James L. Doti
President, Chapman University
Born in Chicago
Age 64
Lives in Villa Park
In 20th year as president of county’s largest, oldest private university. Chapman marking 150th anniversary this year.
School counts more than 6,000 students, extensive business ties. Freshmen enrollment up 33% two years straight.
Ranked No. 8 this year in U.S. News rankings for Western region. Law school ranked in Top 100. Appointed former congressman, state senator Tom Campbell, as law school dean in February.
Overseeing revamp of Argyros Forum student union with more classrooms, offices. First floor completion expected in August, second floor in fall. Final floor done by February.
Continues to grow campus in downtown Orange: bought church property near law school, Palm Avenue Time Warner building. Purchases connected east, west sides of campus.
Near-term plans include science complex, film school expansion, performing arts center.
Pushing vocational school offshoot Brandman University. In 2009, paid $22 million for Irvine Spectrum building for Brandman administrative offices, classrooms.
Came to Chapman 1974. Appointed Center for Economic Research director 1978, business school dean in 1985. President since 1991.
Delivers annual forecasts for county, state, nation, mixing economics, showmanship.
Born in Chicago’s Little Italy to immigrant parents. Mom hat maker, dad shoe seller.
Economics bachelor’s, University of Illinois. Master’s, doctorate in economics from University of Chicago.
Cohosts “Dialogue with Doti and Dodge” interview show on PBS SoCal, formerly KOCE-TV.
Serious athlete. Likes mountain climbing, marathons. Ran sixth Boston Marathon this spring.
Climbed some of tallest peaks including Argentina’s Mount Aconcagua, Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, Russia’s Mount Elbrus, Antarctica’s Mount Vinson.
Wife, Lynne, Chapman economics professor, Stone Professorship in Economics.
Two grown children, Adam, Cara. Grandfather. Adopted dog from German Shepherd Rescue.
—Kari Hamanaka
Michael V. Drake
Chancellor
University of California, Irvine
Born in New York
Age 60
Lives in Irvine
Heads county’s most influential university.
Set to see law school’s first class, numbering 59, graduate next year. Law school arguably Drake’s crowning achievement, even for president who’s led major expansion.
Pushed for law school since arriving at UCI in 2005. Dream realized with inaugural class in fall 2009.
Has added 5 million square feet of space to greater UCI, including 500,000-square-foot UC Irvine Douglas Hospital in Orange, 275,000-square-foot student center in Irvine.
Also added engineering, behavioral/social sciences, biological sciences, humanities, medical education buildings, six-story Bren Hall, Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Facility, student housing, renovated Rowland Hall.
Helped steer school through state budget cuts, law school’s formative days, controversies such as last year’s student disruption of Israeli ambassador’s speech.
UCI’s fifth leader since 1965 founding.
Before taking chancellor position, spent five years as vice president for health affairs for UC system, oversaw health sciences, academic research programs across seven campuses. Former faculty member, senior associate dean at UC San Francisco School of Medicine.
Bachelor’s in African-American studies from Stanford. Medical degree from UC San Francisco. Ophthalmologist by training.
Member of several national scientific, scholarly societies.
Grew up in Englewood, N.J. Later moved to Sacramento. Father also a doctor.
Wife, Brenda, is public interest lawyer. He counts her as key adviser.
Two adult sons. One’s a lawyer pursuing doctorate at Wharton School of Business. Other earning doctorate in educational policy at UCI.
Couple keeps schedule packed: events 300 days out of the year. Likes cycling, travel, music, track and field, stargazing.
Earlier this year, played guitar in OC 50er John Tu’s band at groundbreaking gala for UCI’s Gavin Herbert Eye Institute.
—Kari Hamanaka
Milton A. Gordon
President
California State University, Fullerton
Born in Chicago
Age 75
Lives in Fullerton
Heads county’s largest university by students.
State budget woes have forced tough choices in recent years: cuts in courses, faculty members, enrollment, pay freezes, furloughs.
Onetime federal funding re-opened spring admission across Cal State system. CSUF re-opened admission for 3,000-plus students for current semester.
Gordon’s pushed fundraising amid budget cuts, raised $50 million in past few years. Cultivated ties with OC 50er Paul Folino, lawyer Wylie Aitken, others.
Alum Steven Mihaylo gave $34.5 million since 2004. Money funded professors, programs, $88 million business school with Mihaylo name along with matching state funds.
Estate of Joseph A.W. Clayes III gave $5 million in 2008, performing arts center named in his honor.
