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By Rob Markman
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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700995/rick-ross-layin-back-after-shooting-pusha-t.jhtml
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Twitter, the global network for short bursts of information, is buying a startup, Crashlytics, that tracks when bad code causes apps to fail abruptly.
Notably, it appears to be leaving Crashlytics alone. TechCrunch reports that Twitter is not relocating the team from Cambridge, Mass. to Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, and allowing it to continue to serve other customers like Yelp and Waze.
Twitter uses Crashlytics in its own app, as well as Vine, a recently launched app for sharing short, simply edited videos.
Which brings us to an interesting point: Is Twitter changing its acquisition strategy?
Twitter has primarily bought pieces of its own ecosystem, bringing in-house functions previously developed by third-party developers. Summize, a search engine for tweets, and Tweetie, the basis of Twitter's iPhone client, are prominent examples. Those deals have been largely successful, allowing Twitter users to find tweets and use Twitter-branded mobile apps.
It has also bought startups for their talent. Mixer Labs, a location-software startup; Posterous, a blogging platform akin to Tumblr; and Bagcheck, a list-sharing site, are two examples. Those results have been more mixed:
With Crashlytics and Vine, Twitter is setting a new pattern: Buying startups and leaving them alone to develop products in Twitter's safe nest.
The model here is Google's acquisition of Android and YouTube, which it ran for years as standalone divisions.
Twitter's motives may vary deal by deal. As a Crashlytics customer, it may not have wanted the startup to end up in the hands of hostile rivals like Google or Facebook, who surely wouldn't mind learning about the ins and outs of Twitter's mobile-app code.
Vine, on the other hand, seems to have simply charmed Twitter's leaders with the premise of a new art form, a video version of Twitter's 140-character tweets.
But whatever the specific reasoning to buy a company, it's very interesting that Twitter's breaking from the acquire-hire pattern of buying startups and crushing what makes them unique.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-acquires-crashlytics-2013-1
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NEW YORK (AP) ? Carmelo Anthony was so locked in, he didn't even realize how far he was shooting from.
Those 3-pointers put him in the record book. A drive to the basket put the Knicks back in the win column.
Anthony tied a franchise record with nine 3-pointers, then converted a go-ahead, three-point play with 12.5 seconds left to cap a 42-point night and lead New York to a 106-104 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
The Hawks shot a season-high 60 percent from the field but had their three-game winning streak snapped when Josh Smith, burned on Anthony's basket, missed a 3-pointer on Atlanta's final possession.
Anthony wasn't aware of the record, but he clearly knew his shot was on. So did the Hawks, and Smith may have been expecting a jumper on the last possession and was caught flat-footed when Anthony went right by him.
"It was just a matter of me just taking them shots and making them," Anthony said. "I know I'm capable of making them, but when I'm making them from the outside, from the perimeter, it opens up the game that much more, for myself, for my teammates, and that's what happened tonight."
Amare Stoudemire and J.R. Smith each had 18 points for the Knicks, who were 16 of 27 (59 percent) from 3-point range. Raymond Felton had 12 points and 10 assists in his second game back after a 10-game absence with a broken right pinky.
Jeff Teague scored 27 points for the Hawks. Smith added 20 and Al Horford had 16.
Anthony matched the Knicks' record for 3-pointers held by John Starks, Latrell Sprewell (twice) and Toney Douglas. He also tied Richie Guerin's franchise record with his 29th straight 20-point game. He pulled up for the final one during a streak of three in a row in the first half from the 'G' in the wording "Madison Square Garden" ? a good 4 feet behind the line.
"One of them heat check shots at that time," he said, claiming he was unaware where he was standing and using the term for a player launching from extremely deep or extremely quickly to test how hot he really is.
Asked if he'd ever made 10 3s in a game, Anthony responded by asking how many he made last summer in the Olympics.
Indeed, he was 10 of 12 in a 37-game point game against Nigeria ? not exactly a quality team such as the Hawks.
His biggest basket came nowhere near the arc.
The Knicks came out of a timeout down by one and Anthony found Smith on him after he was played much of the final period by DeShawn Stevenson, a rugged defender who had frustrated him into a potentially costly technical foul.
Anthony blew by Smith to the left, getting fouled as he laid the ball in.
"He took what the defense gave him," Felton said. "Josh Smith kind of lifted his leg a little bit and then he attacked the back leg, got to the basket and got the and-one. He's been doing a great job of finishing games for us and closing out and hitting big shots."
The ensuing free throw made it 106-104 and Anthony nearly came up with a steal on Atlanta's final possession, but the ball deflected out to Smith, who had a good look that was long.
"It was a good look. It just didn't go down," Smith said. "It was really a back-and-forth game. For us to be able to have a chance at making a game-winning shot or a tying field goal towards the end of that game (with) how well they shot the 3, lets us know that we had a pretty good basketball game ourselves. We just fell a little short."
A night after an ugly 97-80 loss, the Knicks had no problems on offense, though could never get much cushion against the speedy Hawks.
Anthony was poked in the eye by Stevenson with 1:51 left, and responded by angrily slamming the ball to the court, leaving the officials with no choice but to call the technical foul. Kyle Korver made the free throw to give Atlanta a 102-101 lead.
Anthony then missed a jumper, but Stoudemire was fouled and made two free throws. Horford scored on an alley-oop eight seconds later, setting the stage for Anthony's final basket.
The All-Star forward finished 15 of 28 from the field and was 9 of 12 behind the arc in his fourth 40-point game this season.
"It's difficult, because he can make the 3-pointer and he's also fast," Horford said. "He has a first step, like we say in the league, it's a quick first step and explosive. He's a good player."
Leading 27-25 after one, the Knicks ran off the first nine points of the second quarter, getting a pair of 3-pointers from Pablo Prigioni to open a 36-25 advantage. The Hawks wiped all of that away in about six minutes, but Anthony steadied the Knicks with three 3-pointers in the final 2:50. It was 52-all at halftime.
