OCBC'S Alicia Berhow Promoted to VP of Workforce Development and Advocacy

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - May 22, 2012) - Alicia Berhow was promoted to Vice President of Workforce Development and Advocacy at Orange County Business Council, effective May 21, 2012. She will work with business and community partners to develop policies and programs that prepare Orange County students for the high-skill jobs of the 21^st century, with a focus on the S.T.E.A.M disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math).

Since joining OCBC in 2007, Berhow has developed relationships with numerous community partners, including the Orange County Department of Education, California Teachers Association, community colleges and Workforce Investment Boards, promoting OCBC's Workforce Development initiative and the acclaimed Latino Educational Attainment Initiative (LEA). Under Berhow's leadership LEA reached more than 23,000 Latino and other minority parents in Orange County, sharing with them critical information about California's education system, and empowering them to take an active role in their children's educational success.

Berhow is responsible for OCBC's annual Workforce Development Conference, where hundreds of education advocates gather to hear from a high-level speaker and discuss the latest education and workforce issues. Berhow also successfully advocated at the local, state and national levels for greater local control in education policy and flexibility in education spending.

Berhow currently serves as a board member for the Anaheim Workforce Investment Board and in 2011 was appointed by Assembly Speaker John A. Perez to the California Board of Accountancy.

Berhow is a product of the Orange County school system. She attended Tustin High School and then pursued higher education first at Santa Ana College and then at the University of California, Irvine where she received her bachelor's degree in Political Science. Berhow previously worked as Senior Field Representative for Congresswomen Loretta Sanchez and brings experience working with business from her time spent as a Sales Administrator at Miller Brewing Company.

About OCBC:
Orange County Business Council is the leading voice of business in Orange County, California. OCBC represents and promotes the business community, working with government and academia, to enhance Orange County's economic development and prosperity in order to preserve a high quality of life. OCBC serves member and investor businesses with nearly 250,000 employees and 2,000,000 worldwide. In providing a proactive forum for business and supporting organizations, OCBC helps assure the financial growth of America's sixth largest county. For more information, visit www.ocbc.org.