Mayor And Port Officials Building Trade Relations In Southeast Asia
Mayor Robert Garcia is leading a Port of Long Beach delegation to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to discuss business opportunities with government officials, trade industry representatives and port customers. The cities are “rapidly emerging markets,” according to a port statement, and the intention of the trip is to “establish working relationships with government and industry leaders.” Also on the trip are POLB Executive Director Mario Cordero, Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners Bonnie Lowenthal and Lou Anne Bynum, according to a port spokesperson. Prior to Garcia’s arrival in Cambodia on Friday, the delegation also visited Singapore to meet with executives from Ocean Network Express, a global shipping network. The delegation is expected to arrive in Vietnam tomorrow, according to a port spokesperson.

HUD Awards Long Beach Homeless Services Projects More Than $7.7 Million
Nineteen Long Beach homeless service-related projects are receiving $7,719,064 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD announced today. In total, HUD is distributing $171,802,222 for homeless programs in the Los Angeles area. “At this time of year, thousands of local homeless assistance providers receive federal funding to operate and maintain stable housing for those living in our shelter system and on our streets,” HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “Renewing these grants will come as a huge relief to these providers, and it will allow them to continue their work to house and serve our most vulnerable neighbors.”

Guidance Center Receives $150,000 Grant To Expand Mental Health Programs
Long Beach-based mental health services provider The Guidance Center has received a $150,000 grant from the Weingart Foundation, which the center plans to invest in expanding its organizational capacity and programs designed to advance social and economic equity. The Weingart Foundation is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit with the mission “to build a better Southern California by supporting nonprofit organizations to more effectively serve the underserved.” The Guidance Center offers a variety of programs focused on mental health issues in the community, including training for law enforcement officials and educators.

Rep. Alan Lowenthal Elected Chair of Energy Subcommittee
Congressman Alan Lowenthal, whose district includes Long Beach, has been elected chair of the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. The group oversees “coal and hard rock mining issues, the U.S. geological survey and American energy production on federal lands,” according to a statement from Lowenthal’s office. “As chair, I plan to focus on the need for sustainable onshore and offshore renewable energy development on federal lands,” Lowenthal stated.

Kevin H. Wiest Appointed To Partner At Long Beach-based Windes
Accounting and advisory firm Windes has appointed Kevin Wiest as a partner in its tax and accounting services practice. Wiest has nearly 20 years of experience in accounting, and in prior positions has specialized in estate and trust services. “We are very pleased to welcome Kevin to the firm,” Windes Managing Partner John Di Carlo stated. “Kevin has extensive and expert knowledge and expertise dealing with estate and trust issues. He will be an integral part of contributing to the growth of our well-established specialized service offering in this area.”