![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/town-and-gown\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/61\/2023\/03\/Nella-OC-Mag-FEAT-240x300.jpg\")
After graduating from Chapman, I began my career with Security Pacific Bank in their management training program. I stayed with them for 22 years through their merger with Bank of America.\u00a0 I became smitten with financial planning and investment management and got my MBA and Certificate in Financial Planning. \u00a0I still work as a partner in a Registered Investment Advisory Firm called Ocean Heights Advisers, a company my husband, Kevin O\u2019Grady founded nearly 20 years ago.<\/p>\n
I have stayed connected to Chapman in many ways.\u00a0 I was first introduced to Town & Gown in the 70s by two dear friends, Sue Lamoureux ’71 and Pam Bennett ’71, who are former T&G Presidents.\u00a0 Today, our Class of 1971 fills a table at the T&G Lunch at the Forum series which I try to attend, work permitting.\u00a0 Last year I became a Lifetime Member as a way of showing my support.<\/p>\n
Chapman was life-changing for me.\u00a0 I was born in Panama and grew up in Guam, and my parents worked in Guam until after I graduated.\u00a0 Having small classes and living on campus made me feel part of a family which was important given how far away my parents were.\u00a0 During the years since Chapman, I\u2019ve stayed involved.\u00a0 I first joined the Board of Counselors for the Argyros School of Business and Economics and for which I was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019.\u00a0 I\u2019m also a lifetime member with the Women of Chapman.\u00a0 Three years ago, I was asked to join the Board of Trustees, where I am thrilled to serve on the Investment Committee which is responsible for managing our endowment. My greatest honor occurred a few years ago when I was named Orange County\u2019s \u201cPhilanthropist of the Year\u201d at National Philanthropy Day in 2020, with President Struppa presenting the award.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/town-and-gown\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/61\/2023\/03\/Nella-President-Struppa-300x200.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Being involved with Chapman and with Town and Gown has been a most fulfilling experience for me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After graduating from Chapman, I began my career with Security Pacific Bank in their management training program. I stayed with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4854,"featured_media":192,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"William L. Cumiford '63","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlights"],"yoast_head":"\n