Anthony then hit five 3s in a 17-point third quarter, his final one making it 82-74. The Knicks needed all his offense to build a lead, with the Hawks making 9 of 13 shots (69 percent) in the period.
NOTES: Knicks guard Jason Kidd sat out the second half. The Knicks said the 39-year-old was just being rested. ... Because of Rajon Rondo's torn ACL, he will need to be replaced on the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and Hawks coach Larry Drew hopes Commissioner David Stern looks at Smith or Horford. "No doubt about it. I think both of my guys have been overlooked," Drew said. "It's unfortunate what happened to Rondo, but certainly my guys should be in consideration. Strong consideration." ... The Knicks acknowledged Tyson Chandler's All-Star selection during a first-half timeout. With Anthony voted to start, it's the first time the Knicks have had two players picked since Allan Houston and Sprewell in 2001.
___
Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/anthonys-9-3s-42-points-lead-knicks-over-035436773--spt.html
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Individuals are alphabetized by name of institution.
Larry Tidwell
Larry Tidwell has served as the executive vice president in the real estate industries group at AltaPacific Bank in Santa Rosa since April 2009. He oversees all construction lending, a responsibility he held in his previous position as executive vice president in the real estate industries group at Temecula Valley Bank.
Mr. Tidwell was born in Roswell, N.M., and has lived in the North Bay for 30 years. He cited the retention of customers over more than 15 years as a major accomplishment.
?I think one thing we will see in 2013 is more banks throwing their hat in the ring with regards to lending,? he said.??This will lead to healthy competition amongst lenders, which will be good for borrowers as they will have more choices.?
AltaPacific Bank was founded in 2006 and has assets of $222 million.
Gus Zijlstra
Gus Zijlstra is vice president and relationship manager at American River Bank and has 16 years of experience in commercial lending.
A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mr. Zijlstra has a management and accounting degree from Sonoma State University and a master?s degree from the University of San Francisco. He moved to Santa Rosa in 1985 after graduating from the Argentine Naval Academy and a successful naval career.
Mr. Zijlstra said the one-on-one customer service he provides is what clients expect from a community bank, and those interactions are enhanced by his experience in the banking industry. He is also a frequent volunteer for community organizations, including his work to help mentor elementary school students through Operation Getting Together and to teach financial concepts at the junior high level through Junior Achievement of the Redwood Empire.
American River Bank is a 30-year-old regional business bank with $585 million in assets.
David Meddaugh
David Meddaugh is the senior vice president and market manager of the North Coast commercial banking office of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He has been with the bank for more than 30 years. In his current capacity, he manages the unit?s largest client relationships, with particular focus on the wine and specialty food and beverage industries.
Mr. Meddaugh also serves as the bank?s liaison with the California wine industry. He has presented at the Wine Industry Financial Symposium, Unified Wine and Grape Symposium, Leadership Forum, Sonoma State University Economic Outlook and Moss Adams Wine Industry Roundtable.
He earned bachelor?s degrees in both economics and finance from California State University, Chico, and holds an MBA in corporate finance from the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.
Mr. Meddaugh was raised in Santa Rosa. He lives there with his wife and two children at their Buckshot Ranch property, which has been planted to Italian varietal olive trees.
Beth Reizman
Beth Reizman?is a seasoned lender and manager who has held various positions over her 17-year tenure at Bank of Marin. As commercial banking manager, she is based in?the bank?s headquarters in Novato. She also is a member of the senior management team, helping set the strategic direction of the bank. Ms. Reizman claims her greatest banking accomplishment is helping contribute to the growth and success of Bank of Marin.
Ms. Reizman is currently treasurer of the Marin Workforce Housing Trust Board and serves on their finance committee. She has served on numerous local non-profit boards in the past, including Novato Human Needs Center, North Bay Children?s Center, and Novato Sunrise Rotary. She has also been a long time community volunteer with Lucas Valley Swim Team, Lucas Valley Community Church, and Marin Catholic High School.
Born in the Philippines, she attended the International School in Manila then graduated with a degree in economics from Stanford University. Ms. Reizman started her career at Crocker Bank in the Asia Pacific division then held numerous private and commercial banking positions with Crocker, Hibernia Bank and Bank of California.
Larry Fletcher
A 30-year resident of Northern California, Larry Fletcher is the executive vice president and chief credit officer at Bank of Napa. He has more than 30 years of experience as a banking executive, 26 of them in Napa and Solano counties. He is responsible for all aspects of the bank?s loan portfolio.
Born in Southern California, Mr. Fletcher graduated from Long Beach State University in 1974 with a degree in business administration. He graduated with honors from the Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle in 1988.
Prior to joining Bank of Napa, Mr. Fletcher was the manager of the commercial lending hub for Vintage Bank. He also held the previous role of chief credit officer for Solano Bank, a subsidiary of Vintage Bank in Vacaville, and began his banking career as a consumer loan officer for United California Bank in Los Angeles.
Outside of the bank, he serves on the board of directors for Child Start, a nonprofit that operates the Head Start child-development organization in Napa and Solano counties.
Tom LeMasters, president and CEO, credited Mr. Fletcher with helping the bank to grow a strong portfolio during tumultuous economic times. The bank reported nearly $150 million in assets at the end of 2012.
Don Mercer
Don Mercer, senior vice president and national sales manager, has been with Bank of the West for 13 years. In this role for the bank, he manages the region?s SBA team for small business and commercial lending.
Previously, Mr. Mercer served as a branch manager, regional business development officer and regional manager at the bank. He began his banking career while in college, and assumed his current position in 2007.
A graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School, Mr. Mercer also holds a bachelor?s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Born in Anaheim and raised in Fullerton, he has lived in the North Bay for more than 10 years. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and reading.
