Dorothea "Granny" Heitz Award for Outstanding Volunteer Leadership

Carlos Fuentes ’82 

Carlos Fuentes is a first-generation Mexican-American born in the United States and an advocate for Los Angeles and his alma mater CSUN. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, it’s no surprise he chose CSUN.

After a brief collegiate baseball career, Fuentes became more service-minded. He was already actively involved with campus committees—specifically those focused on improving student life. He chose leadership roles to make a larger impact.

In 1978, Fuentes was elected Associated Students (AS) President. Lobbying for $5,000 from AS, Fuentes created the Matador Patrol Program — a safety service where CSUN football players escorted students, staff, faculty and visitors to parking lots. Within months, it proved its worthiness and was embraced, adopted and integrated into CSUN’s Police Department.

During college, Fuentes was recruited to coach football and baseball at Granada Hills High School. Since 2001, he has passionately coached basketball at acclaimed Harvard-Westlake, Oaks Christian, Crossroads and presently, Chaminade High. His focus is on mentoring and grooming the next generation. “Once I begin coaching these kids, there’s a lifetime bond,” he said.

Professionally, Fuentes started as a stockbroker and became a success known for his relationship building. He has been recruited by Fortune 500 financial institutions, giving him opportunities again to serve his community, including the Latino market. For the last 15 years, he has managed his own investment-consulting company, raising private equity capital worldwide.

Since 1998, Fuentes has served the entire CSUN campus. He began with the Matador Athletic Association (President), followed by extensive, contributing roles with the Alumni Association (President and Executive Council). He has served on the Board of Directors for The University Corporation, CSUN Foundation, and Diversity and Inclusion Commission — to which he was appointed by President Dianne F. Harrison. One of Fuentes’ talents is bringing people together – campus-wide to state-wide. He is consistently visible, readily available and a centralized communicator across CSUN.

Fuentes is married to 2001 CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Dr. Patricia De La Riva ’84 (Health Science). Together, they support CSUN with time, talent and resources.

Earl Enzer '83

Earl Enzer has been an instrumental figure at CSUN, helping to elevate the university during one of the most prosperous periods in its history, a time where fundraising, alumni engagement, and reputation and visibility have risen.

He joined CSUN’s Foundation Board of Directors in 2001 and served on it until 2018. He was chairman from 2009-16 and helped provide a new structure and level of expectation on the board. His energy, ideas and follow-through invigorated the board and led to action, as well as alumni and community engagement. Earl headed the group of leading alumni and community volunteers who oversee the management of the university’s philanthropic assets and encourage people to invest in the university. Along with former Governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle, he co-chaired the Special Task Force on Engagement, helping to provide the university with a roadmap to better engage alumni and garner community support. Under his leadership, the board also supported the university in its efforts to create a cohesive look and messaging, building a new identity and positioning that better represents CSUN.

Earl has a lasting connection to CSUN. He met his wife Karen at a Pi Kappa Alpha New Year’s Eve party when they were freshmen. After he graduated from CSUN and completed his MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, he earned a position with Goldman Sachs. Concerned that he wasn’t seeing more Matadors hired at the prestigious financial company, he reached out to CSUN’s College of Business and Economics and forged meaningful bonds between CSUN and Goldman Sachs. That led to a renewed involvement with the school and, eventually, an invitation to join the CSUN Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Earl is a managing director in the Private Wealth Management Group of Goldman Sachs. He and Karen ’82 (Journalism) are members of the President’s Associates and Heritage Society. The Enzer family has supported numerous causes at CSUN, including 88.5 FM, The Soraya, Matador Athletics, the President’s 21st Century Fund and student scholarships. The Enzers have also set aside a portion of their retirement funds to be given to the university as a planned gift.

Francine Oshin '84, M.A. '85

After earning bachelor’s degrees in journalism and speech communication in 1984 and a master’s degree in mass communication in 1985, Francine Oschin said the connections she made at CSUN helped launch her successful career in politics.

She spent 15 years working for Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson as his assistant chief deputy. And it was during her time working for Bernson that Oschin’s bond to CSUN strengthened. During a community meeting she attended representing Bernson, she was encouraged by fellow alumna and longtime Alumni Association board member Arlene Alpert to join the board.

