Presidential Presence for Big Canyon?; Ueberroth on Arnie

New Chapman U President Daniele Struppa is a soccer guy, a preference that tracks back to his native Italy. His wife, Lisa Sparks, dean of the School of Communication at the campus in Orange, prefers football, a choice that speaks to her Oklahoma roots. The Insider hears the twain could soon meet near the golf course, thanks to a benefactor who plans to donate a home in Big Canyon to Chapman as the official presidential residence in perpetuity … Peter Ueberroth is a one-time water polo player who went on to run the Olympics and serve as commissioner of Major League Baseball. He also considers himself especially fortunate that golf afforded him the opportunity to meet Arnold Palmer, a longtime friend and investment partner in Pebble Beach Co. Ueberroth shared memories of Palmer last week, noting that, “Some people can light up a room, but Arnold could light up 100 acres on a golf course, double the attendance, and every fan would leave saying they had met him. I don’t think any other athlete in history touched, or talked to, or just encountered more fans in person.” No accident that Palmer remained as familiar as the popular drink that bears his name, a clear example that the staying power of the personal touch holds true, even in the digital age … The personal touch often comes in the form of a handwritten note sent along as a thank-you card. Providence St. Joseph Health execs are known to go above and beyond, penning a note and including a separate thank-you card that expresses the sentiment quite literally. Here’s an example—the lovely image is matched by an inspirational message on the back—from Annette Walker, chief executive of St. Joseph Health and president of strategy for parent Providence St. Joseph Health. Consider this a supplement to the gracious thanks Walker gave from the podium to the nearly 400 folks who cheered as she represented her team in claiming one of the Business Journal’s Innovator of the Year Awards (see related story, page 1) … What’s in a name? A fun coincidence if it happens to be Edgar Dormitorio, the chief of staff for the Office of Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at UC Irvine … What’s in a location? The partners at Cornerstone Communications might contend that there’s no coincidence at all to their office being at the intersection of Research & Inquiry … A fascinating conundrum recently presented itself to managers at the Target store at the Crossroads retail center in Irvine, where a very talented accordion player who identified himself only as Gabriel gave a performance in the parking lot, with a sign on a receptacle seeking donations. Someone complained, but Gabriel had a stream of passersby stopping to tap a toe and make donations by the time a store manager got to the lot. The manager took in the scene—a street-level reminder of how much music appreciation factors into the academic achievement and immigrant drive that has helped make Irvine a pound-for-pound powerhouse with a reputation for quality of life that stretches from Southern California to Asia. She stopped short and kicked the call upstairs, leaving Gabriel to play on at last report.