The swallows return to Capistrano later this week. With similar clocklike regularity, a couple of thousand analysts, investors, execs and entrepreneurs, many escaping the chill back East, flock to the Roth Capital Partners annual stock conference that begins today at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. For the 22nd year they’ll work and play—Fullerton-bred band Social Distortion entertains tonight, Billy Idol Tuesday. Nothing has stopped the party, not the early ’90s recession, the dot-com bust, Sept. 11 nor the recent Great Recession. “There’s not another destination conference in our industry that even comes close” to that longevity, says Byron Roth. Weath-er is a huge factor, of course, but so is the conference’s flexibility: It has evolved from a retail brokerage (stock pickers’) fest into a tech-focused, small-cap confab. And there’s been increasing participation by Chinese companies: Roth now schedules the event around the Lunar New Year. Roth Capital itself has changed since 1989, from Cruttenden & Co. (founded by OC investor Walter Cruttenden) to Cruttenden Roth to an employee-owned firm headed by Byron. More on the conference, this page …
If it’s time to seek divine intervention for the state budget crisis, the Insider knows of at least one helpful connection: The brother of Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, is Rabbi Rick Steinberg of Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’a lot, Irvine …
Yes, EE RR is as proud as he can be (see “People In The News” story) …
California U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina and John McCain, fighting to keep his Arizona seat, hold a joint fundraising luncheon April 6 at the Island Hotel …
Gov. Arnold has appointed OC arts patron and trial lawyer (and Democrat) Wylie Aitken to a four-year term on the California Arts Council …
UCI Law School students are throwing a fundraiser Saturday at Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa, proceeds going toward stipends for students who spend the summer providing legal services to the needy. Auction items include a night of poker for six with brainy Ninth Circuit Court Judge Alex Kozinski (www.law.uci.edu/pilf) …
The grand prize in this year’s Irvine Public Schools Foundation raffle: a 1,445-square-foot condo in 3000 The Plaza at Campus and Jamboree, valued at $700,000, or $500,000 cash. Tickets are $150 each (www.irvinedreamstakes.com) …
They’re engaged: Riviera Editor-in-Chief Kedric Francis and Elaina Sword of developer Sanderson J. Ray, Irvine. Silicon Valley Bank VP Kurt Miklinski and Lauren Jolliffe, rep for Irvine-based blood bank PacifiCord …
And catching up on OCBJ engagements: Julie Leupold to Charlie Fei, product manager for computer company AIC; Sarah Tolkoff to systems engineer Jarod Murry; and Mark Mueller to project manager Angelina Wong …
As for OCBJ alums, marketing man and former OCBJ ad rep Bob Brunson has been named associate director in charge of OC for TechAmerica (formerly AeA). OC Register biz writer and former OCBJ reporter Matt Padilla has joined Newport Beach-based Pimco as a financial writer.
