President's Dinner - Annual Event Celebrated Classic Hollywood
The black-tie, gala event – Classic Hollywood – was celebrated in classic glitz and glamour at the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Hotel & Resort with campus and community members in attendance. The evening’s events featured a short performance by CI dance students, shopping through a bazaar, a special Classic Hollywood menu, the opportunity to participate in a raffle for a stunning piece of jewelry donated by Van Gundy Jewelers, and musical entertainment provided by Ronny and the Classics.
University President Richard R. Rush introduced Mark Hartley as the winner of the 2010 CSU Channel Islands Robert J. Lagomarsino Award. The award, named in honor of the Honorable Robert J. Lagomarsino, a former United States congressman and a longtime supporter of the University, is presented to an individual who has contributed to and supported CSU Channel Islands.
Hartley currently operates out of two entertainment management offices located in Ventura and Nashville, TN managing talent such as Olivia Newton-John, LeAnn Rimes, Brad Paisley, Robert Cray, Colbie Caillat and others. Through his volunteer leadership, Hartley helped to establish an Entertainment Studies option at CI as well as serving as Chair of the CSU Channel Islands Entertainment Studies Advisory Board.
Hartley began his career as a promotion manager in Denver and San Francisco working for Columbia Records, then becoming director of marketing at Epic Records in Los Angeles. Eventually, he ended up at Caribou Management armed with his background in promotion and marketing, setting up a recording company and helping to promote and market the firm’s talent.
In 1991, Hartley moved the recording company to Ventura where he also began to invest in commercial real estate in the Ventura historic district. He has renovated 12 buildings including his restaurant Watermark On Main while maintaining the historical integrity of all. He serves on the board for the Autry National Center of the American West as Chairman of the Board for the Academy of Country Music (ACM), and was recently appointed as President of the Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of ACM.
CSU Channel Islands Foundation Board member Linda Dullam returned to serve as Chair of the President’s Dinner for an eighth term.
The President’s Dinner is the premier fund-raising event of the year for the University. Sponsors for the event included:
Platinum sponsor: Bank of America
Gold sponsor: Rabobank
Silver sponsors: Harrison Industries, Montecito Bank & Trust, and Van Gundy Jewelers
Bronze sponsors: Airborne Technologies, Elise and William Kearney, the City of Oxnard, PCL Construction Leaders, Sage Publications, Inc., St. John’s Regional Medical Center/St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital, and Nancy and Carl Wesely
Wine sponsor: Carr Vineyards
Community Partner sponsor: Camarillo Chamber of Commerce