Founded in 1874, $63 billion-asset Bank of the West operates 700 branches and offices in 19 states. The bank has several branches in the North Bay, including a commercial lending office in Petaluma and a wine-focused lending office in Napa.
Michael Silva
Michael Silva is a senior vice president at Comerica Bank, heading the bank?s commercial lending group in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties. He has served in his current role for nine years and has been with Comerica for a total of 15 years. That followed 12 years at Union Bank.
Mr. Silva has a bachelor of science degree in finance from Santa Clara University?and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.
Comerica serves a number of specialty food manufacturers in the North Bay, and the wine industry represents about 25 percent of the bank?s regional portfolio, he said.
?There are a lot of companies in the region that are emerging from a smaller size and looking to grow,? Mr. Silva said.
He said that the bank also sees growth opportunities for other sectors in the region, such as helping to finance the purchase of the North Bay Business Journal, Santa Rosa Press Democrat and the Petaluma Argus-Courier last year.
?You?re seeing the impact of local business people owning their local newspaper,? he said.
Comerica Bank had $63.3 billion in assets in its most recent report.
Steve Herron
Steve Herron has served as senior vice president and manager for commercial lending at Exchange Bank since 2000. He focused on business lending for seven years prior to that as a business development officer at the bank.?
Mr. Herron?s banking career began in Los Angeles, where he participated in a commercial lending training program for Union Bank. The program included a one-year assignment in Sacramento, which led to his transfer to the bank?s small banking office in Santa Rosa as a commercial lender in 1987.
Since 1996, Exchange Bank has steadily developed?its?growing?niche as a commercial lender catering to Sonoma County?s artisan?winemakers, growers and vineyard managers, growing that portfolio?to more than $150 million.?
A resident of the North Bay since 1987, Mr. Herron grew up in Fresno. In his spare time he loves to listen to music, read business periodicals, follow the stock markets and collect fine wine.
?I personally think there is a reasonable level of pent-up demand within the business community ? most sectors ? for growth in hiring, capital expansion and expanded business lending,? he said.??I think it will start slowly in 2013, held back by the second phase of the fiscal/budget cliff, but accelerate during the second quarter and into the back half of 2013.?
Exchange Bank was founded more than 120 years ago and reported more than $1.6 billion in assets in its last financial filing.
Barbara Larson is vice president and commercial loan officer at First Community Bank.
Barbara Larson
Ms. Larson has been in the banking industry since 1996, and joined First Community Bank in 2008. She specializes in commercial lines of credit, equipment financing and SBA financing. The bank describes her as a client favorite who brings a wealth of business expertise and customized personal service to each relationship.
?I love working for a community bank, and First Community was the perfect fit for me professionally and personally,? she said.
The bank encourages community service, and Ms. Larson shares her time and talent in through a number of community organizations. She is the current treasurer of the Santa Rosa West Rotary Club, a position she has held for nine years. As a longtime advocate for children, young adults and seniors, she also serves as the treasurer for the Elder Care Expo board of directors.
Carol Landry
Carol Landry is the senior vice president and western region commercial loan manager for First Northern Bank. She has been with the bank for eight years. In her current position, Ms. Landry manages commercial loan activities in Solano and Yolo counties.
She has more than 30 years of experience in commercial lending, including several community and national banks in Solano, Yolo and Napa counties.
Ms. Landry is past chairman of Vacaville Chamber of Commerce and Vacaville Library Commission. She has been a board member of several community organizations in Solano County. Ms. Landry holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of California, Davis, and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at University of Washington.
First Northern Bank was founded in 1910 to provide better banking services to the Solano agribusiness community. Today, in addition to operating lines of credit and equipment lines and leases, the bank offers commercial solar financing and commercial real estate loans to small- and medium-sized businesses and farms. The 10-branch bank is a preferred SBA lender and reported $805.6 million in total assets on Sept. 30.
Ruth Edwards
Ruth Edwards, senior vice president and corporate banking regional manager for the Napa region of Mechanics Bank, has spent more than a decade as a North Bay banker. A longtime wine country resident who grew up in Santa Rosa, she joined the bank?s Napa corporate banking office in 2006. Previously, she was part of the Santa Rosa regional commercial banking office of?Wells Fargo. She lives with her husband, Gary, and two small children in Sonoma.
Mechanics Bank has been a North Bay fixture for 17 years. Its Napa client relationships, however, date back to the early 20th century, when it was a well-known lender to the wine industry. The bank has continued to lend during the economic downturn and focused on furthering its customer relationships as industries weathered the so-called Great Recession.
The 107-year-old bank passed the $3 billion asset mark last year with significant deposit growth. Offices throughout Northern California include Napa, a St. Helena and San Rafael. A new Napa office is set to open in late spring.
Mike Ledwich
Mike Ledwich is vice president and commercial banking officer for Rabobank, N.A. He is responsible for fostering new business relationships and providing solutions to meet the banking needs of business customers in Napa and Sonoma counties.
A banker for 26 years, Mr. Ledwich has spent his entire career in Napa. Before joining Rabobank, Mr. Ledwich was senior vice president and client relationship manager at Bay Commercial Bank as well as senior vice president and relationship manager at Charter Oak Bank.? He also served as vice president and senior relationship manager at Mechanics Bank in Napa for 10 years.
Mr. Ledwich earned a bachelor of science degree in finance and economics from Sacramento State University?and an MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. ?A lifelong resident of Napa, he is a member and past president of Napa Sunrise Rotary Club.
Rabobank is a California community bank with nearly 120 branches, including branches in Napa and Sonoma and a branch and agribusiness lending office in Santa Rosa.
Michel Downey
Michael Downey is senior vice president of business services for Redwood Credit Union, where he has managed the credit union?s business programs since 2006. He has a bachelor?s degree in business administration from Chico State University?and served on the city of Santa Rosa Board of Public Utilities for nearly 24 years.
