An Evening at the Haas Gala

The crowd of over 400 Haas alumni, donors, students, and supporters received the Dean’s performance with a standing ovation. Guitar in hand, Dean Lyons courageously belted a personally written tune in honor of Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Warren Hellman (BA 55). Dean Lyons never ceases to surprise us, so why should this night be any different? And then followed Mr. Hellman, whose notable lifetime accomplishments are inspiring, yet also a bit overwhelming. How foolish of me to not expect that the founder of Golden Gate Park’s annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is one of our own. Oh, and did I mention that Diane Dwyer, NBC Bay Area News Anchor, was the evening’s comedian? Dwyer hosted the program and ensured everyone in the room was laughing. Not only are her jokes entertaining and on spot, but she even teaches an undergraduate Haas elective on media consulting—complete with a lecture at Bear’s Lair for pizza and beer. Sign me up.

Undergraduate students with Dean Lyons

Dean Lyons on stage

The Haas Gala is an annual event that recognizes members of the Haas community and celebrates the school’s excellence. The event was at the San Francisco Palace Hotel and was a night full of mingling, dinner, awards, and dancing. I had the opportunity to attend with several undergraduate students to show our support of the Haas School. And yes, I do have a fantastic video clip of Dean Lyon’s performance…