sd metro december 2015

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How to keep yourdrone from landing you in troubleAdvice from insurance man Jeff Cavignac PAGE 10

DECEMBER 2015

SAN DIEGO’S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES2015 PAGE 18

COVER STORY

15Carlsbad Desalination Plant Comes OnlineWith the official opening of Poseidon Waters’ $1 billionocean desalination plant in Carlsbad, near the AguaHedionda Lagoon, the Pacific Ocean has officiallybeen “put on tap.” The plant is expected to provideabout 10 percent of San Diego County’s water supply..

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All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the FairHousing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any Prefernce lim-itation or discriminatin based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap,familial status, or national orgigin, or an intention, to make any pref-erence, limitation or discrimination. “Familial status includes childrenunder the age of 18 living wit hparents or legal custodians; preg-nant women and people securing custody of children under 18.This magazine will not knowingly accept any advertising for real es-tate which in in violation of this law. Our readers are hereby in-formed that all dwellings advertised in this magazine are availableon an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination callHUD Toll-Free at 1-800-669-9777. Th Toll-free telephone number forthe hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

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ON THE COVER:

Drone Insurance a NecessityJeff Cavignac, the savvy president and principal of Cavignac & Associates,delivers some important advice for drone owners who would like to stay outof the clutches of the law. He’s in the insurance business so, of course, oneof his recommendations is to get drone insurance. It’s essential, becauseover the next decade drones will become an indispensable part of manybusinesses. See Page 10

DECEMBER 2015 | Issue 11 | Volume 30

Our mission is to always provide quality journalism for our readers by being

fair, accurate and ethical and a credible resource for our advertisers.

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Bringing the Office HomeLiving and working are more intertwined than ever.From a residential real estate perspective, home-builders are incorporating smart home offices and de-tached studios for individuals who work from home orneed a second work space. Lonny Zilberman, partnerat the San Diego law firm of Wilson Turner Kosmo (pic-tured), works from home part-time.

13

The Savory Su-Mei YuIn Chinese culture it’s tradition that daughters of well-to-do families don’t cook. Cooking is done by servants.But in the Yu family, which fled from China to Thailand,misfortune trumped tradition and Su-Mei Yu’s mother,Lee Kwei Chi, cooked for her family and to support herfamily. “She was a fantastic cook,” says Su-Mei Yu, aveteran in the restaurant business.

19

Most Admired CompaniesHere’s our list of some of the companies in San Diegothat have earned the respect of their clients, cus-tomers and industry leaders.18

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A full city block in Downtown San Diego’s East Village is goingto be developed into a $90 million mixture of apartments, live/worklofts, restaurant, and retail and office spaces built around an opencommunal gathering space called The Hub.

That’s the vision for IDEA1, the name given to the project byLowe Enterprises, LaSalle Investment Management and I.D.E.A.Partners, which held a groundbreaking on Tuesday. The block isbounded by E, F, Park and 13th Street.

IDEA1, designedby The Miller HullPartnership, will be amid-rise, six-storycomplex featuring295 studio, one- andtwo-bedroom apart-ments with 25ground floorlive/work lofts and

eight luxury penthouseunits, all featuring polished concrete floors and top-line appliancepackages, and 13,000 square feet of commercial space, according tothe developers.

“IDEA1 will bring new residents and businesses to the area, par-ticularly those who are engaged in emerging creative technologiesand who are drawn to an urban lifestyle,” said Mike McNerney,senior vice president of Lowe Enterprises. “Our team is at the fore-front of establishing a strong resident and talent base which is keyto moving communities like East Village forward and creatingvalue for all.”

IDEA1’s communal features include a clubhouse, roof top pool

-- designed to look like an urban water tower -- exercise room andevent kitchen. A central feature is The Hub, an interior courtyardenvisioned as a flexible events space, adjacent to a café and collab-orative environment called the IDEA Box, available to residentsand workers as well as accessible from the surrounding streets. Pro-gramming for The Hub will include social gatherings, educationalofferings, and informal events offering multiple opportunities forcreative work between community members.

“Today’s groundbreaking is a game changer in that San Diego ischanging the way communities live, work and interact. It is myhope that the I.D.E.A. District will spark more innovative ideasthat will change the world,” said Mayor Kevin Faulconer.

Construction barricades have been erected at the site featuringan original artistic design composed by Visual Asylum and broughtto life by students from the City College Graphic Design program,Urban Discovery Academy and the New School of Architectureand Design. Construction on IDEA1 will be in full-swing by mid-November.

$90 Million Mixed-Use Developement Slated For Full City Block in East Village

SAN DIEGOSCENE

Rendering of the northeast art wall.

Aerial view rendering.

SAN D IEGO SCENE

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Point Loma Nazarene University has dedicated a state-of-theart science complex that is also an innovative architectural state-ment with a cathedral-like ambiance.

The innovative design, marked by a curved stainless-steel envi-ronmental screen and a prominent site overlooking the PacificOcean, will be home to the university’s rapidly growing and ac-claimed interdisciplinary science program. The program seeks tounify Christian values with a broad curriculum and state-of-the-arttechnology, laboratories and classrooms.

“Through the long arc of a perforated stainless-steel wall, thebuilding subtly consecrates its Christian foundations in a salientdesign feature,” said architect Ray Varela, who led the project forSan Diego-based Carrier Johnson + CULTURE “This uniquescreen filters sun and shade into the common area in a subtle echoof the qualities one finds in a cathedral space.”

Nearly 40 percent of the university’s students major in a science-related discipline, and all are required to complete a laboratory sci-ence course during their education.

“Every student at PLNU will benefit from this investment” saidDr. Sara Choung, chair of the chemistry department. “This much-needed facility better reflects the quality of the faculty, studentsand alumni who have stretched PLNU’s science program in re-markable directions.”

University President Bob Brower said the 36,000-square-foot facility “will enable the science program to reach new heightsand support the continued success of our PLNU science facultyand students.”

Point Loma Nazarene is a selective Christian liberal arts insti-tution that serves more than 3,500 students.

– Times of San Diego

Point Loma Nazarene Dedicates Innovative New Science Complex

Science Complex at Point Loma Nazarene University.

San Diego’s Newest Affordable Housing Complex Opens Downtown

Formerly homeless and low-income in-dividuals started moving into the new

Alpha Square Apartments last month,where they will live in more spacious stu-dio apartments with their own privatebathrooms, putting an end to the days atthe Hotel Metro when they had to godown the hallways to use the bathroom fa-cilities.

Close to a hundred people attended the-grand opening ceremony, which was heldon the rooftop of Alpha Square, located atMarket and 14th streets.

“We wanted something that did notlook like an affordable housing building,”said Bob McElroy the president & CEOof Alpha Project for the Homeless, whichco-developed Alpha Square with ChelseaInvestment Corporation. “I think whenyou walk the place you would never knowthis is a low-income housing project and itdoesn't have to be — our people deservebetter than that.”

