Street Smarts: CSUCI to rename building for former president Rush
CSU Channel Islands will rename one of its most prominent buildings after Richard Rush, who was president of the campus for its first 15 years.
Rush was president of the campus from June 2001, a year before it welcomed its first students, until he retired in 2016.
Now the campus’ University Hall will become Richard R. Rush Hall in his honor, CSUCI said in a June 1 news release. The renaming is accompanied by $1 million in donations made in Rush’s honor.
The decision was made May 24 by a committee of the CSU Board of Trustees. The vote to approve the change was unanimous, “after which the room broke out in applause,” CSUCI said in its news release.
“My name will be on the building, but the credit for creating Cal State Channel Islands belongs to the faculty and the students and the staff who took the dream of over four decades in Ventura County and turned it into a reality,” Rush told the trustees. “And so, with your permission, I accept this honor in their name because they are the ones who deserve the credit.”
DIGNITY’S LEVERAGE POINT
Dignity Health parent CommonSpirit has taken a stand on the issue of gun control. According to the New York Times, the nonprofit hospital company is working with the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility to advocate as a shareholder for changes to business practices at gunmaker Sturm Ruger. Laura Krausa, CommonSpirit’s director of advocacy calls the move “a leverage point for systemic change.”
AMGEN IS NO. 140
The Fortune 500 is out and Thousand Oaks-based Amgen is the only tri-county-based company on the list, clocking in a No. 140. Looking beyond the first 500 and next up is Teledyne Technologies, also based in T.O., which makes the Fortune 1000 at the No. 640 spot.
NEW HOUSE REP IN NORTH SLO
Overlooked by many pundits is the fact that northern San Luis Obispo County voters will choose a new congressional representative. Four candidates — incumbent U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta and Douglas Deitch, both Democrats, and two Republicans, Dalila Epperson and Jeff Gorman — are on the June primary ballot. The district extends north from Cambria and Atascadero to the southern edge of the Bay Area. None of the candidates are residents of San Luis Obispo County.
POP-UPS IN T.O.
Thousand Oaks is looking at pop-up performances to foster arts appreciation during June. Events will take place Friday and Saturday and the performances are free. The Pop Up Festival is being put on “in partnership with local arts organizations,” according to a release.
BACK TO HIS TV ROOTS
Mark Danielson is leaving as general manager of the KEYT, KCOY television station group on June 27 after a successful run in rebuilding the Central Coast franchise over the past decade. Operating under the NPG banner, the group has re-engineered its technology and web presence in addition to strengthening its broadcast team. He’s going back to his roots as GM of Nextar’s TV group in Salt Lake City.
GOLDEN REUNION
The recent Westmont College 2022 Commencement included an event called, “The Reunion,” a combined golden anniversary gathering of alumni from the classes of ’70, ’71, and ’72.
SCHOLARSHIP NEWS
• The Allan Hancock College Foundation’s annual scholarship banquet presented 476 scholarships worth a record-breaking $570,000 to 301 Allan Hancock College students. Hancock class of 2022 graduate Fabiola Vazquez received the Marian Hancock Scholarship, worth $10,000.
• Lucy Heine of Simi Valley and Anushka Shah of Thousand Oaks are the Ventura County winners of 2022 Southern California Association of Governments scholarships of $4,000 each.
FINAL SCENES…
• COUNTY KUDOS: Santa Barbara County has received an award from the California State Association of Counties for its work in developing COVID-19 response plans for Latinx and Indigenous migrant populations. It received a second award for developing a plan for community input for cannabis retail locations.
• SLO AWARDS: SLO County Family-Friendly Workplaces has a new awards program for public, private and nonprofit employers. More information at slofamilyfriendlywork.org.