For nearly two decades, beginning in 1997, Oschin has sat on the board and has been a leading volunteer for the university. From 2013-15, she was the CSUN Alumni Association President. Oschin represented the university on the 23-campus CSU Alumni Council for more than a decade. She traveled the state as the Alumni Association’s lead issues advocate and frequently joined former CSUN President Jolene Koester and an alumni delegation in Sacramento to meet with elected offi cials, encouraging lawmakers to support measures that enhance higher education.

She served as co-chair of the university’s Grass Tops Advocacy team. Oschin is a member of The Soraya Ambassadors Committee. She is also a donor to numerous campus causes, including student scholarships. She was recognized with a Volunteer Service Award in 2006 and was named as CSU’s 2010 Advocate of the Year and is the recipient of a volunteer service award.

Oschin is president of Oschin Partners, Inc., a government relations consulting company specializing in transportation, environment and public policy advocacy. An active community member, she serves on numerous boards including the League of Women Voters, chairs the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) Transportation Committee, is a board member of the Executives of the Jewish Home for the Aging and she sits on the Move LA Board. Oschin has also served on the boards of Mobility 21 and Metrolink. She was appointed by the LA County Board of Supervisors to their Beach Commission in 2016. She is the recipient of the VICA 22nd Annual Harmon Ballin Community Service Award.

“I have always felt that if it were not for Cal State Northridge, I would not be who I am today and where I am today,” Oschin said. “The education I got at Cal State Northridge and how it led me the road less traveled opened up a new world.

Phil Mundy ’71

Phil Mundy is one of those stories. Earn a degree from California State University, Northridge, get a job, start a family. The priorities of life then disconnected him from his alma mater. Where Mundy changed the narrative was approximately a decade ago when CSUN re-engaged with him. Mundy was invited back to campus for a tour and noticed a new, vibrant CSUN. He was asked to join the CSUN Foundation Board and accepted. Mundy is now in his third three-year term on the board and is the chair of its development committee, which is responsible for cultivating donors for the university.

Mundy, a 1971 graduate of San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN) with a degree in business administration, has now made his alma mater a priority in his life.

A successful entrepreneur who started the businesses Mundy Medical Marketing Inc. (specializing in the manufacturing and distribution of medical and surgical products) and Parcus Medical LLC (a sports-medicine implant and instrument manufacturer), Mundy was recognized in September as one of the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics’ Fabulous 50 alumni for bringing distinction to the university through his outstanding achievements.

Beyond the professional achievements, his contributions to CSUN are considerable. He started the Mundy Family Endowment, which provides scholarships to Nazarian College students who have demonstrated financial need with a preference given to those participating in intercollegiate athletics. Mundy was a sprinter for the Matadors track and field team while he attended CSUN. He also helped in the development of the Mike Mahony Marine Corps Veterans Scholarship Fund, which is open to Nazarian College students and veterans. Mundy and Mahony, a Marine Corps veteran and CSUN alumnus, were classmates and friends, dating back to elementary school.

“I just like people and being able to do things for people,” Mundy said on why he has served CSUN. “I guess I’m a doer. I just like to get things done.” But he also said he owes CSUN a debt of gratitude. “I think (CSUN impacted me) tremendously,” he said. “Because in the ‘60s they really tried to establish the business school. It was very difficult. I learned so much.”

He met his wife Nancy at Los Angeles Valley College before moving on to CSUN. They have been married for 48 years and have three children — Brian, Phil III and Kim — and seven grandchildren.

David Malone '81
David has been engaged on campus since the late 1980s. He helped the college outfit Juniper Hall in the early ’90s. Over the years he has met with countless students and spoken dozens of times in classrooms, bringing his real-world experience to CSUN’s students. Since 2009 he has served on the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics Advisory Board and now serves as chair of that board. He has also recently served as executive in residence for the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics. David and his wife, Cindi, are also donors to the Nazarian College. Since 2013, he has been on the CSUN Foundation Board and actively participates in the board’s development committee.

Always a strong advocate for planned giving, David has recently started to chair the Heritage Society Steering Committee. Through these various roles, he has been instrumental in vocalizing the importance of planned giving by not only setting an example with a significant planned gift, but placing the expectation on other volunteer leaders to do the same.