The 201 studios are more than doublethe space of the previous units at the 25-year-old single room occupancy hotel andare furnished and equipped with cooktopsand air conditioning. Alpha Project willprovide supportive services for tenants atAlpha Square.

Alpha Square will remain affordable for55 years. It was also developed in partner-ship with the San Diego Housing Com-mission, the city of San Diego and CivicSan Diego.

Alpha Square is a six-story, transit-ori-

ented mixed-use $47.6 million develop-ment with retail space at the street level.

The development was 10 years in themaking, which included a study that con-cluded that the aging Hotel Metro neededto be torn down.

The city of San Diego provided a $17.6million loan for the construction of AlphaSquare and owns the land, which is subjectto a 70-year ground lease.

SDHC also authorized the issuance ofmore than $6.2 million in State multifam-ily housing revenue bonds to assist withconstruction financing for Alpha Square.The San Diego City Council, sitting as theHousing Authority of the City of SanDiego, approved the bonds.

SDHC also awarded 135 federal rentalhousing vouchers, which will allow verylow-income tenants to pay up to 30 per-cent of their income toward their rent.These SDHC housing vouchers have anannual value of more than $1.4 million.

Alpha Square


SAN D IEGO SCENE

Hughes Marino has been ranked on Entrepreneur’s Top Com-pany Cultures list, a comprehensive ranking of U.S.-based busi-nesses exhibiting high-performance cultures created in partnershipwith culture management software and service provider CultureIQ.The Top Company Cultures list ranked Hughes Marino as No. 2in the nation in the Small Company category. Hughes Marino isrecognized for creating an exceptional culture that drives employeeengagement, exceeds employee expectations and directly impactscompany success.

“I am honored and actually amazed by this result, which is a tes-tament to the incredible Hughes Marino team, and the intentionaleffort we have made over the years to nurture our very special com-pany culture. Our emphasis on fun, family, and building strong re-lationships comes straight from our core values, which are the rootof our success as a company,” says Shay Hughes, Hughes MarinoCOO and co-owner.

According to Ray Hennessey, editorial director of Entrepre-neur.com, “Creating an entrepreneurial culture is a key priority forbusiness leaders, yet no one until now has really assessed the roleculture plays in success. This ranking celebrates the dedication thatall teams, from entry-level to the C-suite, have in ensuring they arecreating vibrant, healthy and sustainable work environments. That'sgood for employees, investors and customers.”

To view Hughes Marino in the full ranking, visitentrepreneur.com/TopCultures.

Hughes Marino Ranked on Entrepreneur’s Top Company Cultures List

CDC Small Business Finance Nameda Top Lender by SBA

CDC Small Business Finance, a nonprofit based in SanDiego, has been recognized as the nation’s top CommunityAdvantage/Microloan program lender for 2015, providingover $11 million in capital to small businesses, according tothe Small Business Administration.

SBA’s Office of Economic Opportunity said 93 startupsand other small businesses received $10.7 million in Com-munity Advantage loans and 29 businesses received$963,000. CDC projects that over 900 jobs will be createdand retained by the funded small businesses.

Community Advantage loans range from $20,000 to$250,000 and microloan funding ranges up to $50,000.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, theforce behind job creation and economic development,” saidKurt Chilcott, president of CDC Small Business Finance,which also leads the nation in SBA-504 loans, which helpentrepreneurs buy their own commercial/industrial build-ing. “We look forward to putting more dollars in the handsof growing small businesses in 2016.”

The Community Advantage loan program was created in2011 to increase the flow of capital to small businesses inunderserved communities.


SAN D IEGO SCENE

Knockaround was founded in 2005 byAdam “Ace” Moyer, during his time as agraduate art student at University of Cali-fornia, San Diego.

Merging the classic East Coast prepstyle of his Virginia upbringing, his inter-est in design and fashion, and a newfoundlove for the perpetually sunny, laid-backlifestyle of Southern California, Moyercreated a company centered on a sunglassesline that was simultaneously practical andstylish.

The ensuing years have brought success.Knockaround’s basid sunglasses line hasexpanded to include new models a varietyof color choices and accessories such asbelts and duffel bags.

Moyer said that for collectors andunique eyewear connoisseurs, the ongoingLimited Edition sunglasses series offers achance to own Knockarounds produced insmall quantities, with rare colorways, spe-

cial detailing and packaging, and themedcompanion objects.

The introduction of the Custom shopgives Knockaround customers a placewhere they can create their own uniquesunglasses.

Over the years, Knockaround has col-laborated with a variety of people and

companies — from Discovery Channel’sShark Week, to POW! WOW!, to Illest,to Benny Gold, to a bunch of local ele-mentary school kids. These frequent col-laborations with designers, artists, andcompanies, says Moyer, make for great newproduct possibilities, and the constant ex-change of new ideas helps build the com-pany’s fan base.

Knockaround has been featured in anumber of well-known media outlets, suchas GQ , Hypebeast, US Weekly, Cosmo-politan, Complex Magazine, and “TheToday Show.”

What began as a tiny operation inMoyer’s art studio has since outgrown twowarehouse spaces, and is going strong at itsnew headquarters in Downtown SanDiego.

SHADES OF SUCCESS: Knockaround sunglasses company born in San Diego

The All Black Everything bundle fromKnockaround is $75 and available atKnockaround.com.

Bosa Development Takes Control Of Major Downtown Project

Bosa Development has taken title toThe Block, a 60,000-square-foot site inDowntown San Diego where it will builda mixed-use development that will include41-floor and 21-floor towers that willhouse 498 residential units and retail space.

The property, located on Broadway be-tween Seventh and Eighth avenues, wasacquired from real estate development andinvestment company Zephyr, which pur-chased the site in June 2014. It is one ofthe last remaining full blocks of availableproperty Downtown. Zoning of the site al-lows for development up to 720,000 squarefeet.

According to Zephyr’s Co-CEO BradTermini, sale of the property is the resultof an ongoing relationship with Bosa, aCanadian-based developer. “We developeda plan for the site, designed the buildingsand successfully obtained entitlement,” hesaid. “Because of Nat Bosa’s significant in-terest in the Downtown Broadway corri-dor and his key role in the renaissance of

Downtown San Diego, we believe he is theideal person to continue the project andmake our dream a reality. Being at the fore-front of development of San Diego’sdowntown neighborhoods, he has the vi-sion, resources and ingenuity to success-fully build, market and sell this choice pieceof property.”

Currently, the property consists of run-down, 1950s-era retail, parking and officespace. Under Bosa’s direction, Termini said,it will be demolished to make way for amixed-use retail and residential commu-nity -- carefully designed by Zephyr tohelp extend Downtown’s core and revital-ize the land between the Gaslamp Quarterand Financial District.

