Over $80,000 was raised at this year's Pleasanton Partnerships in Education (PPIE) CEO Dinner, held November 6. Larry Garlic, chairman and CEO of Remedy Corporation, won the Most Appreciated CEO title, as he received over $25,000 in tips from his guests. It was the third consecutive year that Remedy has received the prize. Jeff Miller, president and CEO of Documentum, trailed closely behind with donations of over $20,000.

The money will go towards funding a variety of educational programs, many of which provide for cross-pollination between the business community and local schools.

Many Participants at Dinner

Other Hacienda company officials at the dinner were Scott McKibben, president, Alameda Newspaper Groups, Anna Ruotolo, president, AmeriCal Funding, Inc.; Joe Callahan, president, Callahan Property Company; Don E. Sundgren, president and CEO, Dillingham Construction; Steve Willens; president, CEO, Lucent Technologies; Tom Sinton, president, CEO, ProBusiness; Daniel White, president, CEO, SkillSet Software; Ed Doherty, president, Software Development, Inc; and David Gerber, senior vice president and CIO, Vanstar.

Technology Academy

PPIE is currently seeking participants from the business community for its new Technology Academy program. Volunteers are needed to troubleshoot computer hardware owned by the schools and to help train teachers on using new software, the Internet, and more.

"We've tried in the past at the school district to hire hardware repair technicians, but we just can't compete with the market for these individuals," explains Cindy McGovern, PPIE's executive director. As for the software training, she notes that "we're trying to bring the teachers along and catch them up with the kids in their classroom."

Internship Opportunities Sought

McGovern also noted that the organization is seeking to expand its successful internship program, begun this summer with the help of Documentum, PeopleSoft, and Remedy. "Those students gained so much knowledge and guidance for going on to higher education in the computer field," she says. "We're really hoping more companies can do that, too."

Call PPIE at (925) 846-5620 for more information on either internships or becoming a volunteer.

Also in this issue ...

• Convenience Grows as ValleyCare Expands
• Cutting-Edge Technology Without Cutting
• Business Bits
• Executive Profile - Richard Sampson, Richard Sampson & Associates, Inc.
• WHEELS 680 Express Bus Service Targets a January Start
• Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley Offer Live Music, Movies, and a Variety of Entertainment
• PPIE's CEO DInner Raises over $80,000 for Pleasanton Schools
• Hacienda Index