Carol Lazier

Honorary Degrees
 
 


California State University San Marcos

Carol Lazier grew up in Northern California and moved to San Diego where she raised her three children. Involvement is a cornerstone of Ms. Lazier’s eventful life as she runs both a family foundation and is co-founder of the local nonprofit organization, Solutions: Exploring Success Post High School. She also supports the Palomar Health Foundation, the San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego Symphony, UC San Diego Rady School,  Moores Cancer Center, California State University San Marcos (CSUSM),  and she is credited as the person who saved the San Diego Opera. 

When former San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Warden asked Ms. Lazier to co-chair the Palomar Health Foundation Honorary Campaign Cabinet to build the new Palomar Medical Center, she agreed.  That willingness to say yes – to family, to friends and to her community – is a thread that has been strongly woven into her active, involved lifestyle.  

Ms. Lazier had no intention of leading the San Diego Opera’s revival effort, however, she and the team “took the bull by the horns” to seek out solutions with their own money and time. She donated $1 million to craft a recovery plan and led this historic effort. She is an innovative woman who continues to lead the San Diego Opera’s re-birth. 

At a time when Ms. Lazier became acutely aware of the difficulty some women have in accessing proper medical care, she honored her late sister-in-law and women and families throughout North County by making a $1 million gift to the healthcare district. On several occasions, she opened her home to host events to raise awareness for CSUSM.  One of the events showcased the extraordinary talent of CSUSM’s associate professor Ching-Ming Cheng and helped raise funding and awareness for the emerging music program.  She has also opened her home to raise awareness for the ACE Scholars program for former foster youth and has since been a significant contributor to the program.   

In recognition of her generosity to the campus and involvement in the community, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University San Marcos are proud to confer upon Carol Lazier the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.