Executive vice president and COO Steve Ortiz will be taking over the helm March 5. A fitting end to the evening would be this quote by John Quincy Adams: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” And so you are, Paul.
Celebrating Animals/ Confronting Cruelty
The next executive director of United Way in March 2017, Steve Ortiz with wife Amber
Former Red Feather Ball coordinator Karen Knight, Leslie and Peter MacDougall, and former United Way director Mary Jean Vignone
tery and had to have help getting it to the car, it was so large and heavy. Andrew Firestone led the live scholarship auction by telling us, “As a father of three, I am so proud of what United Way does.” He was referring to the national award-winning Fun in the Sun and United for Literacy programs that have helped literally thousands of children get special tutoring so they could keep up with their classmates. Some of their parents haven’t gone beyond the fourth grade and the kids end up being the first to go to college. The live auction raised even more dollars, with Maryan Schall
giving $30,000 as a matching grant and another anonymous donor doing the same. Peter R. MacDougall (who won the award in 2009) was the presenter. As he said, “Ten thousand kids are forever changed from the Fun in the Sun and Literacy programs. You have mentored so many people.” He also told us about Paul’s career, which started at age 13 at the Big Donut in Los Angeles. Obviously, he “came a long way.” After a time in real estate, he came to United Way on what he thought was a three-month appointment managing the 1974 workplace
campaign and the “rest is history.” Tamara Skov represented generations of staff when she “roasted” Paul saying, “First I will stay within my allotted time,” referring to Paul’s notoriously speaking too long. She also joked about his getting a brainstorm on Friday afternoon when it was time to quit. To make this evening come together was a committee of 23 folks, and it was all underwritten. Stephanie and Jim Sokolove gave an elaborate cocktail party at their home two weeks before the ball to thank and celebrate the committee.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) happened to be having an event at the Alisal Ranch the very weekend we were going to the Chumash casino and hotel for my husband Don’s birthday. I hadn’t been to the Alisal for years and had forgotten how beautiful and peaceful it is. Alana Tarkington is on the National Council and was chair of the event. They had quite a crowd of supporters from all over California. And why not? The group is located in Washington, D.C., and one of their goals is to put an end to soring. Many Tennessee Walking horses are subjected to this cruel training practice. It’s an intentional infliction of pain to their feet and legs so they will assume the exaggerated gait called the “Big Lick.” I remember our Maxi Decker, who is from Tennessee, trying to fight
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