Dear District Community,

I am pleased to announce that the Foundation Board of Directors took action last week to appoint Carole Cassidy as the first Executive Director of the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District Foundation.

One year ago, the Foundation approved an aggressive three-year plan to progress from its current status as a minor fund-raising organization to a very active, very large financial enterprise that will greatly enhance the economic vitality of our student financial assistance and support services programs. This plan includes the appointment of an Executive Director and support staff using minimal seed money provided by the district.

Ms. Cassidy’s credentials and experience in community college fund-raising are exemplary. In just three years as Executive Director of Foothill-De Anza’s Foundation, she created a centralized fund raising operation where none had existed previously, and increased that foundation’s assets from $3 million to $15 million. She retired from that position and left the state for a brief period, but she has now returned with great enthusiasm and a desire to build our foundation.

I believe you will be excited with the progress that we make with our Foundation over the next few years. Last week, five very prominent and influential members of the San Jose community were appointed as new Foundation board directors, and more will be appointed over the next year. I have personally spoken to a number of business leaders who are ready to open their pockets to assist the district. The excitement in this community about our mission is palpable.

Please make Carole feel welcome when she joins us on May 1, and keep your hearts open and willing to help us as we build our foundation into a world class entity reflecting the caliber of our colleges and our community.


Rosa G. Pérez
Chancellor
San Jose/Evergreen Community College District
4750 San Felipe Road
San Jose, CA 95135
(408) 270-6402 telephone
(408) 531-8722 fax