David W. Fleming

Attorney and Civic Leader

California State University, Northridge

David W. Fleming is widely recognized for his distinguished career, extraordinary public service and deep commitment to the people of the San Fernando Valley, the City and County of Los Angeles, and California State University, Northridge. Born in 1934 in Iowa, Mr. Fleming moved to the San Fernando Valley in 1956 to attend law school—the first step in a highly successful 50-year legal career representing clients in a broad range of areas including banking, securities, real estate and estate planning.

Throughout his career, Mr. Fleming has distinguished himself as a devoted civic and philanthropic leader. He has served as president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, founder and chair of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, chair of Valley Presbyterian Hospital, and chair of the Fernando Award Foundation, among many charities and civic organizations in the San Fernando Valley region.

He also has been president of the Los Angeles City Board of Fire Commissioners, director of the Los Angeles Police Foundation, a member of the City of Los Angeles Ethics Commission, chair of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, a member of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, and vice chair of the California Transportation Commission. He has served as chair of the California Regional Leadership Foundation and a board member of the California Community Foundation and has been a leader in the successful charter reform movement for the City of Los Angeles.

Mr. Fleming’s leadership at Cal State Northridge has been deep, longstanding and essential to the university’s success. He has served on the Cal State Northridge Foundation Board since 1995, led advisory boards of both the College of Business and Economics and the Michael D. Eisner College of Education, and currently is vice chair of the campaign to build the Valley Performing Arts Center at the university. In 2007, Mr. Fleming received the Dorothea Heitz Award for Outstanding Volunteer Leadership to the university.

In recognition of his outstanding public service and his commitment to the university, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, Northridge are proud to confer upon David W. Fleming the degree of Doctor of Laws.