NEWPORT BEACH RESIDENTS JAMES “WALKIE” RAY
AND PETER ROONEY APPOINTED TO
THE SHERMAN FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Today, the Sherman Library & Gardens announced the appointment of James “Walkie” Ray and Peter Rooney to The Sherman Foundation Board of Trustees. Ray and Rooney join the eight-member governing board that oversees Sherman Library & Gardens operations in Corona del Mar, California.
The other members of the Board of Trustees include former mayor and current Newport Beach Council Member Brad Avery; Stacy Cannon, associate vice president at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo; Tim Collins, CEO of TC Collins & Associates; Dan Daniels, former president of M.H. Sherman Company and Ardell Investment Company; Matt Echeverria, entrepreneur and former senior vice president with Tejon Ranch Land Company and owner of Echeverria Cattle Company; and, Gary Pickett, president of The Sherman Foundation, M.H. Sherman Company and Ardell Investment Company.
“We are pleased and excited to welcome Walkie and Peter to the Sherman Foundation Board of Trustees,” said Gary Pickett, president of The Sherman Foundation. “Both individuals bring with them extensive expertise and leadership to guide and advance the mission of Sherman Library & Gardens and propel the organization into the future as one of Orange County’s premier education and cultural destinations.”
James “Walkie” Ray
Ray, a Newport Harbor High School graduate, earned his graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Southern California and Stanford University. His company, Sanderson J. Ray Development, is an Irvine-based commercial developer with a 35-year track record. Ray has served in various philanthropic and advisory leadership positions with nonprofit organizations throughout Orange County. Along with his wife, Janet, he has given back to the community tenfold by leveraging resources, time, and business acumen to get projects off the ground and on a successful trajectory.
Peter Rooney
A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Rooney has been with Sares-Regis since 1990. For the last 25 years, Rooney has been responsible for their industrial real estate portfolio, growing Sares-Regis into one of the largest industrial developers in Southern California. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association.
One of the region’s most important cultural organizations, Sherman Library & Gardens, serves as a gathering place and community hub for more than 80,000 visitors annually. The 56-year-old organization is primed for major growth and transformation as it implements a five-year strategy and plan. More announcements to come soon. For more information on Sherman Library & Gardens, visit www.thesherman.org.
Sherman Library & Gardens is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that serves as a vibrant cultural center providing the public with an oasis of inspiration, education and appreciation of regional history through horticulture, art, year-round educational programs, and seasonal exhibits. The 2.2-acre property boasts a nationally renowned botanical garden and research library with collections related to the history of the Pacific Southwest. Sherman Library & Gardens is located at 2647 E. Coast Hwy., Corona del Mar, California 92625. For more information, visit www.thesherman.org or call (949) 673-2261.
Founded in 1951, the nonprofit Foundation helps to financially support Sherman Library & Gardens. Private funds raised through Sherman Library & Gardens include donations from individuals, corporations and other businesses, foundation grants, membership dues, admission fees, workshop and class fees, garden shop revenues, and facility rental fees. The Foundation is governed by an eight-member Board of Trustees that oversees the operations of the organization.