Joseph Wong of Joseph Wong DesignAssociates is the lead architect for TheBlock. Termini estimates the cost to com-plete the project will exceed $250 million,making it one of the largest currentlyplanned for the Downtown core.

“This project will add vitality to the citycore, enhancing the Downtown commu-nity and serving as an iconic place in theheart of San Diego,” said Wong, who hasbeen at the forefront of global architecturaland interior design for nearly 40 years.“Based on the impact it will have onDowntown, this is a milestone project forus.”

The Block


COMMENTARY

The Little Economic Engine That Could By Robert H. Gleason

San Diego County’s aviation history isstoried and deep. This is especially true forSan Diego International Airport, which isthe centerpiece of much of that history.

Today, the airport is 87 years old and stillin its original location. But what started asa bare dirt field is today a $9 billion eco-nomic engine sitting on only 661 acres.

Call it, “The Little Economic EngineThat Could.”

The story of this economic engine goesback to 1883 when John Montgomeryconducted the first controlled flight with aheavier-than-air craft (a glider), over OtayMesa. This was two decades before theWright Brothers took off at Kitty Hawk.

As aviation caught on, San Diego’s per-fect weather was so well suited for flyingthat aviators flocked here.

The Navy saw the promise of the firstsuccessful seaplane flight in 1911 (in SanDiego), and North Island became “thebirthplace of Naval aviation.”

And San Diego was known for buildingbreakthrough aircraft, including CharlesLindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis,” whichmade the first nonstop flight across the At-lantic Ocean.

Air mail took hold, putting new pressureon existing airfields across the country.

In 1915, the Panama-California Exposi-tion fired up a civic desire to open SanDiego’s doors to visitors from far away,highlighting San Diego as the first port ofcall for ships traversing the newly openedPanama Canal.

All of that inspired city leaders to beginthe work that led to a new airport.

In 1922, the Chamber of Commerceasked the Harvard architect engaged tocreate a master plan for San Diego to sitea civilian airport. His conclusion -- on SanDiego Bay near Laurel Street.

That location was close to the heart ofthe city, the main post office, rail and othertransportation, with the Bay providing asafe approach access.

The site was affirmed in 1925, workbegan in 1926, and, in 1928, the airport of-ficially opened for business.

During World War II, San Diego’s avi-ation industry boomed, attracting an influxof people and forever changing the region.Military aircraft construction reached afever pitch and, at one point, a B-24 Lib-erator airplane was completed every eighthours.

After the war, a broader aerospace in-dustry helped define San Diego. Our hometown airline, Pacific Southwest Airlines,launched its first flight on May 6, 1949.

By the late 1960s, 10 percent of theworkforce was employed in aerospace,working on missiles, computer systems,electronics, composite materials and more.

Today, San Diego International Airportearns its name. With nonstop service to 61destinations, it is San Diego’s gateway tothe world. Our three major economies --tourism, the military and innovation -- de-pend on our airport.

And the story of our airport’s evolutioncontinues.

1998 — The Terminal 2 expansionopens, and work on a new master plan forthe airport begins.

2006 — A ballot measure to move theairport is defeated, forcing reconsiderationof the existing site for the long-term.

2013 — The expansion of Terminal 2,with 10 new jet gates, double-deck road-way, new concessions, improved securityaccess and more opens.

Because the airport is not moving in theforeseeable future, the Airport Authoritycontinues to look ahead and plan for liter-ally every square foot of the 661 acres wehave to work with today.

The Airport Development Plan cur-rently under way includes replacement ofTerminal 1 and other amenities to reducecongestion and improve access.

Airports are generally self-supporting,and the vast majority of our revenue comesfrom money we generate ourselves from avariety of sources, including passengerticket fees, airline landing fees, rental carfees, restaurants, shops and parking.

The Airport Authority works hard to bea good steward of the public funds we doreceive. Our revenues are continually rein-vested into this enduring enterprise for on-going improvements. We like to say, “Wedon’t make a profit; we make a better air-port.”

As we continue improving the little eco-nomic engine that could, we will seek suf-ficient and appropriate revenue sources.San Diego deserves the best airport we canprovide … an airport that will continue tobe at the hub of aviation history as it un-folds for future generations.

Robert Gleason is chairman of the Board of

the San Diego County Regional Airport Au-

thority.

Robert Gleason

INVESTOR IS INTERESTED IN ACQUIRING MAJORITY OWNERSHIP in a prof-itable asset based business with $2-10mil in EBITDA from a retiring or exitingmajority owner(s). Currently the business must be run by manager(s) with eq-uity position that are willing and able to remain, operate and grow the business.For a confidential discussion please call Michael Fenton (760) 450 6200.

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COVER STORY

D R N EHOW TO KEEP YOUR DRONE FROM LANDING YOU IN TROUBLE

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles,commonly referred to as UAVs or “drones,”is taking off, literally. Real estate brokers,developers, emergency response teams andeven Wisconsin ice fisherman (they usedrones to deliver their beer), to name but afew, are already actively using drones.

The potential application of drone tech-nology is nearly endless. Both Amazon andUPS are evaluating their use for deliveries,among others.

Why all the interest in drones? Besidesbeing fun, drones offer real advantages.Among these are significant savings intime and money, as well as increased safetyover traditional tools used to provide aerialphotography, such as manned helicoptersand small planes. With a small, lightweightand relatively inexpensive drone armedwith a digital camera, Wi-Fi and a GPS, afirm can photograph and map out a largejob site or completed project in great detailwithin an hour. A real estate broker canprovide a unique “birds eye” view of a spe-cific listing and emergency response teamscan investigate and search in a fraction ofthe time and at significantly less cost thanit would take with search teams or airplaneor helicopter surveillance.

Drones offer virtually all firms the op-portunity to create and capture an aerialview of undeveloped land, hazardous con-ditions, active building sites, finished proj-

ects (inside and out) and all steps in be-tween. This allows businesses to quicklyand cost-effectively provide their clientsand others with extremely accurate visualrepresentations of a project. Those repre-sentations can include photos, videos, ther-mal readings, infrared scans, 3Dtopography models and other data.

Drones are amazing tools that promiseincreased efficiency and effectiveness inserving client needs. Indeed they will likelyraise the bar for the types of services anddata clients will soon expect.

So why aren’t drones used more oftenthan they are? While drones are currentlylegal if they are used personally, they are il-legal, absent a waiver, for commercial use.This has been complicated by federal redtape as the Federal Aviation Administra-tion (FAA) struggles to come up with rulesand regulations governing the commercialuse of unmanned aerial vehicles. A sec-ondary factor is the ability to buy insurancefor liability arising out of drone use.

