The upbeat online celebration of CoA’s 50th Anniversary took place on December 1, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. It opened with a cheerful greeting from the College’s Cougar mascot, thanks to Joshua Sanders, Student Athlete/Men’s Basketball team member, who donned the costume for the occasion. CoA President Dr. Nathaniel Jones III, gave the official welcome. Over 170 students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members attended he gala, which featured heartwarming student testimonials and special guest presentations by Representative Barbara Lee, Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Interim PCCD Chancellor Dr. Carla Walter, PCCD Trustee Bill Withrow, and Chief Executive Officer of Alameda Alliance for Health Scott Coffin, among others.

Thanks to generous donations by such Gala Sponsors as the Alameda Alliance for Health, the Alameda Rotary Club, NOLL & TAM Architects, Roebbelen Contracting, Inc., and many individual donors, the Gala raised over $10,000 for CoA student scholarships and emergency grants. The CoA Bookstore donated raffle prizes, which were given away by CoA Director of ACCESO/Puente Programs Horacio Corona Lira. The live fundraising portions of the Gala was hosted by CoA Vice President of Instruction Dr. Don Miller and Peralta Colleges Foundation Executive Director LaNiece Jones.

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Additional presentations by CoA faculty, administrators and staff included: Academic Senate President Dr. Matthew Goldstein, Classified Senate President Kawanna Rollins, Vice President of Instruction Dr. Don Miller, and Vice President of Student Services Dr. Tina Vasconcellos. In addition, guests were treated to a fashion show by Apparel Design and Merchandise Department (ADAM) students, ADAM Professor O.J. Roundtree, and ADAM Professor Derek Piazza; a dance performance by Dance Professor Danny Nguyen and students; and a music performance by Music Department Chair Silvester Henderson, Music Professor Glen Pearson, and CoA vocal students. One of the highlights of the evening featured the CoA FabLab’s Danny Beesley, Vincent Stevenson, Miguel Vega, students, and community members, highlighting the FabLab’s heroic efforts to make personal protective equipment (PPE) available in recent months for frontline workers and those in need.

Special thanks go to members of the CoA 50th Anniversary Gala planning committee, for their work on the event, including Associate Dean of Educational Success Paula Armstead, Director of Workforce Systems Stefanie Bradshaw, Dean of Liberal Studies and Language Arts Lilia Celhay, Director of HSI ACCESO/Puente Programs Horacio Corona Lira, Dean of Career and Workforce Education, Customized Training and Community Education Eva Denise Jennings, Vice President of Instruction Dr. Don Miller, Campus Senior Network and Systems Administrator Bala Samparthraj, Marketing/PIO Consultant Cathy Summa-Wolfe, Executive Assistant to the President Teodora Washington, and Staff Services Specialist Shane Williams. Video production was expertly done by Peralta TV staff members Angel Hunter and Joe Sullivan, under the direction of PCCD PIO Executive Director Mark Johnson. If you missed the Gala,you may view a recording online at the Peralta Colleges YouTube channel. The video includes extra well wishes from special guests Representative Barbara Lee and Assemblymember Ron Bonta!

Credit: Text from the December 10, 2020 issue of “Splash” the College of Alameda newsletter.