Moravia Language Center opens Monterey office
Every day, more than two billion people use products localized by Moravia. If you use a product in a language other than English, chances are it was localized by the Czech firm.
But despite a 16-year history, a presence in nine countries and annual revenues of $100.8 million, chances are good that most of us have never heard of Moravia.
In Monterey County, at least, that is about to change, as the privately owned language service provider opens a local office. Moravia IT, LLC this month announced the opening of the Moravia Language Center in Monterey. The new hub will offer a variety of language-related services, including translation, localization testing and reviewing, international consumer sentiment analysis, and even helpdesk or customized support in multiple languages.
Moravia is a stellar addition to Monterey's concentration of language service providers that include the Defense Language Institute, LanguageLine Solutions in Monterey, Medialocate USA in Pacific Grove and Richard Schneider Enterprises in Carmel.
The company, headquartered in Brno, Czech Republic, has been ranked among the 20 largest language services providers globally since 2004, according to industry research group Common Sense Advisory, and counts Microsoft, Adobe, Novell, Oracle and Toshiba among its clients.
Located at 787 Munras Ave., the Moravia Language Center can accommodate up to 60 people at one time, including both full-time Moravia employees and part-time translators or reviewers working on-site. Moravia is currently accepting applications for native-language speakers.
As home to the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (BCM), the Defense Language Institute (BCM) and other renowned sources for foreign-language learning, Monterey is well-known as “The Language Capital of the World.â€
“The Monterey area has a concentration of linguistic talent you just can’t find anywhere else in the United States,†said Valeska van Vliet, who heads the new Moravia Language Center,
MCBC Executive Director Brian Turlington and Monterey Deputy City Manager Dino Pick were guests on KRML's "Pub Talk Live" on Tuesday afternoon to discuss Moravia's decision to locate an office in Monterey, and to talk about the region's designation as "Language Capital of the World" and the upcoming Second Annual Language Capital of the World Cultural Festival.
Learn more about the growth of the language services industry here.
|
|
Monterey County Business Council's
21st Anniversary Gala & Economic Vitality Awards
Congratulations again to all the recipients of the Monterey County Business Council's Economic Vitality Awards. Seven local organizations were honored at MCBC's 21st Anniversary Gala last Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Monterey:
- Creative & Technology - Sand City, West End;
- Health & Wellness - The Monterey Program for Executive Health;
- Higher Education & Research - Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS);
- Hospitality - Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance;
- Sustainable Building & Design - Carmel Building & Design;
- Agriculture - Taylor Farms;
- Advancing Manufacturing - Steiner eOptics.
Special recognition went to Congressman Sam Farr for his many years of service and contributions to our regional economic prosperity. The Cannery Row Company, which has done so much to put Monterey County on the map as a world-class tourist destination, received the President's Award.
Pictured, Middlebury Institute of International Studies Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean Jeff Dayton-Johnson accepts the Economic Vitality Award from Monterey County Business Council President Mary Ann Leffel. (Photo by Batista Moon Studio)
Read more about the Middlebury Institute of International Studies' contributions to Monterey County's economic well-being here.
|
|
MJF All-Star Band shares legacy of great music
Attendees at our Aniversary Gala last week were fortunate to have as entertainment the 2016 Monterey Jazz Festival High School All-Star Band, which not only made great music for our guests but also helped boost awareness of the Monterey Jazz Festival's wide range of jazz education programs.
Each year Monterey Jazz Festival selects top students from across Monterey County for its middle and high school big bands and vocal ensemble. Led by Monterey Jazz Festival Education Director Paul Contos (High School All-Star Band) and renowned educator Dr. Rob Klevan (Honor Vocal and Middle School Band), each All-Star ensemble rehearses twice monthly and performs throughout the county, at the Next Generation Jazz Festival and beyond. In summer 2015, the high school ensembles traveled to Washington D.C. where they performed at the Kennedy Center, the National Archives, and the Bohemian Caverns jazz club.
All-Star musicians performing at the MCBC event were Marina Panzetta, alto saxophone, Monterey High School; Akili Bradley, trumpet, Pacific Grove High School; DavÃd Sanchez, piano, Monterey High School; and Ari Freedman, string bass, Carmel High School.
