Honorary doctorates bestowed on two county leaders whose lives were shaped by higher education
By Kim Lamb GregoryVentura County Community Foundation (VCCF) Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Bechtel and retired 海角社区CI Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) counselor Angela Timmons each received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during 海角社区CI鈥檚 2024 Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 18.
Timmons鈥 support for the University includes developing a community for 海角社区CI鈥檚 Black students and supporting countless other students during their most challenging moments when she was a counselor with CAPS.
Timmons was born and raised in Oxnard, developing a passion for gospel music early in her life. With that love came confidence and inspiration. Timmons attended Columbia College in Missouri, where she and several other students formed a gospel group called Children of God. The group gained popularity and performed all over the state of Missouri. Timmons then went on to pursue her degrees in social work at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) before earning a Doctor of Public Administration from the University of La Verne.
President Yao congratulates Angela Timmons on her honorary doctorate.
Her passion for gospel singing enabled her to make lasting connections when she served as the Director of Social Services for Ventura County. She also served as a counselor from 2014 to 2019 for 海角社区CI鈥檚 Counseling & Psychological Services until her retirement from the University.
She is overwhelmed with gratitude at receiving an honorary doctorate, and thanks those upon whose shoulders she stands, and the 海角社区CI campus. 鈥淲henever I set foot on campus, it鈥檚 magical,鈥 Timmons said, 鈥淚 am in awe of the professors, the staff and their dedication to the students, making students the center of the equation.鈥
Bechtel and her sister grew up in a low-income home. Her mom was a hospice night shift worker, and her father had many different jobs 鈥 from selling RVs to doing photography at street fairs in San Francisco.
After graduating from UCSB with a degree in Law and Society, Bechtel went on to earn her master鈥檚 degree from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.
Prior to joining VCCF in 2015, Bechtel served as the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation.
Vanessa Bechtel speaks to the Commencement crowd having received her honorary doctorate.
She had heard about 海角社区CI鈥檚 mission to create fundamental access to education and wanted to be a part of it when she came to Ventura County.
鈥淚 love Cal State Channel Islands,鈥 Bechtel said. 鈥淗aving just volunteered this past semester in a communication class, I was in awe of the close rapport the professors had with their students. I would have really loved to have gone here, and it would have been really helpful to me.鈥
According to President Yao, 鈥淭he impacts on our region of these two extraordinary women are as profound as they are deserving of this honorary doctorate bestowed upon them by the 海角社区 Board of Trustees.鈥
To learn more about Timmons and Bechtel, read the news release.