Oxnard Leadership: Energized at the 2020-2021 program's halfway point

​After starting in February 2020 then pausing due to the pandemic, our 2020-21 Oxnard Leadership participants passed the midway point of the 10-session program this month. Session six focused on Energy, which included meeting with leaders from Southern California Edison, Western States Petroleum Association, and SimpliPhi Power and touring the California Oil Museum in Santa Paula. 

For the first time in 2021, the morning began in-person at the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce for a general overview of the energy system in Ventura County with session coordinator Justin Campbell. Campbell is Director of Remediation and Environmental Compliance Service with Catalyst Environmental Solutions and is a graduate of the Oxnard Leadership Program. He now serves on the program's Steering Committee. Up next was a virtual presentation from Government Relations Manager Dani Anderson from Southern California Edison about their Wildfire Mitigation Plans.

From there, the group traveled to the California Oil Museum in Santa Paula to meet with Ben Oakley, Manager of the California Coastal Region for the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA). They also toured the museum and enjoyed lunch in the museum courtyard catered by Flight 126 Cafe and sponsored by Catalyst Environmental Solutions. 

Their next meeting was at the Ventura County Government Center with Heather Allen and Javier Saucedo from the County's Sustainability Division, learning about the County's Green Business Program and other energy-saving initiatives. The day concluded at SimpliPhi Power, an Oxnard-based manufacturer of energy storage and management systems, where the group met with CEO & Co-Founder Catherine Von Burg and COO Sequoya Cross.

Every year, the Oxnard Leadership Program leads participants through 10 unique, day-long experiences to gain a better understanding and appreciation of Oxnard and the surrounding areas’ realities, opportunities and challenges. Each session includes visits to various locations and provides participants with a unique opportunity to meet key business and government leaders who play integral roles in the region.

Learn more about the Oxnard Leadership Program.