CLvFFie awards honocommunity leaders

RECOGNITION- From left, Leslie Leff and daughter Joselyn Dane accept the CLvFFie award on behalf of Leff's husband, Harry, a music teacher at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas, at the recent awards ceremony. The awards recognize community leaders in several categories.

The Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation honored top industry leaders in several categories at the seventh annual CLvFFie awards on Nov. 17 at Los Robles Greens Banquet Center in Thousand Oaks, according to Fran Brough, the foundation's executive director.

"The ClvFFie award is like getting an Oscar," said event master of ceremonies Don Stark of "That '70s Show."

Brough said the event honors exemplary contributions during the year by people and groups in various categories to "quality of life" issues in the region.

The Doris LaViolette award is presented to one person each year who has had an impact on the community over a long period of time, Brough said. This year the special award was presented to the Arts Council of Conejo Valley. Formed in 1967, the arts and education alliance unites more than 50 member organizations. Pat Johnson, arts council president, accepted the award on behalf of the group, Brough said.

Matt Finders accepted a CLvFFie award in the Arts Category this year for his work with students at Yerba Buena Elementary School and Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills.

"(Finders) instills a love of music to youngsters and takes them from the excitement of playing their first note, to the thrill of making music as part of a group," Brough said.

In the Business Category, Sage Publications was recognized for its generosity, not only through donations to many charitable organizations in the area, but for exceptional benefits that demonstrate Sage values its employees, she said.

Harry Leff, a music teacher at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas was presented an award for his work in education in the Las Virgenes Unified School District.

"For 35 years, through music, (Leff) makes students better human beings and . . . excellent musicians," Brough said.

John Hodak captured the Community Service (Individual) CLvFFie award for his work with Big Brothers and other organizations including the Kiwanis, Manna, Wheels to the Sea and the YMCA. Hodak is also an English tutor at the Adult Literacy Center.

The Assistance League of Conejo Valley was the awardwinner in the Community Service Organization category. The Assistance League manages projects for children and young adults in very-low income families. The ShareABear Program, Screening Eyes Early, Transitional Living Care and Operation School Bell are four of the seven programs the group manages without any paid staffers.

The Disaster Communications Service, District 22, accepted the Public Safety Award. The volunteer organization provides communications and disaster relief to citizens from Calabasas to Westlake Village.

Former Agoura Hills mayor and City Council member Ed Corridori received the Youth Sports Award for his many years of service in youth sports. Brough said it was noted that Corridori was also a leader in bringing the Agoura Hills/ Calabasas Community Center "from a dream to reality."

A new category was added this year to the host of awards presented to local leaders. The Youth Leadership Award was presented to Virgilio Garcia, who moved from Guatemala to the United States four years ago, not speaking a word of English. "Since that time he has not only mastered the English language, but at Los Cerritos Middle School, he became a peer academic coach, peer mediator and bilingual guide," Brough said.

The jazz quartet of Matt Finders, Matt McKagan, Ralph Moore and Jamie Eblen entertained more than 150 guests at the Saturday evening cocktail reception. In addition to funny man Stark, the audience was treated to a combat demonstration and short performance by the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company. DJ Dru Solari from "You Should Be Dancing" provided music at the dinner and awards ceremony.

The Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation is more than 35 years old and serves as an apolitical, nonprofit think tank dedicated to the study of issues important to its service area.

Among the events the foundation sponsors is an annual Youth Congress for high school students, Senior Congress (which will present its fourth annual seminar, "How Safe Are You?" at the end of January), and various colloquia including the recent "Financing Our Region's Future" and "A Day in Your Life in 2016."

Other forums have addressed affordable housing, community spirit, workforce development and continuing education. Its next major undertaking will be a study of housing for the visual arts in the region. - Stephanie Bertholdo