Staff Report
Dan Stevens, the chief operating officer of Rabobank, and Rick Rust, the public affairs project manager for Aera Energy, are the newest members of the Hancock College Foundation’s board of directors.
“We are thrilled to welcome two strong business leaders to the foundation board,” said Valerie Moya Boice, president of the foundation board. “Each has succeeded in both business and community service. They are the kind of leaders who will make an impact on student success in our community.”
Having been with Rabobank since December 2008, Stevens oversees North American operations, information services, strategic technology, business architecture, corporate security, administrative services, product, marketing and communications, and facilities. Rabobank’s operations and IT centers are based in Santa Maria.
One of 12 children, Stevens comes from a family of educators. His mother attended night school to earn a bachelor’s degree while raising her children and was a special education for many years in Chicago. His wife and daughter are also special education teachers.
He and his 11 siblings earned a combined 10 master’s degrees and four Ph.D. degrees. A former teacher himself, Stevens sees education as a critical component of a person’s life.
Rust manages public affairs in Santa Barbara County for Aera Energy LLC. A Central Coast native, he grew up in a family with ties to agriculture and ranching. Prior to joining Aera’s public affairs team, Rust served eight years in the U.S. Air Force and 17 years in Aera’s field operations.
“I have witnessed first-hand the impact Allan Hancock College has on the community and I am proud to further contribute to student success,” Rust said.
Active in the Santa Maria Valley, Rust is a board member of the North County EconAlliance and Energy Partners Fund scholarship committee. He also is a member of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Association.
The foundation board includes nearly 30 people from the Santa Maria, Lompoc and Santa Ynez valleys. Since its inception in April 1977, the foundation has awarded nearly $8 million in scholarships to Hancock students, made possible by overwhelming community support.
For more information about the foundation, call 805-925-2004.
