Page 14 February 25, 2016 EL SEGUNDO HERALD Sherry Kramer from front page several years older, we also used to hang out at the same In ‘N Out Burger back in the day,” she noted. “Guess it was meant to be.” Kramer’s experience with fundraising goes back to her time at Centinela in the early ‘80s. She “did it on the side” for many years, but ramped up those activities after joining the Manhattan Beach Unified School District overseeing business partnerships. It was in that capacity that she met CDC President Richard Lundquist in 2005. “He was a donor, but no one knew much about him or his company,” Kramer explained. “When he and his partners did a designation of funds from Plaza El Segundo for local schools, he made a pitch that was so impressive that I thought to myself, ‘I have to work for this guy.’” Despite no real estate background, Kramer approached Lundquist with the idea of creating a new position that would put her skill set to best use. Several months later, she joined CDC as Community Affairs Director. “It has made a real difference to help bring awareness to our company as a whole and the good we do,” Kramer said of her job. “Richard is such a humble, generous man. People don’t often get the opportunity to meet with him and talk with him--but when you look at the number of organizations he supports, so many non-profits have benefited from his generosity. His number one thing is education and he has given millions to foundations and school districts. We are huge believers and want everyone to have access to quality education.” Lundquist and his wife Melanie were also the primary donors and led the overall fundraising campaign for the new tower at Torrance Memorial Medical Center named after the couple. For Kramer, fundraising is second nature. “The organizations we’re involved with all have events of some sort, but it’s easy for me,” she said. “I am just as happy with a $5 gift certificate as a $50,000 check. It’s all about giving whatever you can.” To keep CDC’s ongoing efforts at the public and business forefronts, Kramer has been arguably the most visible chamber of commerce board member in the South Bay over the last 10 years—serving as chair at various points in El Segundo, Torrance and Manhattan Beach. Her areas of focus include participation in legislative, economic development and education committees. She also works extensively with several philanthropic organizations. Ones close to her heart include serving on the boards of the El Segundo, Torrance and Manhattan Beach education foundations, Torrance Memorial, Torrance Cultural Arts Center, and South Bay Police and Fire Memorial Foundation. “I don’t sit on boards to have my name on a board—that’s not why Richard pays me,” Kramer explained. “I like to give my time and if I’m going to take the plunge, I’m going to go all in and be active on it.” The level of dedication has not gone unnoticed. Kramer is the recipient of several high-profile honors, including the Manhattan Beach Chamber “Heart and Soul” (2007), Senate District 28 “Woman of the Year” (2010), Torrance Chamber “Athena Award” (2014), Switzer Learning Center’s “Woman of the Year” (2016) and the upcoming Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and LA County Commission “Woman of the Year” from Supervisor Don Knabe on March 14. Kramer was also proud to receive an award from the Richstone Family Center, which has been a personal charity for her over the years. “Both my mother and sister-in-law have special education backgrounds,” she said. “Their knowledge and experience have reflected on me and given me a better understanding and caring for children with challenges.” Looking at the future, Kramer has no plans to slow down and the thought of retirement is not even a blip on her radar. “I will keep plugging along,” she said. “We’re [CDC] a company always exploring options in other cities, so I will jump in and get involved in those areas if we expand.” In the meantime, she will continue to represent CDC—particularly in the hotbed areas of El Segundo and Torrance. “In some ways, the two communities are very similar and they are both more focused on business with strong organizations and great partnerships with schools and local companies. Both El Segundo and Torrance are open-minded about listening to businesses and helping with concerns while also balancing that with a family environment and quality lifestyle for residents.” Despite her penchant for being everywhere at once, Kramer doesn’t believe in cutting corners by using today’s technology or social media to spread the message in order to ease her workload. “People know me, but I don’t do Facebook or Twitter,” she said. “I like the old-fashioned way of picking up the phone and talking, or better yet seeing them faceto face. I sometimes think I was born in the wrong generation. But when it comes down to it for me, it’s all about building relationships with people...” • Eagles from page 13 goalie Tyler Hollick. On offense you look to returnees Grant Bemis, Gilbert Cortez and Zach Skwarek. The result was an Ocean League championship