The Valley Industry and Commerce Association honored two longtime members at its 57th annual meeting at the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City Thursday. The organization, which represents 300 businesses in the San Fernando Valley, presented the 2006 Harmon Ballin Award for Community Service to Jill Barad, the founder of the Sherman Oaks public policy firm Jill Barad & Associates. Barad has also been a major advocate for neighborhood councils and charter schools. She also helped found the Skid Row childcare center Para Los Ninos. The group also recognized Larry Venema, a district manager with the Automobile Club of Southern California and VICA member, with the inaugural President’s Award. The event also featured comments from new Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent David L. Brewer III, who continued his theme of calling on business leaders to help him reform the district. Brewer, who took over the post last month, also advocated more career technical programs and online programs at the high school level to prepare students to enter the job market. “We will have to have relationships with the business community,” he said. “You have the opportunity with me here to change the district ” VICA also elected a new board and voted a series of small bylaw changes, including reducing the 100-member board to 80. The organization also called on meeting attendees to sign a petition condemning the City Council’s recent extension of the living wage to hotels near Los Angeles International Airport, which many fear could be further expanded to the Valley.