On Thursday, May 23, Chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson met with community leaders from the Oakland Rotary No. 3 and the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club. Also in attendance were Trustee Bill Withrow – who also serves as Lake Merritt Breakfast Club Treasurer – and Lake Merritt Breakfast Club Co-President Lisa Hire, who invited Chancellor Gilkerson to speak.
The Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, or LMBC, is a civic group of active, community-focused people dedicated to fellowship and the care of Lakeside Park and its environs. Founded in 1933, the LMBC has directed projects that aim to repair, develop, and improve all facets of Lake Merritt for future generations – including the creation and support of Children’s Fairyland and the renovation of the Necklace of Lights that rings the lake.
In her speech, Chancellor Gilkerson highlighted the many ways that the Peralta Colleges are part of the social, economic, and ecological community surrounding Lake Merritt. She also called out some programs of distinction, including:
- Merritt College Horticulture Department and their role as Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt.
- Bonsai Aesthetic Pruning Club, founded over 30 years ago by a Merritt student.
- Laney College Wood Technology and Carpentry departments.
- Laney College Biology Department which often uses the Lake for laboratory work.
- Laney College Architecture department, who collaborated with the Lake Merritt Conservancy on building designs for cafés and meeting spaces around the Lake.
Special thanks to David Kersten for the kind words and photos he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
