Alumni Gather in Sacramento for Annual “UC Day”

Malinda Danziger | March 16, 2009

California's annual “UC Day” brought alumni, students and friends from all 10 University of California campuses to the state Capitol to share the story of UC’s contributions with the state’s elected officials.

Acting as legislative advocates, the UC San Diego alumni delegation met representatives from the offices of Assembly members Martin Garrick (R-San Diego), Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego), Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego), Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon), Marty Block (D-San Diego) and Mary Salas (D-Chula Vista), as well as Sen. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego).

Front row, from left: Jeff Gattas, Senior Director, Public Outreach, University Communications and Public Affairs, Karianne Middleton, ’97, Deb Neuman, Vice Chancellor, External Relations; Dominique Cano-Stocco, Associate Director of State and Local Government Relations; and Jeff Fenton ’87.
Back row, from left: Tony Jackson, ’74; Mark Diamond, ’87; Brian Walsh, ’89’ and Armin Afsahi, ’90, Executive Director, UCSD Alumni Association

“The alumni delegation provided their personal stories and explained why keeping UC affordable and accessible was essential, especially during these difficult budget times,” said Jeff Gattas, senior director of public outreach in University Communications and Public Affairs. “Advocates stressed the need for legislators to halt any further budget reductions feeling that any more reductions in UC’s budget could severely affect the quality of higher education.”

The evening prior to UC Day, the UCSD Alumni Association hosted a dinner for alumni who work in state government. The featured speakers included Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, ’76, and Sen. Denise Ducheny.

Delegates brought a message of partnership and collaboration to state legislators, emphasizing that UC’s contributions extend far beyond the classroom walls and campus boundaries.

• UC can play a major role in getting California through this difficult economic time and into a new period of innovation and economic growth.

• The state’s reinvestment in UC and higher education must be a top priority if we are going to be able to serve California students and citizens well and make contributions to economic recovery.

• Investment in UC is an investment in the state’s human capital and economic resurgence. For example, for every dollar the state invests in a student’s higher education in California, the state’s economy receives a $3 net return on investment.

“Our alumni are essential to carrying our message to state legislators,” said Armin Afsahi, ’90, executive director of the UCSD Alumni Association. “By representing business, science, technology and medicine, each offer a unique perspective demonstrating the power and importance of higher education in California.”

This year, a small group of alumni with a combined 45 years of advocacy experience were invited to serve as alumni delegates:

• Brian Walsh ‘89
  Walsh is the president of Walsh & Chacon, a commercial real estate company. He is a former president of the UCSD Alumni Association and is a trustee on the UC San Diego Foundation Board.

• Dr. Anthony (Tony) Jackson ‘74
  Jackson is an emergency room physician who mentors under-represented middle and high school students in partnership with the 100 Black Men of Los Angeles, Inc. and the Young Black Scholars Program. In 2008, Jackson was honored with the Distinguished Service Award by the UCSD Alumni Association.

• Jeff Fenton ‘87
  Fenton is a senior computer system security analyst at Lockheed Martin. He has participated in UC Day for nearly two decades. He received an MBA from Golden State University and a master’s in economics from Stanford University.

• Mark Diamond ‘87
  Diamond is president and CEO of Contoural Inc. He is the immediate past president of the UCSD Alummi Association and is a current trustee on the UC San Diego Foundation Board. He is a long-time advocate for the university.

• Kari Middleton ‘97
  Middleton is with Merrill Lynch. She has worked in finance for many years. She is a former president of the UCSD Alumni Association’s San Diego Chapter, representing nearly 40,000 local alumni.

Others in the local contingent included Deb Neuman, Vice Chancellor for External Relations; Armin Afsahi, ’90, and Sarah Zakaria of the UCSD Alumni Association; Jeff Gattas and Dominique Cano-Stocco,’ 94, state and governmental relations (non-research).

To learn more about alumni advocacy, visit: http://www.alumni.ucsd.edu/advocacy/index.htm