Mr. Downey has many years of business management and financial services experience in Sonoma County. He owned a local business for 30 years. Recognizing the unique financial needs of small businesses, Mr. Downey started a financial services career more than 10 years ago to provide custom financial solutions to help local businesses grow and thrive.
Aging baby boomers will play a prominent role in commercial lending in 2013 as they execute business-exit strategies and transfer assets, he said.
?We are entering a period of the largest transition of generational wealth in the history of our country,? he said.
In 2008, Mr. Downey helped start Redwood Credit Union?s SBA program, which has ranked among the top lenders in the North Bay for the past four years. The credit union is a Small Business Administration preferred lender with more than $2 billion in assets and in excess 220,000 members.
Sunny Lapham
Sunny Lapham joined SAFE-BIDCO as a loan officer in 2004. Ms. Lapham?s current responsibilities include underwriting and financial analysis of loan requests and overseeing the corporation?s Small Business Loan Guarantee Program and the Energy Efficiency Loan Program.
Ms. Lapham works extensively with community lenders to facilitate their small business lending. Under her stewardship, the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program tripled in volume this past year.
She has 25 years of experience in north coast banking and financial development, including stints at Exchange Bank and Redwood Credit Union. She has a degree in social psychology from University of Nevada?and trained to administer loan programs backed by the Small Business Administration, as well as general banking. Ms. Lapham has served on the board of directors for a number of businesses, nonprofits and educational organizations in the North Bay.
Rob McMillan
Rob McMillan is the founder of the?St. Helena-based?Wine Division of??Silicon Valley Bank. Starting in 1992, he developed the division from the idea and startup phase to the point where it?s now regarded by many as the leading provider of financial services to the fine wine business on the West Coast.
Mr. McMillan?s banking career has spanned more than 30 years, over 20 with Silicon Valley Bank. In that time, he has moved though roles of increasing responsibility including a term on the bank?s Managing Committee.
Today, Mr. McMillan supports Silicon Valley Bank?s continuing growth and success in the wine business assisting the rest of the division?s clients and bankers: sharing views on the macro factors impacting the fine wine business, offering customized management presentations for clients, writing, speaking and managing a portfolio of client relationships.
He has published reports of varied and emerging trends to the wine industry over the past decade and is author of the bank?s annual Wine Industry Report. Mr. McMillan?s perspectives regarding the direction, opportunities and threats in the fine wine business continue to be cited in regional, national international and the wine trade press.
Mr. McMillan received a bachelor?s degree in finance and economics from Sacramento State University and an MBA from Leavey School of Business at?Santa Clara University. He is affiliated with, and supports numerous charities and industry associations both in and outside of the wine industry.
He is the father of two, enjoys the outdoors and travel, and takes any opportunity to play percussion and drums in live settings.
Jamie Williams
Jamie Williams has been senior vice president and commercial banking regional director for Sonoma Bank since he was hired two and a half years ago. His focus has been on building strong commercial banking teams in Marin County, East Bay and Santa Rosa. He said hiring high-performing, well-known veteran bankers are key in the success of the bank?s commercial teams in the region.
Along with traditional business banking products and services, Sonoma Bank has experienced tremendous growth in owner-occupied commercial real estate lending.
Mr. Williams was born in Marin and has lived in Novato for more than 21 years. He has been in the banking industry for more than 30 years, always on the commercial or corporate banking side. Prior to joining Sonoma Bank, he was a founder of Greater Bay Bank Marin and was regional vice president for Westamerica Bank. His first position was in 1978 as a management trainee for Wells Fargo after graduating from Santa Clara University with a degree in economics.
Sterling Bank of Spokane, Wash., does business in California as Sonoma Bank.
Bill Fogarty
Bill Fogarty is senior vice president and chief credit officer at Summit State Bank. Mr. Fogarty joined Summit at the end of 2011 with 25 years of banking experience, including chief credit officer and chief executive roles at other community banking institutions.
Mr. Fogarty attended Arizona State University and earned a bachelor?s degree in business administration at University of Phoenix. He also graduated from Pacific Coast Bankers School at University of Washington in Seattle.
He focuses on all areas of the bank?s lending programs and portfolio for safety, soundness and profitability.
?We are seeing indicators of an upturn in our economy due to a notable pickup in loan production in 2012 that was double the level of 2011,? Mr. Fogarty said. ?We heavily promoted our $50 million loan commitment in 2012, which we believe was part of our increased loan demand and production at Summit. But we also believe that the economic upturn was the foundation of this growth. Businesses are also beginning to activate their expansion plans and start projects that have been on hold for the last few years.?
In his spare time, Mr. Fogarty enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, wildlife photography and golf. He also enjoys spending time with his wife of 28 years, Sheryl, his two children and grandchild.
Mr. Fogarty has ?fallen in love with Sonoma County? and regularly donates his time to local nonprofits and chambers of commerce.
Founded in 1984, Summit State Bank has roughly $430 million in assets, 62 employees and five offices. Summit State Bank is a Top Performing Bank, earning the highest Findley Reports designation of all Sonoma County-based banks.
Francine Boards became vice president of business lending at Travis Credit Union in early 2012. It?s a newly created position that is part of a targeted approach to boost the $2.2 billion institution?s efforts in commercial lending. She served as senior commercial credit officer at the credit union since 2009.
Prior to joining Travis, Ms. Boards held senior management positions for commercial lending operations at One California Bank, Mechanics Bank and Civic Bank of Commerce. She has a total of 24 years of financial industry experience and is a graduate of the MBA program at St. Mary?s College of California as well as Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.
James Barrett
James Barrett?is vice president and senior relationship manager with the Wine Industry Services group at?Union Bank.
The Wine Industry Services group in Northern California is growing. Ttotal commitments to the industry increased by about 30 percent in the last two years. Mr. Barrett attributes this growth to the bank?s consistency in its approach to the business and to its strong relationships with clients.
