USC Alumni Association to Honor Trader Joe’s Chairman & CEO Dan Bane, Six Other Prominent Trojans at 79th Annual USC Alumni Awards

LOS ANGELES — January 23, 2012 — Dan Bane ’69 (USC Leventhal School of Accounting) will receive the Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award, the University of Southern California’s highest alumni honor, at the 79th Annual USC Alumni Awards on April 28, 2012, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

Named for the 1931-32 president of the USC Alumni Association, the Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the university and the community by giving generously of their time, energy and leadership. Bane became chairman & CEO of Trader Joe’s in 2001. Under his leadership, the specialty grocery retailer has become one of the most successful privately held companies in the United States, with estimated annual sales of $8.5 billion. In 2002, Bane made the decision to sell Charles Shaw wine at Trader Joe’s, which now sells 13 million cases of “Two-Buck Chuck” a year. A member of the USC Leventhal School of Accounting Board of Advisors, Bane received that school’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001.

“Dan Bane is one of the most respected and successful leaders in the world of business and in our community,” said Lisa Barkett ’81, the president of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors. “He is also one of the most dedicated supporters of both USC and the Trojan Family. It is our great honor to present him with the 2012 Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award.”

In addition to Bane, the USC Alumni Association will recognize six other Trojans for their achievements and contributions to USC. Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana Ph.D ’95 (USC Rossier School of Education) and William Wang ’86 (USC Viterbi School of Engineering) will receive Alumni Merit Awards, given to individuals whose remarkable accomplishments speak well for the range and quality of a USC education. Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana is the superintendent of the Santa Ana Unified School District and the former assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the United States Department of Education. William Wang is the founder and CEO of VIZIO, Inc., America’s #1 LCD HDTV company.

Riot Games co-founder and CEO Brandon Beck ’04 (USC Marshall School of Business) will receive the 2012 Young Alumni Merit Award. One of the world’s leading online game developers and publishers, Riot Games is headquartered in Los Angeles with global operations in Europe and Asia.

Alumni Service Awards, which recognize longtime volunteer efforts on behalf of the university and the Trojan Family, will go to three devoted alumni leaders: Richard A. DeBeikes Jr. ’78 (USC Sol Price School of Public Policy), Kelly G. Purvis ’82 (USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences) and Jeffrey H. Smulyan ’69, JD ’72 (USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences & USC Gould School of Law). Richard A. DeBeikes Jr. is a USC trustee and past president of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors. Kelly G. Purvis is a past president of both the Trojan League Associates of San Diego County and the Association of Trojan Leagues. Jeffrey H. Smulyan is a USC trustee and a member of the board of councilors of two USC schools: the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism and the USC Gould School of Law. He was also a driving force behind bringing Classical KUSC radio to the Bay Area.

“This year’s honorees represent the very best of the Trojan Family,” said USC Alumni Association CEO Scott M. Mory. “Through their many accomplishments and acts of service to the university, these seven alumni have brought great honor to USC. We look forward to welcoming them, and our guests, to the 79th Annual USC Alumni Awards on April 28th.”

Every year since 1932, the USC Alumni Association has paid tribute to distinguished members of the Trojan Family. The annual Alumni Awards celebration is the premier event sponsored by the USC Alumni Association. Past recipients of the Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award include Grammy winning trumpeter Herb Alpert ’54, former secretary of state Warren M. Christopher ’45 and legendary film star John Wayne ’27. The event’s Presenting Sponsors to date are Classical KUSC, the law firm of Greenberg, Whitcombe & Takeuchi, LLP and Wells Fargo; Trustee Sponsors are Art M. Gastelum MPA ’81, Christine Marie Ofiesh ’82 and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. All proceeds from the event support USC Alumni Association programs and services. For more information, please visit alumni.usc.edu/awards.

ABOUT THE USC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The USC Alumni Association‘s mission is to support the overall advancement of the University of Southern California by engaging all alumni for life, building a culture of philanthropy among the Trojan Family, and being the representative voice for all USC alumni.

With more than 300,000 members worldwide, the USC Alumni Association supports more than 100 affiliated alumni clubs, alumnae support groups and multicultural and generational alumni communities. These groups collectively distribute more than $2 million each year in scholarships for USC students. In addition, the USC Alumni Association annually hosts hundreds of events and programs around the world, and provides benefits and services to all USC alumni. The 2011-2012 USC Alumni Association Board of Governors president is Lisa Barkett ’81 and the Alumni Association CEO is Scott M. Mory.