Small Business/Big Impact for ESEF

The El Segundo Educational Foundation is fortunate to have dedicated Corporate Partners who provide substantial time and resources to the Foundation and the children of El Segundo. Some of ESEF's Corporate Partners represent international companies. There are also a handful of local companies who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the large corporations in dedicating time and money to support public schools in El Segundo.

ESEF Chairman Richard Lundquist is President of Continental Development Corporation, a family-owned real estate development company that has grown with the City of El Segundo over the last 43 years. "Our Continental Park in El Segundo is home to businesses that employ close to 10,000 people," states Lundquist. "Hundreds of those people live in El Segundo and have children that go to El Segundo schools. I believe that local businesses have a civic obligation to help make this city a great place to live--and that starts with having great schools." This year Continental Development donated $50,000 to ESEF, prompting the creation of a Diamond giving level at $25,000 and above.

(L to R) Ed Myska, Richard Lundquist and Ron Swanson

Ed Myska is Senior Vice President of First Coastal Bank, which supports ESEF at the Platinum level, because the Foundation helps provide extras to the educational process that the state can't provide. "Many families cannot afford private schools, but they know how important education is to their children's futures. We live here, we work here, the community of El Segundo supports us--we want to give something back," says Myska.

Al Keahi is President and CEO of Tahiti Tourismé, a company that has grown over the years from a one-man shop in downtown El Segundo to a thriving Destination Management Organization (DMO) with a dozen employees. He sees his involvement in local public education as key to re-branding El Segundo. He says, "When I moved my family here, El Segundo was not a name associated with a great educational system and a premier residential location. Today El Segundo is a desirable place to live--partly because we have great schools."

Keahi has been on the board of ESEF for 13 years, and he has a child who attended El Segundo schools. "I believe that if we provide good educational programs, then good families will want to live and work here. That perpetuates positive growth, which in turn leads to a great local economy," says Keahi, whose company is a Platinum level Corporate Partner. Another local business owner who has been dedicated to improving education in El Segundo is Ron Swanson, president of S&S Hardware, a Gold level Corporate Partner. "My employees have children in our schools and they really appreciate our involvement in ESEF," says Swanson. "Every business owner in El Segundo should participate by

Al Keahi

contributing time and/or resources to the Educational Foundation. Education impacts every child in our city. If the schools are good, we all benefit from having a safe, prosperous, well-educated population."

The four businessmen we interviewed are principals of growing, successful, local companies who, through their involvement in the ESEF, are deeply involved in efforts to maintain and improve education in El Segundo. If you share their vision and would like to become a Corporate Partner or to see a list of the other local companies that support ESEF, please visit our website.