Brazilian industry leaders visit Skyline College

Oakland Tribune, Aug 3, 2008 by Neil Gonzalez

Industry leaders from Brazil will visit Skyline College in San Bruno today to talk about trade relationships, policies and other issues between their country and the United States.

Skyline's Bay Area Center for International Trade Development is hosting the event, which is part of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitors' Leadership Program.

Under the program, Brazil's Frederico Arana Meira and Daniel Valladares Weeks will meet with representatives from academic institutions, trade associations, private businesses and government agencies.

Meira is an international negotiations supervisor with the Federation of Industries in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Weeks is an economist for Banco Bradesco S.A., one of the largest banks in Brazil.

The center has a long-standing trade relationship with Brazil, including a project in 2002 that connected Bay Area entrepreneurs with marketing opportunities in that country.

"Meeting with this delegation will enhance our relationship with Brazil," said center Director Richard Soyombo. The backgrounds of Meira and Weeks "will afford a valuable exchange of information and ideas between the two countries on the topic of international trade, which is critical to further developing the Bay Area's export economy and the overall economic health of California."

Students graduate from Highlands Christian

Students from Highlands Christian College Preparatory in San Bruno recently graduated with most heading to higher education.

They are Jerome Blanco (Wheaton College), Isaac Castano (union apprenticeship), Jenni Chang (University of San Francisco), Christian Goddard (San Francisco State University), Alexa Lomongsod (University of California, Berkeley), Kriztian Mabalot (San Jose State University), Tyler Maddox (California Polytechnic State University), Sarah Maher (SF State), Daniel Marasigan (SF State), Joshua Menjivar (SF State), Sterling Sheley (Azusa Pacific University), Tamieka Smith (SF State), Andrew Tsao (Cal Poly) and Kevin Valera (Azusa Pacific).

Chalk Talk is a regular feature about schools, students, teachers and administrators in San Mateo County. Write to Chalk Talk, San Mateo County Times, 477 Ninth Ave., Suite 110, San Mateo, 94402; send a fax to 650-348-4446; or e-mail education reporter Neil Gonzales at ngonzales@bayareanewsgroup.com. Also visit the Chalk Talk blog at www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes.