COGCast

The COGcast seeks to feature the many people, programs, and organizations working to make our region the best that it can be.

 

On this episode of the COGcast, we have a unique opportunity to sit down with Hasan Ikhrata, former Executive Director at the Southern California Association of Governments, and current Executive Director of the San Diego Association of Governments, to talk about his role and what he sees as major areas of importance for Southern California. To add to this, Natalie Ikhrata, current WRCOG intern, student at the University of California, Riverside, and daughter of Hasan Ikhrata, will be interviewing her father on this exclusive COGcast episode.

The California Association of Councils of Governments, also known as CALCOG, is comprised of 47 regional agencies across California with the goal to create a collaborative space to have important policy discussions, share information, educate others, and encourage discussions of how to find new solutions for the problems of tomorrow. 

 

On this episode of the COGCast, we sit down with Bill Higgins, Executive Director at CALCOG, to learn about the organization and discuss his projections of California's future.

As we launch the new year, the COGCast sits down with WRCOG Executive Director, Rick Bishop, to reflect on 2019 and look forward to 2020. Tune in today to learn about some of WRCOG's upcoming 2020 projects! 

The Homeless Point in Time Count is federally mandated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, to count and survey the sheltered and unsheltered homeless populations in cities and counties throughout the nation. The 2020 Riverside County Homeless Point in Time Count will take place on Wednesday, January 29, 2020. This episode of the COGCast will feature Laura Gonzalez-Rivera, Social Services Planner and the 2020 Homeless Point in Time Count Coordinator, from the County of Riverside. For more information on the 2020 Riverside Homeless Point in Time Count, visit www.rivcoexchange.com. 

Southern California Edison, also known as SCE, is the primary electricity supply company for Southern California. Serving approximately 15 million people over 5 million accounts, SCE plays a key role in our communities. Tune in for this episode of the COGCast, featuring Joshua Torres, Senior Policy Advisor at SCE, to share about this partner organization and provide insight on upcoming projects and technology. 

Throughout California, there is a housing affordability crisis spurred by a mounting shortage of housing supply. State housing officials estimate that more than 1.3 million homes need to be built in the six-county SCAG region between October 2021 and October 2029. In an effort to address this issue, the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, also known as RHNA, is mandated by State Housing Law as part of the periodic process of updating local housing elements of a jurisdiction’s General Plan.

On this episode of the COGCast, Ma’Ayn Johnson, Housing Program Manager at the Southern California Association of Governments, answers two major questions: What is RHNA? And what does it mean for jurisdictions?

Riverside County is home to 23 school districts and 515 schools filled with students who will be the leaders of tomorrow. With a widely diverse student population and the always changing future landscape of work, how is Riverside County’s education system positioning itself for future innovation and change?

 

On this episode of the COGcast, Dr. Judy White, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, shares about her role and what the future holds for the County’s education system. 

This year, Riverside County’s annual Homeless Point in Time count found that there was a 20% increase in the number of people living on the streets compared to last year. County officials further provide perspective that the count is a one-day snapshot and merely represents the “visible” homeless population and not necessarily everyone who lacks a home. Nonetheless, the local impact of homelessness remains a key issue for the region.

On this episode of the COGcast, Monica Sapien and Aaron Petroff from the Social Work Action Group, also known as SWAG, share their organization's approach to help the homeless in Western Riverside County. 

The Southern California Gas Company, also known as SoCalGas, is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility serving 21.8 million consumers across more than 500 communities. For over 150 years, SoCalGas has served central and southern California as a responsible and engaged environmental leader, employer and neighbor.

 

Tune in for this episode of the COGCast as we hear from Lea Peterson, Public Affairs Manager, and Ana Aceves, Program Manager, at SoCalGas.

In collaboration with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), WRCOG has developed the Resilient Inland Empire (IE) Guidebook that seeks to identify regional vulnerabilities to climate change and develop resources and tools to improve regional resiliency.

To better understand the need for resilience planning, consider the impacts to the Idyllwild area resulting from 2018’s record precipitation- torrential rain caused rain and debris flows to exceed capacity of existing infrastructure, which ultimately led the roads to buckle. For months, stretches of both State Routes 74 and 243 were closed for repairs that exceeded $100 million, isolating the community and extending commutes for residents significantly. This situation is one of many that call local leaders to prepare communities for the threats that weather can pose to the region. To share about the importance of resiliency planning, the COGcast welcomes Aaron Pfannenstiel, Principal at Atlas Planning Solutions.