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Huell Howser Addresses Graduating Class at Seaver College Commencement Ceremony

The Frank R. Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences will hold its 2010 commencement ceremony at 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, May.1, at Alumni Park on the Malibu campus. Honorary Doctorate recipient Huell Howser, the 20-year host and tour guide of California Gold on PBS, will address the graduates. John T. Lewis ('83), president of Eugene Lewis & Associates, and his wife Deanne S. Lewis ('84) will each be honored as Distinguished Alumni.

About Huell Howser

As the host and tour guide of the PBS half-hour television show California Gold, journalist Huell Howser traverses the Golden State with camera and mic, discovering reasons for hope and optimism in the people of California. It is one of the longest running shows about California ever produced, with subjects that range from visits to the Bunny Museum, to eating kimchi in Koreatown, to attending an Orthodox Christian church social. Howser's “breath-of-fresh-air,” spontaneous storytelling style lovingly frames the dignity and humor of the people with whom he reacts.

Prior to his work on California Gold, Howser worked as a journalist for CBS in New York City before transferring to KCBS Los Angeles. He previously reported for WSM-TV in Nashville, Tennessee, and had served in the military as a Marine.

Howser is widely acclaimed for raising state environmental and historical site preservation issues through his spin-off shows California Green, California’s Golden Coast, California’s Missions, and California’s Golden Parks. He is the recipient of Woodbury University’s Julius Shulman Excellence in Communication Award and was honored by Peggy Sue’s 50s’ Diner with the Huell Howser Honey Ham and Pineapple Cheeseburger.

Mr. Howser received his bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

About John and Deanne Lewis

John and Deanne Lewis are Seaver College alumni, married for 25 years, living happily ever after in Sierra Madre, California. Mr. Lewis, a Certified Public Accountant by profession, is president of Eugene Lewis & Associates in Arcadia, California. Lewis and Associates is a CPA and financial management firm specializing in services and planning for multigenerational high-net-worth families and Fortune 500 executives. Mr. Lewis speaks to industry conferences and has been a guest presenter at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute, and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. Prior to her becoming a full-time mother and homemaker in 1988 upon the birth of her son Timothy, Mrs. Lewis had worked in the real estate industry, managing special projects.

The Lewises exemplify lives lived in devotion to family and extraordinary commitment to leading a life of community service and usefulness. Mr. Lewis has served as board chair for High Point Academy, a K-8 school in Pasadena, California, and of Pioneers, a missionary agency serving in 40 countries. He is a trustee of the Henry Parsons Crowell Trust, an 83-year-old foundation serving Christian causes. He is head elder at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, California, and has been a leader in the Boy Scouts. Deanne has likewise been in active service for the Boy and Girl Scout organizations, the National Charity League, and her church. Both Lewises have been supporters of the work of World Vision, and have attended field projects in Guatemala, Kenya, Thailand, and North Korea.

In the Lewis household, the Pepperdine connection is not only strong, it has been a defining and enduring presence. In addition to both being alumni, the Lewises were married in Stauffer Chapel by former Pepperdine president David Davenport. Son Timothy is currently a Seaver College senior. Mr. Lewis served on the Pepperdine University Board from 2000 to 2009 and is currently a member of the President’s Campaign Cabinet. Mrs. Lewis was a founding member of the Alumni Leadership Council and currently serves on the Pepperdine University Board. The Lewises are Life Members of the Pepperdine Associates.

Mr. Lewis received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Seaver College in 1983. He has also pursued graduate study at Biola University and Talbot and Fuller Theological Seminaries. Mrs. Lewis received her bachelor’s degree in math and computer science from Seaver college in 1984.

John and Deanne Lewis, and their daughter Mindy, reside in Sierra Madre, California.