San Gabriel Valley Chapter Round-up
by Jennifer Becker, San Gabriel Valley Chapter Chair
The San Gabriel Valley is full of beautiful and historic places, but no venue is more recognized around the world than the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium. On November 29, the CSMFO San Gabriel Valley Chapter had the privilege of holding their annual holiday luncheon in the Rose Bowl Club Lounge. Over 100 public finance professionals gathered for this exceptional event, smashing all previous attendance records for the San Gabriel Valley Chapter. Guests arrived at a special entrance to the press box tower and were whisked up an elevator to the South Club Lounge, where they mingled and networked with chapter and commercial members while enjoying panoramic views of the legendary Rose Bowl field and the surrounding San Gabriel mountains on a beautiful late fall day.
As if the venue were not enough to attract a crowd, the guest speaker for this event was none other than Michael Coleman, the renowned expert on California Government Finance. Attendees listened intently to Mr. Coleman’s latest legislative update while his presentation was displayed throughout the room on TV screens normally reserved for showing football games. He educated the crowd on a variety of topics, including the status of the State Budget and pending 2024 ballot measures that could have a significant impact on local revenues.
Following the luncheon, guests had the option to stick around for a behind the scenes stadium tour. Participants learned the fascinating history of the venue and the legendary sporting events that took place inside the “Bowl”. They toured the press box, locker rooms, and the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, and were even led down the tunnel for an up-close look at the field as it was getting ready to be prepped for the 2024 Rose Bowl game. It was an amazing opportunity for those who appreciate sports history, and certainly a day that this football loving Chapter Chair will not forget!
This event would not have been possible without the support of our generous sponsors from Chandler Asset Management, HdL Coren & Cone, Piper Sandler, and Raymond James. Also, special thanks go out to Matt Hawkesworth from the City of Pasadena for connecting our chapter with this fantastic venue and for taking the time to discuss with our audience the unique relationship between the City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl. It was a fantastic way for the CSMFO San Gabriel Valley Chapter to close out the year, and members should stay tuned for more exiting events in 2024!
Jennifer Becker is a 21 year employee of the City of Burbank and was appointed Financial Services Director in March of 2021. She currently serves as Vice Chair of both the San Gabriel Valley CSMFO Chapter and the Communications Committee. Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. She is an avid Trojan football fan, and on non-football weekends you can find her skiing in Mammoth or hiking around Southern California with her husband and daughter.