Nonprofit North State Building Industry Association (northstatebia.org), which represents more than 520 companies in the Sacramento region, named Damian Azimi, Lincoln resident and senior mortgage officer at SAFE Credit Union (safecu.org), “Mortgage Professional of the Year" during its 48th annual awards gala. Azimi joined SAFE in 2017 and has exhibited a strong drive not only to support its members but to help grow the area’s housing economy as well. Congrats!

Placer SPCA (placerspca.org) celebrated a significant milestone last month with the groundbreaking of its new Veterinary and Foster Care Center. The 8,800-square-foot facility, located adjacent to the existing Adoption and Education Center at 200 Tahoe Avenue in Roseville, will replace the organization’s current veterinary care space and once open (likely next fall), enable veterinary staff to quadruple the number of spay and neuter surgeries; deliver comprehensive medical care through expanded pharmacy and laboratory facilities; increase capacity for vaccinations, microchipping, dental work, and other essential medical procedures; and provide a safe, comforting recovery environment for animals healing after medical treatments.

Roseville Venture Lab (roseville.ca.us/venturelab)—a 2,600-square-foot entrepreneur center at 316 Vernon Street, Suite 110, that serves as a hub for workshops, meetings, and events—offers a no-cost, drop-in coworking space from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Connect with others while expanding your business network and enjoying a change of work-from-home scenery. Note: The lab is closed during private events and government-observed holidays; check their event calendar prior to arriving at lu.ma/roseville-venture-lab.

Attention burger buffs! Check out Amador County’s Burger Route (visitamador.com/p/why-visit1/amador-burger-route) for over 30 must-try burgers available throughout the county, including “The Dave” (six-ounce American Wagyu beef patty, bacon onion jam, lettuce, tomato, smoked gouda cheese, and roasted garlic mayo on a grilled bun) at Helwig Winery’s The Kitchen. For non-meat eaters, many of the restaurants offer a tasty vegetarian substitution, too.

Congrats to Rocklin-based Campfire Treats (campfiretreats.com)—which offers one of the largest selections of all-natural, single-ingredient dog treats and chews made on the West Coast—for receiving Compassion in World Farming’s 2024 “Good Chicken Award” in recognition of its leading efforts to improve the lives of chickens raised for meat. Presented in Paris, France, the Good Farm Animal Awards recognized 49 companies from over 15 countries for leadership in improving farm animal welfare and creating sustainable, nature-friendly food.

Photos courtesy of their respective companies or organizations.