COVER STORY
Gerald K. Freeny Leads the 2018-2019 Tournament of Roses ® 130 th Rose Parade ® and 105 th Rose Bowl Game ®
T he Pasadena confirmed Gerald K. Freeny (Upsilon 1981) as President for the 2018-2019 Tourna- ment of Roses year. In this role, Freeny will provide leadership for the 130 th Rose Parade ® presented by Honda and the and 105 th Rose Bowl Game ® presented by Northwestern Mutual on Tuesday, January 1, 2019. Freeny says he doesn’t really see himself as a pioneer, or a trail-blazer, but in 2019 he will make history as the first African American president of the Tournament of Roses Association. “First, I have to say it’s an honor,” said Freeny, who joined the tournament in 1988 and was just elected to the 14-member executive committee. Tournament of Roses ® Board of Directors
had any problems here,” Freeny said. “I tried to work with everybody ... and the two people who sponsored me gave me good support.” Freeny said he wasn’t the first African American to join the Tournament of Roses, although there weren’t many at the time. But he found his posi- tive attitude and being a “people person” made him part of the family. In addition to his many years of service in the Tournament of Roses, his community involvement has included; president of the San Gabriel chapter of NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Ex- ecutives), the Pasadena Police Foundation Board, Pasadena Police Citizens Academy, Pasadena Rose Bowl Aquatics Board,
“So few get to do this. But we are a family here, and I always preach it takes a team working together to put on the best parade and the best football game in the world on one big day.” Freeny announced “The Melody of Life” as the Pasadena Tournament of Roses theme to encourage creativity in float entries, marching bands and equestrian participants. “The 2019 theme, ‘The Melody of Life,’ celebrates music, the universal language,” shared Freeny. “Music has the power to not only bring us together but take us back to memories and moments as nothing else can. Rhythm, melody, harmony and color all come together to create the soundtrack that defines our lives.” In his 23 years at the Tournament of Roses, Freeny has worked his way up the committee ranks, most recently as
University Club, Pasadena YMCA Board, Black Sup- port Group at Cal State LA, Urban League Board of Governors, United Way Fundraising Commit- tee, Toast Masters and the Pasadena NAACP. Freeny has been on the Adviso- ry Board of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foun- dation since 2016 and is also a member of Legacy’s Museum Committee. He attended Pasadena Christian School and John Muir High School in Pasadena and received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Finance from California State Universi- ty, Los Angeles. Freeny is also a member of Gamma Zeta Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and First Historic Lutheran Church. Brother Freeny resides in Altadena with his wife, Trina, and their daughter,
the chairman of parade operations. “It’s very important that you have the respect of your peers, and that they’ve seen the work done on the committees you’ve been on, seen you in leadership roles, seen what you can do,” he said. “That’s a big plus, and let’s face it, not everyone gets the opportunity to get on the executive committee.” The 900-plus member tournament has changed since he was brought in by two sponsoring members, Freeny said. One was African American and one white - Bob Cheney, the 1992 president, who knew Freeny as a student working his way through college at his company. “I can say for the most part I never
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