2026 President’s Circle Event is March 12 at Shady Canyon Golf Club
SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Santa Ana College (SAC) Foundation will present Champion Awards to two high-profile donors on March 12 at the 2026 President’s Circle Event at Shady Canyon Golf Club in Irvine. Selected for their longstanding support of SAC’s educational mission, the honorees are the Fainbarg Chase family and Orange County real estate executive Steve Craig.
“With support from these exceptional donors and members of our President’s Circle, we ensure that no student is denied educational access through financial constraint,” said Dr. Annebelle Nery, president of SAC. “Steve Craig and the Fainbarg Chase family are among the finest examples of our alumni and Orange County business leaders, who invest intentionally and generationally to provide essential resources for our students to achieve their educational goals, become our future leaders, and power our Orange County economy.”
As longtime donors to SAC, members of the Fainbarg Chase family most recently provided a landmark $1.25 million gift to SAC in 2021 to establish the Fainbarg Chase Thrive Center, which provides free food and other resources to students on campus. Family patriarch, the late Allan Fainbarg, is a SAC alumnus and former SAC Hall of Famer. Fainbarg, his wife Sandy, and their adult children have provided more than $2 million to SAC over several decades, funding impactful scholarships, endowments and other student success initiatives.
A 1975 SAC alumnus and 2017 SAC Hall of Fame inductee, Craig is president and CEO of Craig Realty Group, a factory outlet shopping center development firm. Craig is a current and former Presenting Title Sponsor of the Foundation’s Annual Ed Arnold Golf Classic, playing a pivotal role in its record-breaking success. His increasing commitment to SAC over the years included hosting the 2025 President’s Circle event at his home.
Steve Craig at the 2025 President's Circle Reception with SAC Alumni speaker, Lauren Schaefer, and her family. (From L to R): Cathy Schaefer, Lauren Schaefer, Bill Schaefer & Steve Craig
The upcoming President’s Circle Event will also feature keynote remarks from top executives from Northgate Markets: Miguel Gonzalez, co-president and one of the original founders of Northgate Gonzalez Markets, and his daughter, Teresa Gonzalez-Anaya, director of customer marketing and sales. Gonzalez-Anaya is a member of the SAC Foundation Board of Directors, serves as Vice President and is the co-chair of the President’s Circle. With more than 40 locations in southern California, Northgate Markets specializes in authentic Mexican and Latin American groceries, fresh produce and more.
Alumni and students will also speak at the event, including Jessica Velez, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and SAC alumna; Glenn Linden III, a SAC Fire Technology student and SAC Foundation grant recipient, with a performance by the SAC Mariachi Dons, who are directed by Oscar Garibay, a SAC lecturer and Grammy Award-winning mariachi artist.
“These speakers represent the best and brightest of our Santa Ana College community, from business leaders who recognize the economic power of affordable higher education, to our alumni and students who are dedicated to public service, and our talented faculty who share their knowledge and skill with students every day,” Nery said.
Funds raised through the Presidents Circle have a direct impact on student success, explained Christina Romero, executive director of the SAC Foundation. Donations allow the Foundation to be responsive and agile when it comes to addressing student needs, including providing emergency funding when issues arise. In addition, this funding creates and supports innovation across divisions and academic departments at SAC and provides career development for students and more.
2026 Santa Ana College Foundation President's Circle Event will be held at Shady Canyon Golf Club on Thursday, March 12th
Recently, the Foundation was able to quickly provide a new laptop to a formerly incarcerated student, when his computer became inoperable. Today, that student is continuing his education as an English major at SAC with a 3.7 grade point average.
“This is just one recent student success story that we’re really proud of,” Romero said. “This student came to SAC wanting to change his life, and our ability to provide this quick assistance ensures he can continue his educational journey so that he won’t slip through the cracks again.”
Since its inception, the President’s Circle has raised more than $1.8 million for the Foundation, allowing it to seed innovative and critical experiential learning for new and emerging programming across the campus. Previous examples include SAC’s legal studies clinics and SAC’s twice-yearly Southern Trip for prospective transfer students to visit four University of California campuses.
“The President’s Circle is focused on strategic and engaging fundraising that allows our Foundation to be the most innovative in meeting the needs of students,” said David Valentin, president of the SAC Foundation Board of Directors and retired Chief of Police for the City of Santa Ana. “Our Foundation ensures Santa Ana College students receive quality education and career development, without financial barriers. Thanks to our passionate President’s Circle donors, we are able fund new programming and provide rapid-response support for students.”
Presidents Circle Event Sponsors to date include C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, Orange County District 2 Supervisor Vincente Sarmiento and Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Foundation. President’s Circle Members receive two free tickets to the event. More sponsorship opportunities are available.
“We invite the entire community to support the high-achieving students at SAC by attending this event, or by learning about other giving opportunities, including planned giving,” Romero said.
For more information about joining the President’s Circle, as well as sponsorship opportunities for this event, or to purchase tickets for non-members, visit this link, or go to GiveToSAC.org.
About Santa Ana College:
Santa Ana College (SAC), founded in 1915, serves more than 70,000 students yearly for credit and noncredit classes. At present, SAC students can work toward completing an associate degree, university transfer, career/workforce training or a bachelor's degree in occupational studies. In 2025, the college will offer a second bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies. As part of Santa Ana College, the School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center offers free classes throughout the community for adults of all ages and academic backgrounds. Santa Ana College is an award-winning college and was recently ranked as one of the nation's top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students and named one of the best community colleges in California by Intelligent.com for a 2nd consecutive year. The college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and medical personnel.