The Awards spotlight projects and programs that increase North County’s Economic Prosperity

Oceanside CA— The San Diego North Economic Development Council (SDNEDC) announced eight Excellence in North County Economic Development Awards at its third annual awards luncheon at the new Seabird Resort.
This year SDNEDC spotlighted several business expansions, new capital investments, programs to assist businesses, and non-profits that are leaning into solving key challenges faced by North County.
The award winners are as follows:

• The New Kaiser Hospital in San Marcos
• Gary and Mary West PACE
• Cue Health Business Investment in Vista
• Alila Marea Resort Hotel’s Opening in Encinitas
• CSUSM Senior Experience Program / Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Project
• Thermo Fisher Expansion in Carlsbad CA
• Escondido Grand Avenue Project
• Opening of the Oceanside Beachfront Resorts

“Economic development is ultimately about increasing the prosperity enjoyed by residents.  We are excited to spotlight efforts that are growing key economic clusters such as life sciences, improving downtowns in North County, and enhancing our tourism economy. These awards spotlight the various ways in which economic development expresses itself in North County and the Council couldn’t be more pleased to spotlight these efforts.
In addition to the eight awards, SDNEDC announced two special awards recognizing North County champions.  The Council awarded the 2021 Bill Horn North County Steward Award to the four major health care systems: Tri-City Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Palomar Health, and Scripps Health for the heroic efforts North County front line health care workers made during the pandemic.
In addition, the Council established a new award, the Kevin Ham Impact Award, to recognize an individual who has made a significant and lasting impact on North County prosperity over their career and exemplifies servant leadership. Mr. Ham is the retiring Economic Development Director of the City of Vista and has been instrumental in the expansion of the city’s business park, the revitalization of Vista’s downtown, the growth of the region’s craft brewing industry and many other programs and initiatives that have enhanced North County’s economy over his 20+ year career.
Details on the Award Winners
Kaiser Hospital, San Marcos – Kaiser Permanente has envisioned a new hospital in San Marcos since the late 1990s. The long-awaited new hospital will enhance community health and wellness with conveniently located facilities to save travel time and miles for more than 180,000 members in San Marcos and the North County region.
Gary and Mary West PACE – An innovative, nationwide model of person-centered care for vulnerable seniors with chronic care needs. West PACE offers high-quality, comprehensive, and coordinated healthcare, social services, and support to enable seniors to successfully age in place. The nonprofit works to keep seniors safe, independent, and engaged.
Cue Health Business Operations, Vista – The City of Vista worked with Cue Health to stand up operations to address the urgency in the demand for COVID-19 testing systems that Cue developed and deployed throughout the pandemic. Since its arrival, Cue has brought hundreds of jobs to the region and has become a contributing member of the North County business community.
Alila Marea Resort Hotel, Encinitas – A decades-long effort to develop the clifftop property along Coast Highway in Encinitas culminated in a stunning resort that will bring hotel taxes and tourism to the city of Encinitas. The resort includes 130 rooms, the VAGA signature restaurant, meeting space for up to 380 guests, an oceanfront pool, and more.
CSUSM Senior Experience Program / Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Project – A recipient of the Burnham Leadership Grant for non-profits, the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation utilized a CSUSM Senior Experience team to deliver a detailed market analysis of Agua Hedionda’s virtual offerings and provided recommendations for the non-profit to increase revenue and expand its community programs.
Thermo Fisher Expansion, Carlsbad – The recent renovation of Thermo Fisher’s Carlsbad campus created a manufacturing space for materials used in plasmid DNA and mRNA vaccines. This expansion has led to 150 new jobs with many more to come. Thermo Fisher is a true anchor to North County’s life science industry, attracting others to the region.
Escondido Grand Avenue Project – When the COVID-19 pandemic changed how businesses operated to stay open, the city adopted a COVID-19 Emergency Business Recovery Strategy. In an effort to help businesses, the city placed k-rail barriers along Grand Avenue to allow for expanded outdoor sidewalk and on-street dining and retail. As operations moved outside, the Escondido art community came together to paint the k-rails with art murals to draw additional attention to these struggling businesses. What started as a temporary fix to keep business doors open, turned into a community movement that now brings visitors to see the art and support businesses they were not familiar with along the way.
SD Malkin Properties Oceanside Beachfront Resorts – The largest oceanfront development in San Diego since Hotel del Coronado, the resort consists of two hotels along 700 feet of beachfront property. The opening of Mission Pacific Hotel and The Seabird Resort provides opportunity for the region and has already dramatically changed Oceanside’s tremendous downtown.
Bill Horn North County Steward Award: This award recognizes the four healthcare systems in North County: Tri-City Medical Center, Palomar Health, Kaiser, and Scripps Health. Together during 2020 and 2021, the frontline workers at these healthcare systems have heroically cared for tens of thousands of San Diegans fighting COVID-19.
Kevin Ham Impact Award:  This newly established award is given to an individual whose career exemplifies the idea of servant leadership and who has brought people together in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation to advance North County forward.  In 2021 the council awarded it to Kevin Ham in recognition of 20 years of service to the City of Vista and North County.