News Digest News Digest (June 07, 2002)

President for Las Positas College President for Las Positas College (June 07, 2002)

Karen Halliday, who has been serving as interim president of Las Positas College for six months, has now been named president by the board of trustees. She is the third president of the 11-year college.

Before coming to Las Positas, Halliday served as dean of student services for the California Community Colleges State Chancellor's Office in Sacramento. She remains active at the state level.

"Ms. Halliday's experience at the state level brings an entirely new perspective to Las Positas College," said Chancellor Susan Cota, former president of Las Positas. "She is in tune to issues and trends in the state that may affect the college and our students."

Halliday has also been a faculty member and director of the Educational Diagnostic Center at DeAnza College in Cupertino, where she was named Teacher of the Year.

Halliday received her bachelor's degree in anthropology and comparative religions from UC Santa Barbara and a masters in education with a major in learning disabilities from Purdue University. She completed postgraduate work in education administration from the University of Virginia, Fairfax. -Dolores Fox Ciardelli

Rotary contributes $15,000 to 9-11 relief funds Rotary contributes $15,000 to 9-11 relief funds (June 07, 2002)

The New York Rotary Club has added $10,000 to its World Trade Center Disaster Relief Fund, thanks to the fund-raising efforts of the Pleasanton Rotary Club North. Business consultant Pat Mayfield, a member of the local club, made the presentation at the Princeton Club. Afterward, Mayfield toured Ground Zero with Lt. Bill Ryan of the New York City fire station No. 5. Ryan, the father of four, is on a disability leave following his rescue work on Sept. 11 and later.

Pleasanton North Rotary Club donated a total of $15,000 to aid Sept. 11 victims, contributing $5,000 of that amount to the Pentagon Disaster Fund.

"Presenting the check in New York was especially meaningful to me," Mayfield said. "My father was a fire chief and served as state secretary of the Arkansas Fireman's Association. My daughter narrowly escaped harm in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; she had walked out of the building just moments earlier." -Jeb Bing