Giving Back! How We Hope to Grow from Good to Great!

Our fearless leader Bob Gold has made continuing education a big theme in his volunteer efforts where he serves in a variety of business mentoring positions. Without naming favorites, he’s especially proud of his work on the Board of the SCTE Foundation – which in the past year has raised nearly $2 million to help cable techies advance their education.  Think about it – for as little as $68 for an annual membership fee, any active SCTE member is eligible to receive up to $7,500 in continuing education and development financial grants to further their education. Of note, more than 50% of all grant recipients say that they would not have been able to pursue their education without this assistance from the SCTE Foundation.

Bob also sits on his alma mater USC’s Annenberg Alumni Advisory Board. It’s especially great to share his Annenberg experiences with his oldest son, who is currently enrolled in its graduate degree program.  Bob also supports Marymount California University’s fundraising efforts, where his wife serves as president of the Parent Association (Bob could go on and on about his wife, but that’s for another story). The couple was recently awarded a certificate of service by the City of Los Angeles for their efforts on behalf of Marymount.

Maybe Bob is just a guy who can’t say “no.” This year he also joined the Board of the Long Beach Grand Cru – the country’s only non-profit wine competition, which raises money for the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.  He hopes to see a lot of friends and familiar faces at their annual event on Aug. 16 in Long Beach, California.

The spirit of giving back runs deep throughout the staff.  For example, Linda Haugsted teaches water exercise classes for seniors at her local YMCA. To support the current capital campaign, which will fund a new therapy pool and a dressing room renovation, she is donating half her YMCA pay back to the facility.  She also donates heavily to the American Heart Association and the Arthritis Foundation.

So what are you doing to give back?  We’d love to hear your stories and passions.