More than 100 alumni and friends of Loyola Marymount University attended LMU Day at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles as the Los Angeles City Council honored LMU on Friday, Oct. 21, 2011, in recognition of the university’s centennial and the many LMU alumni who work for the city.
City Council President Eric Garcetti told the crowd in the council chamber, “Loyola Marymount University has been an important educational and community institution in Los Angeles for the last century. LMU’s distinguished alumni have made significant contributions to our city, fulfilling the school’s mission of being people for others.”
During the council meeting, Councilmen Bill Rosendahl and Ed Reyes presented a proclamation declaring the day as “LMU Day in Los Angeles” to President David W. Burcham and Kathleen Hannon Aikenhead, chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Rosendahl praised LMU for its environmental and civic leadership as well as its educational and social contributions to Los Angeles and the region. “LMU is an incredible institution with a rich tradition in the city,” he said, adding, “LMU students volunteer thousands of services hours a year to the community.”
Following the council meeting, participants attended two panels focused on community issues. The first, moderated by LMU President’s Professor of Biology Eric Strauss, examined leadership and environmental justice and how LMU and the city can potentially partner to achieve these goals. Members of the panel included Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza, vice president of the Board of Public Works, Carol Armstrong of the city’s Department of River Liaison and Oman Brownson of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corp.
Fernando Guerra, director of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles, moderated the second session that addressed the impact that the L.A. city budget has on the community. Panelists included City Controller Wendy Greuel, City Councilman Bernard Parks and Miguel Santana, chief administrative officer of the city of Los Angeles.
LMU Day concluded with a lunch where Burcham thanked the more than 150 alumni who work for the city. “More than ever, Los Angeles needs individuals like you who have the desire to serve and to lead,” Burcham said. “Your leadership will help shape the future of this city, now and in the years to come.”
