June 15, 2010
Pleasant Hill, Calif. - John F. Kennedy University, an affiliate of the National University System, honored the Sierra Club’s President and Chairman Carl Pope with the prestigious Kennedy Citation Lifetime Achievement Award at its 45th annual commencement on Saturday, June 19, at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland.
JFK University honored Mr. Pope in recognition of his significant contributions to the fields of environmental protection and sustainability. Under his leadership, the Sierra Club has helped protect nearly 10 million acres of wilderness, including the California’s Desert and Giant Sequoia National Monument, and led the charge in preserving regulations of the amount of arsenic in America's drinking water and mercury in our fisheries.
In addition to his work with the Sierra Club, Mr. Pope has had a distinguished record of environmental activism and leadership, serving on the boards of organizations such as the California League of Conservation Voters, National Clean Air Coalition, Public Interest Economics, Inc., and Zero Population Growth.
“Carl Pope epitomizes the dedication of effort and commitment to purpose that John F. Kennedy himself represented and which our University strives to develop in our students,” said Dr. Steven Stargardter, President of JFK University. “His resume includes early years with the Peace Corps, which was created by President Kennedy so our community service ties to Carl come full circle.”
Patrick O’Dea, President and CEO of Peet’s Coffee, gave this year’s commencement address. Since May 2001, O’Dea has lead the Peet’s with the vision of building on its position as the premier quality specialty coffee and tea brand in the world. He spoke about the parallel between the worlds of Peet’s and JFKU. About the time when Alfred Peet was opening his first coffee shop in Berkeley, a small group of Bay Area educators had also “brewed” up the idea of making education accessible and accommodating for adult learners. Alfred took a radical departure from what was then available, “emphasizing smaller batches, freshness, superior quality beans, and coffee with richness and complexity.”
In 1965, JFKU’s first President, Harry Morrison, took a radical departure from typical college communities and opened an entirely new kind of campus, with schedules and course work designed for working adults to earn higher degrees. Adult students can be compared to those cups of dark roasted Peet’s coffee… full of richness and complexity. JFKU has been growing and changing during these past four decades, much the same as Peet’s has developed.
O’Dea addressed nearly 500 students who were awarded their undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees at the commencement ceremony.