The 40th and last edition of Chapman University’s signature fundraising gala—Chapman Celebrates—ended with a bang; the Feb. 11 event, featuring Broadway-style singing, dancing and musical performances from College of Performing Arts students, met its $1.5M fundraising goal.
It was a record amount for the school event, which was last held in person in 2019 because of the pandemic, officials tell the Business Journal. The event raised about $40M for the school over its history.
Alongside the performing arts students and staff who each year have put in a heavy amount of work into the gala, the latest event featured a standout tap dancing performance from President Emeritus—and frequent OCBJ Leader Board columnist—Jim Doti, who noted the absence of the Ginger Rogers to his Fred Astaire, Julia Argyros. She wasn’t able to attend and participate in a dance performance, as in prior events.
Julia’s daughter, Lisa Argyros, took center stage for the family this year. She’s part of the team heading Chapman’s ambitious new Inspire fundraising campaign; see the front page for more on the plan to reach $500M by 2028.
Moto Morini calls Irvine “the heart of the motorcycle industry.”
The new-to-Irvine company’s U.S. COO, Chris McGee, certainly knows the industry’s backstory, thanks to his family ties.
McGee’s mother, Mary McGee, is a member of the American Motorcycle Association Hall of Fame. She is the first woman in the U.S. to earn a FIM license and is known as one of the first woman motocross and road racers.
His father, Don McGee, worked as an engineer for Honda, helping develop early race bikes in the U.S. He eventually designed the Scott Goggle, the first eyewear made specifically for dirt bike riders.
McGee’s family also owned a motorcycle dealership.
“Growing up around motorcycles, I naturally gravitated towards a career in it,” McGee told our Kaitlin Aquino.
McGee also had a professional racing career of his own. He raced in the Grand Prix in Australia, where he met representatives of a German racing team which he eventually signed onto. He raced in Europe for several years while also representing the U.S. at the world championship level.
For more on Moto Morini and OC’s growing two-wheeled influence, see Aquino’s front-page feature.
Real estate exec and civic leader Nelson Rising, who died Feb. 9 at age 81, was best known for his work in LA, both in business and political circles.
“Whether you’re looking up to see the US Bank Tower, or you’re looking around to see the impact of Mayor Tom Bradley, Nelson’s work is very much a part of LA,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Rising also made his mark in OC. In 1972, he headed the development of Coto de Caza, one of his first big real estate projects. Decades later, in 2008, he was tapped to run MPG Office Trust, and help OC’s second-largest office owner at the time dig itself out of the Great Recession, after local properties vacancies soared following the subprime mortgage crash.
