The burgeoning hospitality program at Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus (PDC) will receive $100,000 from Eddie Sheldrake, CEO of Polly’s Inc., which consists of 13 Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants and 16 Polly’s Pies Restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.Sheldrake, who is also the founder and owner of Polly’s Pies Restaurants, has pledged to give the funds to the campus via the CSUSB Philanthropic Foundation. J. Michael Ortiz, Cal Poly Pomona president emeritus, desert resident and a member of the PDC academic community, will lead and manage the Sheldrake initiative.“The hospitality program at our Palm Desert Campus will benefit immensely from these funds, thanks to the generosity of Eddie Sheldrake, an esteemed industry professional,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales. “This gift will have remarkable impact on our students and strengthen their career paths in the Coachella Valley.”The gift will provide annual funding to support internships for two PDC students to engage in professional learning, development and employment opportunities in Coachella Valley food service operations.In addition, resources will support three annual receptions at locations throughout the Coachella Valley, bridging regional food service industry leaders and prospective college-bound juniors and seniors so as to engage them in leadership and management opportunities available within the regional food service industry.Hospitality is a $6 billion industry in the Coachella Valley. In December 2017, the PDC formally received a $3 million commitment from the state to expand the campus; part of which included the development of a program that will ultimately lead to a bachelor’s degree. To date, the campus has introduced an online hospitality management certificate, which was inaugurated in spring 2018. The four-year hospitality management degree program is expected to launch in fall 2019 or 2020.Located in beautiful Palm Desert, the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees, a doctorate in educational leadership, and teacher credentials and certificates. With more than 1,400 students, it is the Coachella Valley’s only four-year public university and plays a vital role in educating and training the region’s growing population.For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit inside.csusb.edu.