Disneyland Resort

The Building Industry Association of Southern California’s (BIASC) President and Vice President Project Development of CalAtlantic Homes, Michael Battaglia, spoke at the 9th annual Orange County Water Summit on Friday May 20, 2016. The Summit was hosted by the Orange County Water District, Municipal Water District of Orange County and Disneyland Resort. Sponsors of the event also included Rutan & Tucker, Metropolitan Water District, and Southern California Gas Company.

The event, which serves as an innovative, interactive forum that joins business professionals, elected officials, water industry stakeholders and community leaders from throughout California, was held at The Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. The Orange County Water Summit raised discussion on water supply challenges, policy issues, and other topics impacting our economic and future supply health.

BIASC president, Battaglia, was quoted at the summit explaining how “home building contributes $38 million to state's economy,” and that “homebuilders are [also] early adopters of drought-fighting tech.”

The Orange County Water Summit serves a purpose to bring together academics, business professionals, elected officials and water industry representatives to talk about water issues, projects and emerging technologies in a dynamic forum atmosphere.

Attendees were able to learn about the Orange County projects that will provide shelter from the El Nino storms predicted by water agencies across the county to come. The summit also highlighted the changing laws and the lessons learned from businesses that are harvesting profits despite the shifting landscape.

HomeAid Orange County’s executive director and chairman of the county’s Commission to End Homelessness, Scott Larson, was honored at the OC Human Relations Awards 45 presentation in Anaheim on Thursday, May 4.

Scott Larson of Irvine, executive director of HomeAid Orange County and chairman of the county’s Commission to End Homelessness. Larson was honored for his work on the county’s 10-year plan to end homelessness and the effort to build a year-round shelter for the homeless that is expected to open in Anaheim this year.

BIASC member, Disneyland Resort, was also honored for its commitment to inclusiveness and promotion of diversity in how it recruits, hires and trains employees (referred to by the company as “Cast Members”) and other activities that include involvement in the multimillion dollar Accelerate Change Together initiative in Anaheim.

The ceremony will recognize honorees in four categories. Diverse Community Leaders, honoring individuals and groups for extraordinary contributions to Orange County in human or civil rights.

This year marks the 45th anniversary for OC Human Relations, which started in 1971 as the county government-appointed Orange County Human Relations Commission and has evolved into a nonprofit. The event celebrates efforts that embrace diversity and promote justice in Orange County.

To read the full article on the OC register click here.