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 educational forums featuring thoughtful and intelligent conversations focused on 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.”

— Assemblymember Anthony Rendon, Speaker Emeritus

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

— Senator Nancy Skinner, Former Senate Budget Chair

Past Fundraisers

State Senate

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

  • Senator Anna Caballero (SD14 - Merced)

  • Senator Lena Gonzalez (SD33 - Los Angeles/Long Beach)

  • Senator Sydney Kamlager (SD30 - Los Angeles)

  • Senator John Laird (SD17 - Santa Cruz)

  • Senator Monique Limon (SD19 - Santa Barbara)

  • Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire (SD2 - North Coast)

  • Senator Dave Min (SD37 - Orange County)

  • Senator Josh Newman (SD29 - Los Angeles)

  • Senator Richard Roth (SD 31 - Riverside)

  • Senator Nancy Skinner (SD9 - Oakland)

Assembly

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

  • Assemblymember Mike Fong (AD49 - San Gabriel Valley)

  • Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (AD46 - San Fernando Valley)

  • Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (AD7 - Sacramento)

  • Assemblymember Jose Medina (AD61 - Riverside)

  • Assembly Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon (AD63 - Lakewood)

  • Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (AD29 - Salinas Valley)

  • Assemblymember Phil Ting (AD19 - San Francisco)

  • Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (AD51 - Los Angeles)

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

— Ben Chida, Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Governor Newsom

Past Salons

  • Rick Rivas, Rivas Consulting

  • Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (AD51 - West Hollywood/Santa Monica)

  • Dr. Rich Lyons, PhD, Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley

  • 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

  • Senator 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