight: California Competes image

Partner Spotlight: California Competes

In California there are 6.8 million adults ages 25–54 who graduated high school but have not completed a postsecondary d...
Council Joins Campaign to Deepen Board Diversity image

Council Joins Campaign to Deepen Board Diversity

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Despite years of hard work, women and communities of color continue to be underrepresented in the highest echelons of busi...
Statement on Passing of George P. Shultz image

Statement on Passing of George P. Shultz

The Bay Area Council today (Feb. 7) issued the following statement on the passing of George P. Shultz.
Troubling New Data Highlights Urgency of Addressing Bay Area Jobs Exodus image

Troubling New Data Highlights Urgency of Addressing Bay Area Jobs Exodus

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Newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the first glimpse of the pace of recovery in regional e...
Council Calls for Passage of National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 image

Council Calls for Passage of National Apprenticeship Act of 2021

Congress today (Feb. 5) was expected to pass the
Partner Spotlight: Revolution Foods image

Partner Spotlight: Revolution Foods

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More than 11 million children in the U.S. live in food insecure homes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (US...
Bay Area Council Helps California with Wildfire Resilience image

Bay Area Council Helps California with Wildfire Resilience

The Bay Area Council met recently with senior members of the Newsom Administration to discuss ways the private sector can ...
Rep. Speier Reintroduces Legislation to Restore San Francisco Bay image

Rep. Speier Reintroduces Legislation to Restore San Francisco Bay

Congresswoman Jackie Speier on Thursday (Jan. 28) reintroduced the San Francisco Bay Restoration Act, a bill to provide in...
Mourning the Passing of Katherine Strehl image

Mourning the Passing of Katherine Strehl

The Bay Area Council mourned the passing this week of Katherine Strehl, a former Council staff member and a widely respect...
Progress in Bringing Ferry Service to Silicon Valley image

Progress in Bringing Ferry Service to Silicon Valley

Plans to bring ferry service to Redwood City are moving forward. The Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), whic...
New Report: Making the Megaregional Case for a New Transbay Rail Crossing image

New Report: Making the Megaregional Case for a New Transbay Rail Crossing

A new transbay rail crossing between San Francisco and the East Bay would not only ease congestion along one of the Bay Ar...
Council Advocacy Helps Approval of UCSF Parnassus Heights Project image

Council Advocacy Helps Approval of UCSF Parnassus Heights Project

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Yesterday (Jan. 21), the UC Board of Regents voted to approve a project by UC San Francisco (UCSF) to modernize the univer...
Statement on Inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris image

Statement on Inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris

The Bay Area Council today (Jan. 20) issued the following statement on the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice Pr...
Fighting to Keep Jobs in California image

Fighting to Keep Jobs in California

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The stories continue to mount about California’s worsening business climate and the exodus of key companies, investors a...
Keeping Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream Alive More Important Than Ever image

Keeping Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream Alive More Important Than Ever

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Like few periods in recent memory, the past year has exposed our country’s continuing struggle to address painful, long-...
Statement on AB 71 to Raise Taxes on Struggling Businesses image

Statement on AB 71 to Raise Taxes on Struggling Businesses

The Bay Area Council today (Jan. 13) issued the following statement in response to the introduction of AB 71, proposed le...
Take Action: Support UCSF Parnassus Heights Plan image

Take Action: Support UCSF Parnassus Heights Plan

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A UC San Francisco project the Bay Area Council has endorsed to modernize the university’s 70-year-old Parnassus Heights...
Call to Participate in Bay Area Council Focus Groups on Returning to Transit image

Call to Participate in Bay Area Council Focus Groups on Returning to Transit

The Bay Area Council is inviting employers to join focus groups for in-depth conversations about returning ...
Council Helps Secure Almost $1 Billion for Regional Transportation image

Council Helps Secure Almost $1 Billion for Regional Transportation

The Bay Area Council applauds Congress for awarding almost $980 million to the Bay Area to support our regional transporta...
In Memoriam: Silicon Valley Legend and Former Bay Area Council Chair Paul Cook image

In Memoriam: Silicon Valley Legend and Former Bay Area Council Chair Paul Cook

Posted In:
The Bay Area Council is mourning the recent death of
Newsom Plan for Helping Struggling Businesses a Welcome Start image