The FAA and Commercial Use of Drones

Drones are generally prohibited from usefor commercial purposes, yet recreationalusers face no such regulations. So, in asense, it’s not what you do, but why you do

it, that matters to the FAA. Fly a drone tocapture video for fun and it’s no problemas long as you follow their guidelines. Fly adrone to capture a video to make money,and you are breaking the law unless you cansecure a special waiver.

A waiver for the commercial use ofdrones can be secured under Section 333of the FAA Modernization and ReformAct of 2012. According to the FAA, anyaircraft operating in the national airspacerequires a certificated and registered air-craft, a licensed pilot, and operational ap-proval. Section 333 grants the Secretary ofTransportation the authority to determinewhether an airworthiness certificate is re-quired for an unmanned aerial vehicle tooperate safely in the National AirspaceSystem.

This authority is being leveraged togrant case-by-case authorization for cer-tain unmanned aircraft to perform com-mercial operations prior to the finalizationof the Small UAS (Unmanned AircraftSystems) Rule, which will be the primarymethod for authorizing small UAS opera-tions once it is complete. The Small UASRule is expected to be completed in 2017.So, under Section 333, businesses can filefor an exemption from current federal reg-ulations on a case-by-case basis and, ifgranted the exemption, use drones forcommercial purposes — at least until the

By Jeff Cavignac

final Small UAS Rule is issued. Throughmid-June 2015, approximately 600 peti-tions have been granted by the FAA.

Insuring DronesIf you use a drone personally, damage to

your drone may extend from your personallines policy. While your policy will likelyhave an Aircraft Exclusion, many policiesmake exceptions for “model or hobby air-craft not designed to fly people or cargo.”Liability is the bigger challenge. Personallines policies have an aircraft exclusion thatwould include drones. In other words, ifyou fly your drone into oncoming trafficand cause an accident, you are not covered.Commercial drones have a similar chal-lenge. While you can possibly cover phys-ical damage to your drone by scheduling iton an equipment policy, absent specific li-ability coverage, you would probably beuninsured. The standard General LiabilityPolicy also has an aviation exclusion andthis extends to drones.

We polled the major insurance compa-nies that we do business with (Travelers,Liberty, Chubb, Hartford, Fireman’s Fundand others) and while this exposure is oneveryone’s radar, no one is currently offer-ing coverage under their standard insur-ance programs. One of the main reasons isthe fact that, absent a waiver, it is currentlyillegal to use a drone for commercial pur-

poses. When the FAA does legalize drones,it is anticipated that most major insurancecompanies will shortly thereafter file spe-cific endorsements to cover this exposure.In the meantime, you can find severalsources online who are willing to specifi-cally cover liability arising out of drone use.

The premiums to cover this exposure re-mains a moving target. Insurers will wantto know what the drone is being used for,takeoff and landing locations, where theywill be operated (populated areas wouldpose more of an exposure) and how highthey will fly. An additional challenge is thatthere is no statistically relevant data onwhich to base rates.

To Drone or Not to Drone? Drones are undoubtedly going to be-

come more popular. Over the next decadethey will likely become an indispensablepart of many businesses. For now, it seemsthose who wish to use drones for commer-cial purposes can take one of four courses:

• File for an exemption under Section 333.• Subcontract the use of drones to a firmthat has already obtained a Section 333 ex-emption for the type of work being exe-cuted.

• Break the law and fly drones without theexemption.

• Wait until the final Small UAS Rule is is-sued, supposedly in 2017.

If a decision is made to move forwardwith the use of drones, now or in the fu-ture, be aware of the legality and liabilityissues. If you need a waiver, make sure youhave one. You also need to make sure youare insured for your legal liability arisingout of the use of a drone. A wayward dronecan cause physical injury and propertydamage and this doesn’t take into accountpotential privacy issues. Check your com-mercial general liability policy to seewhether the use of a drone would be cov-ered (it probably isn’t) and, if necessary, seekspecific coverage from a specialist aviationinsurer.

FAA: Drones Need to be RegisteredThe Federal Aviation Administration

announced that the government is going torequire drones to be registered — a movespurred by the increasing incidents ofdrones flying near airports and aircraft.

According to an FAA estimate, 1.6 mil-lion small drones will be sold this year, withhalf during the last three months of theyear.

The purpose of the registration is totrack down owners if they violate the rules.It would also give the FAA a way to edu-

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COVER STORY

INSURANCE

Over


COVER S TORY

cate owners. The requirement covers air-craft weighing from more than half poundup to 55 pounds, including any payloadsuch as a camera.

Drone owners who are 13 and older willhave to register on an FAA website thatbecomes available starting Dec. 21. TheFAA expects parents to register foryounger children.

Registration will cost $5 and must be re-newed every three years, but the fee will bewaived for the first 30 days, until Jan. 20.Owners will have to mark aircraft with anidentification number. Recreational flierscan register as many aircraft as they wanton one registration number.

Those who got drones before Dec. 21must register by Feb. 19. People who buythem later must register before their firstoutdoor flight.

Owners will have to provide their name,home address and email, and their identitywill be verified and payments made bycredit card, the agency said.

— With Professional Liability AgentsNetwork

Jeff Cavignac is president and principalof Cavignac & Associates, a San Diegocommercial insurance brokerage firm.


TELEWORK

Living and working are more intertwined than ever. Accordingto a recent study by San Diego-based Global Workplace Analyt-ics, 80 to 90 percent of the U.S. workforce says they would like totelework at least part time. What does this look like?

From a residential real estate perspective, homebuilders such asBrookfield Residential San Diego are incorporating smart homeoffices and detached studios for individuals who work from homeor need a second work space. Some home offices even connect tothe outdoors for indoor-outdoor working and others are equippedwith technology features like built-in USB ports for added con-venience.

For others, work-life balance is achieved through flexible work-from-home policies. San Diego employers such as the law firm ofWilson Turner Kosmo accommodate both male and female em-ployees with such policies, enabling employees to get work done,while also beating traffic, saving time and tending to family needs.With the perks come the challenges of maintaining camaraderiewith coworkers, occasionally getting your call interrupted by a bark-ing dog and knowing when to switch between work time and fam-ily time.

DesignNew-home builder Brookfield Residential continually adjusts its

architecture based on the lifestyle demands of its home buyers. Ac-cording to the builder, home offices can’t be what they used to be.

“The traditional 9-to-5 work routine is not always the case fortoday’s modern family, so it’s crucial to create homes that are asflexible as possible,” says Rachel Peyton, marketing manager andformer sales associate for Brookfield Residential San Diego.“Homeowners in various stages of life — single, couples, or evenmultigenerational families — seek spaces that accommodate work-

ing from home. It’s not just the tech guy who works from home. It’sthe tech guy, the baby boomer going after a second career, thework-from-home parent…the list goes on.”

For Brookfield homeowners Chris and Karen Davis, workingfrom home is an everyday occurrence. The couple switched be-tween self employment and working for corporate for about 30years. They had a consulting practice in London for 10 years, thencame to California in 2002. Today they operate their company —Empiricor Inc., a consulting business providing strategy, plans andmarketing support for high-tech brands — from home.

