Past Events

Since 2020, Friends of the University has held numerous successful fundraisers for legislative champions of the University of California. We have also hosted exclusive salons for our donors with top UC and state officials.

Our salons are forums featuring thoughtful people and intelligent conversations focusing on the UC and pressing issues facing the university system. By connecting with UC and state leaders, Friends of the University offers members a chance to be apart of a larger conversation to improve outcomes for the University of California.

 

“It was the University of California and higher education itself that revealed the world to me.”

— Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon

“The University of California is the greatest public higher education system in the world . . . and our budget should reflect that.”

— Senate Budget Chair Nancy Skinner

 

Past Fundraisers

Senate

  • Senate Education Chair Josh Newman (SD29 - Los Angeles)

  • Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins (SD39 - San Diego)

  • Senate Budget Chair Nancy Skinner (SD9 - Oakland)

  • Senator Richard Roth (SD 31 - Riverside)

  • Senator Sydney Kamlager (SD30 - Los Angeles)

  • Senator Monique Limon (SD19 - Santa Barbara)

  • Senator John Laird (SD17 - Santa Cruz)

  • Senator Dave Min (SD37 - Orange County)

  • Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire (SD2 - North Coast)

Assembly

  • Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (AD29 - Salinas Valley)

  • Assembly Majority Leader Isaac Bryan (AD55 - Los Angeles)

  • Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (AD63 - Lakewood)

  • Assemblymember Jose Medina (AD61 - Riverside)

  • Assemblymember Phil Ting (AD19 - San Francisco)

  • Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (AD7 - Sacramento)

  • Assembly Higher Education Chair Mike Fong (AD49 - San Gabriel Valley)

  • Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Chair Jesse Gabriel (AD46 - San Fernando Valley)

“Not only was attending a UC the game changing moment in my life, but it is also the game changer for California.”

— Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Governor Newsom, Ben Chida

 

Past Salons

  • Dr. Michael Drake, MD, President of the University of California

  • Brent Colburn, UC Senior Vice President for External Relations and Communications

  • Chris Harrington, UC Office of the President, Associate Vice President for Federal Governmental Relations

  • Kieran Flaherty, UC Office of the President, Associate Vice President and Director of State Governmental Relations

  • Dr. Carrie Byington, MD, University of California Health, Executive Vice President

  • Dr. Lande Ajose, Ph.D, Office of Governor Newsom, Former Senior Advisor for Higher Education

  • Senate Budget Chair Nancy Skinner (SD9 - Oakland)

  • Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis

  • Jim DeBoo, Office of Governor Newsom, Executive Secretary

  • Ben Chida, Office of Governor Newsom, Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary

  • Michael Reese, UC Office of the President, Interim Senior VP of External Relations and Communications

  • Katherine Newman, UC Provost and Executive VP of Academic Affairs