Newsom Plan for Helping Struggling Businesses a Welcome Start

Posted In:
Gov. Newsom this week previewed his
Statement on the Violent Insurrection to Overturn the Election image

Statement on the Violent Insurrection to Overturn the Election

On behalf of the Bay Area Council, CEO Jim Wunderman today (Jan. 7) issued the following statement in the wake of the horr...
New Analysis Shows Number of Jobs that Can Work from Home in the Bay Area, Highlights Regional Implications image

New Analysis Shows Number of Jobs that Can Work from Home in the Bay Area, Highlights Regional Implications

SAN FRANCISCO—The Bay Area has a higher percentage of jobs eligible for remote work than any other majo...
Business Climate Woes Weigh Heavily image

Business Climate Woes Weigh Heavily

Beyond the hard data and growing anecdotal evidence of departing companies, declining investment, lost jobs and shrinking ...
Grim COVID News Calls for Redoubling Safety Precautions image

Grim COVID News Calls for Redoubling Safety Precautions

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News reports this week delivered some gut-punching statistics about the very serious spike of COVID-19 in the Bay Are...
Declining Population Signals More Trouble for Economy image

Declining Population Signals More Trouble for Economy

New data released Wednesday by the California Department of Finance shows the nine-county Bay Area total population stagna...
Small Business Getting Walloped by Pandemic Closures image

Small Business Getting Walloped by Pandemic Closures

As the state of California faces new public health orders to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, a new Small Business Majorit...
Clint Reilly Expands Media Holdings image

Clint Reilly Expands Media Holdings

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Legendary political strategist, real estate mogul and philanthropist Clint Reilly this week expanded his growing media hol...
Bay Area-Australia Report Released image

Bay Area-Australia Report Released

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The Bay Area Council Economic Institute on Wednesday (Dec. 16) released its latest global study, this time examining&...
Member Spotlight: Gilead Sciences image

Member Spotlight: Gilead Sciences

Posted In:
Gilead Sciences this month announced the launch of its Racial Equity Community Impact Fund, which will support high-impact...
Skelton: Sen. Feinstein Should Be Able to Retire on Her Own Terms image

Skelton: Sen. Feinstein Should Be Able to Retire on Her Own Terms

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein has dedicated her life to public service and the Bay Area Council has been extremely proud to work w...
Oracle’s Departure Another Sign Business Climate Deniers Are Dooming California Economy image

Oracle’s Departure Another Sign Business Climate Deniers Are Dooming California Economy

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The Bay Area Council today issued the following statement on the announcement by Oracle that it is relocating its headquar...
WETA Names New Executive Director, Releases Study to Bring Hovercraft Services to the Bay image

WETA Names New Executive Director, Releases Study to Bring Hovercraft Services to the Bay

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The Bay Area Council is thrilled to congratulate Seamus Murphy on his appointment as the new Executive Director of the San...
Council Looks Ahead to a Full 2021 Legislative Session Focused on Housing image

Council Looks Ahead to a Full 2021 Legislative Session Focused on Housing

The 2021 legislative session appears the be shaping up as a retread of 2020 with all the major housing bills that failed t...
California Releases Smartphone-Based Exposure Notification System image

California Releases Smartphone-Based Exposure Notification System

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This week, California released its smartphone-based exposure notification system “CA Notify.” The system—built into ...
Was 2019 the Final Year of a Dominant Decade for the Bay Area? image

Was 2019 the Final Year of a Dominant Decade for the Bay Area?

Newly released data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis for 2019 reveals a slowing GDP picture for the region, one that i...
CA State Treasurer Named to Global Economy and Environment Leadership Group image

CA State Treasurer Named to Global Economy and Environment Leadership Group

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Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer, was named to the Council for Inclusive Capitalism this week (Tuesday), joining 27 le...
From Silicon Valley to Sydney: What will a Trans-Pacific Collaboration Mean for the Future? image

From Silicon Valley to Sydney: What will a Trans-Pacific Collaboration Mean for the Future?

