PASADENA, CA, March 20, 2018 – The Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Bonnie Baha Memorial Scholarship Fund, a charitable fund of PCF to provide scholarships for women pursuing financial careers.
Bonnie Baha was a senior portfolio manager and partner of DoubleLine Capital LP, an asset manager where she founded and led the firm’s Global Developed Credit group for investing in debt issued by corporations in developed-economy countries. She was widely quoted in news reports and appeared on national television to share her financial acumen, often with a dose of humor. She passed away at age 56 on August 21, 2016. She is survived by her husband Mustapha Baha, son Ayman and daughter Miriam.
Ms. Baha was committed to promoting the entry and advancement of women in the financial sector. She was particularly focused on her own field of asset management in which women represent a small percentage of the industry’s portfolio managers, traders, analysts, consultants and other key professionals. With the support of friends and family of Ms. Baha, PCF established the charitable fund in her memory to help address the underrepresentation of women in the financial sector.
“We are honored to establish a fund in tribute to Bonnie’s impressive career, supporting a cause which was dear to her heart,” said Jennifer DeVoll, chief executive officer of the Foundation. “Bonnie was a member of our Greater Pasadena community, and we are proud of her. Through this scholarship, her legacy of helping women in finance will continue.”
The Bonnie Baha Memorial Scholarship Fund will award at least one $10,000 scholarship each year to an outstanding woman enrolled in a full-time Master’s Degree at the USC Marshall School of Business. (Ms. Baha received her Masters of Business Administration at the University of Southern California.) PCF administers the Bonnie Baha Memorial Scholarship Fund. The USC admissions office disseminates application forms and information to eligible women accepted as Master’s Degree students at USC Marshall in advance of each school year.
The deadline for applications is Thursday May 17, 2018. PCF expects to announce the scholarship award for the coming academic year in mid-June 2018.
A Selection Committee will review the applications and select the scholarship recipient(s). The initial members of Selection Committee are four professionals involved in the financial sector, each of whom had personal relationships with Ms. Baha. Miriam Baha, daughter of Ms. Baha, is a marketing operations associate at Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors. Monica Erickson, CFA, is a portfolio manager and head of the investment-grade corporate bond team at DoubleLine Capital LP. Mary Childs is an author and senior reporter at Barron’s magazine. Melissa Weiler is a managing director of Crescent Capital, an asset manager where she serves on the firm’s management committee and focuses on Structured Product activities.
Eligibility criteria include women who have earned a BA/BS undergraduate degree and who have been accepted to or who are enrolled in a Master’s program at USC such as Business Administration (with emphasis on Finance) or, Finance, Accounting, Business taxation, or other related field.
Applicants also must have had significant work experience (minimum two years) in the financial services industry and who have demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career in finance, investment management or financial consulting. Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate financial need.
Donors interested in contributing to the Bonnie Baha Scholarship Fund may click here.
About the Pasadena Community Foundation
The Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) is a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of Pasadena. Managing over $80 million in charitable assets, PCF works with individuals, families and organizations to establish philanthropic funds, invests and builds endowment funds and provides grants to local non-profits. PCF focuses on six areas of local interest: arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, and youth. Dedicated to growth and posterity, PCF is Pasadena’s permanent endowment for public good.
Media Contact:
Jennifer DeVoll
CEO
Pasadena Community Foundation
301 E. Colorado Blvd. Ste 810
Pasadena, CA 91101
626 796-2097 x2
jdevoll@pasadenacf.org