LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pepperdine University president Andrew K. Benton and Graziadio Business School dean David Smith will join Carla Sands, wife of the late Fred Sands, and Pepperdine University administrators, faculty, staff, students and generous supporters of the Fred Sands Institute for a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, February 25, 2016, at 12 noon at Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus. The ceremony will honor industry icon and entrepreneur Fred Sands in recognizing his endowment of a dynamic new enterprise within the University’s business school.
The Fred Sands Institute will engage students and industry professionals at both practical and policy levels and explore real estate trends and best practices while advancing real estate knowledge, informing business practices, and addressing critical and other timely industry topics. Many of the Institute’s programs, symposia and instruction will operate out of a designated area at the Drescher Graduate Campus in Malibu, where a plaque will identify the Fred Sands Institute.
Pepperdine University president Andrew K. Benton shared, “Fred Sands’ name is iconic in California’s real estate and business communities, representing success based in hard work, perseverance and dedication to craft to add value to the property and to the community. We’re honored by our association with the Sands family and looking forward to developing the next generation of real estate entrepreneurs through the Fred Sands Institute.”
Fred Sands established Fred Sands Realtors, a powerhouse Los Angeles real estate company that operated 65 offices in California, employed 4,000 people and generated $9.4 billion in volume per year before being sold to Coldwell Banker in 2000. A well-known philanthropist and entrepreneur, Mr. Sands also chaired and owned Vintage Real Estate, LLC which acquires and revitalizes regional malls across the nation, chaired Vintage Fund Management, LLC and was a Founder of the Museum of Contemporary Art and served as President of the Board of Directors. Mr. Sands passed away in October of 2015. Carla Sands, who now serves as Chairman of Vintage Real Estate, LLC, will be honored as she cuts the ceremonial ribbon to launch the Institute.
“Fred Sands was a true Renaissance man in the best sense of the word, a man who not only excelled in the business world, but also contributed generously to his community and shared his passion with others,” said David M. Smith, dean of Graziadio School of Business and Management. “As we inaugurate the Fred Sands Real Estate Institute, we are committed to maintaining a culture that properly honors this remarkable man.”
Through the Institute, Pepperdine University will host symposia that bring together students, academics, business executives and community leaders to examine the current state of the industry and identify strategies to address future industry challenges and opportunities. To prepare students and industry professionals with the tools to successfully navigate the present and future real estate environments, the Institute will provide Executive Certificate programs in both commercial and residential real estate and, planned in 2017, offer a Master of Science in Real Estate.
About the Pepperdine University Graziadio School for Business and Management
A leader in cultivating entrepreneurship and digital innovation, the Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management focuses on the real-world application of MBA-level business concepts. The Graziadio School provides student-focused, globally-oriented education through part-time, full-time, and executive MBA programs at our eight California campuses, as well as through online and hybrid formats. In addition, the Graziadio School offers a variety of master of science programs, a bachelor of science in management degree-completion program, and the Presidents and Key Executives MBA, as well as executive education certificate programs. Follow the Graziadio School on Facebook, Twitter at @GraziadioSchool, and LinkedIn.