The decision to work fully from home landed them at BrookfieldSentinels by Brookfield Residential, a neighborhood of single-fam-ily homes at Del Sur in San Diego.

The work-at-home friendly floor plan drove their decision topurchase their Mediterranean-style home. The two-story plan hasa loft flanked by two bedrooms upstairs with the entire floor serv-ing as Karen’s office. Downstairs, Chris finds solace in his privatecabana office. The couple opted for a cabana due to its private bath-room and easy access to the home as well as outdoor space.

“Because we serve domestic and international tech brands, wehave weird hours and needed two offices to accommodate this,”

Bringing the Office Home San Diegans create productive at-home workspaces while keeping the dog quiet

Lonny Zilberman, partner at the San Diego law firm of Wilson TurnerKosmo, works from home part-time alongside his dog Coco.

By April Harter Enriquez

February 3rd Annual Women’s Issue

March 9th Annual Movers & Shakers

April Our Gude to San Diego’s Best Attorneys

May Women Who Impact San Diego

June Prime Time “50 Over 50”

July Men Who Make a Difference

August San Diego’s Top Marketing Executives

Sept./Oct. 16th Annual 40 Under 40 Honorees

November The Men’s Issue

December 2016 Person of the Year

UPCOMNG 2016 SPECIAL SECTIONS


T E LEWORK

says Chris. “Karen can work in the loft,while I work independently in the studiocabana. This allows us to take calls withoutdisturbing each other.”

DivisionTheir two-office arrangement keeps

work out of core living areas. The entirefirst floor, with a master bedroom, kitchenand entertaining spaces, is reserved fornon-work functions.

“Having worked from home for 30-oddyears, it’s very easy to let work and life bleedinto each other,” adds Chris. “We had tocreate disciplined spaces to mirror corpo-rate settings.”

Also part of creating a corporate-like en-vironment is technology. The couple pur-chased their Brookfield home havingexisting knowledge about new-home tech-nology. Upon moving in, they incorporatedadditional wiring for the Internet, and con-tinue to utilize wired and wireless hard-ware. They also have smart homeautomation and security.

Beyond the office, they occasionally turnto outdoor living spaces to improve theworkday.

“Sometimes we sit out with our com-puters and notes around the built-in fire-place or under the back patio with a view,”says Karen. “Its nice to curl up with a wire-less notebook.”

Striking a BalanceAbout 15 minutes away from the Davis

family, attorney Lonny Zilberman residesin a Carmel Valley home that he didn’tchoose based on office layout. Instead, hismotivation for working from home re-sulted from his dual professions — attor-ney and teenagers’ taxi driver.

An 11-year employee of Wilson TurnerKosmo, Lonny went from a father of tod-dlers when he started at the firm, to the fa-ther of now 12- and 14-year-old teens.

“If my kids have a late start or sick day oreven a late-afternoon baseball game, work-ing from home allows me the flexibility tointeract with my kids more and tend totheir schedules,” says Lonny.

Although he enjoys the perks of work-ing from home, Lonny strikes a balance byworking at the firm’s Downtown office, too.Working from the office helps him main-tain camaraderie with his coworkers, andat times, access a document that is notavailable digitally.

“Working from home is not ideal forevery job, however if you have the optionto create and share in a digital work envi-ronment, and as long as deliverables aremet, it can be a great option.”

Productivity and ChallengesWhen it comes to eliminating distrac-

tions, Lonny emphasizes the importance ofworking for long, dedicated blocks of time.“When the kids are home and need some-thing, it’s harder to get work done. Youhave to carve out distraction-free, dedi-cated work time.” Surprisingly, Lonny also

notes that when he works from home hecan be more productive than at the officebecause there are usually fewer distractions.

Lonny, who gradually made the shift toworking from home part time, says he canreceive paperwork at home —files withhundreds, even thousands of pages, cannow be delivered digitally.

Technology, such as the firm’s virtualsharing tools, and Court Call — a remoteplatform that facilitates appearances forjudges, attorneys and other participants —also makes working from home easier… “aslong as you can keep the dog from barkingin the background,” says Lonny.

Lonny adds that the technology and en-vironment of a home office can sometimesbe problematic and working from homedoes require advance planning. “You areunchained from your desk at the office, butyou do feel like you’re constantly engagedwith work when you work from home. Itcan be a double-edged sword. We do havea 'no phones’ rule at the dinner table, whichhelps!”

April Harter Enriquez is a local public rela-

tions professional, the founder of WordPop

Public Relations, and a consultant with TW2

Marketing.

Couple Chris and Karen Davis enjoy separate his and hers offices at their Brookfield Residential home. His studio and her loft provide the per-fect space to run their tech consulting business, Empiricor.


DESAL INAT ION

Carlsbad Desalination Plant Comes OnlinePacific Ocean has been ‘put on tap’ By Manny Lopez

With the official opening of PoseidonWaters’ $1 billion ocean desalination plantin Carlsbad, near the Agua Hedionda La-goon, the Pacific Ocean has officially been“put on tap.”

More than 600 elected officials, com-munity leaders and project partners wereinvited on Dec. 14 to celebrate the com-pletion of construction and dedication ofthe facility, named after Carlsbad’s longestserving mayor, the late Claude “Bud”Lewis.

According to Poseidon officials, theplant, which has already produced morethan 1.5 billion gallons of locally controlledwater, is expected to provide about 10 per-

cent of San Diego County’s water supply,and serve about 400,000 people yearly, with50 million gallons of potable water daily,under a 30-year purchase agreement be-tween Poseidon Water and the San DiegoCounty Water Authority. Additional coststo residents will be about $5 per household.

“The genesis of this plant really datesback about 25 years during a four-yeardrought when San Diego County wasfaced with a loss of over 30 percent of ourwater supply and we had no backup,” saidMark Weston, chairman of the San DiegoCounty Water Authority’s Board of Direc-tors. “The water supply from this plant is inour control, it’s drought proof, located

south of the earthquake faults, non-depen-dent on the snow pack in the Sierra’s andnot dependent on rainfall, so this is truly alocal long-term water supply.”

Poseidon Water is a private companythat owns and developed the venture. Thecompany partners with water districts andmunicipalities to deliver water infrastruc-ture projects. Its primary focus is develop-ing large-scale reverse osmosis seawaterdesalination plants, which use semiperme-able membranes to remove large particlesfrom drinking water.

The company is currently developing asecond desalination facility in HuntingtonBeach.

The Carlsbad desalination plant is expected to provide about10 percent of San Diego County’s water supply.


DESAL INAT ION

Launched in 2012, construction of theCarlsbad plant took 1.5 million hours ofwork to complete, while supporting 2,500jobs and injecting $350 million into thelocal economy. After 30 years, the WaterAuthority may purchase the plant for $1.The agency also has the right to buy the fa-cility after 10 years.

