Future Foundation director to retire

FOND FAREWELL- Fran Brough is stepping down as director of the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation after 13 years. For the last 13 years, Fran Brough has been at the helm of the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation think tank that has championed many conferences, events and study projects designed to help citizens of all ages.

Brough recently announced her retirement, but said she will remain with the organization until the end of the year.

Brough launched her career with the foundation in 1995 when she answered an ad that sought clerical help for the group. She said she had no idea that the job would eventually evolve into a full-fledged career.

"The organization (was) just entering a new phase in its charter as a think tank for the region," she said.

The foundation was originally called the Conejo Future Foundation when it was launched in 1972 by such "forward thinkers" as Ray Olson, Wilfred Rothschild, Fred Wilson and Dr. Mark Matthews, she said. The founders successfully led the effort to unify the Conejo School District and mobilized forces for the creation of a regional cultural center which became the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

Over the years, the group advocated for open space initiatives and sponsored annual events geared toward the needs of senior citizens, teens and the community as a whole.

The organization's name was changed in 1995 to the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation to encompass all the cities within the Conejo Valley, including Westlake Village, Agoura, Oak Park and Calabasas.

Born in Bronx, N.Y., Brough was trained as a math teacher before moving to Los Angeles in 1962 and teaching in public and private schools in the area.

"(I) felt like a pioneer living at the edge of (a) small rural city near Lynn Road and the 101," said Brough, who has lived in Simi Valley for the past 10 years.

"The foundation was just coming off the 'Vision 2020' project, which helped local leaders focus on the next quartercentury of challenges," she said. "As I began to get a look at what the organization did, I found it extremely interesting and became deeply involved in a number of the group's initiatives."

Brough "dove" into such projects as the Diversity Forum, and the Youth Congress, which is now in its 24th year. She was also behind the acclaimed "Teen Assist Card," a card with a list of resources that is updated every two years and distributed to teens, young adults and community service agencies.

"We found that the Conejo region had some unique challenges," Brough said. "Few young people could afford to live here after leaving home; affordable senior housing was in great demand, and the residents of our area were particularly concerned about where our region was going." Many people, she said, expressed the desire to maintain the qualities that attracted them to the Conejo Valley in the first place.

The foundation moved into its current office in the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District building in 1998, and Brough has been instrumental in building the group's membership, including elected representatives and staff from local governments and agencies, as well as leaders from law enforcement, business and schools and people interested in the region's future.

Members meet regularly to examine issues and needs, study opportunities and solutions, and spark community action. The organization conducts annual programs and events to promote communication among various sectors of the community, including the CLvFFie Awards for community service, the Youth and Senior congresses, and its newest effort to assess needs for Housing for the Visual Arts (HVA).

Brough has described the foundation as a "catalyst" for local advances. "Eventually, after planting the seeds for new ideas, the foundation steps aside and other groups move these initiatives to completion," she said. "One only needs to see our list of projects to realize the enormous influence we have had on the region over the last 35 years.

"The CLVFF reflects the changing area- we're no longer in a growth spurt; it's more like maintenance mode," she said. "The Conejo region is quickly becoming a travel destination, with theater, festivals, golf, hotels and spas. I'm excited about the HVA development project, since it's a real opportunity for us as a community to explore our cultural direction."

The foundation is seeking a replacement for Brough. She said she hopes the new director will start by Oct. 1, but she plans to stay until the end of December to finish her work with this year's Youth and Senior congresses.

Brough has enjoyed her job over the years. "This is a job for someone who likes meeting the people who make the policies and decisions that shape our region," she said. "Every day here has been different- the range of projects and the disciplines required always keep me on my toes. I have always felt connected- a significant part of my community."

Retirement for Brough will mean more time to golf and more time for her family and three grandchildren.

For information, see www.clvff.org or call Brough at (818) 880-1054.