Gilberts make largest gift in CLU history

THOUSAND OAKS, CA (August 19, 2005) –– Jack Gilbert, chairman of the board of TOLD Corp., has pledged the largest gift in the history of California Lutheran University. Gilbert, one of Ventura County’s most successful businessmen and whose family name will grace the new Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, announced his intention to give a $5 million gift.

Gilbert, a former member of the CLU Board of Regents, and his wife, Carol, gave more than $4 million during the recent Now is the Time capital campaign to be used for the 96,000–square–foot building currently under construction. In making this gift announcement, Gilbert and his wife encouraged others to step forward to help CLU – the largest private university in the region –– realize its vision by maintaining the pace and momentum of the current campus development.

The Gilberts’ latest gift is not only the largest cash contribution in CLU’s history but also one of the largest ever in the region. They have asked that a portion of the gift be designated for the construction of a president’s residence with the balance being used for other campus enhancements.

The Board of Regents will determine how the remainder of the Gilbert gift and other donations will be prioritized in support of new educational and other facilities as well as endowed scholarships, professorships and programs.

“This incredible gift adds to the momentum that the University and the community are experiencing,” said William Kane, chairman of the Board of Regents, referring not only to the capital improvements but also to one of the largest, most diverse groups of new faculty and freshmen in the history of CLU coming this fall.

The $18 million Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center is just one of several athletic facilities that will be built on the 80–acre site north of Olsen Road. Other venues include George “Sparky” Anderson Baseball Field, Samuelson Aquatics Center, soccer and track and field venues, practice fields, and on–site parking. The Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center – which will include a 1,500–seat main gymnasium, a second practice gym, the Lundring Events Center, classrooms and labs, fitness center, dance and aerobics studio, sports medicine facility, offices for faculty and coaches, and Hall of Fame showcases for the university and the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame – is slated to open in 2006.

The Now is the Time campaign concluded in May, surpassing the $80 million goal by more than $13 million. The largest capital campaign in CLU’s history resulted in the construction of the Spies–Bornemann Center for Education and Technology, significant funding for the start of the athletics complex construction as well as gifts toward the university’s endowment, scholarships and annual fund.

The founder of Burbank–based Zero Corp., Gilbert moved to Ventura County in 1973 and founded the Thousand Oaks Land and Development Corp. (TOLD Corp.), which has been ranked among the top 100 industrial and commercial developers in the nation.

A champion of business, community and charitable programs, Gilbert has been honored by numerous organizations. He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from CLU in 1990 and was the first recipient of the Hall of Fame Award presented by the Ventura County Economic Development Association (VCEDA) in 1989. Recognized as a major contributor to the economic progress of Ventura County, the Oxnard resident has been a supporter of the University since 1985.