Campus home to largest accredited business school in California, fourth largest nationally. Big regional provider of accountants.
Student housing project slated for completion this year. Paid for with CSU bonds backed by student housing fees.
In January, Irvine branch campus moved to building four miles from old site at former El Toro Marine base to make way for Orange County Great Park project. New lease gives CSUF seven years to look for permanent site.
Gordon president since 1990.
Grew up few blocks from old Comiskey Park in Chicago’s rough South Side. Saw Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson play.
Father worked for old Santa Fe railroad, now Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Mother, high school graduate, pushed three kids to college.
Math whiz: bachelor’s in mathematics, secondary education from Xavier University of Louisiana. Master’s in mathematics from University of Detroit. Doctorate in mathematics from Illinois Institute of Technology.
On several academic, nonprofit boards, including chairing Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Government Relations Committee, member of association’s governing board; American Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on International Education; Orange County Business Council; Pacific Symphony Orchestra; California Council on Science and Technology; Biocom; World Affairs Council Board of Trustees.
Wife, Margaret Faulwell Gordon, dean of College of Extended and International Education at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Couple lives in El Dorado Ranch, hillside Fullerton estate once home to city pioneer C. Stanley Chapman Sr., donated to CSUF in 1989.
Three grown sons: Patrick, Vincent, Michael. Three grandchildren.
Baseball fan. School’s championship baseball team a source of pride. Enjoys traveling, dining out, walking, movies, photography, sports.
—Kari Hamanaka
Paul P. Merage
Chairman, MIG Capital LLC
President, Merage Foundations
Born in Tehran, Iran
Age 68
Lives in Newport Coast
Entrepreneur turned philanthropist.
Founded Colorado’s Chef America, maker of iconic Hot Pockets, with brother David Merage. Bet big on rise of microwave, busy, working parents.
Company sold to Nestlé for $2.6 billion in 2002.
“Retired” to Newport Coast. Vast wealth keeps him busy with foundation, investments. MIG Capital, affiliates manage more than $1 billion in assets.
MIG Real Estate owns, manages shopping centers, hotels, apartments, industrial, office buildings in California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Hawaii, other states, Canada.
Big buyer during downturn, acquiring more than $250 million in property in past two years. Nephew Greg Merage runs MIG Real Estate.
Made $30 million donation to UC Irvine in 2005, largest ever for UCI. Business school named for him. Chairman of executive committee of dean’s advisory board. Merage Foundations active in various philanthropic efforts. Merage Foundation for the American Dream gives grants to young immigrants graduating from college.
Children First recruits skilled retirees to work with low-income kids on childhood development. Also supports Santa Ana’s El Sol Charter School, mostly serving poor kids.
Merage Foundation for U.S.-Israel Trade seeks to promote business ties between U.S., Israel.
Major benefactor to local Jewish causes such as Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County in Irvine, University Synagogue.
Came from Iran in early 1960s. Father sent him here for better life. Arrived alone, could barely speak English. First went to Michigan’s Hope College, later earned bachelor’s, master’s in business from UC Berkeley.
Served on several boards, including Pacific Symphony, what’s now Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
Loves art, travel, tennis. Lives in palatial Newport Coast home with wife Lilly, three children.
—Sherri Cruz
John M.W. Moorlach
Orange County Supervisor, Second District
Born in Groningen, Netherlands
Age 54
Lives in Costa Mesa
Termed out in 2014, no longer dismisses talk of statewide office. Mega author Dean Koontz guest speaker at March fundraiser.
Higher office would continue trajectory launched when sky-is-falling warnings about then-county treasurer Robert Citron’s risky investments proved true with 1994 OC bankruptcy.
Burnished credentials with early cautions on public pensions. Cry since taken up by Gov. Jerry Brown, other governors.
Setback last month when state Supreme Court declined hearing on challenge to cushy pensions for sheriff’s deputies. County ran up $2 million in legal fees, could be on hook for other side’s bills.
Unapologetic, calls case defense of taxpayers. Could pull end-around on courts with ballot measure.
Stance makes him “Public Enemy No. 1” for union officials, some politicos. Backers love him for enemies he’s made, see problem-solver who bucks political convention.
Fighting posture hasn’t hobbled him in halls of government. Cooperated with county’s non-safety union on two-tier pension arrangement.
Hit other rough spots in past year.
Cut ties with Chriss Street, his hand-picked successor as county treasurer, after Street’s legal, political troubles. Street stepped down earlier this year.
