The Ventura Chamber of Commerce announced Monday that Brooks Institute has been recognized as its 2007 “Large Business of the Year.” Stephanie Becerra, the chamber’s board chairwoman, made the presentation at the organization’s annual Poinsettia Awards luncheon Dec. 11 at the Marriot Beach Hotel in Ventura.
Since 1997, the 1,000-member Ventura chamber has been honoring local businesses of distinction with annual awards. Brooks was selected because of its continued growth, its achievements to date, its partnerships within the business community, its presence within the Ventura community, and its commitment to educating persons in a specified medium.
“We were honored to be recognized by the Ventura Chamber of Commerce as the Large Business of the Year for 2007,” interim Brooks president Roger Anderson said. “The faculty, staff and students of Brooks Institute have made significant contributions to serving the community and helping to support Ventura as a great place to live and conduct business.
“Brooks Institute is fully committed to increasing its level of community involvement and civic engagement in 2008 and beyond.”
Ventura chamber president and CEO Zoe J. Taylor called the school’s award “a testament to the fine job Brooks does in providing high-quality education to the future filmmakers, graphic designers and photographers of tomorrow.”
For 62 years, Brooks Institute has trained and educated some of the industry’s finest visual and media arts professionals. From Oscar and Emmy winners to commercial photographers and innovative designers, the more than 10,000 “Brookies,” as Brooks graduates are known, are working for organizations such as National Geographic, Smithsonian, the Los Angeles Times and other national media outlets, including Hallmark Publishing, the Cousteau Society, HBO, Kodak and other visual arts industry leaders.
More than 1,500 students from throughout the United States and the world are enrolled in bachelor degree programs in professional photography, visual journalism, graphic design, and film and video production offered at four campuses in Santa Barbara and two in Ventura.
Brooks’ main campus, located off Highway 33 in Ventura, recently celebrated its five-year anniversary. That campus houses Brooks’ School of Film and Television, School of Visual Journalism and its School of Graphic Design. Brooks’ general education courses and administrative offices are located at its Allesandro Campus off Highway 101 near downtown Ventura.
For more information about Brooks Institute and the school’s programs, visit www.brooks.edu or call 805.966.3888.