NACAS Education Foundation Awards Mereese Ladson Diversity Scholarship

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NACAS is pleased to announce that Ms. Marla Franco, Associate Director Parking & Transportation Services of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona has been selected as the 2012 recipient of the Mereese Ladson Diversity Scholarship.
   
Although Ms. Marla Franco is not new to higher education, she is new to auxiliaries and business services, particularly Parking & Transportation Services at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CPP).  She has served as the Associate Director of this department for almost one year and oversaw this $6 million sector of the institution.  She has a new-found passion and appreciation for business services and understands the unique ways that these areas partner with the rest of the campus to provide an enhanced and seamless experience for the campus community. Although she encountered a learning curve, she reached out to others to enhance her knowledge of business services, such as housing services at CPP, as well as parking services at other institutions. 

Funded by the NACAS Education Foundation, the Ladson Diversity Scholarship was established in 2005 in honor of the late Mereese Ladson, Controller at Brooklyn College (CUNY). Ms. Ladson was a President and long-time leader of NACAS East and a great friend to the entire association.  Ms. Ladson’s professionalism, commitment to inclusiveness for all, and leadership were sources of inspiration to our members. This scholarship is intended to further her work to promote the advancement of diverse, career-minded higher education professionals, and to enhance their auxiliary services skill and knowledge base through NACAS professional development programs.

"I am so excited and honored to have received the 2012 Mereese Ladson Diversity Scholarship," said Marla Franco. "In my eyes, this form of recognition tells me that people and organizations in higher education believe in me and are willing to support me in my efforts to make a difference in the lives of others through my work. The ability to apply this scholarship award to professional development opportunities sponsored by NACAS is particularly exciting to me. I am so grateful for this opportunity!"

To learn more about the Mereese Ladson Scholarship or to apply, go to www.nacas.org and visit our Education Foundation webpage. There you can also help fund this scholarship by making a donation to the NACAS Education Foundation.