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SF State Alumni Hall of Fame welcomes five inductees

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Denize Springer
SFSU Office of Public Affairs & Publications
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Press Release published by the Office of Public Affairs & Publications

 


City supervisor, jazz great, television exec, Superior Court judge and business and community leader will be honored. Biotech leader is the 2006 Alumnus of the Year.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2006 -- San Francisco City Supervisor Tom Ammiano; jazz musician and composer John Handy; business and community leader Paula LeDuc; Superior Court Judge Ronald Quidachay and Warner Bros. television executive David Sacks will be inducted into the San Francisco State University Alumni Hall of Fame at a campus reception on May 26. Also honored will be Kenneth Fong, the 2006 Alumnus of the Year, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Tom Ammiano (M.A., Special Education, '65), San Francisco supervisor, worked as a stand-up comedian and a schoolteacher before entering politics. In the mid 1970s he publicly announced he was gay. Shortly thereafter, the San Francisco school district was one of the first in the nation to adopt policies to protect gay teachers from discrimination. In the '90s at SF State Ammiano taught the popular course "Sex, Power and Politics."

Paula Le Duc (M.A., Special Education, '73), CEO and founder of the award-winning Paula Le Duc Fine Catering, has an impressive client list including Bill Clinton, Lucasfilm and the San Francisco Ballet. In her first career she taught blind elementary school students. As the head of the Paula Le Duc Leadership Society, she continues to lead fundraising efforts for the Living Skills Center for the Visually Impaired, an organization founded by Professor Emeritus Phil Hatlen.

John Handy (B.A., Music, '63), the legendary saxophonist, composer and singer, has performed in the world's greatest venues from Carnegie Hall to the Berlin Philharmonic Auditorium. The 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival debut of Handy and his acclaimed compositions "Spanish Lady" and "If Only We Knew," drew standing ovations and Grammy-nominations. Lauded by fellow composers from Duke Ellington to Igor Stravinsky, Handy was also a member of the SF State faculty for 12 years.

David Sacks (B.A., Radio, Television and Film, '67) quickly rose from an entry-level position in the mailroom of Universal Studios to associate vice president. Now senior vice president at Warner Bros. Television, he has remained connected to SF State through his membership on the Alumni Advisory Council of the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Department.

Judge Ronald Quidachay (B.A., Urban Studies, '70) has presided over the San Francisco Superior Court since 1998 and ruled on such headline-making cases as gay marriage licenses and Barry Bonds' baseballs. While an undergraduate at SF State, he cofounded the Pilipino American Collegiate Endeavors (PACE) and joined efforts to establish both the College of Ethnic Studies and Educational Opportunity Program.

Kenneth Fong (B.S., Biology, '71), the chairman of Kenson Ventures, was inducted into the SF State Alumni Hall of Fame in 1998. In 1984 he founded Clontech Laboratories Inc. Since 1999, Fong has served as chairman of Kenson Ventures, which specializes in venture financing and strategic consulting for biotech companies. He is a member of the College of Science & Engineering Advisory Board. With his wife, Pam (B.S., '73), Fong established an endowed scholarship at SF State in 1998 to assist promising students majoring in biology, computer science and mathematics. He holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University. Fong will be officially honored as SFSU's 2006 Alumnus of the Year at the University's 105th annual Commencement on Saturday, May 27.

The SF State Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes alumni who have earned the respect of their peers through professional, cultural and civic achievements. Previous inductees include Paul Ash, executive director of the San Francisco Food Bank; Rep. Bill Thomas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee; actress Annette Bening; jazz and cabaret singer Wesla Whitfield; former UCLA football coach Bob Toledo; "Frasier" co-creator and executive producer Peter Casey; and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

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PLEASE NOTE: Reporters interested in covering SF State's Alumni Hall of Fame induction ceremony must contact the SF State Office of Public Affairs and Publications for media credentials and reserved parking. Please call (415) 338-1665. Photos are available upon request.


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Last modified May 18, 2006, by the Office of Public Affairs & Publications