Dear ÃÈ·µ¼º½ Colleagues,
At its Board meeting of last Tuesday, June 4th, our ÃÈ·µ¼º½ Foundation thanked Ed Eschbach for his extraordinary service to the Foundation as president and for his abiding commitment to ÃÈ·µ¼º½ students. Ed is leaving his term as president and, thankfully, remaining on the Board as treasurer.
The Foundation also elected Kat Anderson as its new president, herself a long time generous supporter of City College. Kat is an attorney and graduate of Stanford and U.C. Hastings Law School and a commissioner for Recreation and Parks, among many other civic commitments. It has been a smooth handoff from Ed to Kat and we are all looking forward to the future.
Ed’s transition gave us all an opportunity to thank him appropriately for his leadership. (Notice the cool Rams jersey below!)
Ed’s vision has always been students-first. For example, when we asked Ed if the Foundation would like to participate in Commencement, he jumped at the chance. (See the happy photo below from the ceremony for our Class of 2019.)
Ed’s energy has made so many wonderful things happen for ÃÈ·µ¼º½. To list just a few signal accomplishments over the past two years that I have had the great pleasure of working with Ed:
- A grant of $250,000 to fund the first year of the Foundation Promise Scholarship. The first cohort just completed its first year with 90% persistence and the second year has attracted thirty new applicants. Foundation funding will enable these students to complete their degree and transfer requirements in two years.
- An incredibly successful Basic Skills Luncheon at the Fairmont, sponsored by Wells Fargo, that raised close to $300,000 for student scholarships in a single day.
- A $2 Million donation from the Estate of ÃÈ·µ¼º½ alumna Alexandra Page Clark for our culinary and nursing programs.
- A new strategic direction that includes a new ÃÈ·µ¼º½ Alumni Association, participation with SFMOMA on next year’s exhibit of our Diego Rivera mural and support of our upcoming facilities bond.
- Under Ed’s wise financial management, the Foundation has grown its assets to over $20 Million.
In so many ways, the members of the ÃÈ·µ¼º½ Foundation Board are unsung heroes, quietly working to make a difference in the lives of our students with meaningful financial support. They humbly eschew the limelight or praise, yet their commitment to our mission to keep the American Dream alive for our students is inspiring.
This will link you to the Foundation page, and over fifteen different ÃÈ·µ¼º½ programs one can support with a donation. What’s great about the Foundation is it takes no administrative costs. So, when you or a friend donate $25 to culinary or the veterans center, for example, the funds go straight to aid the program.
As Ed would tell us, the Foundation is just getting started. Thank you, Ed, and GO RAMS!
With sincere thanks,
Dr. Mark Rocha, Chancellor
City College of San Francisco