|
THE
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY AFFAIRS
HONORED
BARON DAVIS, JOSHUA G. HAMILTON AND MARIA
& JEFFREY HARLESTON
AT
ANNUAL IMPACT AWARDS GALA
Singer, songwriter and actress Taylor Dayne
performed;
Actress Shondrella Avery hosted
Los
Angeles – (March 23, 2016) The Independent School Alliance for
Minority Affairs (The Independent School Alliance) honored
outstanding members of the Los Angeles community at its annual
Impact Awards gala, March 22, 2016 at the Beverly Hilton
Hotel. NBA veteran Baron Davis; Joshua G. Hamilton, Partner,
Paul Hastings LLP; Jeffrey Harleston, General Counsel and
Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs, Universal
Music Group and Maria Harleston, CPA, were honored.
Brian Laibow, Managing Director, Oaktree Capital Management;
Benjamin Nazarian, Managing Partner, Omninet and Nina Shaw,
founding partner, Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein &
Lezcano, Chaired.
Students from UCLA’s United
Voices vocal group ushered the more than 500 guests in to the
ballroom. Event chairs Brian Labow, Ben Nazarian and Nina Shaw
welcomed guests, thanked supporters and introduced the evening’s
emcee Shondrella Avery who touched upon the importance of
diverse education and giving students the tools to make their
dreams come true. Entertainment featured
singer/songwriter and actress Taylor Dayne.
Executive Director Keishia Gu
thanked the evening’s co-chairs, Alliance Board of Directors,
staff and supporters before noting, “Our mission is to do
everything we can to assure the brightest possible future for
the children of Los Angeles by giving them the best possible
education. I’ve seen children thrive and the light that enters
their life when they’re given that golden key to freedom that
George Washington Carver called ‘education.’”
A highlight of the evening included the presentation of Azaliy
Hekymara Memorial Scholarships to five outstanding seniors who
embody the mission and spirit of the Independent School Alliance
and who endeavor to take full advantage of their independent
school education. Each of the scholarship recipients spoke
poignantly about life-changing high school experiences and their
goals for the future.
Bob Riddle, Head of Crossroads School and Board Member,
presented Baron Davis with the 2016 Impact Award. A native of
Los Angeles and a 13-year NBA veteran and a two-time All-Star,
Davis was drafted third overall in the 1999 NBA draft after an
All-American season at UCLA. A true renaissance man off the
court, Davis has been an investor, entrepreneur and advisor in a
variety of entertainment, technology and consumer product
endeavors, including VitaminWater, Popchips, and Songza. He has
made a name for himself in the world of film and television, as
the producer of the Emmy-nominated documentary Crips and
Bloods: Made In America, and most recently as
producer/director of the upcoming documentary The Drew: No
Excuse, Just Produce. A true champion of youth, Baron has
supported charitable endeavors across Los Angeles, from the Boys
and Girls Club of Venice to his childhood elementary school,
South Park.
Joshua G. Hamilton is a partner
in the litigation practice of Paul Hastings LLP and is based in
the firm’s Los Angeles office. He was presented the 2016 Impact
Award by his wife Marissa and children Jane and Grant. A
complex litigator and trial lawyer, Hamilton concentrates his
practice on securities and corporate governance related
litigation and investigations, defense of class actions, and
representation of investment firms and their portfolio companies
in high-stakes disputes. He has been recognized for his legal
achievements, including being named one of the Top 20 Lawyers
under 40 in California by the Los Angeles and San
Francisco Daily Journals and is consistently named a Super
Lawyer in Securities Litigation by Super Lawyers Magazine.
Mr. Hamilton has proudly served on the Board of the Alliance for
many years and is currently the Board Secretary.
Jeffrey and Maria Harleston
received the 2016 Impact Award from their children Miles,
Zachary, Chase and Kai. Jeffrey Harleston, General Counsel and
Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for
Universal Music Group is a key member of the senior executive
team and responsible for overseeing all business transactions,
contracts, and litigation related to UMG’s operations.
Maria Harleston is a CPA who
spent her corporate career with positions at Price Waterhouse,
The Coca Cola Company, DreamWorks and Showtime. A generous
amount of time was also spent at home raising their children.
Both Maria and Jeff are very active in the independent school
community with children who have attended The Center for Early
Education and Harvard-Westlake. Their oldest is now
matriculating at Tufts University.
Established in 1985 by a group of Southern California school
heads, The Independent School Alliance is an organization of 54
private, independent elementary and secondary schools that
endeavor to increase their diversity. It is the mission of The
Independent School Alliance to inform members of racial
communities presently underrepresented in independent schools of
the option of independent school education; to identify
applicants from these communities and assist them in the
application process; to provide on-going support programs for
students and their families; and to act as a resource to member
schools assisting them in their individual efforts to address
issues of racial diversity and multicultural education. Over
the past 14 years, The Independent School Alliance students have
received nearly $70 million in financial aid from member
schools. For further information on The Independent School
Alliance, please visit
independentschoolalliance.org. |