Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Forum on how technology is changing employer-employee relationships in Walnut Creek, Thursday

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WHAT: Forecasting the Future – Navigating the Internet of Things: New Opportunities and Risks

This Thursday, April 21, The Internet of Things will intersect with philanthropy, when prominent insurance professionals gather in Walnut Creek to discuss technological disruption while benefiting local Alameda/Contra Costa charities. During the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s CAPP Educational Forum, local insurance leaders will gather to discuss opportunities/risks during a panel entitled, “Global Technology Platforms and their Role in the Disruption of the Traditional Employer/Employee Relationship: Employee? Contractor? Who Decides?”

WHO: Featured speakers and panelists include:

  • Lex Baugh, President of Liability & Financial Lines, AIG
  • Mark Locke, Vice President Worldwide Manufacturing and Government Contractors, Chubb
  • Davidson Pattiz, COO, The Zenith Insurance Company
  • Jeff Phelps, CEO, iWorkGlobal
  • William Weissman, Attorney & Shareholder, Littler Mendelson

Proceeds from the IICF CAPP Educational Forum will benefit child abuse prevention programs serving Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.

WHEN: April 21, 2016 – 8:30 am to 12:00 pm (Continental Breakfast at 7:30 am)

WHERE: Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr. Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Free electric car test-drives at Contra Costa Spring Home & Garden Show this weekend

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“Experience Electric” at Concord Pavilion, April 2-3

Visitors to the Contra Costa Spring Home and Garden Show on Saturday and Sunday, April 2 and 3 will be able to test drive some of the newest models of electric cars at the Concord Pavilion, located at 2000 Kirker Pass Road in Concord. The “Experience Electric – The Better Ride” campaign will offer free electric vehicle (EV) test drives both days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Vehicles slated for testing at the ride-and-drive event include the BMW i3 REX, Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. Licensed drivers can try out these EVs on a first-come, first-served basis and feel the differences between driving with electricity versus driving a gasoline-powered car. Those taking test drives will receive Experience Electric souvenir sunglasses.

“Test-driving at a dealer’s showroom can be a bit intimidating, but there’s no pressure or sales hype at our events,” said Vanessa Minei, Marketing Manager with the Center for Sustainable Energy, a partner in the Experience Electric campaign. “We’ve all seen EVs on the road, but this is a chance to try one out, have some fun and feel the electric experience.”

Experience Electric is a joint initiative of MTC, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and a consortium of EV organizations including the Center for Sustainable Energy. The campaign’s goal is to increase EV adoption throughout the nine-county Bay Area. Accelerating EV use is a key strategy for state and local governments to reduce emissions from gas-powered vehicles, improve air quality and achieve goals for curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

To learn more about Experience Electric and future ride-and-drive events, visit www.facebook.com/thebetterride or www.energycenter.org/ExperienceElectric.

MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the agency chartered with protecting air quality in the Bay Area.