Join VCCDC for the 3rd Annual Awards Ceremony, “Leading People Home” on Thursday, October 12 from 4:30pm - 7:30pm. This special celebration at Spanish Hills Club in Camarillo will honor five important leaders who have inspired our work and five award winners who are making significant contributions in our community. Together with our friends and supporters, we will enjoy an evening of delicious food, heart-warming stories and inspirational award presentations. We hope to celebrate with you!

HONORING THOSE WHO HAVE INSPIRED OUR WORK

We honored five important leaders who paved the way for affordable housing: Rodney Fernandez, Michael McGuire, Ernest Baskette Jr., Lynn L. Jacobs and Carmen Ramirez. Their exceptional contributions have made a lasting impact in the affordable housing field.

We will present the following five awards to people who are making significant contributions in our community through their time, actions, talents and dedication:

• Lynn L. Jacobs Award for Excellence in Lifetime Leadership

  • Honoring Lynn Jacobs for her legacy of empowering homeownership through Ventura Affordable Homes, Inc. and her work while serving as California’s Director of Housing and Community Development under Gov. Schwarzenegger.

• Rodney Fernandez Founder's Award for Excellence in Visionary Leadership

  • Honoring Rodney Fernandez, who championed the cause for affordable workforce housingin Ventura County for over 50 years and founded VCCDC in 2001. His leadership has proven that one person can make a lasting difference in the world.

• Michael McGuire Award for Excellence in Community Partnership

  • Honoring our first Board Chair, Michael McGuire, a man of great compassion for thofse in need and who has left a special space in the community and hearts of many that will long be felt.

• Ernest Baskette, Jr. Award for Excellence in Community Support

  • Honoring our longest running Board Member, Ernest Baskette, Jr. For his personal and professional mission to affect transformative repositioning of the economic status of families, and the revitalization of the communities in which they reside.

• Carmen Ramirez Award for Excellence in Advocacy and Community Impact

  • Our new award honoring Carmen Ramirez for advocating solutions-based initiatives to provide affordable housing for low-to moderate income households, and championing social, health, and environmental programs to deliver a better quality of life for all.

Award Honorees

Enjoy a beautiful night

Twenty-two years ago, Rodney Fernandez and Bertha Garcia, shared a broader vision to strengthen and sustain communities through homebuyer education, financial coaching and mortgage financing services. We are proud to say we continue to realize that vision. We have served more than 20,000 families, a majority low- and moderate-income households and people of color, in the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Kern, who have sought reliable information and resources to achieve homeownership and financial stability. The work is not easy but helping families attain the wealth-building benefits of homeownership that will have a ripple effect for generations to come is definitely worth it!

Through our annual Awards Ceremony VCCDC honors five important leaders who have transformed thousands of lives by paving the way for affordable homeownership and five award recipients who have worked to improve the quality of life for many in our communities. We invite you to be part of this celebration of honoring those who have dedicated their lives to helping others achieve a brighter future. Enjoy a beautiful night with cocktails, dinner and a program on the Grand Lawn of the Spanish Hills Club offering a gentle ocean breeze, spectacular views of the Topa Topa Mountains, surrounding countryside and the Pacific Ocean.

Check out last year’s photo gallery. We had the honor of having Lourdes Castro Ramírez, Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency as our keynote speaker. We were thrilled to have Jasmine Padilla, VCCDC homeowner and board member, deliver her client testimonial. Jasmine told us about her family’s journey to homeownership. Her powerful and heartwarming testimonial was one of the highlights of the event!

We will have another great program this year and look forward to celebrating with YOU!

Are you not able to attend but would still like to donate or sponsor next year’s Awards Celebration?