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The Bay Area Council Economic Institute has developed a new report to assess the unique ties connecting Australia with the...
Opinion: Passive Observer: the U.S. and Asia’s New Trade Pact image

Opinion: Passive Observer: the U.S. and Asia’s New Trade Pact

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Last month, fifteen nations signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP); the U.S. however, did not sign....
Member Spotlight: Facebook Invests $150 Million in Bay Area Low Income Housing image

Member Spotlight: Facebook Invests $150 Million in Bay Area Low Income Housing

Facebook Inc. announced this week (Wednesday) that developments for the lowest-income tier in the Bay Area will get $150 m...
Council Applauds Appointment of Dee Dee Myers to Lead GO-Biz image

Council Applauds Appointment of Dee Dee Myers to Lead GO-Biz

The Bay Area Council applauds Gov. Gavin Newsom’s appointment today of Dee Dee Myers, former Warner Brothers e...
With Release of Feasibility Study, Bay Area Council Encourages WETA to Bring Hovercraft Services to the Bay image

With Release of Feasibility Study, Bay Area Council Encourages WETA to Bring Hovercraft Services to the Bay

SAN FRANCISCO--Today the Water Emergency Transportation Authority received a much-anticipated Hovercraft Feasibility Study...
COVID Surge Prompts New Lockdown Measures image

COVID Surge Prompts New Lockdown Measures

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A dramatic surge in COVID cases and rising hospitalizations prompted Gov. Newsom this week to unveil
Labor Force Numbers Plummet in High-Cost Metro Areas image

Labor Force Numbers Plummet in High-Cost Metro Areas

New data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides finer detail on the potential long-term economic destruction ...
Bay Area Council Prevails in Lawsuit Opposing Trump Administration H-1B Restrictions image

Bay Area Council Prevails in Lawsuit Opposing Trump Administration H-1B Restrictions

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The U.S. District Court for Northern California this week (Dec. 1) handed the Bay Area Council and U.S. Chamber of Commerc...
Bay Area Benefits from State Transportation Funding image

Bay Area Benefits from State Transportation Funding

Legislation (SB1) the Bay Area Council worked hard to pass in 2017 will provide $400 million for 11 transportation project...
Bay Area Council Support Leads to $100 Million for Megaregion Rail Project image

Bay Area Council Support Leads to $100 Million for Megaregion Rail Project

One of California’s worst freight rail bottlenecks will be unclogged with help from a $100 million federal infrastructur...
Newsom Unveils Early Learning Master Plan image

Newsom Unveils Early Learning Master Plan

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This week Governor Newsom released his much-anticipated Master Plan for Early Learning and Care. For over a decade th...
Court Rules in Favor of Bay Area Council in Lawsuit Opposing Trump Administration H-1B Restrictions image

Court Rules in Favor of Bay Area Council in Lawsuit Opposing Trump Administration H-1B Restrictions

The U.S. District Court for Northern California today handed the Bay Area Council a major victory in its lawsuit to block ...
After Raising Objections, Bay Area Council Applauds End of 60% Work from Home Mandate image

After Raising Objections, Bay Area Council Applauds End of 60% Work from Home Mandate

An onerous work-from-home mandate on Bay Area businesses was formally shelved today (Nov. 20) after the Bay Area Council r...
Council Honors Business, Philanthropic Leadership at 25th Anniversary Business Hall of Fame image

Council Honors Business, Philanthropic Leadership at 25th Anniversary Business Hall of Fame

The Bay Area Council this week (Nov. 17) honored three incredible business and philanthropic leaders at the 25th
Hire Together 2.0 – Connecting the Region’s Future Workforce image

Hire Together 2.0 – Connecting the Region’s Future Workforce

On Thursday, students and job seekers from throughout the region gathered (virtually) to hear from some of the region’s ...
Damning Report Highlights Need for Affordable Housing Reforms image

Damning Report Highlights Need for Affordable Housing Reforms

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A damning
Bay Area Comes Out on Top as Project Homekey Wraps image

Bay Area Comes Out on Top as Project Homekey Wraps

Governor Gavin Newsom has finished announcing Project Homekey grants. How did the Bay Area do? The Bay Area accounts for r...
Replay: UC President Michael Drake in Conversation with Council CEO Jim Wunderman image

Replay: UC President Michael Drake in Conversation with Council CEO Jim Wunderman

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New University of California President Michael V. Drake, MD joined Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman this week (Nov. 12) ...
Council-Backed Housing Near BART Station Approved image

Council-Backed Housing Near BART Station Approved

More than 750 units of new housing near the West Oakland BART station that the Bay Area Council endorsed have been approve...
Hire Together 2.0 Virtual Career Fair image

