MORE ON RON BURKLE (sorry, no mention of Dr Fred anywhere):
Ron Burkle is the founder and managing partner of The Yucaipa Companies, a private investment firm based in Southern California. Yucaipa is widely recognized as a leader in acquisitions, mergers and management of large retail and distribution companies. Yucaipa completed the merger of Fred Meyer, Inc., where Mr. Burkle served as Chairman, and The Kroger Company forming the largest supermarket company in the United States.
Mr. Burkle is also the majority shareholder of Golden State Foods, the largest manufacturer and distributor of food products to McDonald's. Yucaipa is now the controlling shareholder of Alliance Entertainment Corporation, distributor of music, videos, DVDs, electronic games and with its acquisition of Digital on Demand, a leading distributor of digital entertainment content into retail environments. Mr. Burkle is a member of the Boards of KB Home Corporation (NYSE: KBH) and Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY). In partnership with Mario Lemieux, Mr. Burkle brought the beloved Pittsburgh Penguins from bankruptcy, making the two majority owners of the team and keeping the team in Pittsburgh.
Mr. Burkle is Co-Chairman of the Burkle Center for International Relations at UCLA; Trustee of the J. Paul Getty Trust; Member of the Board of the Carter Center; Trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; member of the Executive Board for the Medical Sciences at UCLA; Member of the Board of AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA); Member of RAND's Education Advisory Board; Member of the Board of Claremont Graduate University; Member of the Board and of the Executive Committee of the National Campaign Against Youth Violence; Member of the Board of the Children's Scholarship Fund; Founder of the National Urban League; Trustee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Found and Chairman of the Boards of Trustees of The Ralphs/Food4Less Foundation and The Fred Meyer, Inc. Foundation.
He has received honors and awards including: The AFL-CIO Humanitarian of the Year, The Los Angeles Urban League Whitney M. Young Award, The Los Angeles County Boy Scouts Jimmy Stewart person of the Year Award, APLA Commitment to Life and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Man of the Year.