The 4th annual College of Business Administration and Public Policy (CBAPP) Awards Luncheon took place on Nov. 4 in the Loker Student Union at California State University, Dominguez Hills. The event, which is the college’s main fundraiser, brought together nearly 400 students, faculty, and members of the local business community that support CBAPP.
Approximately $54,000 was raised, the largest amount since the luncheon’s inception in 2007. In addition, three Paragon Sponsors joined the roll call of donors. Club Deportivo Chivas USA, Providence Little Company of Mary Community Health Foundation, and Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. each gave a gift of $10,000 to support CBAPP student scholarships and faculty professional development activities.
W. Guy Fox, a longtime member of the CBAPP Advisory Board, opened the luncheon and introduced President Mildred García, who thanked the assembled donors and supporters of the college.
“Even in these difficult economic times, each one of you has helped us exceed attendance from last year with a packed ballroom, because you believe in helping our [students] to go out to the South Bay and beyond,” she said. “Your generous support helps us provide the margin of excellence that enhances students’ success and gives our faculty the tools to develop the future leaders of this state and of this nation.”
John Melendez, a senior majoring in business administration, represented the 2010-2011 Scholarship
Recipients and gave a heartfelt testimony to the struggles of his return to college after a 28-year career
that ended with a layoff due to the flagging economy. He thanked CBAPP donors, the Advisory Board,
and Dr. Kaye Bragg, CBAPP’s acting dean for their support.
“With a family and the state of the economy, you have to make a decision, a difficult decision whether to pay for a degree or take care of your family,” he said. “The benefit of a scholarship such as this one makes the decision easy.”
The achievements of CBAPP faculty were presented by Bragg and Dr. Natasa Christodoulidou, assistant professor of management and marketing.
“I work with an outstanding group of faculty and professional staff… dedicated to building a set of academic programs,” said Bragg. “These programs take the dreams of students and make them into a career path. This is an amazing task that I get to be part of.”
Bragg said that the luncheon represented for her the past, present, and future of CBAPP.
“I see the past with the alumni and people from the community who come to this event again,” she said. “You are returning to a place that you believe in and programs that you want to be part of. I see the present in the staff and various individuals here from the Advisory Board. This year, you are involved in advising activities, internships, class presentations, a little mentoring in your office – it is [your] participation that allows us to move forward. And I see the future. I see it in every student sitting in this room.
“The mission of CBAPP is to educate the future leaders of our community. I am looking at leaders of our community and I see students who will move into those positions. This is the nexus moment for our college.”
The Dean’s Medallion Awards were given in recognition to representatives of the local CSU Dominguez Hills community. The Organization of the Year Award was presented to Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. Antonio Cué Sánchez-Navarro, owner of Club Deportivo Chivas USA, was honored as Executive of the Year, and Nancy Carlson (Class of ’94, B.S., nursing; ’96, MPA), chief executive officer of Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in San Pedro was awarded as Alumni of the Year.
Sánchez-Navarro thanked the university for his award as Executive of the Year and told the students present that, “When you are at a university like Dominguez Hills and you have a president like Dr. García, there is no way you cannot be inspired. It’s about dreaming and this is a house of dreams. This is where you prepare your dreams to come true.”
Students from not only CBAPP but a number of disciplines were in attendance at the luncheon at the invitation of the college, in hopes of practicing their networking skills. Elijah J. Sims, a graduate student in education counseling, is an intern in the CSU Dominguez Hills Career Center and in academic counseling at Long Beach City College. He said that he hoped to connect with more individuals at the luncheon who could use his services as a counselor or part-time web designer in his own start-up company, Against the Grain Web Designs.
“I hope to network and meet various people throughout the university who might be in need of web design or might lead me to a counseling position,” he said. “I like the idea of helping students do what they need to do and learn what they need to learn and be successful academically. The at-risk population that Dominguez Hills serves is of interest to me. I can have a great impact with that demographic.”
Carlson, who was recognized as Alumni of the Year, proudly displayed two worn pieces of Dominguez Hills memorabilia: a sweatshirt emblazoned with “CSUDH” that she wore as a student, and another sweatshirt that designated her as a “CSUDH Mom.”
“My daughter and I were students on this campus at the same time, much to her chagrin, I’m quite sure,” Carlson quipped. “She was 18; I was not. Although this is visible evidence of my… experience here, I believe that today I still wear in a non-visible way the education I received here, the graduate degree that has allowed me to be a better leader.
“The reason that these [sweatshirts] are important is that they show the availability of fantastic education in this global community,” said Carlson. “As an 18-year-old, my daughter’s needs were very different from mine. I was an older student and my needs had to fit my schedule as a working mom. This campus was local to me and allowed me to get a degree, meet all the needs of my family, and go back into the community and serve with the education that I received here.”
Platinum Sponsors for the CBAPP Awards Luncheon included Broadway Federal Bank, Schools Federal Credit Union, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Gold Sponsors are The Home Depot Center, SA Recycling, and Watson Land Company. Silver Sponsors are California United Bank, the CSUDH Alumni Association, Paula Moore, Patricia Williams of NKP Management, Staples Center, and Teledyne Controls.
For more information on the College of Business Administration and Public Policy at CSU Dominguez Hills, click here.