A company engineer said that it takes twogallons of seawater to make one gallon offresh water. The second gallon, which leavesthe property, is seawater containing twicethe original salt, which needs to be managedproperly before it’s reintroduced into theocean to avoid harming marine life.

The outflow from the power station mustbe diluted before it leaves the property, sothat its salinity is no more than 20 percentover the background of the seawater. Thereshould be no measureable difference within1,000 feet of the surf zone.

Poseidon worked with scientists from theScripps Institute of Oceanography for eightyears at a nearby test site to develop theprocess.

Peter MacLaggan, vice president of Cal-ifornia-Product Development for Poseidon,said that the desalinated water will travel 10miles east and be blended with the WaterAuthority’s regional distribution system atthe Twin Oakes Valley Water TreatmentPlant in San Marcos at an elevation of about1,200 feet above sea level. That blendedsupply will then be redirected and serve allof San Diego County south of Highway 78.

“One of the advantages of the Carlsbadproject was that it is located on a site ownedby NRG Energy that had an existing sea-water intake and discharge infrastructureused by the Encina Power Station,” said

Maureen Stapleton, general manager for theSan Diego County Water Authority. “Ithink one of challenges for future desalina-tion plants will be that they may not havethe existing infrastructure and whateverthey build will have to be environmentallysensitive and not harmful to the ocean.”

Assembly Speaker Toni Akins said thatthe project is groundbreaking in every senseof the word and vitally important for the re-gion.

“This has been a long-time project in themaking, and part of it is following the sci-ence to make sure that this is long-term sus-tainable,” she said. “You have to startsomewhere and it’s what I think we need todo in California as part of an overall portfo-lio. Now that we have approved this projectas a model for what we can do, I think weshould see other projects come online andthat is what’s important.”

More information on Poseidon Watercan be found at www.poseidonwater.com.

An Alternative View by TheSurfrider Foundation“Desalination plants not onlypose significant risks to our ma-rine habitats, but will have sig-nificant economic impacts,” saidJulia Chunn-Heer, policy man-ager for Surfrider Foundation’sSan Diego chapter.

“The plant will produce approxi-mately 50 million gallons ofdrinking water per day. However,the cost of the water producedby the plant will be dramaticallyhigher than the County WaterAuthority currently pays forfreshwater imported fromNorthern California and the Col-orado River. All this will result inlocal water districts experienc-ing increased rates, which getspassed along to their cus-tomers. This is the wrong solu-tion at the wrong time.”

The plant is named after Carlsbad’s longest serving mayor, the late Claude ‘Bud’ Lewis.

The inner workings. It takes two gallons of seawater to make one gallon of fresh water, ac-cording to Poseidon officials.


POL IT ICS

The Newt Gingrich, Howard Dean“road show” came to San Diego in October,the unlikely pair appearing at an event atthe University of San Diego.

Gingrich, the former RepublicanSpeaker of the House (1995-1999), andDean, former presidential candidate (2004)and former chairman of the DemocraticNational Committee, are the faces of thenew public policy team of the Dentons lawfirm, which merged with McKenna Long& Aldridge in July. Dentons sponsoredtheir USD appearance.

A Dentons spokesman said in Septem-ber that the firm was sending Gingrich andDean on a “road show” from New York toLos Angeles and more cities where theywill speak their views on the latest policyissues.

Gingrich also used the San Diego visitto appear — along with his wife, the for-mer Callista Bisek — at a book signing atWarwick’s Bookstore in La Jolla. Gingrichwrote “Duplicity” with Pete Earley, a for-mer Washington Post journalist. It is athriller that tells the story of a master ter-rorist hiding somewhere, controlling andcoordinating radical Islamic groups aroundthe globe.

Callista also a writer, penned the“Christmas in America” book series, booksfor children.

Q&A With Newt Gingrich

Why do you like zoos? A. I like animals. I like nature. I’m inter-

ested in the natural world. The more weunderstand about nature, the more you un-derstand about yourself. (Gingrich has vis-ited more than 100 zoos around the world,including one of his favorites, the SanDiego Zoo and Wild Animal Park wherehe enjoyed the “Roar and Snore” event.)

Do you still see former PresidentClinton?

A. No. (Gingrich talks to him very rarelyon the phone.)

Which global leaders do you admire?A. “Lee Kuan Yew (former prime minis-

ter of Singapore who was “extraordinary”).John Paul II and Nelson Mandela, formerpresident of South Africa, “who commu-nicated an aura of dignity that was as-tounding.”

How do we understand RussianPresident Vladimir Putin?

A. KGB-trained Russian who maxi-mizes opportunities.

Which authors do you admire? A. Alan Drury (“Advise and Consent”),

Michael Shaara (“The Killer Angels”) andGore Vidal.

Do you have pets?A.No. We travel too much.

Where do you go?A.We both like historic sites such as

Italy and Greece, and exotic sites such asMachu Pichu in Peru. I don’t see a lack ofcivility when I travel.

How do we end the standoff inWashington today?

A. There is a very, very deep gap betweenthe two sides that could end with one sidestanding.

How significant is today’s migra-tion into Europe?

A. These are population migrations andthey are going to keep coming.

How many speeches do you give ayear?

A. About 200, paid and unpaid. (Gin-grich Productions — www.gingrich pro-ductions.com — is a “very successful forprofit think tank” of 12 people, includingNewt and Callista. “We like what we do.”

Martin Kruming ([email protected]) is an

attorney in Switzer Highland who’s involved

in neighborhood partnerships with Baku,

Azerbaijan; Riga, Latvia, and Ulaanbaatar,

Mongolia.

The Gingrich-Dean Road Show Newt Gingrich and Howard Dean come to town

By Martin Kruming with Photos by Barry Carlton

Newt Gingrich and Howard Dean converse and share a laugh during an appearance atthe University of San Diego.


MOST ADMIRED COMPAN IES

Hughes MarinoHughes Marino, under the leadership of founders and owners Jason and Shay Hughes, is San Diego’s premier commer-cial real estate firm that exclusively represents tenants and buyers — never landlords — so it never has a conflict of in-terest. Hughes Marino helps companies lease, buy and build the facilities of their dreams, and has been voted San Diego’sbest commercial real estate company four years running. Its brokerage services come with a 100 percent guarantee, whichmeans that if a company is not happy with the services rendered, Hughes Marino will turn its commission back. The en-tire Hughes Marino team is comprised of licensed real estate brokers, not just salespeople. Hughes Marino’s services in-clude Construction Management, Lease Audit Services and National Representation. The construction team is able tobuild a tenant’s perfect space. The lease audit team is able to save a tenant money by identifying errors and overchargesin a tenant’s lease and with national representation, Hughes Marino is able to assist companies with their real estate re-quirements in cities across the country.

