A new law requires corporate boards to have at least one woman on them | Mike Freeman

Thanks to a flurry of last-minute appointments, most of San Diego County’s publicly traded companies have complied with a California law requiring at least one woman on their boards of directors by the end of 2019. Out of approximately 90 publicly traded companies in the county, only one has yet to name a female board member based on Union-Tribune research: Biotech Tracon Pharmaceuticals. The company did not respond to Union-Tribune emails or phone calls seeking comment. Tracon still could appoint a women to its board on the final day of the year. San Diego cannabis-industry landlord Innovative Industrial Properties, for example, said it planned to announce on Dec. 31 that it has added a female director to its board. In October, the San Diego City Attorney’s office sent letters to 19 San Diego firms that hadn’t complied with the law based on data from the Secretary of State’s Office. Since then, most firms have either added women to their boards or merged with other companies based elsewhere, sometimes outside of state. “We are glad to be able to alert companies,” said Deputy City Attorney Marni Von Wilpert. “City Attorney Mara Elliott has said our city needs more women to bring their problem-solving skills and inclusive mindset to positions of leadership. This is one opportunity to do that.” The city attorney plans to check compliance again in January.