Dr. Crystal N?one, CEO & President, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (on right), awards Tom & Shelley Schlender, the 2018 Gala Honorees. Courtesy photo.
AGOURA HILLS — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) recognized several key community contributors in 2018 during their annual “Stand up for Kids Gala Dinner & Auction”, the organization’s main fundraising event of the year.
Joe Seetoo received the Cal Johnston Service Award (named after Founder, Cal Johnston), a high honor bestowed on an individual who has provided exemplary service to BGCGCV. Seetoo is Senior Vice President and partner at Morton Capital with more than 20 years of experience in developing comprehensive financial plans and investment strategies for affluent business owners & high-net-worth families. Besides providing voluntary services to the BGCGCV, Seetoo has served on a number of philanthropic organizations and was selected as a finalist in the 2018 Trusted Advisors Awards in addition to being honored with the Wealth Management – Trail Blazer Award in 2017 by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. Seetoo currently serves as the Chair of BGCGCV’s Capital Campaign Committee which has successfully raised funds to build a stand-alone Club on the campus of Redwood Middle School in Thousand Oaks (completion date in early 2019). He is married with two daughters, residing in Agoura Hills.
Tom & Shelley Schlender were the 2018 Gala Honorees. Long-time members of the community, the Schlenders were high school sweethearts who later married and started a family, raising two sons. Shelley Schlender graduated with a nursing degree and had a long history with Los Robles Hospital specializing in pediatrics. Tom Schlender began his career in retail appliance sales and later opened his own store, Warehouse Discount Center (WDC), which expanded to seven retail locations from Torrance to Santa Barbara. The Schlenders generously shared their success with the community and especially the youth of the BGCGCV. Today, the BGCGCV Clubs are outfitted with WDC appliances making a direct impact on kids during the school year and the summer.
The Founder of BGCGCV, Cal Johnston, received the Visionary Award. After becoming a National Trustee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 1998, Johnston formed the BGCGCV in 2001 with the goal of building at least six clubs throughout the Conejo Valley. Under his leadership as Chairman and Founding Chairman, the BGCGCV has expanded to nine clubs with plans for more growth in the future. Orphaned at the age of five, Johnston is passionate about providing a solid foundation for youth and has made a significant impact on the BGCGCV. He has received numerous awards and is a member of a long list of civic organizations that directly give back to the community. He and his wife, Marje reside in the retirement community University Village in Thousand Oaks and belong to North Ranch Country Club. They have two children – Jeff Johnston, President of The Johnston Group in Agoura Hills and Janice Matthews of Mill Valley. The Johnston’s have six grandchildren.
For more questions about the BGCGCV’s 2018 award recipients, contacts the Boys & Girls Club at 818-706.0905.
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley are open before and after school, during lunch, on weekends for sports leagues, throughout the summer for the camp program and all-day during school vacations with tours of the Clubs available upon request. For more information about supervised youth programs, to donate, volunteer, or register online, please log onto www.bgcconejo.orgor call 818-706-0905.