SAN DIEGO’S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES 2015

Mirus PromotionsMirus Promotions provides extraordinary representation and services in multiple industries. Starting in 2009 as a sole pro-prietorship with one client, Mirus incorporated in 2013 and has grown to a staff of one full-time employee, five man-agement consultants and more than 700 independent contractors. Mirus helps companies promote their products andservices to consumers by building their brands. The agency’s recent focus has been adding unexpected value for clients,taking advantage of the power of social media and taking its marketing efforts to a new level. Its new web platform, whichstreamlines the way clients request and build promotions, are highly successful. This tool makes it easier for clients andteam members to work together to ensure promotions are highly successful. Mirus’ growth under founder Julie Seal hasenabled it to become a coast-to-coast operation and recently completed its first international promotions in Canada.Mirus is projecting a 15 percent increase in growth over last year.

Guild MortgageGuild has become one of the fastest growing independent mortgage banking companies in the U.S. Since its foundingin 1960, with one office, it has grown to 234 branch and satellite offices with 2,300 employees in 25 states. The com-pany reached record growth in its third quarter of 2015, with loan volume reaching $10.7 billion, up 104 percent from$5.12 billion in the 2014 period. Under Mary Ann McGarry’s leadership, president and CEO of Guild Mortgage, thecompany’s culture is based on strong corporate values, including collegiality, entrepreneurship, outstanding customerservice and, perhaps most importantly, a commitment to a warm and personable approach with customers. Guild createspaths to affordable homeownership for first-time homebuyers, finding solutions for people to get into homes and just asimportantly, to stay in their homes. Guild has stayed true to its mission of helping people own their homes. Home-ownership provides stability and security for individuals and families, and helps to build communities. From its earliestdays, Guild was a technology innovator within the mortgage industry. Rather than relying on off-the-shelf software,Guild designed its own systems, from automated underwriting programs to today’s real-time network.

RJS LAWRJS Law is the most trusted tax law firm in San Diego. It is committed first and foremost to its clients. The hallmark ofthe firm is its devotion to excellent customer service. RJS has never file a lien to collect a client’s unpaid bills, and hasnever had a confrontation regarding its billing practices. Ronson J. Shamoun, who founded the firm, is involved in all casesat RJSLaw. The firm sponsors an annual $5,000 scholarship at the USD Law School and each year RJS Law partnerswith various charities and organizations by donating time and money to help them have a positive impact on the SanDiego community. RJS Law donates many hours of pro bono service. Every member of the firm is involved in charitywork and community organizations. RJS Law is an ardent supporter of the USO, the Rwandan Orphans Project, trueChaldean Middle-Eastern Social Services Clinic, the I Love a Clean San Diego organization and a local Kiwanis Club.The firm has an excellent and enviable record of winning difficult and tricky tax cases.

TAGTAG’s mission is to help companies and individuals achieve their business and financial goals by providing an unparal-leled array of customized and effective accounting and software solutions. Founded in 1996 by Robert Scherer, TAGstarted as The Accounting Group, one of the first outsourced accounting firms in San Diego. Scherer has over 20 yearsof business and financial experience planning and managing complex programs for clients in a variety of industries. Thefirm also provides personal accounting services to high-net worth individuals with TAG Family CFO.


MOST ADM IRED COMPAN IES

Baker Electric SolarBaker Electric designs, builds and installs photovoltaic solar power systems to homes, commercial facilities and util-ity-scale projects primarily across Southern California. With the soaring demand for solar, Baker says it is imper-ative that that its company offer a “Customer First” ethic based on trust, honesty and rock-solid experience. Bakerhas been part of the San Diego community since 1938 when Leroy Baker founded the firm. Since then, four gen-erations of the Baker family have owned, operated and grown the company from a small electrical repair company77 years ago to one of the fastest growing companies in San Diego. The company’s vision is to be best in its class,be a forward-acting solar provider and to be recognized as a preferred partner which delivers great results.

CONNECTCONNECT is the premier innovation company accelerator in San Diego thatcreates and scales great companies in the technology and life sciences sectors.Its mail goals are to assist entrepreneurs and CEOs in innovation companies atany stage of their growth by moving their business forward by connecting themwith the right people. CONNECT has assisted in the formation and develop-ment of more than 3,000 companies since 1985.

Best Best, & KriegerWhen Best Best, & Krieger first opened its doors in San Diego 23 years ago,it had a small but eager team of attorneys looking to make a difference in thecounty through their representation of clients in both the private and publicsectors. Today, with 31 attorneys, BB & K has done just that. The firm repre-sents local municipalities and public agencies, including water and school dis-tricts from North County to the South Bay and inland. Its legal talent has alsoworked with the San Diego Trolley and the North County Sprinter.

Field LogixDespite beginning as a bootstrapped startup, Field Logix has overcome manyobstacles and has excelled in many areas. This includes building the Field Logixworkforce management platform with limited resources. The platform is usedto manage remote vehicles and employees and is in use to monitor thousandsof items throughout North America. The company has also recently launchedan innovative mobile application that gives delivery and services companies theability to provide an Uber-like experience for their customers by providing sta-tus updates.

In Chinese culture it’s tradition thatdaughters of well-to-do families don’t cook.Cooking is done by servants.

However, in the Yu family, which fledfrom China to Thailand, misfortunetrumped tradition and Su-Mei Yu’smother, Lee Kwei Chi, cooked for her fam-ily and to support her family.

“She was a fantastic cook, gifted withthe ‘tongue,’ which enabled her to identifyingredients and flavorings and duplicatethe dishes she tasted,” said Su-Mei Yu, whowas welcomed with her sister and brotherinto the kitchen to observe and learn abouttraditional cooking.

They watched their mother every step ofthe way, making noodles from scratch,killing chickens, crabs and fish, and theylistened as she explained each process. Butthey never touched.

Lee Kwei Chi knew it was importantfor her children to be educated in food,because it’s tied to its culture, people andtraditions.

“In addition to being an amazing cook,my mother was a fantastic storyteller. Welearned so much about food and culture

from her. She told us legends, stories, gos-sip — whether or not they were true — itwas all great fun. None of our friends evergot to be in the kitchen,” said Su-Mei.

She did get some occasional hands-onexperience when her mother cooked for abig feast or banquet like on the ChineseNew Year.

In October 1985, when Su-Mei openedher tiny 700-square-foot restaurant on IndiaStreet in Mission Hills, Saffron Thai GrilledChicken, she knew enough about Thai foodto know that she needed to learn more.

So she rallied her friends and family inThailand to find families who would ac-cept her into their humble homes to learnhow to cook dishes that have been passeddown through the generations and that shecouldn’t have learned from recipes.

In Thailand, to have a stranger comeinto your home to learn is taboo, especiallyif you own a restaurant.

