More than 1,000 business, government and community leaders experienced a wide-ranging overview of San Bernardino County as shared by each member of the Board of Supervisors during individual video presentations at the 2022 State of the County event on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at the Ontario Convention Center.

Hosted by Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman along with San Bernardino County Chief Communications Officer Martha Guzman-Hurtado, the annual event provided a platform to summarize the positive impact of programs, initiatives and successes achieved across the county. In addition, each supervisor introduced a business champion for their respective districts.

Hagman dedicated the event to the memory of County Assessor-Recorder/County Clerk and former State Sen. Bob Dutton, who passed away on July 23.

Profiled firms and events included: Exquadrum, recognized for their support of the High Desert Training Center; King of the Hammers, recognized as a wildly-successful annual motorsports event held in Johnson Valley; Ontario International Airport, recognized for its phenomenal growth track record across passenger and cargo; Brightline West, recognized for its groundbreaking high-speed rail development; and Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, which among its many recent successes opened a new state-of-the-art cancer center.

“We wanted our residents to see how focused we are on moving forward with a strong vision to ensure continued economic success and growth,” said Chairman Hagman. “The Board’s investments across the county underscore how we support a vision forward that includes quality of life, the environment, arts and culture, and public safety, as well as foreign trade and business investment, to name a few. It was wonderful to see so many people celebrate with us.” 

In addition to hearing from each of the supervisors, the State of the County included a business presentation from Kim Snyder, president, West Region, Prologis; Hilda Kennedy, founder, Ampac Business Capital; and Randall Lewis, principal, Lewis Group of Companies. The business leaders all touted the positive and proactive work of the Board of Supervisors to support population growth and job creation.

The event closed with a performance by San Bernardino County native Chayce Beckham, the 2021 winner of American Idol. Beckham was brought back by popular demand after his 2021 State of the County appearance. He was later joined by his band during the post-event networking, which featured interactive experiences for guests such as a Topgolf putting green and one of the ultra-cars that race at the King of the Hammers event.