Perceptions of New OC Reality Range

A couple of recent visitors came from the East Coast and left the clear impression that old stereotypes about Orange County—all-white population, conservative to the point of reactionary, land of goofy housewives—are a thing of the past on the other side of the continent, too … First came JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, whose “listening tour”—an annual bus trip to visit the bank’s rank-and-file in a specific section of the U.S.—came to California this year, leading off in Irvine, with subsequent stops in L.A. and S.F. Dimon met with a ballroom full of the bank’s workers at Hotel Irvine and later summoned one of the nicer stereotypes before offering other observations to explain how OC earned a spot on the limited itinerary. “It’s obviously a stunningly beautiful place,” Dimon said, “but it’s also a thriving, diverse home for business—with a highly educated workforce committed to the success of their community” … The other impression came via Michelle K. Lee, director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property. She came to the Disneyland Hotel for the annual Ascend National Convention & Career Fair—a gathering of top business execs, organizations, and aspiring students from the various Asian-American communities. Lee took time out of a busy schedule to meet with the Insider and Chris Cassachia, the Business Journal’s tech reporter, and talk up the many services the federal agency offers innovators and startups—everything from discounts on patent applications to help finding pro bono legal service. It’s a national effort, according to Lee, but she wanted to underline the message here because OC’s reputation “as an innovation hub” is “absolutely” known in Washington, D.C. … OC can come up with its own perceptions about other people and places, as you’ll note in Jim Jannard’s comments on how he views what Italy-based parent Luxottica has done at the Foothill Ranch operations of Oakley (see related story, page 1) … And new perceptions can be forged within OC, as UC-Irvine Athletic Director Mike Izzi knows. Credit Izzi for sensing the potential for community engagement when the school landed the Los Angeles Rams as training camp tenants. The Insider knew Izzi hit the mark when Mister Mike, the head man at Ringside Barber Shop, started getting excited about going to see the Rams with his son and grandsons. It was the first time the Santa Ana native had ever been to UCI’s campus. Betcha his grandkids will consider the school in years to come … Izzi put a key element to landing the Rams in place a couple of years ago, when he worked with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Mark and Kathleen Santora, who gave more than $1 million for a full renovation of the school’s weight room, which now bears their family name and can readily accommodate an NFL team. It’s also a boon for the UCI soccer team—which first drew the Santoras’ attention as they watched their son play for the Anteaters … The show the Rams are putting on at Crawford Field feels more like an old-timey carnival than a slick theme park—and that’s more than half the fun. Note this low-tech concessions menu board. Off-the-cuff research indicates the average price for a soda at an NFL stadium is $4.79—which means Mister Mike is getting a 40% break on soft drinks for his grandkids.