Roy and Rachael Cecchetti of Cecchetti Wine Company have donated $200,000 in support of Sonoma State University's Wine Spectator Learning Center, a state-of-the-art education complex and future home of the Wine Business Institute slated to open in summer 2017.
The donation will be recognized in the Roy and Rachael Cecchetti Campus Lawns Stairway, which will connect the new building with existing lawns and international-themed gardens adjacent to the campus lakes. Roy Cecchetti earned his MBA degree at Sonoma State in 1989 and was recently appointed to the Wine Business Institute Board of Directors.
"What has been created at SSU is extremely important to the future of the wine business and both Rachael and I are extremely proud to be a part of it," says Cecchetti. "The future of the wine business depends on programs such as this."
"This show of support is especially significant because it comes from one of our alumni," says William Silver, dean of the School of Business and Economics. "In their generosity, Roy and Rachael not only reinforce academic innovation and training of dynamic leaders, they also validate the quality of education and caliber of students coming through our programs. It is with pleasure and appreciation that we thank Roy and Rachael for their dedication and support."
Construction crews expect to break ground on the $9.15 million project on June 1, with completion and grand opening set for Summer 2017. The project involves interior and exterior renovation of the current Student Commons building. Features of the new building will include three state-of-the-art classrooms, multimedia venues for production and broadcast of public seminars and events, international-themed gardens and Student Success Pathway, and collaborative space for hands-on learning, including a student commons, faculty-industry hub, and café.
Project contributors announced to date include the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation; Alpha Omega Winery and Tolosa Vineyards & Winery; American AgCredit; Bouchaine Vineyards; Charmer-Sunbelt; Korbel Champagne Cellars; Wally Lowry, Professor Emeritus of Business at SSU; Peter Michael Winery; Pierce Education Properties; the Rubin Family of Wines; and Young's Market Company.
About the Wine Business Institute
The Wine Business Institute (WBI) is an education and research institute of the School of Business and Economics. SSU is the first institution of higher learning in the United States to offer undergraduate and advanced degrees focused on the business of wine. It is the first school of business in the world to offer an executive-level wine business degree. For more information about the Wine Spectator Learning Center project, visit www.sonoma.edu/sbe.