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Augie’s Quest Quickens Pace; Wang Charms; FCD Tells Celeb Ties

Chalk up another triumph of will and spirit in Augie Nieto’s quest for a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an effort that now has gone from raising awareness and funds to a development with a new drug that holds the potential to slow down the disease. The Corona del Mar resident is the founder of gym-equipment maker Life Fitness and leads the celebrity-supported Augie’s Quest, a fundraising and research operation affiliated with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He’s been battling ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, for about six years—and fighting just as hard to raise more than $31 million for research at the ALS Therapy Development Institute in Cambridge, Mass., among other efforts. Progress recently arrived in the form of Gilenya, a drug that’s been shown to slow the progression of ALS in mice. The medical and scientific communities are now torn about whether to use the drug immediately or wait for clinical trials later this year to check its full effects on humans. The debate will no doubt carry some weighty questions about medical ethics and how to determine the greater good. No question about the good work that’s pushed the discussion to this point. Visit augiesquest.org for more …

Emulex CEO Jim McCluney emceed the Forum for Corporate Directors annual awards on March 1 and reminisced about his time working for Steve Jobs, acknowledging the famously petulant Apple founder’s genius but wishing “he would have taken a couple of semesters at charm school.”…

“I feel like Steve Jobs,” said honoree William Wang of Vizio, who worked a display of his new PC onto the stage at the Ritz-Carlton during his acceptance speech. Not exactly—Wang clearly came off as a charmer …

The FCD made good on its teaser a few weeks back about famous names with ties to this year’s honorees. Actor Will Smith and rapper Jay-Z are shareholders in Jeff Kearl’s San Clemente-based sock company Stance. Basketball legend Bill Walton serves with Kearl on the advisory board of San Diego Sports Innovator, a trade group for sports business. Allergan director Robert Ingram loaned a young John Boehner a tuxedo for a black-tie even back when the budding pol still needed help working a room …

Condolences on a couple of passings: St. John Knits cofounder Bob Gray and Dick Braeger, founder of Cole-Haan and owner of Gary’s better men’s shops and its flagship store at Fashion Island …

Gray’s daughter, Kelly, appeared on OCBJ publisher Richard Reisman’s Cable Business Journal show a few years back, right after she became president of St. John Knits. She said her dad insisted on her doing things his way at least once before suggesting any changes. The payoff came after ground rules were established. “If you can learn to live by his rules he is a wonderfully fair man and is very inspiring,” Kelly said …

Must See: the Richard Diebenkorn Ocean Park Series exhibit, which runs through May 27 at OCMA. It’s abstract stuff and exceptional for the genre. Credit OCMA with mounting an impressive show and resisting the temptation to explain it too much.

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