Mike Betts, chairman and CEO of Fresno manufacturing firm Betts Company, has been selected as the new chairman of the Fresno Business Council. He will replace Kurt Madden after four years of service. Madden will continue on as Fresno Business Council director. Founded in 1993, the Fresno Business Council was formed by business leaders to […]
Genelle Taylor Kumpe Named COO of the Fresno Business Council and Executive Director of SJVMA
The Board of Directors of the Fresno Business Council (FBC) and the San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance (SJVMA), are pleased to jointly announce Genelle Taylor Kumpe as the FBC’s first Chief Operating Officer and the SJVMA’s first Executive Director effective September 1, 2018. Please join us in welcoming Genelle. Genelle Taylor Kumpe Press Release Contact […]
Mind the (Skills) Gap
The White House announced this week that Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant, Foxconn, plans to invest $10 billion in a new manufacturing facility in Wisconsin – a big win, the White House says, for revitalizing the “Made in America” mantra and manufacturing jobs in the midwest. The 3,000 expected jobs from this development, though, won’t replace […]
Dissolving Shame Culture by Redefining Failure
As human emotions go, shame is one of the most crippling. The fear of exclusion or being exposed is deeply embedded in the human psyche. This can keep us from actions that may harm or cause discomfort to others. Despite its strong self-regulatory impact, we have managed to weaponize it—use it as a tool for […]
What is Broken and How Would I Fix It?
What if what’s broken is us? We the people became fragmented, narrow-minded and comfortable in our separate worlds, watching as we waited for someone else to save us. “It” covers a lot of ground—infrastructure, water shortages, preventable chronic health issues, disappearing middle class, predatory legal and financial systems, entitlement mentality, cranky and childish political culture… […]
This is Not Your Grandfather’s Manufacturing Career
The 2016 Presidential race put a spotlight on bringing jobs back to the US, particularly in manufacturing. While the focus during the campaigns was on losing the jobs to lower-wage economies abroad, there is another reality: we lost interest in the greatest American middle-class industry sector somewhere along the way. Contrary to another belief, technology […]
The Soul of Our Nation
Seventeen years ago, the CA Superintendent of Public Schools, Delaine Easton warned that “we are fighting for the soul of our nation.” The integrity of our republic, the rule of law and our democratic institutions will break down if we don’t re-establish the core American values and ideals that were given to us by the […]
Kindergarten Readiness Pilot Project
The Kindergarten Readiness Pilot Project of the Fresno Stewardship Initiative is a 22-week effort predicated on the belief that low-income neighborhood parents and their 4-5 year olds can be taught the core concepts necessary for success in kindergarten in a cost-effective, effective manner. The Pre K Scholars kindergarten readiness curriculum will be taught in a […]