University of San Francisco to Honor Outstanding Alumni at Annual Awards Gala on November 3

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of San Francisco (USF) will celebrate accomplished alumni and friends at its annual Alumni Awards Gala at the McLaren Conference Center on the USF campus on the evening of Saturday, November 3. The event will include a Public Service Award given posthumously to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee's family in honor of his many notable contributions to improve the lives of the people of San Francisco.

"USF is honored to celebrate the exemplary contributions of our graduates and friends," stated USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. "With strong commitments to social justice, equity and inclusion, and with an entrepreneurial spirit, this year's award recipients have excelled at changing the world in a variety of meaningful, creative, and fruitful ways."

2018 Alumni Awards recipients include an alumna who has continuously given back to USF and the broader San Francisco community through years of service, the COO of a digital consulting firm, the Head of Supplier Diversity at Facebook, a trailblazer in multicultural education, and an "alumnus in spirit" who created an endowed award on his late brother's behalf for undergraduate students who have overcome great difficulties.

"The Alumni Awards Gala celebrates USF's mission, amplified through the lives and work of outstanding alumni and friends of the university," said Peter Wilch, Vice President for Development at USF. "We are pleased to honor civic and community leaders who embody what's best about the university, and are excited to welcome back our alumni and friends to celebrate these fine individuals."

The USF 2018 Alumni Award recipients are:

Dolores McKeever Donahue LMA '52
Alumna of the Year Award
A graduate of the San Francisco College for Women, Dolores exemplifies a passion for community and service. After a long career in real estate, Dolores became President of The O'Shea Foundation, an organization founded by her uncle and aunt supporting community-based organizations dedicated to education and social outreach. Dolores is a trustee emerita, has served on the USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Board of Directors, the Alumnae of the Sacred Heart Lone Mountain, and worked with Fr. John Lo Schiavo to establish the Lone Mountain Legacy Scholarship Fund at USF's School of Education.

Former San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee
Public Service Award
Mayor Ed Lee was San Francisco's first Asian American mayor; he championed for the advancement of women, immigrant rights, expanding access to affordable housing, collaborative leadership, and equal opportunity. As an attorney with the Asian Law Caucus, he represented workers, seniors and other members of the community in San Francisco's Chinatown for several years. A strong advocate for affordable housing, Mayor Lee created the Housing Trust Fund, which generated $50 million of funding for affordable and middle-class housing in San Francisco.

Anisha Weber MBA '97
Alessandri Alumni Service Award
Anisha is COO of Primitive Logic, a woman-owned business solving digital business strategy challenges for over thirty years. She is a Past President of the USF Alumni Board of Directors and Past President of the MBA Alumni Society. Anisha gives back to her community as a San Mateo County Commissioner on the Status of Women, focusing on STEM education for young women and women's leadership.

Jason Trimiew MA '07
Professional Achievement Award
For nearly two decades, Jason has worked at the intersection of the marketplace and social impact in international microfinance, community and economic development, and venture philanthropy. In 2016, Jason joined Facebook to launch and lead the company's supplier diversity program. Previously he served as Managing Director at REDF venture philanthropy and founded the Trimiew Strategy Group, a consultancy that helps clients create products and programs that produce results for good. He was also the Vice President of Community Relations for the SF Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee and former Advisory Board Member of San Francisco Community Investment Fund.

Mi' Jan Celie Tho-Biaz MA '03 EdD '13
Fr. Stephen A. Privett Living the Mission Award
A noted oral historian and cultural leader, Dr. Tho-Biaz is the founder of the New Mexico Women of Color Nonprofit Leadership Initiative at the Santa Fe Community Foundation. Mi'Jan led the Steinem Initiative's public policy digital storytelling pilot at Smith College and was a visiting scholar at the Interdisciplinary Center for Innovative Theory and Empirics at Columbia University. She has also served as a documentarian-in-residence in Essential Studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts, a presenter at Carnegie Hall, and a resident at the Banff Centre.

William F. Kenney
Cable Car Award
William Kenney has worked as an attorney and served two terms on the San Mateo-Foster City School Board. In 2001, he established the USF James F. Kenney Memorial Award in honor of his late brother, Jim Kenney '55 who died months before graduating. The award is given to a USF student who has overcome significant obstacles in their life. This award has benefited dozens of USF students who William continues to mentor and inspire long after they graduate from the university. Currently, William sits on the Board of the Self Storage Association's Foundation, the Guideposts Foundation, and the San Mateo Rotary Club.

About the University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the world's most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Francisco's first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student's passion for social justice and a desire to "Change the World From Here." For more information, visit usfca.edu

SOURCE University of San Francisco

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