Page 16 September 10, 2015 EL SEGUNDO HERALD Voss from front page 49ers from page 6 September 8 - 12th from 10:00 - 6:00 pm 31st Annual Anniversary Sale Savings from 10%-50% storewide all in stock items, excludes loose diamonds. ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT Thank You from the bottom of our HEART for allowing us to serve you for 31 years. The Jewelry Source 337 Main St. Downtown El Segundo. 310-322-7110 www.jewelrysourceUSA.com jumped at the opportunity to serve in this capacity for El Segundo. She believes she brings a unique skill set to the table that will benefit the City. “I have a long track record of successfully developing and implementing economic development programs,” Voss said. “I have extensive experience in managing business attraction, retention and expansion initiatives--and through this experience, I have developed strong communication, collaboration and problem-solving skills.” With much to do right off the bat, Voss indicated that she has hit the ground running in El Segundo—though her plan is not to reinvent the wheel. “Right now, I am thinking about how best to enhance what we have already implemented,” she said. “I am looking at opportunities for attraction, strategies for business retention and outreach to existing businesses.” That outreach will include numerous visits to local companies of all sizes—a challenge for just one person to undertake. “I’ve already started making calls and am putting together a game plan for which businesses to target in this first round,” Voss said. “Sometimes when a business decides to move or when there are layoffs, those decisions are completely out of local control. But if there is anything we can do from our end to retain them, we want to be proactive and available to address any issues as early as possible.” Voss will also work hand-in-hand with the City’s Economic Development Advisory Council (EDAC) to exchange input on attraction and retention strategies. “I haven’t seen anything like the EDAC in any other city where the members are so active and engaged,” she said. “Part of my role will be to partner with them.” Though now firmly entrenched back on the West Coast, Voss will have her share of travel opportunities with her new position. Her job includes attendance at trade shows and events to promote the City and create awareness of available properties and opportunities here. Her first major appearance will be at regional conference in San Diego this month. “It is vital to promote El Segundo to people outside the South Bay area,” Voss emphasized. “There are a lot of changes going on in aerospace and defense, which was the primary industry here for a long time. A big step in creating a vibrant economy is to continue to diversify. The City has seen a great deal of reinvestment in existing buildings and new developments in the works. We need to attract that eclectic mix of businesses to fill vacancies and bring high-quality jobs to the area.” Just a few weeks into her new job, Voss reported that she is impressed with the community itself as well as City staff and leadership. “The people I’ve met in town have been very positive, enthusiastic and welcoming,” she said. “I see a major commitment to El Segundo, and the residents are a great asset in promoting the City outside of El Segundo. At City Hall, the staff have been extremely supportive, knowledgeable and helpful when I have any questions. I see across-the-board interest in economic development and a commitment to customer service with many opportunities for fruitful collaboration.” As for helping to usher in another 65 or so businesses in the next 16 months so the City can meet its business attraction goal, Voss couldn’t make any guarantees but was hopeful. “We’ll see,” she said. “El Segundo has a great deal to offer to businesses. From my end, I will do everything I can to market El Segundo, let prospective tenants know about opportunities with our new east side developments and office centers, in Smoky Hollow, in the historical downtown… and to continue to push forward.” • has returned and has already breathed life into the defense. What the 49ers need to do is find an offense that works for them. Last season, the offense was a mess not only due to the offensive line, but also to zero production from the tight end spot, injuries, and a less than productive running back position that Carlos Hyde will now attempt to cure. If San Francisco can fix all of those ails this season, the team will actually be much better than most people are prematurely expecting them to be. So who will be better? Well, answering that question is a bit like investing in the stock market. If you want the sure thing this season, then you’d almost certainly have to put your money on the San Francisco 49ers. While their team has taken some major hits in the offseason, they still have plenty of talented veterans on the squad who know how to get the job done. It is a lot easier to envision the ‘9ers winning eight games this year than the Raiders. Head coach Del Rio, though, does have a lot more experience under his belt than Tomsula. Carr is forming into a quarterback that could outplay Kaepernick by the seasons end and eventually become a top 10 quarterback in the league. Amari Cooper will surely give the Raiders the edge in the wide receiving corps and a defense headed by young Khalil Mack looks like it’s going to be downright scary as early as this year. Put your stock in the ‘9ers for this year, but it may be the last time you do so. The Raiders are on the come-up and are certainly the team with the brightest future ahead. • Visit us online: www.heraldpublications.com
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