In addition to the wine industry, he has clients in the retail, food and beverage, and manufacturing sectors, and has worked with clients in many other industries during his career.
Mr. Barrett said his biggest accomplishment has been to successfully balance a rewarding career with an active and happy family life. He likes to spend time with family and friends and enjoys sports, reading and cooking.
He earned a finance degree at?Auburn University?and a master?s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance at?Georgia State University?in Atlanta. He is a graduate of?Leadership Napa Valley?and a member of the?Napa Rotary Club.
Mr. Barrett has lived in Napa since 1995.
As of Sept. 30, Union Bank had assets of $88.2 billion and roughly 10,000 employees.
Conrad Figueroa
Conrad Figueroa is a senior relationship manager in the?Bay Area Commercial Banking Group, which includes the North Bay, of U.S. Bank. The group caters to middle-market companies with a strong focus on relationship banking.? ?
Previously, Mr. Figueroa spent 10 years working for Wells Fargo Bank and five years for Comerica Bank. During his time at Wells Fargo and prior to becoming a vice president for commercial banking there, he was a branch manager and a licensed financial advisor.
Mr. Figueroa has lived in Northern California for over 20 years and is a graduate of University of California, Davis, in economics. Mr. Figueroa enjoys running in his spare time and is a 2011 Boston Marathon finisher.
U.S. Bank, based in Minneapolis, recently reported more than $350 billion in assets. ?
Scott Shapiro
Scott Shapiro is senior vice president of Warren Capital Corporation. He is responsible for managing the lender?s portfolio and developing relationships with its partners, which include community banks and the health care and franchise markets.
Mr. Shapiro has been with Warren Capital for 12 years. His career in banking began at BankBoston in Boston during its merger with Fleet Bank. He attended Boston College, graduating with a business degree in finance and information systems.
Having grown up in the North Bay, Mr. Shapiro moved back to California after college. He began working at Warren Capital as a three-day-a-week intern in the 2001 recession and gradually worked his way up to senior vice president. He said that ascent is?one of his greatest accomplishments, leading to years-long relationships with repeat clients.
Over the past 29 years, Warren Capital has completed over $1.7 billion in financings, including $500 million in the North Bay, for more than 3,500 clients. The lender provides services that include equipment leasing and financing, large-scale debt placements and seller-focused merger-and-acquisition advisory.
James Kimball
?Kimball is a senior vice president and regional manager with the Wells Fargo Commercial Banking Group. He oversees the North Coast Regional Commercial Banking Office, responsible for a territory spanning from the Golden Gate Bridge to Oregon.
The team serves a variety of industries, but has specialists focused on wine, specialty food and agriculture.
Mr. Kimball has worked in financial services for more than 25 years, a career that has focused on commercial banking in Northern California and the western United States. He was regional president for wholesale banking at Wachovia when the bank merged with Wells Fargo and spent 22 years holding various leadership positions at Bank of America.
He received bachelor?s and master?s degrees in finance from Sacramento State University.
A lifelong Sonoma County?resident, Mr. Kimball is an active community leader in Northern California and has a history of service on the boards of the North Bay Leadership Council and the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University. He lives with his wife, Sharon, and two children in Petaluma.
Joseph Dietzen is senior vice president at Westamerica Bank. In that role, he oversees account relationships and loan production in the bank?s Sonoma and Mendocino regions.
A native of Washington, he grew up in Yakima and came to California to obtain a bachelor?s degree in economics from Stanford University. Mr. Dietzen later received an MBA in finance from?University of California, Berkeley, and attended Pacific Coast Banking School.
He joined Westamerica Bank in 2005 when it acquired National Bank of the Redwoods.?He had been executive vice president and responsible for real estate loan production there.
Mr. Dietzen said that he was pleased to work closely with the low-income housing efforts of the Sonoma County Loan Consortium and Burbank Housing. He also?was?actively involved with Redwood Empire Food Bank during a time of expansion.
When away from his duties at the bank, Mr. Dietzen said that he enjoys working on a classic Victorian townhouse that has been in his wife?s family for generations.
Westamerica Bank reported $5 billion in total assets at the end of 2012.
Source: http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/67794/spotlight-leaders-in-commercial-banking-2013/
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(Reuters) - Barnes & Noble Inc
"In 10 years we'll have 450 to 500 stores," Klipper told the Journal. The company had 689 retail stores as of January 23, along with a separate chain of 674 college stores.
Even with 450 to 500 stores, "it's a good business model," Klipper told the WSJ. (http://link.reuters.com/gun55t)
"You have to adjust your overhead, and get smart with smart systems. Is it what it used to be when you were opening 80 stores a year and dropping stores everywhere? Probably not. It's different. But every business evolves," Klipper said.
Barnes & Noble, which had enjoyed a sales bump after one-time rival Borders Group liquidated in 2011, reported a 10.9 percent decrease in sales at its bookstores and on its website over the holiday period.
(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Matt Driskill)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/barnes-noble-plans-reduce-outlets-over-decade-wsj-053033256--finance.html
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Aurelio Ocampo Jr., the entrepreneur I met, is now the director of the Webisode "Get Lost". What is a webisode? Well, it's simply a short online video usually in series or a part of a larger grouping of videos. Anyway, I'd say he has mastered the art. How so you ask? Well, let me explain what he is doing and why, and how he is gaining video views online as his firm gains friends and influences people. Indeed, there is also a rather important social aspect to all this too, he is helping people lose weight and prevent onset diabetes too.
As he explains it; "Our main objective is to find locations that take people of any physical condition away from inactive lifestyles and into more active lifestyles. One important aspect of the show is that we find these places through recommendations from locals. This being said, the show is not restricted to outdoor terrain since places like museums, botanical gardens, historical places and art locations can also be part of the exploration."
