Frank and Charlotte Kleeman: Legacy Donors

With a community resume a mile long and an impressive collection of awards and special recognitions, Frank and Charlotte Kleeman have been highly visible at charitable events and board meetings throughout Santa Clarita for the past four decades.

The Kleeman's list of community involvement is as impressive as it is exhaustive. Theirs is a legacy of altruism that led to Charlotte being named the 1996 Santa Clarita Valley Woman of the Year, 2001 Zonta Woman of the Community and 2002 Santa Clarita Elks Lodge Citizen of the Year. Similarly, it earned Frank 2002 Man of the Year honors by both the Santa Clarita Valley and the Elks Lodge. Together, the Kleemans were recognized as Philanthropists of the Year for 2002 by the Network of California Community Colleges and earned the COC Foundation's 2005 Silver Spur Award for Community Service.

And those are merely a few select awards from the couple's resume. The rundown of the vast number of associations and committees that have benefited from the Kleeman's support over the years requires more than just a quick glance.

"There are so many people who built something from nothing and made this community what it is," Frank said. Specifically, he mentioned Dr. Dianne Van Hook, Chancellor of College of the Canyons; Jim Ventress, Chief Professional Officer of the SCV Boys & Girls Club; Jan Keller, who started and developed the COC Library; Leslie Bretall, COC Librarian; and Liz Seipel, who built the Santa Clarita Child & Family Center.

Additionally, Frank has been a member of the COC Foundation Board of Directors since 1996.

"The College is so important to this whole valley, particularly the movement into the Canyon Country Campus," Frank said. "It has done a lot to bring the community back together.

"The changes that we've seen (at the College) have been magnificent. The growth of this College has been exciting to see. It gives one a very warm feeling for the community and it gives you a lot of bragging rights, which I, of course, do with my family and friends."