In October of 2023, it was announced that A’s President, Dave Kaval, was the new co-chair of the Cal Parents board at UC Berkeley

Link:  

https://calparents.berkeley.edu/news/staying-connected-and-getting-involved

This petition calls for the immediate removal of Dave Kaval as co-chair of the Cal Parents Board. 

The why is simple. 

Dave, as Athletics owner John Fisher’s right hand man, is attempting to help him rip the A’s from Oakland; Berkeley’s East Bay neighbor, simply because John Fisher couldn’t afford to fulfill his promise of privately funding $1.1B for a new stadium at Howard Terminal. 

Instead, Dave has been purporting lie after lie; namely, a patently false narrative that the city of Oakland is to blame, when, in fact, the fault falls directly on John Fisher and his unstable finances. 

Granting Dave Kaval a position of power at UC Berkeley serves to harm UC Berkeley’s reputation as an East Bay symbol of pride and integrity; the very qualities Dave is seeking to destroy in Oakland. 

As a proud alum in the Class of 2008 (BS Environmental Economics and Policy), a Berkeley native, and Oakland Athletics fan, I, along with the plethora of signatures gathered in this petition, am embarrassed and horrified at UC Berkeley’s impulsive, short-sighted decision to put Kaval in a position of power in the same East Bay community he seeks to destroy by stripping the Athletics from Oakland. 

He must be removed as Co-Chair of The Cal Parents Board immediately. 

Let me be clear. The work done by The Cal Parents Board is both exemplary and provides needed resources for students. However, accepting Dave Kaval’s money as a means to this end is both heinous and unnecessary. 

It is imperative that UC Berkeley sever ties with Dave Kaval immediately. As time progresses, the university’s consequential reputation damage will only worsen; becoming a reflection on not only the Cal Parents Board, but the university as a whole. 

In addition to signing this petition, the following link provides contact information for The Cal Parents Board to further make your voice heard: 

https://calparents.berkeley.edu/about-us

1. David Ortega, Director, Parent Services and Communication

Email: dortega@berkeley.edu

2. Mary Kelley, Director, Parent and Family Philanthropy

Email: marykelley@berkeley.edu

3. Michelle Mielke Walsh, Associate Director, Parent and Family Philanthropy

Email: mmielke@berkeley.edu

4. Mel Ortiz, Associate Director, Parent and Family Philanthropy

Email: melortiz@berkeley.edu

5. Hannah KC Mukai, Assistant Director, Parent and Family Philanthropy

Email: hannahmukai@berkeley.edu

6. Karen Salazar, Development Associate, Parent and Family Philanthropy

Email: ksgonzalez2@berkeley.edu

UC BERKELEY CHANCELLOR, CAROL CHRIST:

Email: chancellor@berkeley.edu 

Thank you taking the time to read this. GO BEARS!