The crowning of a new king and queen by the Los Alamitos Educational Foundation at its “Royal Gala” this week provided donors with a bit of pomp and plenty of circumstance.
More than 250 supporters jammed into a large meeting room inside the Grand Hotel in Long Beach to support LAEF, a nonprofit that serves as a fundraising organization associated with the Los Al Unified School District.
Traditionally, the King and Queen work with the district and the community to raise funding to support LAEF’s programs.
The symbolic crowning of Randy and Diana Hill as LAEF “King and Queen” for 2024 reflected the Los Al couple’s decades-long commitment to public education, and their reflections made for some interesting observations about early LAEF.
During a video testimonial shown before the actual presentation, Carrie Logue, Executive Director of LAEF, said Randy and Diana Hill have worked “tirelessly” on behalf of public education. “No one deserves this more than you,” she said.
Los Al Unified Superintendent Andrew Pulver, Ed.D., said this:
“Everything they do is on behalf of our youth,” he said. “They don’t do anything to seek recognition for themselves. Everything they do is to enhance the lives of youth in our community.”
Once adorned with their crowns, the new King and Queen took their place on the stage. Diana went first.
“I’m very honored to be crowned the queen of LAEF and I want to thank the board and those who nominated us,” she said. “There were so many deserving people in this community,” said Hill,
Today, Diana Hill is in her third term as an elected member of the Los Alamitos Unified School District’s Board of Trustees. Nevertheless, she and her husband Randy have both played key roles in LAEF’s ascension over the past decade.
Diana served as President of LAEF before being elected to the Board of Trustees. She recalled a story involving former Weaver principal Erin Kominsky (now retired and a former LAEF Queen).
While well-funded for instruction, the district “does not get a lot of funding for technology and infrastructure,” said Hill.
Before she was elected to the Los Al Unified Board of Trustees, Diana served as President of LAEF’s Board. She said Kominsky installed “smart boards” in all her classrooms at Weaver, Hill said she called then Superintendent Dr. Sherry Kropp, and said, “we need to get that technology throughout the whole district.”
“We knew it would take money to achieve and that’s when the Summer Enrichment Institute was born,” said Hill. She said “two dynamic women, Kropp and Ondrea Reed (now serving as Deputy Supt.), made that happen.
Today the summer institute offers more than 200 courses.
For Hill, she said their work in education is a blessing. “Giving back to this district that gave so much to our family is a privilege, but I also believe it’s a responsibility,” she said.
Before introducing her husband Randy, and now King of LAEF for 2024, she said her husband has always been guided by a simple principle, in life and in business, of always “leaving things better than you found them.”
She said her husband served as President of LAEF from 2011 – 2015. “During his years as President, he helped grow LAEF into a self-sustaining, professionally run organization whose goals are to support Los Al Unified and all the children and families of this district,” Mrs. Hill said.
“I don’t get a chance to do this very often, so please excuse me while I sing his praises,” she said.
Randy Hill, who it was said also pioneered the “team” concept in real estate, was gracious in his acceptance of kingship.
“First of all, I do want to thank those who nominated us. We are grateful and it is humbling when I consider the generous contributions of past kings and queens,” said Hill.
“It’s great to have friends or family here tonight,” he added.
“During the lifetime of the Los Alamitos Educational Foundation, and it’s impact on our community, I believe LAEF has made a larger impact than most of us realize,” he said. “It is the result of the hard work and day-to-day staff,” he added, “and they have been in the trenches for years now.’
Hill said even during his day, most everyone was a volunteer. “We had no money,” said Hill, but the board knew they somehow “needed to get to the next level.”
He said LAEF did manage to hire Reed to get the summer classes going, “and that was truly the beginning of something great.”
“We realized that we needed to become sustainable,” said Hill. “After all, we could not go backward and fail to offer exceptional learning to the students in our district,” he added.
In short, Hill explained how the many men and women who served on the LAEF board managed to create a new model of fundraising, even hiring a part-time Executive Director and once the organization’s model began to set roots and grow, they hired Carrie Logue, the current Executive Director, whom Hill called a “superior leader” and the new face of LAEF.
Under Logue, LAEF and its board have moved in new areas and have made significant investments in the education system.
Logue said LAEF has invested approximately $540,000 in mental health resources, providing “Well Spaces” in all district schools where students can find safe harbor. In addition, the funds and grants have provided counselors and mental health experts across the entire district landscape.
Traditionally, LAEF has provided technology for schools, including more than $520,000 to support STEM and STEAM activities of all types throughout the district. LAEF has invested more than a quarter million in fee waivers and scholarships for students and paid more than $1.1 million in payments for use of district facilities.
Logue said LAEF will now work with Randy and Diana Hill for the coming year to partner with the community on various fundraising projects to support the district.
LAEF uses its funding to supply schools within the district with programs, technology, and other needed assets that fall outside of the district’s budget. Logue said LAEF will release exact results of the fundraiser in the coming weeks.
“It really takes a village to do this incredible work,” said Logue, thanking the community leaders who had bid on a host of items, trips and other things to raise money for their projects. “Thanks to you, we will be able to do even more.”