Don't miss the All-Star ensembles when they perform as part of the Next Generation Jazz Festival, April 8-10 at the Monterey Conference Center, and, of course, at the 59th annual Monterey Jazz Festival, set for Sept. 16-18 at Monterey County Fairgrounds.
Music lovers know about the Monterey Jazz Festival's legacy of bringing a weekend of great jazz performers to Monterey. But the 501(c)3 educational nonprofit corporation does far more than an annual jazz weekend, with year-round jazz education programs that reach 3,000 annually in Monterey County, nationally and internationally. Those education programs include:
- The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, which selects the top high school musicians to act as jazz ambassadors, representing Monterey to the world on domestic and international tours,
- Digital Music Education Project on SoundCloud featuring online interviews with top artists and recommendations,
- Monterey Jazz in the Schools, a weekly program that sends top professional musicians and vocalists as traveling clinicians to work with students in classrooms throughout Monterey County,
- Next Generation Jazz Festival invites top student musicians from around the world to participate in the 46th Next Generation Jazz Festival (April 8-10, 2016),
- Jazz in the Schools Concert Series: What is Jazz? features free school day performances for students in grades 3-12,
- Monterey County Honor Ensembles includes the Monterey County High School All-Star Band, Middle School Honor Band and High School Honor Vocal Jazz Ensemble, comprised of the top young jazz musicians from the Monterey County area.
Educational programs also include a Latin Jazz program, Summer Jazz Camp, Artist-In-Residence Program, Big Band Composition Competition, Instrument Bank and Sheet Music Library, among others. Read more about the Monterey Jazz Festival Jazz Education Programs here.
Pictured, a jazz quartet made up of members of the Monterey County High School All-Star Band performs at MCBC's Anniversary Gala & Economic Vitality Awards. Photo courtesy of Miriam Turlington.
|
|
Community supports MPUSD proposed secondary changes
A proposal to revamp middle and high schools in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District drew a groundswell of community support as more than 100 people turned out to Tuesday's school board meeting voice enthusiasm for the district's plans.
The ideas to revamp learning at the high schools was born out of a desire to boost student outcomes, attract more students and improve the district’s reputation. The plans would create “schools of choice†in each of the district’s learning communities. Trustees are scheduled to make a decision at their regular board meeting on Feb. 23.
Proposed changes include:
- Implementing an “early college†option at Marina, with the goal of having students earn an associate of arts degree by the time they finish high school.
- Adopt curriculum for Seaside offered by the New Tech Network, which features project-based learning and requires one-on-one computer technology.
- Adopting programs at Monterey offered by International Baccalaureate, a framework for learning that’s based on student inquiry and has an international focus.
- Creating a more flexible schedule and to have more career training at Central Coast.
“It was a fabulous presentation last night and the feeling of a community united. The whole room had energy and hope,†Mary Ann Leffel, president of the Monterey County Business Council, said Wednesday. MPUSD Superintendent “PK Diffenbaugh and his team are fantastic.â€
Read the full story online.
Source: Monterey County Herald
|
|
President's Speaker Series looks at workforce development
Building the workforce of the 21st century will be the topic addressed by a panel of experts on March 2, when the President’s Speaker Series resumes at Cal State Monterey Bay (BCM).
A thriving Monterey Bay region requires a skilled, educated workforce to power future high-tech, high-value, sustainable industries of the 21st century. How can we identify what skills academic and vocational institutions should teach their students to help us achieve these goals? What are the new educational and training models that leverage technology to connect students and workers with the jobs and companies of the future?
Panelists include:
Rick Antle, CEO of Tanimura & Antle. He has followed in the Antle family tradition of leadership and innovation in the produce industry. He constantly challenges his team to provide new solutions, even if they go against conventional wisdom.
Dr. Chris Benner, professor of environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz. His research focuses on the relationships among technological change, regional development and structures of economic opportunity, focusing on regional labor markets and the transformation of work and employment patterns.
Tim Rainey, executive director of the California Workforce Development Board. Previously, he was director of the Workforce and Economic Development Program of the California Labor Federation.
The discussion will start at 3:30 p.m. in the World Theater. A question-and-answer session and public reception follow.
