Two local leaders to receive CSUMB honorary doctorates

By Mark Muckenfuss

Life’s opportunities are not always what you anticipate. Both of this year’s recipients of honorary doctorates from Cal State Monterey Bay ended up in professions they weren’t initially aiming for. 

David Stivers, the chief executive officer of Pebble Beach Company, began his career as a corporate attorney after graduating from Harvard Law School. Bettye Saxon thought she was going to teach at a university after earning her doctorate in education. But AT&T recruited her out of college and she has worked for them ever since. 

Both will receive honorary degrees at CSUMB’s Commencement on May 17.

"Bettye Saxon and David Stivers have shown a commitment to the community and our region, and embrace the same values that Cal State Monterey Bay has been built on,” CSUMB President Vanya Quiñones said. “They have supported the university for many years, with an eye toward strengthening our region through building innovative workforce development programs, enhancing equity and inclusion, and expanding access to education."

Saxon said she was reluctant when AT&T first approached her. She was focused on education, not corporate public relations. 

“They said, ‘You won’t leave education,’” she recalled. “‘We’ll have you as the spokesperson and you can talk about how education will be transformed by technology.’  I was like, ‘Well, that’s my dissertation.’”

It seemed a good fit and has remained so for more than 25 years. In that time, Saxon has promoted educational programs by reaching into underserved communities and providing the tools of technology to help students succeed. 

Saxon said she didn’t want to just give money to existing programs. She began a campaign to provide laptop computers and iPads to students whose families couldn’t afford them.

“We wanted to see the direct impact on communities,” she said. “That came in the form of placing those devices ourselves in the hands of underserved students. The first community I did was in Seaside. It was called the Village Project.”

Subsequent projects took place in Watsonville, Salinas, Hollister and Greenville, with one in, King City scheduled for this fall. So far, Saxon said, more than 1,000 computers have been distributed in Central Coast communities.

Along the way, she has developed a strong connection with CSUMB.  She plans to give out 100 laptops to CSUMB students this fall. 

Saxon has had a longstanding relationship with CSUMB. She has organized educational programs in which the campus has hosted students. She has been a guest lecturer. And, for three terms, she was a member of the Foundation of CSUMB Board of Directors. She served as chair during her final two terms. 

Still, she was surprised when President Vanya Quiñones informed her she’d be receiving an honorary doctorate. 

“I said, ‘Vanya, you know I already have a doctorate,’” Saxon said. “She said, ‘Now you’ll have two.’ I was shocked.”

Stivers said he too was surprised when he received the call. He said he “absolutely” sees the award resulting from shared efforts.

“First and foremost, this is a reflection of the Pebble Beach Company and CSUMB team for the collaborative work everyone has put in to make the scholars program happen,” Stivers said, referring to the Pebble Beach Scholars program that was announced last year. The program is a partnership between the resort and CSUMB’s Sustainable Hospitality Management and Tourism program. “It’s a testament as much to them as it is to me,” he said.

Stivers has been with Pebble Beach for 25 years and has spent more than 30 years in the hospitality industry after being lured away from practicing law.

“The people who recruited me were such a great group of people,” he said. He couldn’t say no.

The honorary doctorate is a first for Stivers and something he feels further strengthens the bond between Pebble Beach and CSUMB. 

“I think our relationship is strong, but this strengthens it even more,” he said, adding that it was an opportunity he could not pass up. 

He expects the scholars program to be at the center of that relationship. It reinforces one of the values of the Pebble Beach Company, he said, which is giving back to the community.

“The opportunity for us to provide scholarships for students is a chance for us to give back to the next generation of leaders,” Stivers said, “while simultaneously meeting the business need of identifying and attracting the next generation of leaders to Pebble Beach.”