Veronica Arteaga, LCSW

President & CEO

Selma was the loving wife of Variety columnist Army Archerd. Selma and Army were married for 39 years.

An avid supporter of ECF, Selma spearheaded Variety’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of Army’s column “Just for Variety” to benefit the Exceptional Children’s Foundation. The event was attended by celebrities and people in the industry who wanted to support Army and Selma.

Selma and her son Jimmy

Selma was also on the committee for the 2007 “Coming Together” Gala when ECF and Kayne Eras joined forces to become the only agency to provide a life span of services.

Selma is survived by her sons Richard and James “Jimmy” Rosenblum and her grandson Ryan.

She was truly one of a kind; we will remember her beauty, her sense of humor, her class, and her love of her family. We are grateful for her kindness and generosity through the years. 

At the school, students enjoyed choosing special toys from the Giving Room. Early Start families met Santa, received toys, and played together, with lots of smiles all around.

On behalf of all the children and families, our deepest thanks to all who purchased or provided toys, hosted toy drives in their communities and businesses, and made the holidays magical, including:

• Smile Street Dentistry
• Allen Matkins
• Baby 2 Baby
• Broadshore Partners
• Turner Techtronics, Inc.
• Alston and Associates Mortgage Company
• Allstate Insurance Agent Tanesha Harvey

Oh! What Fun!

Celebrating the Holidays at ECF

Children at Early Start Arleta along with their families had a special visitor from the North Pole during a holiday lunch and party at the center. Santa was also able to make a stop with his sleigh at the ECF Early Start Adams center, delivering gifts and joy to the children!

Students at ECF Kayne Eras School were wide-eyed and grinning ear-to-ear as they chose from a selection of donated toys ranging from stuffed animals to guitars in the school's annual Holiday Gift Room. Each student also selected books donated by the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation.

The annual Holiday Party at ECF’s Exceptional Building commenced with a bang and a band on Tuesday, December 19. As usual, there was a lot of excitement, and everyone brought their party mood and dancing shoes. The band played a variety of music from Johnny Cash to holiday carols and was a big hit with participants of our Exceptional Works and Art Centers programs!

Women Helping Youth (WHY) is a women's philanthropic organization committed to improving the physical, mental and emotional well-being of children and young adults in underserved communities throughout the greater Los Angeles area. 

The ClassVR interface and teacher portal provides immersive and engaging lessons that improve students’ knowledge retention and understanding in a safe and controlled VR environment. Imagine learning about sharks while they swim around you—or visiting the Eiffel Tower while never leaving the campus! ClassVR sparks our students’ imagination with VR experiences as if they are actually there.

Our students and teachers are thrilled to incorporate this impactful technology that opens new worlds of opportunities and helps to deepen student learning and academic success.

Thank you, Women Helping Youth, for supporting students with learning challenges and unique abilities at our one-of-a-kind Kayne Eras School with this exceptional educational technology!

Jesse Warford, an artist in the ECF Art Center South Los Angeles studio, has an etched print on exhibit at the Los Angeles Municipal Gallery at Barnsdall Art Park in Los Angeles. His piece is titled “Come Home Brother.”

The exhibition, “Open Call: Apophenia”, features a wide variety of mediums from artists across Southern California.

The show is on view until March 16, 2024. Gallery hours are Thursday to Saturday, 11 AM - 4 PM. Free entry, accessible parking is available, and all are invited to attend.

EXCEPTIONAL TENURE

ECF celebrates the career of Elinor Szekunda, Director of Developmental Services at ECF, who retires this month after 33 years of dedicated service.

Elinor joined ECF in 1990 as a Program Supervisor for the Development Activities program. Over the years, she served in many roles, including managing the Early Start program, Development Activity Centers, the Exceptional Community Connections program, and ECF’s new Community Fusion program.

At a retirement luncheon in her honor held at ECF headquarters, President and CEO Veronica Arteaga thanked and applauded Elinor for her exceptional career of service to adults and children with special needs. “Elinor has been providing highest quality services for the community we serve for over three decades. The number of lives she has impacted through these years, and the meaningful difference she has made for those thousands of our ECF clients and their families, is immeasurable. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts for her lifetime of contributions to ECF and wish her much happiness as she pursues her next life chapter.” 

Elinor (seated, center) with ECF management staff.

(l-r) Maryam Hamedaninia, Chief Programs Officer, and Elinor Szekunda, Director of Developmental Services.

• Lunch
• Hosted cocktails/beverages before, during and after the tournament
• Competitive, fun contests
• Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dinner immediately following the tournament

Not a golfer? Join us for cocktails and dinner by purchasing a dinner ticket. Visit www.ecf.net/oakmont for full details and registration.

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