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Don Diego Scholarship Foundation has elected a new executive board poised to power the organization into its 39th year of existence beginning on Jan. 1, 2025. Three of the four officers are new to the board but not the Foundation. All share a strong commitment to empowering future leaders of the San Diego community through education, according to a news release.
“Instead of passing the torch, we pass the trophy,” quipped outgoing Chair Stephen Shewmaker at Don Diego’s Dec. 3 meeting, as he handed off the symbolic sculpture of the Foundation’s namesake to incoming Chair Kirby Morrison. The trophy weighs 30 pounds, making it an apt metaphor for the weighty responsibility shared by Morrison and his fellow officers: continuing Vice Chair Glenn Drown; Jim Edwards, treasurer; and Chana Mannen, secretary. Mannen joined the board in 2024 after retiring in 2022 as Don Diego’s inaugural executive director. Other new members include Mark Arabo, Jim Dredge, and Russ Penniman, according to the news release.
Saying it was a pleasure to lead the organization to which he continues contributing, Shewmaker notes in the news release, “2024 was an awesome year for the Don Diego Scholarship Foundation. We had a record number of applicants for our scholarship program, are excited about this year’s 26 exemplary winners, and happy we can help them begin their college careers.”
Kirby Morrison’s successful career as an independent financial advisor providing wealth management services will serve Don Diego well. Holding a B.A. in business administration, an MBA, and many professional accreditations, Morrison serves on several area boards and works with numerous charitable organizations.
Morrison, who joined Don Diego’s board in 2022, said in the news release, “I was drawn to this organization because I myself was a recipient of a San Diego County Fair-related college scholarship. It made a monumental difference in my education, career, and life, and informs my passion for helping to transform today’s deserving scholars into tomorrow’s leaders.”
Morrison and the entire board look forward to kicking off the 2025 college application process in January and continuing the annual bus scholarship opportunity for the San Diego County Fair’s Plant*Grow*Eat program. Morrison stated in the news release, “Last year, thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, we awarded a total of $100,000.”
The Don Diego Scholarship Foundation was named for Don Diego, AKA Tom Hernandez, who served as San Diego County Fair’s welcoming goodwill ambassador from 1947-1984. Since its inception in 1986, the Foundation has awarded $1,416,844 in scholarships to 409 students and in Plant*Grow*Eat agriculture education grants, which enable elementary students from San Diego area Title 1 schools to learn about agriculture and nutrition while enjoying a day at the Fairgrounds.
Visit www.dondiegoscholarship.org for more information or call 858-792-4210,
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