The dedication of the Jack & Julie Nadel School of Business & Entrepreneurship at Santa Barbara City College was held Sept. 28 on SBCC’s West Campus.
The event included a private reception, brief program, and a ribbon-cutting for the newly remodeled lobby of the Business & Communications building.
City College and the SBCC Foundation expressed their gratitude to Julie Nadel for her pledge of $1 million to SBCC.
The endowment fund established with this gift at the SBCC Foundation will support, in perpetuity, the highest needs of the programs and initiatives of all academic disciplines that comprise the SBCC Business Division.
The division has been re-named the Jack & Julie Nadel School of Business & Entrepreneurship.
“I am thrilled to honor Jack’s groundbreaking business legacy by fostering future generations of entrepreneurs here at Santa Barbara City College,” said Nadel.
Nadel was speaking of her late husband’s career as a global entrepreneur that spanned seven decades, and their shared commitment to education and philanthropy.
“The Jack & Julie Nadel School of Business & Entrepreneurship will fulfill our mission to help others succeed in life,” she said.
“The creation of a physical incubator space, combined with outstanding teachers and programs, will support a magnificent business school where ideas will take flight to benefit future generations,” Nadel said.
The lobby of the Business and Communications building has been refurbished to create a student-centric, multipurpose, shared study, incubation and event space featuring visual changes including new furniture, fixtures, and cosmetic updates.
The space was designed by Dawn Ziemer of KBZ Architects.
“This gift is a remarkable demonstration of Julie Nadel’s generosity, leadership, and confidence in the educational excellence of SBCC,” said Geoff Green, CEO of the SBCC Foundation.
“This endowment will fuel a world-class business and entrepreneurship school that honors Jack Nadel’s legacy,” Green said.
“Jack’s contributions to the entrepreneurial community helped lay the groundwork for SBCC’s practical approach to business education,” said SBCC President Anthony E. Beebe.
“His legacy will live on and his values will be instilled in our students through this generous donation,” Beebe said.
“The example set forth by the Nadels will impart wisdom and inspiration to SBCC’s future entrepreneurs and business students. What a wonderful gift to the Santa Barbara community,” he said.
The endowment will support all of the business disciplines at SBCC, which include: accounting, business administration, business law, real estate, management, entrepreneurship, computer information systems, computer applications, finance, international business, marketing, and the experiential offerings of the Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship.
— Jennifer LeMay for SBCC.