“It was a humbling process. Learninghow to cook Pad Thai took me two weeks.I was scared to death that I might ruin it,”she said.

Su-Mei later expanded the Saffron

brand with Saffron Noodles & Sate, acomfortable eatery with indoor and out-door seating. Located next to each other,both restaurants have become San Diegofavorites.

Over time, Saffron has introduced hun-dreds of dishes, some traditional and oth-ers based on the Thai philosophy ofhealthful eating.

Said Su-Mei, “I follow the belief that weshould eat foods to maintain balancewithin ourselves and with Mother Nature’sseasonal changes. I am proud to have con-tributed to the wellness of generations ofcustomers.”

If a dish seems like a lot to remember,Su-Mei explained, that’s because it is: likeall traditional Thai cuisine, each dish is de-signed to create a balance within the bodybetween all four essential elements —earth, water, wind, and fire.

Su-Mei believes that, in this country, wetake better care of our cars and our com-puter systems then we do of our bodies,which she thinks we take for granted, andfor which we are ultimately entirely re-sponsible.


CHEF de CU I S INE

Su-Me Yu cookin in Saffron’s kitchen.

The Savory Su-Mei Yu

Popular restaurateur and chef cooks from the heart By Delle Willett


CHEF de CU IS INE

To cook and eat healthy, Su-Mei’s rec-ommendations are simple: get specialtyspices at 99 Ranch; eat as locally and sea-sonally as possible; and shop religiously at afarmers market. Above all else, Su-Mei said,“respect Mother Nature and your own body,the ultimate goals of Thai cooking.”

Since opening Saffron 30 years ago, thenow nationally recognized restaurateur,cookbook author and television host is oneof the San Diego food scene’s most accom-plished and colorful characters.

Her cookbooks include “Asian Grilling,”“Cracking the Coconut” and “The Ele-ments of Life: A Contemporary Guide toThai Recipes and Traditions for HealthierLiving.”

She has been featured on numerous tele-vision programs including Martha Stewart,”“Good Morning America” and the “TodayShow” as well as in notable publicationssuch as Food & Wine Magazine, the LosAngeles Times, Chicago Tribune and theNew York Times.

Of all the chefs she’s cooked with, her fa-vorite is Martha Stewart. “I cooked with hermore than any other chef. She’s fabulous, al-ways extremely courteous and friendly, al-ways prepared,” she said.

Su-Mei’s popular KPBS television pro-gram, “Savor San Diego,” was created in2012 and is now in its third season. Theprogram highlights San Diego’s unique culi-nary treasures and the fascinating peopleand places Su-Mei encounters in our localfood community.

While Su-Mei doesn’t go to cookingschools herself, three years ago she foundeda cooking school in the northern part ofThailand to teach children and their fami-lies the real traditional culture of Thai cook-

ing. She goes back every year. The Chinese character for Su-Mei in-

cludes bamboo, a symbol of resilience andstrength, and a plum flower, a symbol ofspring beauty.

Her story of coming to the United Statesand achieving a graduate-level education,all on scholarships, raising a daughter solo,and her 30-year-success as a restauranteurshows that her name suits her well. She isresilient, she is strong and she is beautiful,inside and out.

When Su-Mei was 12 she announced toher parents that she wanted to move to theUnited States. Her parents approved of themove as long as there would be no cost in-volved and she went to an all-girls school.

Getting to the U.S. without spending anymoney is very hard to do.

After working every angle with friends,acquaintances and family, Su-Mei found achurch-affiliated girl’s boarding school inKentucky and went on a full scholarship atage 15, along with her “Cousin Susie,” whowas appointed by Su-Mei’s mother to be hercompanion.

On arrival, she saw that Kentucky wasn’tthe place for her and she immediatelystarted planning her way out to California.

In Thailand, Su-Mei was a ninth grader;when she arrived at the Kentucky schoolshe convinced the teacher that she shouldbe an 11th grader, proving that she knewenough math and science to be at that level— even though she couldn’t speak English,did not know anything about Americanhistory or literature.

Ultimately, she got a BA from ChapmanCollege in Orange County and a master’sdegree in social work from San Diego StateUniversity in 1969, all on scholarships and

work/study programs. Honoring hermother’s caveat —no cost involved.

Having experienced numerous careerchanges leading up to being a restauran-teur, Su-Mei, 70, says at this point in herlife she would like to do more writing andmore meditative work “for the bettermentof the world.”

Su-Mei was blessed personally by theDalai Lama several years ago by chance “andit changed my life. I have since devoted mylife to study, practice, contemplating, andmeditating the Dharma, hoping that I shalllearn to be loving and compassionate as isHis Holiness, not only for myself, but for allsentient beings.”

A La Jolla resident, Su-Mei is recordingher earlier years, her mother’s stories, someof the recipes, very old folklore, and the phi-losophy and concept of Thai food, “just incase someone in the future wants and needsthis information.”

An immigrant herself, and an Americancitizen since the early 70s, Su-Mei is sad-dened when she watches the immigrationcrisis in the news.

“I understand that in the modern worldwe have territories, that there’s a legal wayto come to this country. At the same timethere are all these unforeseeable situationsin the world that involve human beings whoare desperate. They just want to do what isbest for themselves and their families,” shesaid.

And she asked, “What do you do? I mean,is it really that hard to help them? To openthe door? What if it happens to you? Thenwhat?”

Su-Mei Yu celebrated the 30th anniver-sary of her restaurant the week of Oct. 19.

Green Curry The 30th anniversary of Saffron was cele-brated the week of Oct. 19.

In the KPBS show, ‘Savor San Diego,’ tast-ing citrus at Rancho del Sol Farms.


BALBOA PARK

Twenty-four award-winning wildlife photographerscome together to display works that celebrate the giftof flight and depict majestic creatures in their naturalhabitats in a new exhibition at the San Diego NaturalHistory Museum.

These 70 images in “Butterflies and Insects” capturethe detail of the bilaterally-symmetrical butterfly, aswell as other insects and their arthropod relatives.

The exhibition opened Sept. 19 and closes Jan. 11,2016.

Butterflies are seen as a multicultural symbol ofbeauty. Insects, on the other hand, are often met withslight prejudice and annoyance, but most are harmlessand actually beneficial.

Insects make up one of the most diverse groups ofanimals on the planet, including more than 1 milliondescribed species and representing more than half of allknown living organisms.

These photographic works capture the beauty andsplendor of nature’s smallest citizens. Enjoy what thesetalented photographers have done with nature’s geneticpaintbrushes, truly works of art.

Butterflies and Insects is presented in the OrdoverGallery on Level 4 of the San Diego Natural HistoryMuseum.

BUTTERFLYS& INSECTS

‘The Resting Queen’Barbara Swanson.

‘Robber Fly’ Rex Short.


40 UNDER 40

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