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An annual fundraiser for the
Boys and Girls Club Huntington Fountain Valley
often held at the
Hyatt Regency Huntington
Beach Resort and Spa, is one of the largest and most successful
fundraising events in Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley. Among its
esteemed local attendees are a host of people and corporations that support a
variety of causes.
With a cast that could come directly from
the TV series Dallas, Huntington Beach was, indeed, once an oil baron's
paradise. Today the oil rigs and derricks continue to pump the rich black crude
from offshore platforms visible from Huntington Beach. Also scattered throughout
the city are smaller pumps. But the oil has diminished significantly and the
land value has grown, continuing to support development projects along and near
the California coast. With its very own business entrepreneurs, many of
them involved in land development, the local community focuses on services and
quality of life through a variety of nonprofit organizations such as the Boys
and Girls Club Huntington Fountain Valley. The community givers tend to work
behind the scenes generally, but we've taken a bit of time to research and offer
a glimpse into the lives of these Orange County, California residents,
discovering what these successful people do for a living and how that empowers
them to help their community in large ways.
Pictured above top photo is emcee
Ed Arnold, long time reporter and journalist.
Interviewing a child who attends the Boys and Girls Club. As co-host and
managing editor of KOCE cable TV Real Orange, Arnold has given dedicated
support to numerous Orange County community organizations for many years. A
long-time member of the Crystal Cathedral , Arnold has been the volunteer
announcer for Dr. Robert Schuller and the Hour of Power for 30+ years and has
served seven terms as president of the County's Multiple Sclerosis Society. In
addition , Arnold was a founding member of the California Special Olympics , has
been on the board of the March of Dimes since 1970 and has served as president
of the California Jaycees.
After earning an AA degree in business from Santa Ana College and a B.A. in
broadcasting from Cal State Long Beach, Arnold worked at several Los Angeles and
Orange County radio stations before becoming an announcer for KTLA-TV and sports
anchor for KTLA-TV and KABC-TV. He has received numerous awards from
organizations such as the Orange County Black Chamber of Commerce, the Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation and Children's Hospital of Orange County. He and his wife
Dixie, who is principal of Eader Elementary School in Huntington Beach , reside
in Fountain Valley , as do their son, daughter-in-law and grandsons.
Pictured in row two, far left is
Robert L. Mayer, Jr., Vice Chairman and
Chief Operating Officer of Mayer Corp. of Newport Beach, California. Mayer Corp.
is a real estate development firm offering additional services ranging from land
acquisition to the operation of completed real estate assets. Some of the
company's projects include Sea Cove at The Waterfront residential development;
Hyatt Regency Beach Resort and Spa (hotel); Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort
(hotel) in Huntington Beach; Laguna Woods Condominiums senior residential
community; Merano single-family subdivision in Palm Desert; Rancho Mirage
75-acre mixed-use project with a 10-acre community shopping center and 110
single-family homes constructed by two partner/merchant-builders; and Victoria
Heights, a master planned community near Lake Mathews in Riverside, California.
Master planning, entitlements and infrastructure by Victoria Heights, LLC, a
joint venture of The Robert Mayer Corporation and Development Strategies, Inc.
Robert L. Mayer Jr. learned his trade from the ground up—just as his father had
done before him. "RJ," as he is better known, began locating and assembling land
for new residential and hotel developments throughout California, Nevada and
Arizona. RJ’s background and experience in land acquisition, entitlement
and construction allowed him to make a smooth transition from the field to the
boardroom. With his diverse background, RJ serves The Robert Mayer Corporation
well as he directs activities in the key growth areas of land acquisition,
development and hospitality operations.
RJ served the business community of Huntington Beach as Chairman of the Chamber
of Commerce in 2006. Along with his sister, Linda Howit, RJ represents The
Robert Mayer Corporation and the Mayer family by spearheading its charitable
activities. He serves on the Boards of Directors for various philanthropic
organizations throughout Orange County, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of
Huntington Valley and Serving People in Need (S.P.I.N.). RJ is also an active
participant in the Orange County Family Business Council. This association
allows RJ to share issues and opportunities with other second-generation
business owners.
Don Hansen
- Donald F. Hansen, Jr. is the Vice President of the Commercial Finance Division
of Balboa Capital Corporation. Balboa Capital Corporation is privately-owned
finance company that provides equipment financing to entrepreneurial businesses.
He was appointed to the Public Works Commission in 2002 then appointed to the
Finance Board. He was elected to the City Council in November of 2004. Don
attended the University of Southern California and holds a degree in
International Relations. He is a member of the Huntington Beach Rotary Club and
St. Simon and Jude Church. He serves on the Allied Arts Board, the Community
Services Commission and the Library Board for the City. Don and Sara Hansen have
one daughter and one son. He has volunteered for the Orange County Special
Olympics and Huntington Beach Community Clinic Duck-a-Thon.
Jill Hardy
- The former mayor of Huntington Beach is a fourth-generation Huntington Beach
resident. She earned a BA in Economics/Mathematics from UC Santa Barbara in 1992
and completed her MA in Economics at CSU Long Beach in 2002. Hardy teaches
mathematics, economics, and Model United Nations at Huntington Beach High
School. Before her election to the Huntington Beach City Council in 2002, Jill
served as a member of the Planning Commission. She has been active in many
community organizations such as Huntington Beach Tomorrow and the Bolsa Chica
Land Trust.
Margie Bunten
- Director of Public Relations and Institutional Advancement at Golden
West College in Huntington Beach, was honored as one of Orange County’s most
remarkable women in business. Bunten’s involvement in her community includes
serving on the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau, including chair
of the organization’s Executive Board. She has been a member of the North
Huntington Beach Business Association, Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, El Viento Foundation, Huntington Harbour Islanders Philharmonic and Soroptimist
International Huntington Beach. She held two City of Huntington Beach board
appointments. Recognized at the Orange County Chapter of the National
Association of Women Business Owners, she also was recognized as Remarkable
Woman from the Coast Community College District’s chapter of the American
Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC).
Bunten was nominated for her long-standing support of Golden West College, and
all of Orange County’s community college students and colleagues, as well as her
inexhaustible commitment to the community of Huntington Beach. Bunten has been
with Golden West for over ten years. She previously served as president of the
statewide Network of California Community College Foundations organization and
has been on the Executive Board of the American Association for Women in
Community Colleges. In 2002, Bunten received the prestigious Athena Award, a
national award presented to her by the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce.
This award is given to women who assist other women in reaching their full
leadership potential.
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