The event is free and open to the public. RSVP to 582-4580, or online.
|
|
Tanimura & Antle shares workforce housing project update
Tanimura & Antle is taking the lead on workforce housing in Monterey County, building a complex that would provide seasonal housing for about 800 adult agricultural employees in 100 dorm-style apartments. The project is being built on T&A land on the former Spreckels Sugar Co. site.
The Monterey County Business Council has been an outspoken advocate for the need for addressing workforce housing in Monterey County.
The region's lack of affordable housing was a central theme of the Monterey County Business Council’s third annual Monterey Bay Regional Critical Conversation on June 18, 2015.
On Monday, the Salinas company tweeted a time-lapse video of the construction progress of its workforce housing project on its Twitter feed. Check out the update here.
Pictured, plans presented to the Monterey County Planning Department.
|
|
CSUMB expands its presence in Salinas
Cal State Monterey Bay (BCM) has leased the main building vacated by last year’s closure of Heald College in Salinas and will begin offering classes in that facility later this year.
The lease, which went into effect Feb. 1, is for a 25,000-square-foot building located on North Main Street off Alvin Drive. The building includes 11 classrooms, several of which can serve as labs, and a number of offices. The facility will be known as CSUMB @ North Salinas.
“Leasing the building previously occupied by Heald College will allow us to increase our outreach and our course offerings to Salinas and the Salinas Valley,†said CSUMB President Eduardo Ochoa. “With the space crunch on our main campus, and the need to expand higher education opportunities in Salinas, this seemed to provide an ideal opportunity.â€
The building has been vacant since last April, when the for-profit college’s parent company Corinthian Colleges, Inc., announced it was closing its remaining campuses.
Last week, university officials, faculty and staff visited the building and began the discussion of what courses could be offered there.
CSUMB currently works with Hartnell College in Salinas on a number of academic programs, including nursing, the CS-in-3 computer science program, and agriculture technology.Some of those classes could be offered in this building.
As CSUMB has grown to its current enrollment of about 7,100, academic leaders have also discussed launching new programs. For example, courses toward a potential new criminal justice major could be housed in the new building.
Meanwhile, the university is also moving forward with its plans for the National Steinbeck Center’s building in downtown Salinas, which was purchased by the University Corporation last year. Renovations are continuing on the building, to be known as CSUMB @ Salinas City Center. (The National Steinbeck Center remains the name of the non-profit organization that manages the Steinbeck Museum and affiliated programs, which will continue to occupy about half of the downtown structure.)
Read the full story online.
News courtesy of California State University, Monterey Bay.
|
|
MST 2015 Community Stakeholder Survey
Take a moment today to share your input in Monterey-Salinas Transit's 2015 Community Stakeholder Survey, and make sure to pass it along to friends and acquaintances. The survey aims to determine how familiar the community is with MST (BCM) services, service satisfaction levels and most important alternative transportation options. The survey should take only a few minutes to complete.
Deadline for the survey is Monday, Feb. 29. Take the survey here.
|
|
EVENTS CALENDAR
Friday, Feb. 12 – MCBC Monthly Membership Luncheon (second Friday of the month), 11:45 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Bayonet & Black Horse Grill, Seaside. Special guest speakers Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District General Manager Rafael Payan and Transportation Agency for Monterey County Deputy Executive Director Todd Muck will discuss proposed ballot measures that both MPRPD and TAMC have planned for the upcoming November election. Tickets: $30 at the door. (BIO)
Thursday, Feb. 25 – "2016 Government Procurement Conference: Learn How to Sell To the Government," 7:30 a.m., Finley Community Center, Santa Rosa, sponsored by the Sonoma County Economic Development Board. Monterey Bay PTAC Program Manager Teri Williams will discuss government contracting opportunities, and Wayne Gross of the California Department of General Services will discuss Small Business Certification. Meet and network with buyers from local and state agencies and other large organizations. Workshop cost is $40, or $60 for workshop plus a half-hour, one-on-one consultation with Williams. Advance reservations required; RSVP online, or call (707) 565-7589 or email for questions.
SAVE THE DATE – Friday, May 6: Celebration of Small Businesses in Monterey County. Details to be announced.
SAVE THE DATE – Thursday, Oct. 27: Monterey County Business Council Annual Higher Education & Research Leadership Summit. Details to be announced.
|
|
|
|
|