San Jose, Calif. — San Jose State University is pleased to announce it has received a $1 million gift commitment from Cindy Lazares, '76 Accounting, and Dave Lazares. The gift will support the Spartan Athletics Center, the future home of San Jose State football and men's and women's soccer.
"This generous gift from the Lazares' is a testament to the belief that Coach Brennan is moving our football program in the right direction," said Marie Tuite, San Jose State director of intercollegiate athletics. "This gift is one more example of the countless times Cindy and Dave have stepped up to assist San Jose State. They both also realize their gift to the Spartan Athletics Center will greatly enhance the educational and athletic experience for all 22 sports we sponsor. On behalf of our entire athletics department, a sincere 'thank you' for this incredible gift."
ABOUT THE LAZARES FAMILY
Cindy Lazares came to San Jose State as a transfer student on a California state scholastic scholarship. She went on to co-found Shilling and Kenyon, a regional accounting firm, in 1982. She sold the firm in 1998 to CBIZ, a national consulting company, and joined her husband in Lazares Companies, a real estate development corporation, where she oversees all financial and tax activities. Cindy is a member of San Jose State's Lucas College and Graduate School of Business Advisory Committee, the Heritage Society and Exceptional Women Executives. She is a past-chair of the Silicon Valley Football Classic and Spartan Foundation Fund Drive.
A graduate of Arizona State University, Dave has worked in real estate since 1978 and has been the president of Lazares Companies since 2006. The parents of three sons, Dave and Cindy believe it is important to invest in education.
"The stability and the leadership—and the enthusiasm—that San Jose State has today feels different than it ever has before," said Cindy, who has been active with SJSU for more than 25 years. "Dave and I put ourselves through school. That is more difficult to do today. But attending state schools changed our financial profile. Schools like San Jose State change lives—they change entire families."
"I want our gift to help create a sustainable program that graduates people, is competitive and is a team sport—a team people want to be on," added Dave. "We want people from outside the university to say, 'I want to be on this team because it is a team of winners—because of the program, the building, the environment and the education SJSU has created.'"
Both longtime supporters of SJSU, the couple is energized by SJSU Football Head Coach Brent Brennan and his coaching staff, and believe that by supporting athletics, they will be helping impact the lives of countless students.
"What amazing news about this gift from Cindy and Dave Lazares," said Brennan. "As we strive daily to build a championship program here at San Jose State, I'm well aware it will take the belief and support of so many to climb this mountain. Cindy and Dave Lazares have been incredible Spartans for decades, donating time, effort or resources to our university. They always show up. I'm so grateful that Cindy and Dave Lazares are involved in the Spartan Athletics Center project. Let's go!"
To learn how you can support SJSU Athletics, please contact Steve O'Brien, deputy director of athletics, at steve.obrien@sjsu.edu or 408-924-1175.
About San Jose State University
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study—offered through its nine colleges.
With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San Jose State University continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce.
The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 280,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.
About San Jose State Athletics
San Jose State sponsors 22 (nine men's and 13 women's) NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports programs for approximately 500 student-athletes annually. In football, the Spartans are a member of Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the NCAA's highest level of competition.
The Spartans' primary conference affiliation is with the Mountain West. Selected teams belong to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the Western Athletic Conference and the Golden Coast Conference. San Jose State has 10 NCAA team championships and 52 NCAA individual titles. Sixty-two Spartans competed in one or more Olympic Games. San Jose State athletes have won seven gold, six silver and seven bronze medals at the Olympics.
Annually, about one-third of the student-athlete population earns either an institutional, conference or national recognition based on outstanding academic performance.
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