Liberty Hill Founders Award honors Alison Morgan and Parke Skelton
Liberty Hill presents its annual Founders Award to those whose philosophy and philanthropy embodies the spirit of “Change, Not Charity.”
On April 23, at Liberty Hill's Upton Sinclair Dinner and Awards Celebration, the 2013 Founders Award will be presented to Alison Morgan and Parke Skelton. Alison and Parke, the fundraiser/strategist duo, are one of L.A.’s power couples. They bring unparalleled energy, commitment, and smarts to their political and philanthropic work, throughout their extensive reach, independently and together, into California’s social justice and political communities.
Soon after moving to Los Angeles from New York as a performer, Alison became engaged in the AIDS, movement. She then found a niche as a progressive political fundraiser for candidates, including Senator Barbara Boxer, Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former State Senator Sheila Kuehl, State Senator Fran Pavley, former Assembly member Mike Feuer, Congress member Karen Bass, and former Assembly member Jackie Goldberg. She now serves the broader community through the cultivation of financial resources and board development in the nonprofit world. She is the Major Gifts Consultant for the civil rights advocacy organization Advancement Project, following her stint as Development Director of the Western Center on Law and Poverty. Now on Liberty Hill’s Advisory Board after a six-year stint on the Board of Directors, Alison also serves on the Board of the Sequoyah School in Pasadena.
Parke is one of California’s pre-eminent political campaign consultants. His firm, SG&A Campaigns, has run campaigns for such progressive Democratic candidates as Controller John Chiang, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, Secretary of State Debra Bowen, Congress members Karen Bass, Julia Brownley, Judy Chu, Alan Lowenthal, Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman and Hilda Solis, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Sheriff Lee Baca and District Attorney Jackie Lacey. Capitol Weekly named Parke one of the 100 Most Influential Californians.
Parke is a competitive table tennis player, although too old and slow to be much of a threat anymore. He is an indiscriminate reader and an enthusiastic fan of traditional American music with a special passion for collecting old Folkways records. Parke loves the politics, history and neighborhoods of Los Angeles.
For tickets and information about the 2013 Upton Sinclair DInner and Awards Celebration, please visit http://www.libertyhill.org/dinner.