Les Tupper Service Award Summary of Community Service by Joel L. A.

Peterson
Joel Peterson is most highly deserving of the Le Tupper Service Award. The award recognizes those who have demonstrated long term, broad service and leadership to the community, especially through volunteerism beyond requirement of or related to ones paid profession or job. Joel fits these award requirements beyond question. Joel moved into the community of La Canada Flintridge in 2000 in order to provide his son with the best educational opportunities. Joel is or has been a board member of many community organizations and institutions: the LCUSD Governing Board, Palm Crest PTA, Community Center of LCF, LCF Chamber of Commerce, LCF Outreach Committee, the Hillgren Foundation, the Verdugo Hills Hospital Foundation, and the LA County Committee on School District Organization. Joel is a member of several community services groups and serves or has served on several important community service committees, including the Kiwanis Club of La Canada, the LCF Tournament of Roses Association, the LCF General Plan Committee, the LCF Business Service and Development Committee, the Surplus Property Advisory Committee, and the Joint Use Committee, Joel quickly got involved with the La Canada Flintridge community after moving here from Atlanta, GA in 2000. He was sponsored and elected into full membership of the Flintridge Riding Club in 2001, where his son grew up riding. Joel served on FRCs Finance Committee and Horse Show Co mmittee for a number of years. Joel was instrumental in revising key FRC bylaws, financial reporting methods, and budgeting. Joel has been an active member of the La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association (LCFTRA) since 2001, supporting the LCFTRA at the highest donor level (Rose Circle), as well as hosting a number of LCFTRA Happy Hours at his home. In 2003, Joel was nominated and elected to the board of the LCF Educational Foundation. He served on the board through 2005, when he was required to resign to accept his election to the LCUSD Governing Board. On the Educational Foundation, Joel served on the Executive Committee as Co-Chair of the LCF Educational Foundation Endowment Committee in 2004 and 2005, where he helped kick off the Endowments Millennium Campaign, the first focused fundraising campaign for the Endowment. In 2004, he served on the Save the Excellence Committee and helped raise funds for teacher positions which were then in jeopardy. Joel conceived, planned and led the successful launch of the first ever Premium Wine Auction as part of the Gourmet Food and Wine Tasting in 2006. Due to Joels singular efforts, the La Canada Kiwanis Club and the LCF Educational Foundation partnered for this event, and continues that partnership to this day to mutual benefit. The Premium Wine Auction is now a fixture in our community and a major fund raiser for the Foundations Endowment. In 2004, Joel co-founded the LCF Outreach Committee and served as President until 2006. The Outreach Committee was responsible for the first ever Korean Cultural Presentation during our communitys Fiesta Days weekend. Joels efforts have led to better integration of the Korean families in our community through such mechanisms as the now-standard Korean Language links on City, Educational Foundation, PTA and other community websites. Joel was awarded the Outstanding Service Award by the Outreach Committee in 2007. Joel was active in the Palm Crest PTA almost from the beginning, volunteering with the committee that organized and put on the Palm Crest PTA Casino Night fund raiser for 5 years. He served as the Palm Crest PTAs Executive Vice President from 2004 2005. Joel has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of La Canada since 2001. Joel served on the Gourmet Food and Wine Tasting committee from 2003 until 2008, where he was responsible for arranging the commitments of multiple wine distributors to pour over 100 wines each year. He served as the events Co-Chair in 2006, where he was instrumental in creating a partnership between the Educational Foundation and the Kiwanis Club in putting on the event.

Joel was asked by LCUSDs superintendent to serve on the districts Surplus Property Advisory Committee (SPAC) in 2004-2005. He was instrumental for the SPAC realizing that the district was not compliant with statute with regard to its leases and other use of surplus property, as well as the options available to the district to the uses and potential disposal of the old district office property. Joel led the formulation of options that brought LCUSD into compliance and was t he author of the SPACs final report and recommendation memo. In 2007, Joel was invited to serve on the Citys General Plan Advisory Committee, which was active from 2007 2011. The GPAC was responsible for reviewing and revising the Citys General Plan the master document required by CA state law that spells out all aspects of a citys design and growth plan, and serves as the basis and authority for all city ordinances regarding traffic, housing, zoning, public spaces, access, etc. The plan was officially submitted to the City Council in 2012 and adopted. Joel was invited to join the board of directors of the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge (CCLCF) in 2007. Joel served on the board from 2007 2010. Joel served on the Boards Executive C ommittee from 2008 2010 as the CCLCFs CFO and Treasurer. He was responsible for revamping the CCLCFs budgeting and financial reporting, allowing for more clarity, transparency and more effective fiscal management. Joel also served on the nominating committee, recruiting a number of the current board members. Joel ran for election to the LCUSD Governing Board and was elected in 2005 and re-elected in 2009. Joel served as the Board Clerk in 2007, the Boards Vice President in 2008 and President in 200 9. As a Governing Board member Joel personally conducted the first full review of all board bylaws and personally revised them. His revisions were approved by the Board in 2007. Additionally, Joel wrote the charter for the districts Design Review Committee and the Construction Committee, helping to establish governance and decision making procedures to oversee over $25 million of bond construction projects. All projects, after Joels efforts, came in on or under budget and on or ahead of schedule. Whi le on the Board, Joel served on the combined City and District Joint Use Committee and was instrumental in getting new restrooms for the girls softball fields, expanding the skateboard park, expanding the use of crossing guards, and increasing the coordination between City and District disaster planning. As Board President, Joel was key to the Districts response to the Station Fire and ensuring that LCHS successfully served as the primary emergency shelter location during the Station Fire crisis. Joel served on the Board Sub-Committee that reviewed the potential options and made the recommendation for a parcel tax measure. After 4 prior failed parcel tax measures, Joels efforts helped pass the first ever successful measure, helping LCUSD have the financial resources to better cope with CAs budget cuts. Joel also drafted the charter for the Districts Technology Review and Advisory Committee (TRAC) and was key in getting wireless technology deployed in all District school sites in 2011. When Joel joined the Governing th Board, the District was ranked 4 in CA, but it is now ranked #2 in state API rankings and #1 in CA, by the US Department of Education, out of 334 Unified School Districts. In 2006, Joel was nominated and elected to the board of directors of the LCF Chamber of Commerce. Joel was elected Chairman Elect in 2008 and elected Chairman of the Board in 2010. He served 2 terms as Chairman, 2010 and 2011. While serving as Chairman, Joel conceived and started the Chamber of Commerce Internship Program, bring in Sport Chalet, Allen Lund Company, Verdugo Hills Hospital (VHH), the City of LCF, and the Foothills Y as founding employers for interns from LCHS. As part of the program, Joel established a for-credit independent study course that gave grade credits at LCHS to students in the internship program. Additionally, Joel was key in strengthening the Chamber institutionally, establishing and initiating the first ever CEOs goals setting and annual performance evaluation, allowing for stringer board involvement, planning, communications, and oversight. Joel also Served as the first Chairman of the Chambers Foundation and the Chambers Hillgren Foundation. In 2012, Joel was nominated, elected and currently serves on the board of directors of the VHH Foundation. The VHH Foundation Board has been and will continue to be instrumental in the merger of VHH with USCs Keck Hospital Network. Joel is uniquely talented and has proven his selfless giving for the benefit of others. Given the very extensive, sustained, and impactful roles that Joel has played in our community, as detailed above, Joel Peterson is awarded the Les Tupper Service Award for 2013.