Now then, I'd like you to consider this for a moment because here is a filmmaking entrepreneur who has found a very viable niche that virtually no one else has tapped into. Best of all, it is working, and local advertisers are graciously participating, and why wouldn't they? Incidentally economic development associations, chambers of commerce, and many other local nonprofit groups are glad to get involved.
This also brings a substantial number of new viewers to see what's going on, and how their local area is being portrayed, as well as getting them off their butt and giving them an idea of where to go locally, while at the same time promoting their city to others in nearby areas, or even tourists who come and spend their dollars in that community.
Lastly, can you think of any better experience for a movie producer or director? This niche he has tapped into is virtually unlimited, and although it is not an easy road to hoe he's definitely made inroads and seems to have a perfect formula, all garnered through trial and error. And isn't that really what entrepreneurship and moviemaking is all about.
He is bringing ingenuity, innovation, and merging multimedia. This is the future. Indeed I'd like you to please consider all this as you search for your own profitable niche in multimedia entertainment while you harvest the power of the web.
Source: http://bishopsnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/01/movie-producer-start-ups-should-not.html
NVIDIA wants to take the mystery out of gaming performance through its GeForce Experience. It's been hard to appreciate that when the app has been in closed testing for well over a month, however -- so it's good news that the company just recently opened the beta program to everyone. Along with bringing faster and better-looking graphics to the PC gaming masses, the public version widens the optimizations to include Core 2 processors, 2,560 x 1,440 displays and games like Far Cry 3 and Mechwarrior Online. There's no word yet on when the app will reach its finished form, although we hope it's sooner rather than later when Project Shield's remote PC game streaming will depend on GeForce Experience to run. For now, players running Windows can grab the beta at the source link.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/27/nvidia-geforce-experience-gaming-pc-tune-up-reaches-open-beta/
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Gregg Williams may be a step closer to returning to the NFL after being suspended indefinitely for his role in the Saints' bounty program.
Titans coach Mike Munchak has talked with Williams and is interested in adding him to his Tennessee staff, said a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke Sunday to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the Titans do not discuss personnel moves until they are finalized.
Before the Titans could hire Williams, he must be reinstated by the league. Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him indefinitely for his role in the New Orleans Saints bounty program, and NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Sunday the league has not yet addressed Williams' potential reinstatement.
Munchak did not immediately answer a message left by the AP on Sunday. The Titans coach has not talked with the media about his team since the day after the season ended.
How quickly the league considers reinstating Williams may take at least a week with the San Francisco 49ers arriving in New Orleans on Sunday to kick off festivities leading up to the Feb. 3 Super Bowl.
Williams is the only coach or player who has yet to return to the NFL in the wake of the bounty scandal.
Goodell just lifted the suspension for New Orleans coach Sean Payton on Tuesday, nearly two weeks earlier than expected. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt for six. Four current or former Saints players were also suspended after an investigation found the club had a performance pool offering cash rewards for key plays, including big hits. The player suspensions eventually were overturned.
Williams was the Saints defensive coordinator from 2009-11 and was hired by St. Louis in January 2012 by former Titans coach Jeff Fisher before being suspended indefinitely in March 20112. Williams' son, Blake, also was on Fisher's staff as the Rams' linebacker coach ? but his contract was not renewed earlier this month.
Munchak has known Williams since 1990. Munchak was playing for the then-Houston Oilers when Williams became an assistant coach with the team. They also coached together with the Oilers; Munchak oversaw the offensive line starting in 1994 and Williams rose from defensive assistant to coaching special teams, then linebackers and finally defensive coordinator.
Williams left the Titans to become head coach of the Buffalo Bills in 2001 before becoming defensive coordinator with the Washington Redskins from 2004-07. He also was defensive coordinator in Jacksonville in 2008 before being hired by the Saints in 2009.
Williams also has a relationship with Munchak's current defensive coordinator, Jerry Gray. When Williams left for Buffalo, Gray went with him and served as Williams' defensive coordinator with the Bills.
Even though Gray currently has the job, the Titans' defense needs help and Munchak will be coaching for his job in 2013 after going 6-10 in his second season as head coach. One reason for the losing record was Tennessee's inability to stop anyone; the Titans set a franchise record allowing 471 points in 2012. The only change Munchak has made to his defensive staff was letting linebackers coach Frank Bush go and moving Chet Paralavecchio into the job from assisting with special teams.
In Williams' last season with the Titans, Tennessee ranked first in the NFL in fewest yards allowed, first in passing yards allowed and third in rushing defense. The Titans also set a franchise-record for fewest points allowed with 191 with an aggressive defense.
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Investing In Citizenship: For The Rich, A Road To The U.S.
The Barclays Center in New York, the new home of the Brooklyn Nets, was built partially with investment from overseas donors seeking U.S. citizenship. A little-known immigration program allows wealthy investors to get a green card in exchange for funding American businesses.
The traditional immigrant story is a familiar one.Someone who longs for a better life makes the tough journey, leaves behind the hardships of his or her native land and comes to the United States to start again. That story, in a lot of ways, helped build this country.
These days, however, there's a very different kind of immigrant who wants to come to this country the rich and they have a different set of dreams.
Anthony Korda was a barrister, or lawyer, in England who vacationed frequently in the U.S. with his family.
"Each time we left the nice weather of Florida, we were more depressed about having to leave," Korda tells NPR's Robert Smith.
Korda says they did not look forward to slogging through the London rain, so he made a lifestyle choice: He was going to immigrate to the U.S. and live in a place where you could get a real tan.
Korda found pretty quickly, though, that the last thing the U.S. needed was more lawyers, so a standard or employment-based visa was unlikely. But then he saw a shortcut to becoming an American in a small, obscure federal program called EB-5, designed for people like him to get into the country if they had enough money.
"It looked too good to be true," he says.
