Whether the event will resemble Glendale Unified School District’s annual State of the Schools address is unknown.
Plans for the college’s event range from a business lecture and college update to an all-day event where business students can mingle with community leaders.
“Glendale [Unified] has been doing it for years and has built it up, and it’s theirs,” said Lisa Brooks, the executive director of the Glendale College Foundation. “We don’t want to replicate what they’re doing; we want to make something that’s unique to Glendale [college].”
The chief financial officer of Sport Chalet has committed to speak at the college’s event, and organizers said they are continuing to brainstorm additional speakers or panelists.
“The business community needs us, and we need them,” Brooks said. “Glendale is a very tight community, and I think there’s a lot of richness in working together with your local college, schools, businesses, nonprofits and everybody helping each other out because we’re all going to need it.”
The college foundation hosts several annual fundraisers, and it seemed likely the springtime event would double as a fundraiser, Brooks said.
“The goal is more to connect with the business community and to help students who are going into the business area understand some of the challenges of starting businesses today and give them tools from those who have done it successfully,” she said.
College officials have been surveying the community on its perceptions and opinions of the college. Trustees said they hoped the event would highlight the college’s achievements without ignoring existing and looming challenges.
“We are trying to reach out not only to hear what they have to say, but present them with information that they perhaps did not have before,” Hacopian said. “We can put out periodical articles, but I think we can do a better job.”
Get in touch MAX ZIMBERT covers education. He may be reached at (818) 637-3215 or by e-mail at max.zimbert@latimes.com.
