HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 7816
City of Palo Alto (ID # 7816)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Special Orders of the Day Meeting Date: 2/27/2017
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Summary Title: Proclamation Honoring Caretha and Ken Coleman
Title: Proclamation of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Honoring Caretha
and Ken Coleman
From: City Manager
Lead Department: City Clerk
Attachments:
Attachment A: Proclamation Honoring Caretha and Ken Coleman
Proclamation
Honoring Caretha and Ken Coleman
WHEREAS, The City of Palo Alto is proud to honor Caretha and Ken Coleman, who have made tremendous
contributions to the community with the goal of making the world a better place, helping others to succeed, while
advocating for social justice, equity and progress; and
WHEREAS, Caretha and Ken Coleman were nominated for the 2016 Visionary of the Year Award and are
advocates for creating opportunities for people of color and women in business, they provide education on biases
in hiring practices, and have both contributed countless hours as mentors across the country to young black
business professionals; and
WHEREAS, Caretha Coleman was the second black female to work as an executive in the technology
industry in the early 1980s. She has served as Chairman of the Board at Dignity Health and board member of the
Silicon Valley Community Foundation, while also sitting on various non-profit boards including Board Chair of
the East Palo Alto YMCA, Mid-Peninsula YMCA, the Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness, and Advisory
Board for Facing History and Ourselves. She mentors young professionals and entrepreneurs across the county
and has worked 14 years at her own consulting company; and
WHEREAS, Caretha Coleman was named an Outstanding Board Director by the Silicon Valley Business
Journal in 2015, and one of the Bay Area’s Most Influential Women by the San Francisco Business Times in
2015 and 2016. She is a recipient of the YMCA’s Red Triangle Award, she received the Black Enterprise
Trailblazer Award, and was named a Visionary Leader by the SF Chronicle; and
WHEREAS, Ken Coleman, who served as an Air Force officer, went on to hold many important roles such
as management positions at Hewlett-Packard, Vice President for Product Development at Activision, fourteen
years at Silicon Graphics in top executive management positions, founder and CEO of ITM Software, Chairman
of Accelrys and was a special government advisor for international trade policies; and
WHEREAS, Ken Coleman has received numerous honors including being named as one of the top ten most
influential African Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area, a Top 25 Black Executive in technology, the Ohio
State University Distinguished Service Award, the National Alliance of Black School Educators Living Legend
Award, the American Leadership Forum of Silicon Valley Exemplary Leader Award, the One Hundred Black
Men of Silicon Valley Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the Silicon Valley Junior
Achievement Business Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, one of Caretha and Ken Coleman’s most significant accomplishments is leading a capital
fundraising campaign to raise $15 million in order to build a YMCA in East Palo Alto.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, H. Gregory Scharff, Mayor of the City of Palo Alto, on behalf of the City
Council, do hereby proclaim Caretha and Ken Coleman as community heroes and extend appreciation for their
years of significant contributions, service and leadership.
Presented: February 27, 2017
______________________________
H. Gregory Scharff
Mayor