All Korda had to do was cash out most of his savings about $500,000 and invest in an American business. If he could help create 10 jobs, then he would get a green card.
Korda's investment was a ski resort in Vermont that was looking to improve its infrastructure. So he put down his money and got to move to Florida and vacation in Vermont. He and his family got the American dream, but what did America get in return?
A Path For Rich Immigrants
The immigration program for the rich was designed to provide a boost to the U.S. economy, and it costs very little to give out the visas. The program allows 10,000 people a year to immigrate using the investment method. It's never reached that limit, but it is getting more popular every year. In 2012, about 7,600 made use of the program.
Some of those dollars are going to the Barclay's Center, the new home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets.
Bloomberg News reports that more than $200 million of the loans to build the arena came from foreigners who were using the investment to get into the U.S. The business plan predicts that in the end, it will create more than 5,000 jobs.
That's how it's supposed to work, but often the projects funded by the EB-5 visas are not quite as glamorous.
David North, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, says the government's rules for these visas encourage investment in depressed areas, rural places and inner cities. These are places where private investment is scarce and often risky.
"The investments that are open to an EB-5 investor are really rock-bottom, marginal investments," North says. "These are essentially small, usually real estate investments of some kind [and] small construction investments."
North says one of the other problems with the rules is that the investors have very few responsibilities to make sure the project works.
"We're not bringing entrepreneurs to this country in this program," he says, "we're bringing passive investors."
Economic Or Immigration Program?
The federal government doesn't release numbers to show how many of the investments succeed or fail. Dune Lawrence, an investigative reporter with Bloomberg News, has tried to figure it out. She tells NPR's Smith that the program has several problems.
"The basic problem starts with the fact that it's an economic development program run by an immigration agency," Lawrence says. "The immigration agency is focused on immigration."
That focus by the agency, of handling the applications and paperwork concerned with the investor's immigration status, makes it unprepared to handle the economic side of the program, Lawrence says.
The only data released by the government is how many green cards were issued through the program, she says, which doesn't tell you how many investments actually succeeded in the long term.
"It's all based on the economic assumptions that were made at the beginning of the project," she says, "and if they can show that they're in the process of spending the money then that's that."
Despite all the questions, defenders of the program say that money is money. Maybe some rich foreigners could lose their stake and perhaps some won't create the right number of jobs, but it is a real if relatively tiny bump in investment in U.S. businesses.
Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Texas, says that overall he thinks the program is good for the economy.
"It is bringing in money ... and investment to the United States that otherwise might not have come here," he says.
Jones says just as you can find anecdotal evidence of failure, you can find a bunch of examples of successful projects funded with foreign investment. In Texas, he's looked at successful strip malls, horse-racing enterprises and real estate projects funded by immigrants that seem to be working.
Korda, the lawyer who wanted to live on the beach, says he has seen only a modest return on his investment in the ski resort, between 1.5 and 2 percent.
Though he could have done much better in the stock market or bonds, the tradeoff for Korda is he's now living in Florida instead of London. He now consults with other wealthy foreigners wanting to use the program to come to America.
Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.9(MDAzNTYzNDk2MDEyNDM5NTU1OTc1NDZmZQ001))
Source: http://www.gpb.org/news/2013/01/26/investing-in-citizenship-for-the-rich-a-road-to-the-u-s
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The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2012
Dan Ariely (Editor), Tim Folger (Editor) 
2 days in the top 100 
(10)
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Education & Reference
The Best American Series?
First, Best, and Best-Selling
The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country?s finest short fiction and nonfiction. Each volume?s series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected ? and most popular ? of its kind.
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2012 includes
JEROME GROOPMAN, SY MONTGOMERY, MICHAEL BEHAR, DEBORAH BLUM, THOMAS GOETZ, DAVID EAGLEMAN, RIVKA GALCHEN, DAVID KIRBY, and others
Source: http://greateducationreference609.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-best-american-science-and-nature.html
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Whole Foods, Kensington
On Monday 28 January, Fortnum & Mason launches a pop-up British Bakery. It runs until April, and on the launch day chef Mark Hix, who?ll be contributing his own lovingly made comestibles to the pop-up (he?s conveniently just released a book about baking) will give a class at 1pm.
Convivial food and drink events-maker Tweat Up (tag line: ?So far no deaths or arrests?) hosts a stock-clearing event this Saturday evening, at the Old Street end of City Road.
Students may not have the best reputation for culinary capability but fear not: The Stu is running a food and drink festival this weekend with chefs on hand to show flummoxed freshers what to do. Like many a dormitory larder, details are skimpy, but we do know that it?s at UCL on Saturday 26 January.
At 8am on Monday, 28 January, Michel Roux Jr will be hosting a cookery demonstration and Q&A session at the monolithic Whole Foods store in Kensington. ?25 gets you breakfast and the rare chance of firing a few probing questions at the Masterchef presenter.
As of this week, the KERB street food market has rocked up in the City ? beside the Gherkin on Thursdays, and at CityPoint, near Moorgate, on Fridays. Six traders will be at each site.
Finally, speaking of markets: will Brixton Village survive gentrification? The Standard investigates.
Restaurant review round-up:
Photo / yorkshire stacked
Source: http://londonist.com/2013/01/london-food-drink-news-24-january.php
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Sports Fans Vote for Favorite Game Day Recipe for Chance to Win One of Five $250 Gift Cards From Plastics Make it Possible?
Americans celebrating the big game will buy, prepare and devour lots of food and drink, which can result in quite a bit of waste. But these sports fans can keep the environment in mind when planning Game Day recipes?and maybe even win $250?with a little help from plastics.
Plastics Make it Possible ? has teamed up with four popular food bloggers in a Game Day Recipe Challenge to create iconic sports fan recipes using plastic kitchen tools?then sports fans can vote online for their favorite recipe and be entered in a Game Day Giveaway for one of five $250 gift cards. The bloggers also will share their experiences using plastics in the kitchen to create their recipes and to generate less waste.
