The Berkeley Community Fund has announced that it will award the 2013 Benjamin Ide Wheeler Medal to Susan Medak, managing director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The prestigious award, established in 1929, honors a person who has made significant, long-term contributions to the greater Berkeley community. The medal will be granted to Ms. Medak at the Fund's annual awards dinner on October 4.
In announcing the award, BCF President Jessica Pers said, "Susan Medak has profoundly affected life in Berkeley since she first arrived in 1990. Berkeley Rep has become an internationally respected cultural resource under her guidance, but even more importantly, her creative vision, persistence, and leadership have paved the way for significant growth of cultural life in Berkeley."Ms. Medak's contributions extend well beyond the theatre. She was instrumental in revitalizing downtown Berkeley into a vibrant arts district with live theatre, music, and arts education. She was also the founding chair of the Berkeley Arts in Education Steering Committee for the Berkeley Unified School District, founding chair of the Berkeley Cultural Trust, and is the current president of the Downtown Berkeley Association.""This is a community that takes particular pride in a high level of civic engagement by its citizens," Medak remarks. "So it is a true honor to be recognized alongside such prestigious past winners when there are so many people who play such an active role in making Berkeley the vibrant and vital place that it is."Videos