Henry Dubroff

Look closely and you will notice something unusual about Page One this week.

It is a rare Issue No. 53, as the Leap Year prompted us to add an extra edition. So, before we launch into our 17th year, here’s an update from the Pacific Coast Business Times:

• We are embarking on new initiatives. Our Central Coast Innovation Awards, which made their debut in last week’s print edition, will be followed up by our Startup Village showcase and awards reception, beginning at 3:30 p.m. on March 24 at the Bacara Resort & Spa. Our goal is to capture the regional spirit of innovation that’s spreading up and down the Highway 101 corridor and I hope you will join us.

• Our second new special report, Professional Careers & Higher Education, will make its debut in our April 8 print edition. We have an exciting story lineup planned.  Professional Careers & Higher Education complements our new print focus sections on startups, health care, travel & tourism and energy & environment.

• Denita Willoughby, a well-known Southern California business leader and vice president of supply management & logistics for Southern California Gas Co., will keynote our Top 50 Women in Business program at the Deckers Rotunda on Thursday, April 14. We’ll be publishing our annual Top 50 Women in Business Special report on March 25.

• Yardi Systems Founder Anant Yardi will be inducted into our Business Hall of Fame at a reception on the evening of May 12 at the Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara. We’re excited to be honoring one of the region’s software pioneers.

• Travis Mack, founder and CEO of Saalex Solutions, one of the region’s most successful veteran-owned businesses, will keynote our annual Spirit of Small Business Awards luncheon. That program will be at Bacara on Aug. 19.  Saalex is one of the most successful veteran-owned businesses in the region.

• Our Legacy Publishing division will launch our second publication in early April when we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the city of Ventura. We appreciate our partnership with a number of organizations. Our Ventura 150 project follows last year’s successful 100th anniversary publication for Jordanos.

I’m also pleased to announce that Staff Writer Alex Kacik has won an Annenberg California Health Journalism Fellowship. He’ll be spending most of next week at the USC campus in Los Angeles for his training. And kudos are in order to Publisher Linda le Brock, who has helped secure our Corporate Leader of the Year Award from the NAWBO Ventura County Chapter.

Our 17th year is shaping up to be an exciting one for Pacific Coast Business Times.

Here’s wishing you much success in your endeavors throughout 2016 and beyond.

• Reach Editor Henry Dubroff at hdubroff@pacbiztimes.com.