Community Service Leads to Honors

Sandy Miller Goldman, a consultant with Browning-Ferris Industries who also serves on the board of the Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center, was honored Tuesday at the 50th annual meeting of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. for her community service.

Miller Goldman, who helped drum up business support for the controversial plan by BFI to expand Sunshine Canyon Landfill in Granada Hills, was given the 1999 Harmon Ballin Award for her volunteer work throughout the Valley.

She serves on the boards of VICA, the San Fernando Valley Charitable Foundation and the North Valley YMCA. The award, given at a gathering at the Hilton Universal City and Towers Hotel, is named for a past VICA board member.

Miller Goldman was among the many officers and board members elected to serve in 2000.

The new VICA chairwoman is Cathy Maguire, a public affairs manager based at the Southern California Gas Co.’s regional offices in Chatsworth.

Vice chairs include Miller Goldman; attorney Bob Scott; Fred Gaines, president of the San Fernando Valley Bar Assn., and Ric Hill, a spokesman for 20th Century Insurance.

Maguire, who will serve a two-year term as chairwoman, said the organization’s biggest challenge in the year ahead will be “managing all of the major issues facing business: transportation, infrastructure, education and implementation of Charter reform.”

VICA, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, is one of the key business advocacy groups in the region.