Joy Picus, Friend of the University

A four-term former city council member, Joy Picus is one of the Valley's most influential and beloved citizen leaders. With today's recognition from the Curb College, Joy is the first individual to have received the Volunteer Service Award from two of our colleges. She is a member of the Dean's Circle Executive Board for the Curb College. For several years she served on the Dean's council for Social and Behavioral Sciences and was a founding advisory board member for the Center for Southern California Studies. She is a long time, loyal member of the University's Foundation Board.

Harvey Bookstein '70
As the Managing Visionary Partner for RBZ, LLP, an accounting and business consulting firm he co-founded in 1975, Harvey identifies and taps into opportunities such as practice acquisition, new niche practice areas, and new office locations. With almost 40 years of public accounting experience, Harvey is considered an expert in the fields of real estate, tax and estate planning and is a revered and creative figure in the industry.

Larry Twersky '85

Over the last 25 years, alumnus Larry Twersky has earned a national reputation as a visionary entrepreneur and business executive and is recognized as a foremost expert in automated customer relationship management. He has set the bar as a loyal volunteer leader, wise counselor and trusted adviser to his alma mater.

Milt Valera '68

Milt Valera has led the National Notary Association (NNA) since 1982 when he became President of the largest and most respected organization serving United States Notaries. In nearly four decades, Valera has overseen all of the Association’s major programs that today define the arena of Notary education and support services.

 David S. Honda, Friend of the University

Well known as a philanthropist, David Honda has been serving the community for nearly four decades. He is president and chief executive officer of D.S. Honda Construction, Inc. in Northridge, which specializes in high-rise tenant planning and construction. Cal State Northridge as benn a beneficiary of Honda's exemplary volunteerism and patronage.

Gene Detchemendy '84
Gene Detchemendy is recognized as one of CSUN’s most loyal and dedicated alumni leaders.  A University donor and Alumni Association Lifetime Member, Gene’s volunteer commitments to the University have been most visibly noted through his nearly 15 years of service as a member of the Board of Directors of the California State University, Northridge Alumni Association.

Jim and Mary Gorman, Friends of the University

Jim and Mary Gorman are two of the university’s most loyal supporters, a relationship that began as fans of Matador volleyball that expanded to tennis when Jim retired and took up the sport. Now their passion universally applies to all Matador sports…and their interest in and loyalty to CSUN has grown to include all areas of the University.

John R. Golisch '72

John Golisch is a Certified Public Accountant and partner with BDO Seidman, LLP.  Prior to his association with BDO Seidman, John had earned a reputation as one of the most respected specialists on Southern California retail markets and was affiliated with Arthur Andersen & Company, where he was a senior partner.

David Fleming, Friend of the University
 
David Fleming has earned a reputation as one of the most influential, philanthropic, and community focused leaders in the history of the Golden State. Whether he’s leading the Valley’s Economic Alliance, the county’s economic development corporation, or the region’s United Chambers of Commerce or whether he’s instigating and then chairing the city’s first charter reform effort in 75 years, David continually demonstrates his passion for serving the citizens of greater Los Angeles.

Chris and Tony Partipilo, '82 and '69
 
Tony and Chris Partipilo are unique among thousands of individuals who have volunteered their energy, time and resources to Cal State Northridge. The couple stands alone as the only spouses to have both served a term as president of the Alumni Association.

Al and Sherry Lapides '68
 
The Lapides family first got involved with volunteer work at Cal State Northridge in 1974 when Al joined with another volunteer to develop a mentoring program to help undergraduates achieve career goals.

 I. Allan Oberman '67

Many individuals volunteer but few individuals have made such a profound impact on the growth of an organization as Allan Oberman in relation to his service to Cal State Northridge and its Alumni Association.

Robert Rawitch '67
 
When Bob Rawitch graduated from CSUN with a B.A. in Journalism, he took with him a sense of respect for the power that words hold. So he focused his talent for writing on the task of creating a meaningful career that would serve not only his needs, but some of the needs of our city, our country and our world.

Wayne Adelstein '70

Wayne has unselfishly earned a reputation as one of the most passionate, effective and committed business leaders, communicators and higher education advocates in the San Fernando Valley.

Alma Zatarain '80

It is fitting that Alma Zatarain is one of the first to be presented a Granny Award. For like Granny, Alma has continually expressed her intangible loyalty in many tangible ways.