About Community Leaders Association
In 1963 three staff members of California Lutheran University met to find ways to stimulate the interest of the Thousand Oaks business community in the University's athletic and cultural programs.
David Betts, then honorary mayor of the unincorporated "village" of Thousand Oaks, liked the idea of such an organization and offered his support. He invited others to a dinner on campus, and the response was enthusiastic. The first dinner in the fall of 1963 was attended by 150 townspeople, and that night, the Community Leaders Association was born.
In 1966 Community Leaders membership grew to include Ventura and Los Angeles County residents sharing a desire to take an active role in the academic and cultural development of their burgeoning community. Throughout the years, the Association has contributed to the educational, cultural and economic development of the region through its service to CLU. Today with more than 150 active members, the Association is the University's link to the community it serves.
Through the years, CLU's Community Leaders Association has contributed more than $1.6 million to enhance the academic programs at the University and provide scholarships for its students. Though the Association engages in numerous fundraising events during the year, its annual auction is by far the most successful. In 1979, CLU Community Leaders Association became one of the first organizations in the Conejo Valley to hold an auction and quickly became a model for all other auctions in the area.
The proceeds from the auction are used specifically to support the University's academic programs.
For more information about joining the Community Leaders Association, please call University Relations at 805-493-3151, or use the online application form.
See the CLAmbassadors for Excellence brochure for more information.
