Molly Elisabeth Taylor, known as Molly, met Burt Jolly at the Diamond Club of Angel Stadium in 2002. At the time, Taylor was director of finance for the sports division of Walt Disney Co., which owned Anaheim’s Angels and Ducks. When they began dating, colleagues teased Taylor that she would be called Molly Jolly for a lifetime if they married. Jolly stated that she married the guy in 2006, adding that “20 years later, we’re still married, and I’m still Molly Jolly.” Jolly now serves as president of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels. She shared this story last week at Fashion Island’s Ocean 48 during a dinner celebrating the winners of the 33rd annual Women in Business Awards, which were held last month. Joining Jolly at the dinner were fellow award winners Val Achtemeier of CBRE, Heather Perry of Klatch Coffee, Laura Khouri of Western National Property Management, and Vinita Tilve of Safety Products Global. Publisher Richard Reisman and Editor-in-Chief Rob Smith also attended.
Another significant event, the 12th-annual Innovator of the Year Awards, was held on Oct. 7 at the Irvine Marriott. A recap of this event can be found on page 4, and profiles of its five winners are slated for publication in next week’s print edition.
Community philanthropy was also recognized recently. Former USC and NFL star Fred Hill and his wife, Fran, were featured in the Sept. 7 edition for their work establishing the first Ronald McDonald House in Orange County. Their ongoing efforts with the nonprofit help house families whose children are hospitalized at Rady Children’s Hospital Orange County, formerly CHOC. On Oct. 1, the Hills were honored again during RMHOC’s annual gala. This year's event, held at Pasea Hotel & Spa and dubbed “Making Waves for Families,” successfully raised more than $440,000 to support the organization's mission.
The community also gathered to remember a prominent local figure. On Oct. 4, close to 200 people attended a Celebration of Life in Newport Beach for Bob Alter, founder of hotel REIT Sunstone Hotel Investors (NYSE: SHO). Alter passed away on Aug. 15. The event was held at Bob Olson’s Lido House hotel. Olson was among many attendees who looked to Alter as both a mentor and a friend. Other individuals in attendance included real estate executive Brandy Birtcher, former Congressman John Campbell, and David Pyle, Executive Chairman of American Career College and West Coast College, who spoke at the event. Alter had served on the boards for Pyle’s two schools for years.
A central theme of the day was Alter's generosity. Bobby Olson, general council of R.D. Olson Development, shared an anecdote with Publisher Richard Reisman about how Alter had positively impacted his life in a specific way, noting that "he didn’t need to do that." Shea Homes CEO Bert Selva recounted a similar anecdote regarding Alter, concluding with the same phrase. Reisman, a longtime friend of Alter’s, also stated he had experienced a similar type of generosity from Alter. Reisman remarked that the phrase "He didn't need to do that" captures the spirit of how Bob Alter led his life.