Took hits on support for Irvine accounting firm up for work with Orange County Transportation Authority, where he serves as board member. Firm audited city of Bell, scene of recent L.A. County scandal. OCTA ultimately nixed deal.
“Teflon John” status largely deflected those downers.
Appointed Citron’s replacement in 1994, won two more terms. Elected supervisor in 2006; unopposed in 2010 re-election.
Six-foot-five Dutchman has booming voice, hearty laugh, membership in Orange County Noble Vikings. Drives Avanti with license plate DULL CPA, Impala with SKY FELL, tweaking pre-bankruptcy headline doubting his warnings.
Shutterbug. Collects books about Jewish history. Former chair, Orange County Employees Retirement System.
Former vice president of local accounting firm Balser, Horowitz, Frank & Wakeling. Cal State Long Beach grad.
Wife Trina. Children Sarah, Caleb, Dan all grown or in college.
—Jerry Sullivan
Richard “Rick” D. Warren
Pastor
Saddleback Valley Community Church
Born in San Jose
Age 57
Lives in Trabuco Canyon
Preacher man holds sway among world’s political, business leaders.
Rupert Murdoch, Jack Welch, Bill Gates, former President Clinton have sought religious guidance from Warren, pastor of 120-acre Lake Forest-based mega church.
Saddleback church averages more than 22,000 attendees per week across 10 campuses in Southern California.
Recently held hour-long conversations with former President George W. Bush, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Saddleback Church. Was recruited by Blair to advise his Faith Foundation.
Delivered President Barack Obama’s inauguration invocation. Spiritual adviser to Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.
Recently launched healthy living initiative, The Daniel Plan, with 8,600 participants.
Mentors, leads other pastors. Best-selling author. Rocketed to national stage in 2002, thanks in part to book “The Purpose Driven Life.” Sold more than 40 million copies.
Listed among “100 Most Influential People in the World” by Time magazine, “15 People Who Make America Great,” by Newsweek. Preached to Hurricane Katrina evacuees at Astro-dome. Has appeared on “Oprah,” “Larry King,” “Meet the Press,” “The Colbert Report,” among others.
Wife, Kay, founder of church’s HIV/AIDS ministry, initiated, helps lead ministry around world. Travels, addresses poverty, disease. Cancer survivor.
He teaches Scripture in everyday language. Church welcomes “come as you are” attire. Choir rocks to Christian music.
Brings together churches, businesses, governments through his Peace initiative. Founded pastors.com, forum for pastors, offers sermons. Spends a lot of time ministering and communicating with local congregation. Big user of Facebook, blog. Named an influential twitterer. Phone apps.
As entrepreneur, fan of Peter Drucker’s management style. Drucker once noted: “Saddleback church is the Bell Laboratories of Christianity.” Forbes called Saddleback Google or Starbucks of churches.
Works from 50,000-square-foot church administration building. Arrived in OC at 26 from Fort Worth, Texas, seminary school with wife, baby, little money.
Founded Saddleback in 1980. Congregation first met at Laguna Hills High School. Bought 72 acres from fellow OC 50er William Lyon in 1987 for $3.5 million, acquired 40 more acres later.
In 2000s, fought IRS, won on behalf of all ministers regarding “parsonage allowance.” New legislation clarified law, allowing clergy to deduct certain expenses.
Gives away 90% of income. Lives in four-bedroom Trabuco Canyon home.
Bachelor’s from California Baptist University. Master’s of divinity, Southwest-ern Theological Seminary. Doctorate of ministry, Fuller Theological Seminary.
Three grown children, Amy, Josh, Matthew. Grandfather.
—Sherri Cruz
OTHER MEMBERS
Lawrence A. Agran
Councilman, city of Irvine, director, Orange County Great Park Corp.
Wylie A. AiTKen
Partner, Aitken, Aitken & Cohn, Democratic Party supporter
Scott R. Baugh
Chairman, Republican Party Central Committee, chairman, chief executive, president, Scott Baugh & Associates
John W. Campbell
48th district of California, U.S. House of Representatives
Lucetta “Lucy” Dunn
Chief executive, president, Orange County Business Council
Gary H. Hunt
Managing partner, public affairs consultant California Strategies LLC
Andrew J. Policano
Dean, Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine
Miguel A. Pulido
Santa Ana mayor
Loretta L. Sanchez
47th District of California, U.S. House of Representatives
Michael J. Schroeder
Lawyer, Republican adviser
