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Arts Aug 31, 2016
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– Courtesy photo
Will Benefit Pasadena Senior Center and Honor Pasadena Humane Society CEO
The Pasadena Senior Center’s annual Zest Gala Saturday, Oct. 15, will be an elegant, fun-filled evening honoring Steve McNall, retired president and CEO of the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA.
Cocktails and a silent auction at 6 p.m. will be followed by dinner and the program at 7 p.m. Dr. Alan Chapman, KUSC Classical radio host, composer, lyricist and lecturer, will be the master of ceremonies and will provide musical entertainment with his wife Karen Benjamin, an accomplished soprano and concert artist.
McNall retired this year after three decades with the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA. After serving with the Huntington Beach Humane Society and the US Forest Service, McNall became an animal control officer with the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA in 1980, quickly working his way up the ranks to become executive director in 1985 and president/CEO in 2005.
“We are pleased and proud to be honoring Steve McNall, who has built an exceptional legacy at the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA,” said Akila Gibbs, executive director of the Pasadena Senior Center. “We are grateful for the opportunity to recognize him at the Zest gala and spotlight free resources he has made available for seniors, as well as his accomplishments on the job and in the community.”
Under McNall’s leadership, Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA resources for aging adults 60 and older include Seniors for Seniors, no-cost adoption of pets ages 5 and older that often are overlooked by shelter visitors; and Pet-Assisted Therapy volunteers who take dogs and cats to visit seniors in assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.
Additional accomplishments during his tenure include expanding the service area of the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA to include nine surrounding cities; helping define the link between animal abuse and child, spousal and elder abuse; working with local police departments to end cockfighting and pit bull fighting in the service areas; hosting low-cost vaccination clinics to help prevent diseases in animals and communities; developing the first low-cost spay and neuter clinic in the area; and overseeing facility growth in 1994, 2014, and 2015.
A US Army veteran and lifelong local resident, McNall earned a degree in horticulture and park management from Cal Poly Pomona and is a master falconer. He is a past president of the State Humane Association of California and the Pasadena Optimist Club. He currently serves on the board of directors of Treasure Little Children as well as the float committee of the Tournament of Roses Association and is a trustee at Mountain View Cemetery.
To receive an invitation to the Zest Gala or for more information, email pamk@pasadenaseniorcenter.org or call (626) 685-6756. Tickets are $200 per person. Proceeds will help fund the Pasadena Senior Center’s enrichment classes and social service programs. The location of the gala will be included in the printed invitation.
For more information about the services and programs visit the Pasadena Senior Center website or call (626) 795-4311.
