Charity foundation names new members

The Community Foundation of the Verdugos announced new members to its Board of Directors and newly elected officers for 2012.

Those newly serving the board include attorneys Armen Baghdasarian of the Glendale firm Irsfeld, Irsfeld & Younger LLP and Charles L. LeCroy III with Baker, Olson, LeCroy & Danielian, also located in Glendale. Joining them is Lee Wochner of Counterintuity LLC, a full-service creative marketing company in Burbank.

Robert Knauf, of Arroyo Insurance, has taken the lead as Board President. As a member of the Board of Directors since 2005 and a Glendale resident, Knauf’s goals are to focus on closer relations with businesses and corporations.

“The Foundation’s role in our community is to assist individuals and businesses with their philanthropy and we want to get this message to those who may not be aware of the Foundation’s work,” he said in a statement.

Ernest P. Burger, an attorney and Glendale resident with Burger Law Group in Burbank serves as Vice President. Serving as CFO and Secretary are Eric Ashton Jr., Glendale attorney, and Mary Ann Plumley, former Glendale City mayor, respectively. The four lead the activities of 18 fellow directors who all serve on a volunteer basis.

The CFV was established in 1956 as a 501.c.3 public nonprofit to cover Burbank, Glendale, and the Foothill communities of La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and Verdugo City.

The organization provides individuals and businesses with options for donating to community causes and also manages donor-advised funds. The foundation also oversees endowments for nonprofits through agency funds but is best known for grants that are issued to nonprofits in a competitive application process.

Visit www.communityfoundationoftheverdugos.org.

Association offers women’s scholarships

The Verdugo Glen chapter of the American Business Women’s Association is funding two scholarships through the Stephen Bufton Memorial Educational Fund. The scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $1,000 each. No applications will be accepted after March 31.

In order to be eligible for scholarship consideration, candidates must be women who are citizens of the United States and residents of Los Angeles County; are currently a second-year-level student at Glendale Community College; are majoring in the field of business and have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

The application needs to be completed online and requires a biographical sketch, three professional letters of reference and an official transcript.

To apply, interested, eligible women should send name and email address to: Lynn White-Shelby at lynnws@msn.com.

Trustees of SBMEF serve as the selection board for these scholarships. The first 20 completed eligible applications will be forwarded to the trustees for review. A minimum of four eligible applications is required to make both awards. The winners will be notified in May. The one-time scholarships are not renewable. A check will be issued jointly to the educational institution and the recipient. Funds are limited to tuition, books and fees.

Verdugo Glen Chapter of ABWA is part of a national network of businesswomen. Founded in 1949, ABWA is a 17,000-member association with chapters and Express Networks nationwide, providing business skills training and networking opportunities for women of diverse occupations to enhance career advancement and personal development. ABWA has dedicated more than half a century to women’s education and provided workplace skills and career development training for more than 565,000 women.

Scholarships available for Burbank seniors

Burbank University Women will be awarding $1,000 scholarships to outstanding Burbank high school seniors who anticipate enrolling in four-year colleges or universities. Each candidate will be judged on her scholarship, activities and contributions to her school and community.

To become a candidate, the senior should complete an application, submit three letters of recommendation, and a statement with information she thinks the committee would find significant in awarding the scholarship. She may include the college she will be attending and why she selected it, plans for a future career, and who influenced her in her educational and career plans. She may include experiences that have been significant in her development.

Applications must be completed and turned in by noon on March 14. Applications are available from the counseling or career offices of Burbank High, Burroughs High, Providence High and Bellarmine-Jefferson High.

For any additional information call Katy Wark, BUW Scholarship Chair, at (818) 843 -2065.

-- Compiled by Kelly Corrigan