The bloggers competing for best recipe are Gaby Dalkin from ?What?s Gaby Cooking,? Renee Hirschberg from ?Eat.Live.Blog,? Jenna Weber from ?Eat, Live, Run,? and Robyn Lindars from ?Grill Grrrl.?
?We all want to lighten our environmental footprint without sacrificing the things we love, such as big game day celebrations and tailgate parties,? said Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council, which sponsors the Plastics Make it Possible ? initiative. ?Plastics we use in the kitchen can help us prepare, transport, serve and store our favorite game day food and drinks while creating less waste.?
Here are a few tips from Plastics Make it Possible ? on how sports fans can do more with less?and contribute to sustainability?on game day:
To see the bloggers? recipes and enter The Game Day Giveaway by voting for your favorite, click here.
To explore sustainability and innovations in plastic packaging and cooking tools, visit It?s a Wrap!
Source: http://www.theculinaryscoop.com/2013/01/food-bloggers-compete-in-game-day-recipe-challenge/
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If you live anywhere within the northern two-thirds of the United States, you've probably noticed that it's pretty chilly outside. The plunge in temperatures over the past few days comes courtesy of an invasion of Arctic air that has been captured in a mesmerizing new animation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The animation, made with weather data from the NOAA/NCEP Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis, begins on Saturday (Jan. 19) with very cold air seen only over the Rockies, Montana, North Dakota, the northern half of Minnesota and the northern portions of New England. Much of the eastern and central parts of the country saw weekend weather that was balmier than usual for mid-January.
Thanks to a kink in the jet stream that brought it dipping down, the cold air begins plunging southward on Sunday, mostly in the northern plains states and the Midwest. On Monday it begins to surge even farther to the south, covering the Plains, the Midwest, the Northeast and even extending into some of the southern states.
The cold surge retreats a bit later in the day, then makes another push on Tuesday, fully extending into the northern parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. The pattern repeats on Wednesday, with the cold receding much farther north later in the day, before making another southward push on Thursday.
All the back-and-forth is caused by diurnal cycle of heating and cooling, a NOAA statement explains, but "the pattern is clear: much of the U.S. is pretty cold," it notes.
The cold air is expected to retreat from the Midwest this weekend, letting warmer air force its way in, according to Accuweather.com. The collision of these air masses will bring an ice storm to the region, the site's meteorologists predict.
Snow and icy weather could hit the eastern United States starting tomorrow (Jan. 25), with temperatures finally rising above freezing over the weekend or early next week, depending on the location.
Reach Andrea Thompson at athompson@techmedianetwork.com and follow her on twitter @AndreaTOAP. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter?@OAPlanet. We're also on?Facebook?and Google+.
Copyright 2013 OurAmazingPlanet, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chilling-arctic-air-invasion-captured-animation-225601925.html
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By Alastair Jamieson, Staff writer, NBC News
LONDON ? London?s legendary blue plaques -- historical markers commemorating the lives of eminent figures -- face an uncertain future because of austerity cuts at England?s official heritage agency.
More than 850 ceramic signs honor key people who lived in the U.K. capital, and their contribution to human history.
Toby Melville / Reuters (file)
One of London's 869 blue historical markers.
But the program?-- almost 150 years old and believed to be the first of its kind in the world -- now faces a ?very uncertain future,? according its lead administrator at English Heritage.
?These are extremely difficult times for English Heritage and for the scheme,? wrote Emily Cole in a letter made public earlier this month.
Existing plaques will remain, but no new locations are planned and the panel of historians and experts that considers nominations for future signs has been suspended.
The news has been greeted with dismay in London.
?Blue plaques are one of the most charming ways a capital has ever found to preserve historical memory,? cultural commentator Jonathan Jones wrote in The Guardian newspaper. ?They eschew the pomposity of statues.?
David Tucker, who leads thousands of tourists on guided walks of London every year, told NBC News: ?The plaques are part of the fabric of the city and it?s such a shame.
?As an American living here for 30 years, I can say that I still find myself coming across plaques I have never seen before and learning new things.?
The earliest surviving plaque, erected in 1867, marks the building in King Street where French emperor Napoloeon III once lived. (The first, erected the same year to commemorate the birthplace of Lord Byron, was lost when that building was demolished in 1889.)
In total, the city is dotted with 869 circular, domed signs. Among those honored are Americans with London connections including Jimi Hendrix -- who lived on Brook Street while recording 'Electric Ladyland' -- author Mark Twain, inventor Samuel Morse and broadcast journalist Edward Murrow.
Similar historical markers now exist elsewhere in England in many other cities around the world, including in the United States through bodies such as the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission.
?Over the next eighteen months, we will work?up the details of a new and more cost-effective approach to its administration,? said Ellen Harrison, a spokeswoman for the English Heritage, adding that it would need to ?become more cost effective and more self-sustaining.?
Each sign costs $1,500 to manufacture and a further, variable, sum to install, while the overall program?costs $400,000 a year to operate.
English Heritage last year generated around $86 million from membership subscriptions and admission fees at its historic sites. But it is still heavily reliant on public cash, and faces a 34 percent cut in its grant from Department for Culture, Media and Sport, from $218 million in 2010 to $147 million in 2014, as the U.K. government struggles to reduce a huge budget deficit.
One plaque marks the site of the studio used by sculptor Sir William Reid Dick, who wrote that buildings are ?more than just bricks and mortar?they are the theaters in which our lives are enacted.?
More international stories from NBC:
'We were so terrified': Jihadists leave trail of destruction, brutality in Mali town
'Getting worse': Egypt's gays fear government crackdown
'Natural born killer': Campaign demands eradication of cats from New Zealand
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Source: http://theauricle.net/new/?p=7199
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