{"id":226450,"date":"2026-03-19T04:59:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T04:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/226450\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T04:59:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T04:59:14","slug":"csuf-celebrates-orange-countys-civic-and-political-legacy-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/226450\/","title":{"rendered":"CSUF Celebrates Orange County\u2019s Civic and Political Legacy Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"ACSUF’s Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences celebrated Orange County civic and political leaders at its annual dinner.\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

Cal State Fullerton paid tribute to Orange County community and political leaders who have helped shape the region\u2019s civic landscape at a dinner attended by over 200 community members.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History<\/a> and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences<\/a> hosted the \u201cCelebrating Orange County\u2019s Civic and Political Legacy Dinner.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s individuals and an organization are part of the center\u2019s Orange County Civic and Political History Project<\/a>, an oral history project that began in the fall of 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis ongoing oral history project focuses on the stories of retired elected officials and civic leaders of Orange County,\u201d said Natalie Fousekis, center director and professor of history. \u201cBy capturing their narratives and background, and motivations and strategies, the interviews for this project tell a broader and more nuanced version of Orange County\u2019s past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those recognized at the March event were alumnus Robert V. \u201cBobby\u201d McDonald \u201975 (B.S. physical education), president and CEO of the Black Chamber of Orange County; Stan Oftelie, the first CEO of the Orange County Transportation Authority; and The Lincoln Club of Orange County, the oldest and largest conservative donor organization in California.<\/p>\n

\"RobertAlumnus Robert V. \u201cBobby\u201d McDonald (Courtesy of the Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History)<\/p>\n

A U.S. Navy veteran, McDonald has led the Black Chamber of Orange County for more than 30 years. He is a former president of the CSUF Alumni Association and the California State University Statewide Alumni Council, and the recipient of the university\u2019s 2003 Vision & Visionaries <\/a>Distinguished Alumnus Award.<\/p>\n

McDonald has served at the federal, state and local levels in veteran affairs and community leadership. His public service has included serving with the Under Secretary of the Veterans Administration on veterans\u2019 health care and on the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.<\/p>\n

He is a member of the Orange County Veterans Advisory Council and chairman of the U.S. Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans in Washington, D.C. A descendant of a Buffalo Soldier, he serves as president of the Buffalo Soldiers 9th and 10th (Horse) Calvary Association.<\/p>\n

\"StanStan Oftelie (Courtesy of the Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History)<\/p>\n

In the 1970s, Oftelie was a reporter with the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times and later served on the staff of Orange County Supervisor Ralph B. Clark.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1990, he led the effort to consolidate seven Orange County transportation agencies into the Orange County Transportation Authority \u2014 and was selected to lead it. He served as CEO from 1991 until 1997. Oftelie helped design Measure M, Orange County\u2019s comprehensive transportation program, the first countywide tax measure approved by voters since 1912.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Oftelie left the OCTA to become the CEO of the Orange County Business Council. In 2005, he opened a private consulting practice. He is the author of two books, \u201cNothing Rhymes With Orange\u201d and \u201cShaping Orange County.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FoundersFounders of The Lincoln Club of Orange County included Robert Beaver and Arnold Beckman. (Courtesy of the Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History)<\/p>\n

Over 60 years ago, a group of business leaders formed The Lincoln Club of Orange County to help advance social and economic success in the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The oral history project includes interviews with longtime members Michael Capaldi, Doy Henley, and Buck Johns, who recall the Lincoln Club\u2019s founding and influence throughout its six-decade history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The club is named after President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.<\/p>\n

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