and an opportunity to host the first round of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoff game against Temecula Valley. The Eagles took care of business with a relatively easy 4-1 win over the Golden Bears. The Eagles showed their aggressive style by scoring early in the first half when Bemis “Playing in the Ocean League wasn’t an easy task. Still it helped the Eagles prepare for a CIF playoff appearance.” powered in the first goal. Tyler Villalobos found a crease and an opening and made it 2-0 soon afterwards. In the second half freshman sensation Jack Finders took a throw-in from Bemis and headed in the goal to make it 3-0. With 13:10 remaining Zach Skwarek took another throw-in from Bemis and headed it in for a 4-0 lead. The Eagles played host to fourth seeded Bellflower yesterday. The winner would advance to the quarter-finals and face the winner of the Leuzinger/ Santa Paula game on Friday. Jordan Doukakis’ OT Goal the Difference The girls’ soccer team defeated Marlborough 2-1 in double overtime. It was the programs’ first playoff game since the 2008-09 team, led by Jenna Rich and Natalie Barbosa’s goals, defeated La Canada 2-0. The Eagles tied the game midway through the first half and the two teams went scoreless the rest of regulation. The game went into double overtime when Chico State’s bound Jordan Doukakis scored the decisive goal in the 99th minute. With the win the Lady Eagles played host to Royal (Simi Valley) this past Tuesday. Should El Segundo win they would face the winner of the Arcadia/ Monrovia game. The Eagles would be home against Monrovia if the win and on the road if Arcadia wins. Eagles Complete a Wonderful Season Before the season started the boys’ basketball team was trying to cope with the loss of four potential returning starters. But when you have one of the best kept secrets in the South Bay coaching your team you bet that the Eagles would be competitive. The Eagles weren’t expected to do much because of their lack of experience and size but Coach Jason Ito took his team to new heights. Placing fourth in the rugged Ocean League was an accomplishment within itself. They faced Miramonte League champion Pomona in the first round and used a huge second quarter to propel them to a 66-51 victory. After falling behind 14-9 early the Eagles hit everything they threw up and took a 31-19 half-time lead. Chase Ali-Watkins, who led all scorers with 25 points, had 15 points in the first half. Jamal Howard, who came in off the bench, had 18 points including 12 in the second half to help thwart any comeback. The Eagle’s win rewarded them with a matchup against Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo) a team that had reached the CIF-SS Division 4AA finals the past three consecutive seasons. The Royals are a big and physical team that uses balanced scoring. The result was a 78-62 win over the Eagles in a game El Segundo had trailed by as many as 31 points in. Had the Eagles prevailed it would have sent shockwaves throughout the basketball world. The team played inspired defense but just couldn’t stop the Royals on transition fast breaks. Saleia Ahloo had four blocks while Justin Ostler had two block shots. But that only served as a wakeup call as the Royals would then go on to score in streaks. The Eagles were brilliant at the free throw line making 15 of 16 shots. It was the outside shooting of the Royals, who sank seven three pointers, that helped doom El Segundo’s bid of an upset. Jamal Howard had 15 points while Ali-Watkins had 14 points. The Eagles, who weren’t even expected to make the post season, ended the season 14-14 overall; quite an accomplishment. Girls’ Water Polo Team Comes up Short After Wild Card Round Win Playing in the Ocean League wasn’t an easy task. Still it helped the Eagles prepare for a CIF playoff appearance. The Eagles did well enough to earn a home against Elsinore in the wild card round and came away with a 11-6 win. Talia Dominic got the Eagles going with a goal three minutes into the first period. Claire Lindsey scored two minutes later to make it 2-0. Dominic’s second goal with 1:22 reaming gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead. With a balanced scoring attack both Emma Romero and Stephanie Ruesler got into the scoring column to give the Eagles a 5-2 lead at the half. Both of the Tiger’s goals came on close range penalty shots. Dominic scored early in the third quarter and Jenna Olsen followed up with a goal of her own. Claire Lindsey stole a pass and went on to score while Annabelle Chaney took a pass from Dominic and powered in a goal to make it 9-3 to closeout the third period. The Eagles would allow three goals in the last three minutes of the contest but still secured the win. El Segundo faced Westridge in the first round and came up short losing 13-6 to the second seeded Tigers. The Lady Eagles had another stellar season by finishing 16-13 on the year and advancing to the post season for the tenth consecutive year. • Sherry Kramer.
Herald_022516_FNL_lorez
To see the actual publication please follow the link above