Credit where credit is due

Dempsey Construction and USI were brought in by John Isham of Casper Company. Next Level Energy Management was brought in by Kevin Grogg of Murray Company. All County Environmental and Restoration was brought in by Kassie Luft. Tyler Sargent of Sully Electric brought in Cable Pipe & Leak Detection. Johnson Controls was bought in by John Luft of Southland Electric. U.S. CAD was brought in by Nancy Matus. All received $100 Visa Cards for bringing in new members. Did you know if you bring in a member you score a gift card too AND if your company brings in 3 members between July 1 and June 30, your company gets a FREE membership? Member Services Manager April Young has information that will help you. Email april@sandiegoasa.org.

Reserve your room by June 19th for a discounted rate.

Holiday Party

Member Showcase

Sporting Clay

John Isham

ASA President

johni@caspercompany.com

The 2024 Legislative Session is underway. Friday, February 16^th was the deadline for bills to be introduced. A total of 2,126 bills were introduced for the session, of which 1,505 were Assembly measures and 621 were Senate measures. These figures do not include special session bills, constitutional amendments, or resolutions. It should also be noted that Committees can still introduce bills past the deadline. Further, of the legislation introduced, several measures are considered “spot bills” which make technical, non-substantive changes in the law as a placeholder for a later proposal. There are also hundreds of “intent bills” which also serve as placeholders and merely make a statement of legislative intent. McHugh Koepke Padron Government Relations (MKP) will continue to monitor and report on bills or amendments that may be of interest to the ASAC.

Currently, MKP is tracking 30 measures for ASAC and awaiting feedback from the Governmental Relations Committee (GRC). The next GRC meetings will take place on March 11^th and May 6^th, respectively. 

Additionally, ASAC had been closely monitoring the Cal/OSHA Lead Regulations. For context, on March 3, 2023, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA Standards Board) published a notice of proposed revised regulations pertaining to workplace exposure to lead for the general industry and construction safety orders. ASAC was part of a broader construction coalition that has raised opposition to the sweeping regulation. Unfortunately, despite serious concerns regarding feasibility and inaccurate cost estimates, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved the update to California’s lead regulation on February 16^th. 

Specifically, in a 5-2 vote, the Standards Board passed the regulation. The board acknowledged the timeline concerns for implementation, despite supporting the regulation’s substantive goals. The revisions are now with the Office of Administrative Law and are expected to go into effect on January 1, 2025.

For the latest information regarding the new Lead Regulations, please see the DIR website: https://www.dir.ca.gov/OSHSB/Lead.html.

We are delighted to announce the elevation of John Schena and Kristen Bush to named partners, marking a significant milestone for the firm. Effective February 1, 2024, the firm proudly embraces its new identity as Schwartz Semerdjian Cauley Schena & Bush (SSCSB). Additionally, we are pleased to recognize the outstanding accomplishment of attorney Mark Bale, who is being elevated to partner.

These advancements underscore our commitment to nurturing and promoting exceptional talent within our ranks. Managing Partner Ross Schwartz expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “John, Kristen and Mark have grown with our firm over the years and we are thrilled to see them assuming new leadership roles to help take the firm to a new generation in the San Diego community.”

John Schena is a seasoned trial attorney with an emphasis on commercial litigation, including fiduciary duty, trade secret, and employment matters. John has significant arbitration and trial experience, including first-chairing three jury trials over the last year. He is dedicated the communities in San Diego and Baja and provides expertise to local non-profits. 

Kristen Bush is an accomplished business litigator, dedicated to representing individuals and businesses in a diverse spectrum of legal challenges, including contract disputes, professional liability matters, construction-related issues, and various other facets of business torts. Her expertise has garnered recognition at a national level, exemplified by her exclusive selection for the American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Leadership Academy, an honor that only 25 attorneys nationwide receive.

Mark Bale has over twenty-five years of experience litigating civil matters with an emphasis on business, commercial, real estate, construction, liability defense, and lender/creditor issues. He regularly represents clients in complex disputes in state, federal and bankruptcy courts throughout California.

Founding Partner Dick Semerdjian expressed his confidence in the newly appointed leaders, stating, “John, Kristen and Mark have built tremendous rapport with our clients and the San Diego community over the years, and we look forward to seeing them flourish in their new leadership roles.”

Congratulations, John, Kristen and Mark!

MAR 27 Cornhole Mixer @ Downtown Cafe (El Cajon) (REGISTER NOW)

APR 24 IT & Cyber Security Seminar presented by Hoop5 (REGISTER NOW)

May 3 Spring Fling @ Carlton Oaks Golf Course

We're asking our members to help us promote membership in ASA by displaying our logo on your company website. If you're interested in making this happen, please contact April Young to obtain a file that your webmaster can use.

1st Quarter 2024