A look at people, companies and institutions receiving awards, accolades, grants and other honors
Real estate developer and investor Donald Koll received the Distinguished Eagle Scout award from the Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America last month in Irvine. Koll is the founder of Newport Beach’s Koll Co. and was a driving force behind developing the area around John Wayne Airport. Hundreds of guests attended the ceremony, including former Gov. Gray Davis and former Senate majority leader Bill Frist. The event raised about $1 million, which will be used to fund activities at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange. A mountain at the center will be named for Koll. The Distinguished Eagle Scout award recognizes Eagle Scouts who have made notable contributions to their communities more than 25 years after receiving the Eagle Scout award. Sixteen OC residents have been honored with the award since it was first handed out in 1969.
Arts Orange County named Allen Adham, Michael Morhaime, Frank Pearce, Dick Dale, Eric Marienthal, Carol Wilken and The Orange County Community Foundation as its 2010 Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award Honorees last month. The annual award recognizes a lifetime of artistic accomplishment in the county.
Three people received the Heart and Soul Award from O’Connor Mortuary for making significant contributions to their communities. Larry Kramer, Julian Jackson-Brunning and Charles Tozzer were recognized earlier this month in San Juan Capistrano. Kramer is a Navy veteran and a city council candidate in San Juan Capistrano. Jackson-Brunning is a 12-year-old who turned his birthday into a charity event for an animal-rescue group. Tozzer is an Irvine dentist who provides free dentistry to underprivileged children.
The Irvine office of Fisher & Phillips LLP received a Metropolitan First-Tier ranking from U.S. News & World Report magazine and the Best Lawyers law publication. The Atlanta-based law firm specializes in labor and employment matters. Fisher & Phillips has 23 offices and more than 225 lawyers firmwide. The Irvine office is the firm’s second largest.
Chapman University’s entrepreneurship program was recognized as one of the top 50 of its kind in the nation by Entrepreneur magazine. The ranking was based on the program’s curriculum, staff, mentorship and out-of-class opportunities. In the undergraduate category, Chapman ranked No. 25. More than 2000 schools were surveyed in all.
KTGY Group Inc., an Irvine-based architectural firm, won the “Best Use of Labels” award at the Orange County Canstruction design/build competition at South Coast Plaza. Contestants were given 12 hours to design a canned food display at the mall. Afterwards, the canned items were donated to the Orange County Food Bank. KTGY created a 1.75-ton arrangement of cans that resembled the Cheshire Cat in “Alice and Wonderland.” The entry was entitled “We’re All Mad Here.”
John Page of Irvine-based Golden State Foods, a supplier of food products to McDonald’s Corp. and other restaurant operators, was given the Francis Stratford Award by the National Bar Association. Page has been Golden State Food’s general counsel for six years and is a Golden State corporate vice president. The annual award recognizes members whose work contributes to the legal profession at large. It is the National Bar Association’s highest honor.
Irvine-based LPA Inc., an architectural firm, received two honors from the Orange County chapter of American Institute of Architects for its work at Orange Coast College and Cal State Northridge. This is the 34th consecutive year LPA has been recognized by the group.
Irvine-based Essex Realty Management and Richard Cohen Landscape Inc. in Lake Forest were awarded a Landscape Beautification award by the California Landscape Contractors Association for their work at the Rancho Business Center in Lake Forest. Both property management companies helped upgrade the irrigation system and custom-fit the entryways with shrubs at the center. The Rancho Business Center is made up of 31 buildings on more than 12 acres south of the Foothill (241) Toll Road on Bake Parkway.
Local Splash, a Fountain Valley-based marketing company, earned a spot in Inc. 500’s list of fastest-growing companies. It ranked No. 8 in the greater Los Angeles area, and No. 113 nationally. Local Splash uses business directories such as Google and Yahoo to increase the visibility of companies.
