Jet to Jetty: Most Successful Ever

The 27th Annual Jet to Jetty 5K/10K Run/Walk held at Dockweiler State Beach on Saturday, August 20 was the most successful in the race’s 27 year history!  Over 1,100 runners, walkers and cyclists participated in the early morning fun. The weather was great and the venue was beautiful.

Congratulations to Daniel Rojas , the winner of both the Men’s 5K and 10K Races – quite a coup, Daniel!

Winners were: Women’s 5K                        Jessica White - 1st Zoe Johnson - 2nd Julia Budniak - 3rd Men’s 5K                        Daniel Rojas - 1st Richard Weis - 2nd Pete Jones  3rd Women’s 10K                        Annie Grove - 1st Gisele Schaff  - 2nd Ginna Ladd - 3rd Men’s 10K                        Daniel Rojas - 1st Mike Davies - 2nd Bert Whitson - 3rd

The Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation (DFCF) was the title sponsor of the race again for 2011 and the official race name was the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation Jet to Jetty.  The William H. Hannon Foundation generously donated an 8 day/7 night Pleasant Holidays vacation for 2 to Maui for the special prize drawing.   Kathleen O’Leary Lefferman, Executive Director of AMCS said “We are so pleased that these two important community organizations have been and continue to be supporters of Jet to Jetty and Airport Marina Counseling Service.” 

Karen Dial, Board Chair of the DFCS said, “Airport Marina Counseling Service provides a very valuable service to the community and the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation is proud to be the title sponsor of the Jet to Jetty again this year.”

Leading the race in the official pace car were this year’s Grand Marshals, former Los Dodger pitcher Tim Leary and well-known community leader, Geoff Maleman. Tim was a member of the 1988 World Champion Dodger team and won the Comeback Player of the Year award for his accomplishments in the 1988 season.  Geoff is the owner of Maleman Ink Public Relations, is active in many community organizations and is a past Honorary Mayor of Westchester.

All race participants received a free event T-Shirt and free after-race refreshments.  Balloon hats and face painting added to the beach-party atmosphere. Great hamburgers were cooked up by In-N-Out Burger cookout trailer – there is just something irresistible about the aroma of an In-N-Out burger and business was brisk even at the early morning hour!

Loyola Marymount University, celebrating its centennial year (LMU @ 100), sponsored the largest team in race history – 117 members strong!  It goes without saying that LMU won the prizes for Team with the Most Participants and Fastest Team – the Centennial Lions.

“The race was great fun as always and we thank everyone who came out to support Airport Marina Counseling Service as a runner, walker, cycler, spectator or volunteer,” said Polly Garstka, Co-Chair of the event. 

Additional sponsors of the 2011 DFCF Jet to Jetty included Playa Vista, Los Angeles World Airports, Westchester Mental Health Guild, The Guilded Cage, The Inn at Playa de Rey, Rotary Club of Westchester, Arias, Ozello & Gignac LP. Attorneys at Law, Polaris Electric, Kathleen Hannon Aikenhead and Gregory Soukup, Esq., the AMCS  Board of Governors, the Garstka Family, the Delavigne Family and the Lefferman Family. Local businesses and organizations sponsoring this year are Loyola Marymount University, The Real Estate Consultants, Playa Sunrise Rotary, Dick’s Sporting Goods (thanks to Dick’s for hosting Packet Pickup, too), Rainbow Acres, Dan Cohen, the Westchester Family YMCA, Westchester Farmer’s Market, Los Angeles Rent-A-Car, La Brea Heating and Air Conditioning, Junior’s Deli and Jack FM Radio.  We at Airport Marina Counseling Service salute them all.

Foundation Continues Support of Immediate
Intervention Program 

The William H. Hannon Foundation has made a $20,000 gift to renew its support of The Hannon Immediate Intervention Program at Airport Marina Counseling Service (AMCS) in Westchester. Established in 2003, the Intervention Program is designed to help those in the midst of a personal crisis due to death of a friend/family member, illness, trauma, job loss or related economic issues. The Program also provides education and training experiences for interns. 

“We are pleased to continue to provide support for the Hannon Immediate
Intervention Program and we thank the wonderful people at AMCS for what they
do every day to help people in need,” said Kathleen Hannon Aikenhead, President
of the William H. Hannon Foundation and a member of the Board of Governors at
AMCS. 

“We are very grateful to the William H. Hannon Foundation for its generous
support of this program, as it offers intervention and safety for individuals facing
sudden, overwhelming and sometimes disabling crises,” said Kathleen O’Leary
Lefferman, Executive Director of AMCS.

MEET SUSAN ZOLLA
Immediate Past President of the Board 

We are proud to feature Susan Zolla, our President for the last three years. Her term ended June 30, 2011 and she left some big shoes to fill.

Susan led AMCS with creativity, confidence and lots of energy! Her list of achievements at and beyond AMCS is huge ... we were very fortunate to have her at the helm.

In her own words, Susan speaks of her role as President and how she came to be a part of AMCS ....

"Doris Uncapher (recently and sadly deceased) met with me and urged me to join the board. If I could act and look like she did I thought I might just try this.  Extremely challenging and extremely fulfilling - and most of all a lot of fun. I am especially impressed by the increasing number of clients I see every week in the front lobby as I enter the clinic. Not only does the clinic help so many others but I have gained real role models for the first time in my life. I follow in the footsteps of some very smart women all of whom have held important jobs and have raised their families. I will remain in their shadows and could never accomplish as wisely as they have but I am grateful for these trailblazing board members, for the leadership and intelligence of Kathleen Lefferman, for an outstanding and dedicated AMCS staff and interns all of whom so admirably help all those who seek it."  

Susan comes with an impressive and extensive record of success. Receiving her bachelors degree with majors in history and psychology from Bucknell University, she began her career as a history teacher. A Masters from USC in School Administration enhanced her career and enabled her to become an administrator in a large school district for a number of years.

Currently, Susan is President of Horizon Construction, an apartment and industrial space management and construction company that she started with her husband, Edward Zola, 35 years ago. She is also Owner of the Channel Road Inn in Santa Monica and the Inn at Playa del Rey in Playa del Rey CA. The Channel Road Inn, restored in 1988, has been featured in Travel and Leisure Magazine as one of the Top U.S. Seaside Inns and the Inn at Playa del Rey, a 22 room boutique hotel, was named to Conde Nast’s "Gold List" in 2009.

Since her husband's death in 2006, Susan has had less time to devote to the management of her hotels as she fills her husband's shoes as President of Horizon Construction. Things have been busy at Horizon as they manage their portfolio of existing properties and take advantage of the current low construction costs to remodel some of the larger apartment buildings.      

Even with her busy work schedule, Susan always finds the time contribute and be active in the community. In addition to being Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors of the Airport Marina Counseling Service and serving on the Executive Board, she is an Executive Advisory Board member of the UCLA Women's Health Center, Member of the Board of Overseers of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, board member, Playa del Rey Design Review Board, and a contributor to numerous Los Angeles charitable organizations.

We can't thank Susan enough for her three years as our President. It was a job extremely well done and she has our everlasting thanks!