Cal Lutheran honors longtime supporter

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., - Sept. 29, 2014) A Thousand Oaks man who has supported California Lutheran University for nearly 40 years will be honored at Founders Day Convocation at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17.

John “Jack” R. Wise of Thousand Oaks will receive the Christus Award. The award is presented to those who have made significant contributions to strengthening the bridge between Cal Lutheran and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) because of their love for both institutions. Founders Day is held annually to give thanks for the university’s heritage and pray for its continued success.

Wise, the former chairman and CEO of Oakmont Mortgage, has served as regent emeritus for Cal Lutheran since 2007. He was a member of the Board of Regents from 1980 through 1995. He spent nine years as chair, and in that role worked to raise funds for Samuelson Chapel and Pearson Library. He received the university’s Distinguished Service Award in 1998.

A passionate supporter of Cal Lutheran’s mission, he has been a generous donor to the Annual Fund and numerous projects. His first contact with Cal Lutheran came in the 1970s when he was the treasurer for the Pacific Southwest Synod of the Lutheran Church in America and university representatives requested funding. He ended up serving on the Convocation, a governing body that serves as a link between the university and the ELCA, from 1977 to 1979 before joining the Board of Regents and becoming a trustee of the California Lutheran Educational Foundation.

One of Wise’s sons and two of his grandsons attended Cal Lutheran. A member of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, Wise has also provided considerable support for the ELCA.

The Rev. Karen L. Bloomquist, who became the dean and chief administrative officer of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) in Berkeley when it merged with Cal Lutheran in January, will be the keynote speaker. The recipient of the 1992 Distinguished Alumna Award at PLTS, Bloomquist spent 11 years as the director of the department for theology and studies at the Lutheran World Federation. The Geneva-based organization represents more than 70 million Lutherans in 79 countries. She previously served 11 years in a similar position for the ELCA.

The service will also feature the commissioning of Cal Lutheran’s Board of Regents and Convocation.

The event is free and open to the public. The chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane on the Thousand Oaks campus.

For more information, call the Office of Church Relations at 805-493-3936.