The Los Angeles City College Foundation Gala to Honor Ken Jeong with The Rodney Respect Award

The Los Angeles City College Foundation Gala will take place on Wednesday, October 23rd at the Skirball Cultural Center and will honor comedian, actor, writer and producer Ken Jeong with The Rodney Respect Award. Ellen Zaman, the Executive Director of External Affairs at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), will receive The Humanitarian Award. Al Ballesteros, the CEO of Wesley Health Centers/JWCH Institute, is the Distinguished Alumnus Recipient. The gala's theme is Celebrating the Caregivers in recognition of LACC's highly successful Radiologic Technology, Nursing and Public Health Science programs.

The reception will begin 6:00pm followed by a Gala Dinner at 6:45pm on Wednesday, October 23rd at the Skirball Cultural Center (2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., LA) and will include musical performances by LACC's renowned student artists.

LACC (https://www.lacitycollege.edu/) is the flagship institution in the Los Angeles Community College District, the largest community college district in the country. The LACC Foundation provides students with the financial support they need to attend school, regardless of their ability to pay. Over the last 15 years, the Los Angeles City College Foundation has provided LACC program and direct student support totaling over $34 million to date. Annually the Foundation provides over $3 million in financial support for college programs and directly to students, many of whom come from the most challenging areas of LA County where 65% of the households are living below the poverty level. Monies raised at the Anniversary Gala will go towards scholarships, stipends, book vouchers and other support provided to LACC students.

The mission of Los Angeles City College (LACC) is to promote accessible and equitable learning to benefit the diverse local and global communities we serve. LACC empowers students to achieve their educational and career goals by providing pathways to support their completion of associate degrees, certificates, transfer requirements, career and technical education. Amongst these programs are the radiologic technology and nursing, in which students completing and passing their board exams experience dramatic financial change. These career fields enable students to earn family sustaining wages. A portion of The Gala 2024 proceeds will directly benefit students pursuing degrees in the allied health programs. LACC provides a dynamic and innovative learning environment to more than 15,000 students. In 2029, LACC will celebrate its Centennial. The LACC service area currently includes the majority of Central Los Angeles, Hollywood, and other surrounding areas. The College serves an extremely diverse student body including those from various neighborhoods with large, concentrated populations of specific ethnic and linguistic groups, including Koreatown, Little Armenia, and Thai Town, among others.

Known for his scene stealing abilities, actor, producer, writer and comedian Ken Jeong has established himself as one of today's top comedic stars. Since his feature film debut playing Dr. Kuni in Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up" in 2007, Jeong has gone on to create memorable roles in both TV and film, most notably "The Hangover" franchise, "Community," and "Crazy Rich Asians." He also created, wrote, executive produced and starred in ABC's "Dr. Ken." Jeong can currently be seen as a panelist on the hit TV series "The Masked Singer," and as the host and executive producer of "I Can See Your Voice." The actor is set to appear in Season 2 of Fox's critically-acclaimed legal anthology series "Accused," starring in "Eugene's Story" episode directed by Michael Chiklis, in which he plays a kind-hearted jewelry store owner who confronts his wife's secret past. Jeong can also be seen in "A Great Divide," which explores the wave of anti-Asian racism that occurred in the wake of Covid. He can also be seen in Kevin Smith's coming-of-age comedy, "The 4:30 Movie," alongside Justin Long, Rosario Dawson and Jason Biggs, and the action-comedy sequel "My Spy: The Eternal City," starring Dave Bautista and Anna Faris. Recently, the actor made a splash in AppleTV+'s acclaimed murder mystery comedy series "The AfterParty," produced by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Anthony King. Jeong also had a starring role in Charlie Day's directorial debut "Fool's Paradise." He also starred in Mike Myers' "The Pentaverate," and had a memorable role in Will Arnett's "Murderville." Fans also know Jeong from his Netflix standup special "You Complete Me, Ho," which earned him a People's Choice nomination, as well as such films as "Role Models," "Pineapple Express," "Step Brothers," "Ride Along 2," "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon," "Couples Retreat," "Goosebumps 2" and "Tom & Jerry." The actor has also lent his voice to the Oscar-nominated "Over The Moon," "Despicable Me 2," and recurs as Dr. Yap in the beloved animated series "Bob's Burgers."

Ellen Zaman, the Executive Director of External Affairs at CHLA, will be honored with The Humanitarian Award. A respected healthcare leader, educator, and advocate, Ellen has spearheaded hundreds of innovative efforts and initiatives in health access, behavioral health, public policy, education, economic advancement, and workforce development. Her leadership across various sectors continues to advance children's health and transform community wellness across the Los Angeles region.

Al Ballesteros is the Distinguished Alumnus Recipient. He is the CEO of Wesley Health Centers/JWCH Institute, a Los Angeles based non-profit, Federally Qualified Community Health Center. He is also a commissioner and past co-chair of the LA County Commission on HIV, appointed by the LA Board of Supervisors. He is a member of the Board of Directors, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and Founder and Publisher of Adelante Magazine, a Latino gay and lesbian monthly publication.

The Rodney Dangerfield Institute (http://rodneyrespectaward.com/) at LACC was established in honor of the late comedian. Offering four classes including a stand-up workshop, improvisational comedy, joke writing, and an American film comedy genre class, the RDI is the only comedy institute in the country housed within a community college. The RDI was established in cooperation with Joan Dangerfield, Rodney's widow, who serves as the honorary chair of the RDI Advisory Board. Dangerfield appeared in 22 films, 20 commercials and as a guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" a record 70 times. Known for his iconic "I don't get no respect" line, his signature black and red tie are part of a permanent collection at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

Tickets to The LACC Gala can be purchased at https://laccfoundation.org/2024-gala or please call Grant Associates at (323) 904-4400.

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