Westside Business Culture appoints first officers

The Westside Business Culture, a group of business and community leaders dedicated to revitalizing Costa Mesa’s poorest area, has appointed its first lineup of official leaders.

The organization, which launched in the spring, named Steve Jones, co-owner of the home developer 1.7 Ocean, as president.

Dan Bradley, owner of the Detroit Bar and Memphis Cafe, took the job of vice president, while Pete Zehnder, Jones’ partner, was appointed chairman.

The committee also named Mesa Framing owner Frank Gutierrez as treasurer and Thomkin Cellars co-owner Julie Thompson-Dobkin as secretary.

Jones said the group, whose first public event was a gallery showcase in June, sought to support businesses on the Westside by bringing in restaurants, bars and other infrastructure.

“When different cultures and different income levels get jostled around together, that’s when things get interesting,” he said. “We’re not looking for this homogenous thing.”

— Michael Miller