Hire Together 2.0 Virtual Career Fair

One week until the second Bay Area virtual career fair! The Bay Area Council is excited to provide a platform for leading...
Economic Profile: Bay Area Leads California in H1-B Visas image

Economic Profile: Bay Area Leads California in H1-B Visas

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Foreign workers and immigrants have always been significant contributors to the Bay Area’s and California’s economies....
Replay: Doctors Creating CA’s COVID Vaccine Guidelines Discuss Process image

Replay: Doctors Creating CA’s COVID Vaccine Guidelines Discuss Process

As multiple potential COVID-19 vaccines enter larger-scale efficacy trials, hopes are growing for a release of one or more...
California Voters Appear to Reject Big Tax Increase on Business, Spike Rent Control and Back Gig Economy image

California Voters Appear to Reject Big Tax Increase on Business, Spike Rent Control and Back Gig Economy

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The Bay Area Council applauded California voters for appearing to reject an estimated $11.5 billion tax increase (Prop. 15...
Webinar 11/9: Hear from the Doctors Devising California’s COVID Vaccine Plan image

Webinar 11/9: Hear from the Doctors Devising California’s COVID Vaccine Plan

As multiple potential COVID-19 vaccines enter larger-scale efficacy trials, hopes are growing for a release of one or more...
What Does Higher Education in the Bay Area Look Like Post-Pandemic? image

What Does Higher Education in the Bay Area Look Like Post-Pandemic?

The Bay Area has one of the most highly educated populations in the nation with 49% of people over the age of 25 holding a...
Trade Must Go On! image

Trade Must Go On!

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While the nation held its breath in anticipation of the 2020 election results, the Bay Area Council’s California Pavilio...
Business Times Recognizes Region’s Most Admired CEOs image

Business Times Recognizes Region’s Most Admired CEOs

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The San Francisco Business T...
Partner Event: The Future of Transportation in California image

Partner Event: The Future of Transportation in California

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The California Department of Transportation (C...
Living While Black in America image

Living While Black in America

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Stories are legion of fearful parents of Black children having to caution them about how to conduct themselves in encounte...
Council-Endorsed Affordable Housing Project Approved image

Council-Endorsed Affordable Housing Project Approved

A 72-unit affordable housing development in Castro Valley that the Bay Area Council endorsed won approval from the Alameda...
Call to Participate in Bay Area Council Focus Groups on Returning to Transit image

Call to Participate in Bay Area Council Focus Groups on Returning to Transit

The Bay Area Council invites employers to participate in focus groups to have in-depth conversations about returning to wo...
Council Says “Whoa!” To New Taxes in Latest Ad image

Council Says “Whoa!” To New Taxes in Latest Ad

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The Bay Area Council this week unveiled the third in a series of hard-hitting video ads to bring attention to the harmful ...
MUFG Union Bank Grant Supports Council’s Workforce of the Future Initiative image

MUFG Union Bank Grant Supports Council’s Workforce of the Future Initiative

The Bay Area Council’s Workforce of the Future Initiative has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the
COVID Recovery: Bridge Traffic Near Normal Levels as Commuters Avoid Transit image

COVID Recovery: Bridge Traffic Near Normal Levels as Commuters Avoid Transit

New data analyzed by the Bay Area Counc...

The Port of Oakland is Open for Business

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On October 22, the Bay Area Council and the Jiangsu Department of Commerce co-hosted a semi-virtual trade seminar to intro...
Prop. 15 Will Add to California’s Economic Hardship image

Prop. 15 Will Add to California’s Economic Hardship

Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman co-authored the following OpEd with Greater Sacramento Economic Council CEO Barry B...
How We’re Preparing for More Wildfires and the Big One image

How We’re Preparing for More Wildfires and the Big One

California’s hotter and drier climate, paired with a century of fire mismanagement, has created an explosive combination...
Court Ruling Highlights Urgency of Passing Prop 22 image

Court Ruling Highlights Urgency of Passing Prop 22

A state appeals court ruling Thursday (Oct. 22) threatened the existence of app-based ride-hailing companies in California...
11th Economic Profile Highlights Sluggish Recovery image

11th Economic Profile Highlights Sluggish Recovery

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The Bay Area Council Economic Institute on Thursday (Oct. 22) released its 11th Bay Area Economic Profile, mark...
Bay Area Council Sues Trump Administration to Block New H1-B Visa Restrictions image

Bay Area Council Sues Trump Administration to Block New H1-B Visa Restrictions

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The Bay Area Council this week (Oct. 20) filed suit to block the Trump Administration from implementing harmful new restri...
Council Unveils Second Ad in Tax Impact Campaign image

Council Unveils Second Ad in Tax Impact Campaign

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The Bay Area Council this week began airing the second in a series of ads highlighting how a raft of proposed general tax ...
Housing Committee Welcomes Sen. Wiener, Talks 2021 Legislative Strategy image

Housing Committee Welcomes Sen. Wiener, Talks 2021 Legislative Strategy

This week, the Bay Area Council’s Housing Committee met to shape our legislative strategy for 2021. The meeting was kick...
Regional Housing Allocations Adopted image

Regional Housing Allocations Adopted

The Association of ...
Member Spotlight: Blue Shield image

Member Spotlight: Blue Shield

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Blue Shield of California, a taxpaying, nonprofit health plan, is proud to model diversity and gender equity starting at t...
Bay Area Council Sues Trump Administration to Block New H1-B Visa Restrictions image

Bay Area Council Sues Trump Administration to Block New H1-B Visa Restrictions

The Bay Area Council today filed suit to block the Trump Administration from implementing harmful new restrictions that ef...
2020 Bay Area Council Voter Guide image

2020 Bay Area Council Voter Guide

As the Bay Area struggles to emerge from one of the worst economic downturns in generations, a raft of general tax measure...
Council Continues Advocacy Against Work from Home Mandate image

Council Continues Advocacy Against Work from Home Mandate

Today (Oct. 9) the Bay Area Council continued to speak out against a misguided proposal that would require 60% of office w...
How Will COVID-19 Affect Bay Area Venture Capital Investment? image

How Will COVID-19 Affect Bay Area Venture Capital Investment?

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The Bay Area is renowned globally for its strong presence of technology giants, successful startups, and unmatched ability...
How to Reach 855 Million Chinese Consumers from Your California Home? image

How to Reach 855 Million Chinese Consumers from Your California Home?

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The Covid-19 crisis has sent businesses around the world scrambling to find new ways to reach their customers. T...
Member Spotlight: United image

Member Spotlight: United

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How can I bring my employees back safely?  That’s the question on the minds of America’s CEOs with ...
Council Mourns Passing of Dr. Alma Salazar image

Council Mourns Passing of Dr. Alma Salazar

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The Bay Area Council extends its condolences to our advocacy partners UniteLA over the passing of Dr. Alma Salazar. Alma w...
How Will the Bay Area Economy Recover from the COVID-19 Pandemic? image

How Will the Bay Area Economy Recover from the COVID-19 Pandemic?

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Find out on October 22nd by joining us for our Biennial Economic Profile Virtual Launch Event presented by Fifth Third Ban...
Opportunity for All Summit Highlights Affirmative Action, White Allies, and more! image

Opportunity for All Summit Highlights Affirmative Action, White Allies, and more!

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Affirmative action has had a controversial history in California. Despite various attempts to overturn the ban enacted by ...
Council Members Share Deep Concerns Over Work from Home Mandate image

Council Members Share Deep Concerns Over Work from Home Mandate

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Bay Area Council members shared their specific concerns regarding the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s proposed ...
25th Anniversary Bay Area Business Hall of Fame image

25th Anniversary Bay Area Business Hall of Fame

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It’s virtually the best event you will attend this year. The Bay Area Council is gearing up for our 25th Anni...
Council Fights Cockamamie Work from Home Mandate image

Council Fights Cockamamie Work from Home Mandate

Think you’re tired now of Zoom meetings? Just wait until you get a load of a daft new scheme from the Metropolitan Trans...
Act Now: Support UCSF’s Bold Plan for SF Parnassus Campus image

Act Now: Support UCSF’s Bold Plan for SF Parnassus Campus

The Bay Area Council proudly endorses plans by member organization University of California, San Franc...
CRC Spotlight: Resilient Groundwater in California’s Agricultural Heartland image

CRC Spotlight: Resilient Groundwater in California’s Agricultural Heartland

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