APU Dedicates New Ventura Regional Center Location

by Kelly Sellke '04

On Wednesday, November 12, Azusa Pacific University dedicated the Ventura Regional Center's new location in Oxnard. The dedication began at 6:30 p.m. and featured speeches by APU administration and Oxnard city officials.

Bud Weatherby, Ph.D., executive director of the Ventura Regional Center, gave a speech recognizing the many people involved in the development and relocation of the center. Weatherby thanked the previous directors who helped to form the center, and the companies TOPA Management, Oxnard Economic Development, and Parker Brown, who contributed to the move to the new location.

Weatherby also expressed the vision of the Ventura Regional Center as “to meet the educational goals of the constituents of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, and to fulfill APU’s mission statement and four Cornerstones.”

Andreas Herrera, Oxnard city councilmember, also spoke at the event. Herrera welcomed the regional center to the city, and expressed thanks for the center's assistance in meeting the city’s educational needs. He showed his support of the center by presenting a city coin to the city to President Jon R. Wallace, DBA, and a certificate of commendation to Weatherby.

Other speakers included President Wallace, who spoke about APU’s four Cornerstones, and Deana Porterfield, vice president for enrollment management, who thanked the audience for attending the dedication. The event concluded with a prayer of dedication, a tour of the center, and refreshments.

More than 175 people attended the event, including APU administration, board members, faculty, staff, and students, and local community members. “We feel blessed at the support the college and the community have given us here at the Ventura Regional Center,” said Weatherby.