On Monday January 20th, we celebrated the Civil Rights hero, Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King is a prime example of the positive example one can make to enact much needed change in a society when that change is desperately needed. The accomplishments Dr. King toward the end of discrimination is something we can all be proud of.

I’m honored to inform you that my colleagues elected me Chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors for 2020 at the January 14th BOS meeting. Congratulations to Supervisor Andrew Do for being elected Vice Chairman. I look forward to a very productive year.

I hosted a very successful Opportunity Zones Seminar in Huntington Beach at the Central Library on Saturday. Assemblyman Tyler Diep and HB City Councilman Michael Posey co-hosted with me. Almost one hundred residents from HB and the surrounding area came out to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available in Opportunity and Red Zones.

The Small Business Administration gave an excellent presentation and also shared with the audience about the other multiple free tools and help available to both existing businesses and those looking to start one.

Councilman Michael Posey and City Manager Oliver Chi provided very thorough information and held a great Q & A session with the engaged audience. Thank you to all who participated.

For more information on Opportunity Zones, Red Zones, CEDS, and grant funding opportunities, you may contact my office at 714-834-3220, or go direct to the Orange County Community Services - Community Investment Division at 714-480-6500. You can also visit their website at http://www.ocwib.org/ceds.

Congratulations to Paul Hennessy on the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the Hennessy's Tavern Costa Mesa location.

My staff attended along with the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce to present him with a certificate of recognition. Welcome to my District and best of luck with your business, Paul!

On Friday, January 17th we celebrated the Grand Opening and ribbon cutting of Ashley Furniture Homestore's newest location in Huntington Beach.

My staff attended along with our friend, Huntington Beach City Councilman Patrick Brendon to celebrate the opening. Close to 100 people attended and Ashley Furniture Homestore held a lottery with the winner taking home $5000 worth of free furniture. Best of luck to Ashley Furniture Homestore and welcome to the Second District!

Congratulations to Kim Shaner on the successful Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting of KS Master Brow & Lash in Fountain Valley.

It was a pleasure to have staff join with the FV Chamber of Commerce in celebration of the occasion and present her with a certificate of recognition. Welcome to my District, Kim!

January 9th was National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.

Thank you to all of the brave men and women who serve & protect us here in Orange County, as well as across the nation. May God bless and protect them and their families as they put their lives on the line for us each and every day.

On the January 14^th Orange County Board of Supervisors Meeting, amid the recent spate of anti-Semitic attacks in the US, I introduced a motion to have the Orange County Sheriff, Don Barnes speak to the board on the Sheriff Department’s efforts to curtail hate crimes and terrorism in the county.

Sheriff Barnes spoke on a variety of steps that his department is taking to protect our communities. Through its Intelligence Assessment Center, The Sheriff’s Department works together with local Police Departments, Fire Departments, the District Attorney’s Office as well as the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to develop methods to prevent further attacks on targeted groups. These include an increased security presence during times of worship, active shooter prevention training and much more.

The Los Alamitos Area Chamber of Commerce held their Installation & Awards Gala at On the Greens at the Navy Golf Course. The event was emceed by the Honorable Jeff Barke, and officiated by Mayor Pro Tem Mark Chirco. It was a fun Roaring Twenties theme for the new decade and many folks had fun dressing the part.

I had staff on hand to recognize the Business of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Community Partner of the Year, and Economic Impact of the Year. Congratulations to both the Awardees and the new Board of Directors!

City of Hope celebrated the Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of its first Orange County site in Newport Beach on the morning of January 21st. It brings highly specialized cancer care to a region where annually nearly twenty percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients leave the area for advanced treatment.

This the start of City of Hope’s $1 Billion investment in an Orange County Regional cancer network which will feature a world-class cancer campus of the future, and a greenfield for innovative partnerships that will transform cancer research and care for Orange County patients.

It was a pleasure to have staff present Annette Walker, President of City of Hope Orange County, with a resolution commemorating this milestone.

On Saturday January 25th, I will be joining Orange County’s Vietnamese community in celebration at the annual OC Tet Festival in Mile Square Park. The Tet Festival celebrates the beginning of the lunar new year and is by far the most important holiday in the Vietnamese community.

The Vietnamese community of Orange County has been a vital and integral part of enriching Orange County. I am honored to be able to attend and be a part of such a special day for the Vietnamese residents of this great county. I wish everyone a Chúc Mừng Năm Mới and I look forward to seeing you all there.

Each Lunar New Year is represented by one the twelve Zodiac animals, this year being the Year of the Rat, which represents prosperity, optimism and good luck. This year’s events will include a parade, a firecracker lighting ceremony, Vietnamese cultural performances, carnival rides and delicious Vietnamese food.

The OC Tet Festival Will be held at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Friday, January 24th from 2 PM to 10PM, Saturday, January 25th from 10 AM to 10 PM and Sunday, January 26th from 10 AM to 10 PM. Mile Square Park is located at 16801 Euclid Street in Fountain Valley.

For more information, please visit: http://octetfest.com/

Neal Kelly at the OC Registrar of Voters made a recent announcement pertaining the upcoming election changes in our county:

We've completed our first outreach mailing informing voters of the upcoming changes to Orange County elections. These marketing postcards, 1.6 million of them, were all completed in-house on our high-speed inkjet web press. Our next mailing will be on February 13th.

For more information please visit: https://www.ocvote.com/vc/web/

Artist, philanthropist, and retired federal law enforcement official, Elizabeth (Liz) Nguyen-Espinoza, creates thought-provoking art to carry on her mother’s charity work of raising awareness of the social issues affecting children and promoting their overall health through fundraising. Her paintings are on display in the John Wayne Airport Community Focus Space from January 16 – February 13, 2020.

“Travelers at John Wayne Airport are sure to be inspired by the work of Elizabeth Nguyen-Espinoza, who creatively uses art along with her philanthropic work to provide care to children in need of medical assistance around the world,” said Orange County Board of Supervisors Chair Michelle Steel. “The next time you travel through John Wayne Airport, take a moment to view her artwork of hope and encouragement.”

To see more of the exhibit, please visit: https://www.ocair.com/terminal/artexhibits/#cfs

ORANGE COUNTY, CA – The Orange County Auditor-Controller’s office has released this year’s Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), also known as the Citizen’s Report, a summary guide to the in-depth County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The PAFR summarizes key aspects of the CAFR in layman's terms and is designed specifically to help taxpayers understand the larger and more complex report on County financial data. Both reports reflect information from the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year which began on July 1, 2018 and ended on June 30, 2019.

For more information, please visit: http://ac.ocgov.com/reports/cafrreports/