Justice for All
More than 800 leaders of the Orange County legal community celebrated the Public Law Center’s 35 years of helping the county’s poorest and most vulnerable residents at Hotel Irvine on June 20. Event guests raised $716,000, each dollar of which will provide eight dollars’ worth of free legal services to Orange County’s low-income military veterans, seniors, domestic violence survivors, children and their families.
PLC presented several awards during the Volunteers for Justice Dinner. The Kennedy Commission was awarded the Community Partner of the Year Award. Equal Justice Works received the 35th Anniversary Founders Award. Lindsey Martinez of Snell & Wilmer won the Attorney of the Year Award.
Links to a Good Cause
The Audi Infiniti Volvo Mission Viejo Golf Classic netted more than $367,000 for Mission Hospital on June 9 at Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Beach.
Interim president and chief executive of Mission Hospital Dr. Richard Afable welcomed 290 golfers, including nearly 50 corporate sponsors. Audi Infiniti Volvo Mission Viejo continued its seven-year run as tournament sponsor, and Jessup Management Services served as presenting sponsor.
Forecaddies for each foursome were provided by Capstone Partners Financial and Sunwest Bank. Platinum sponsors included Healthcare Design & Construction LLC, N&BP Trust, Meyer & Reeder Inc., Prestige Office Coffee Service and WP Electric Communications Inc.
Super Dads
The American Diabetes Association and the Father’s Day Council honored three local community and business leaders June 16 at the 14th annual Orange County Father of the Year Awards at the Island Hotel Newport Beach. This year the awards gala raised almost $300,000 to help the association in its mission to prevent and cure diabetes.
The 2016 honorees were Scott Burnham, chief executive and chairman of the board at Burnham USA Equities Inc.; Craig Carter, president of Luxe Travel Management; and Dr. Robert Kachenmeister, chief executive of Plastic Surgery Associates of Orange County. Each father received a 2016 Father of the Year Award for demonstrating the ability to balance his personal and professional lives, serving as a role model for his children, and making a positive difference in the community.
Celebration of Extraordinary Women
Girl Scouts of Orange County will recognize its 2016 roster of Celebrate Leadership honorees—seven local female leaders who are Girl Scout alumnae and champions of Girl Scouting—at its seventh annual Celebrate Leadership event Nov. 4 at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach. Honorees include:
• Ellen Bancroft, office managing partner, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP. She has received numerous awards, including last year’s Corporate America Legal Elite IPO Lawyer of the Year-California and inclusion among Best Lawyers’ Women Lawyers of the Year this year.
• Karen Caplan, president and chief executive of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. Caplan was the first female chairperson of the national trade organization United Fresh Produce Association and first female president of the Southern California-based Fresh Produce & Floral Council.
• Jackie Caplan Wiggins, vice president and chief operating officer of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. The breast cancer survivor and mentor to women recently was honored by the Long Beach Cancer League at its annual American Cancer Society gala.
• Lucy Dunn, president and chief executive of the Orange County Business Council. Dunn was appointed to the California Transportation Commission in 2008 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, reappointed by Gov. Jerry Brown, and elected its chairperson last year.
• Mary “Muff” Tennyson, chief executive and founder of StashAll LLC and a retired financial software industry veteran.
• Socorro Vasquez, a philanthropist dedicated to bringing arts education to Orange County youth.
• Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, president and chief executive of Earth Friendly Products. She was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Orange County Global Women’s Conference in 2014 and received the Orange County Business Journal’s Women in Business Award this year.
