Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Does White House Look Prettier This Christmas? You Can Thank This Fresno State Grad
NANCY WEBSITE HEADSHOT 1
By Nancy Price, Multimedia Journalist
Published 4 years ago on
December 21, 2020

Share

It’s been a rough year for Fresno State alumna Kimberly Rocca, whose event-planning business has taken a beating from the pandemic. But Rocca’s spirits improved tremendously in October when she learned she was one of 80 volunteers selected from among 8,000 applicants to help decorate the White House for Christmas.

Nancy Price

School Zone

On Thanksgiving Day Rocca flew from Fresno to Washington, D.C., where her team of eight — including her mother — worked nonstop over three days decorating the five rooms assigned to them: the Library, the Vermeil Room, the Diplomat Room, the Doctor’s Office, and the China Room. This year’s theme is “America the Beautiful.”

Rocca said her favorite room to decorate was the China Room, where all the china dinnerware from each presidential administration is stored.

“My mom and I were the ones who got to decorate the tree for that room, which was set up like a kitchen, with a vintage fridge and gingerbread cookies and so it was all very nostalgic,” Rocca said in a news release from Fresno State. “The chair in that room in front of the fireplace was actually Franklin D. Roosevelt’s chair, and that’s where he would read to his grandchildren ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.’

“It really makes you appreciate our American history and those who have come before us.”

After graduating from Fresno State in 2013 with a degree in recreation administration with an option in special events and tourism, Rocca opened her event-planning business, Kimberly Joy Events + Design.

Here’s a Video Tour of the Decorated White House

Holiday Treats from Fresno Teachers Union

The Fresno Teachers Association is giving a big boost to the holiday gift-giving season with a $1,000 donation to Poverello House and presents for a Fresno Unified family and FTA members.

The union is holding a contest for one Fresno Unified family to get a ride in a sanitized limo on Fresno’s historic Christmas Tree Lane on Wednesday evening. Limo for You will provide the service and will follow all COVID-19 guidelines.

The deadline to apply is 11 a.m. Wednesday, and the winner will be announced at noon.

In addition. there will be a raffle of gift cards for local stores and restaurants that’s open to FTA members.

You’ll find the entry form here.

Random Kudos

A bunch of congratulations are in order to:

Madera Unified School District, which increased its graduation rate from 89.5% to 92.3%, as calculated by the California Department of Education — the highest in the district’s history. Madera South led the way with a graduation rate of 97.4%, the second-highest in Madera County.

Fresno Pacific University, a winner in the California University and College Ballot Bowl for having a high percentage of students registered to vote. Fresno Pacific, representing the named the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, had 113 students registered. The other winners were UC Riverside, Chico State, and Riverside City College. The Ballot Bowl was presented by the California Students Vote Project and was designed to encourage voter registration.

Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro announced two appointments to boards that are important to the university’s mission of empowering future leaders. Rod Higgins, an NBA executive and former Fresno State basketball standout, was appointed to the Foundation Board of Governors effective Oct. 29, while organic farmer and artist Nikiko Masumoto was appointed to the University Advisory Board effective Jan. 1.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: CEMEX’s New Mining Plan for the San Joaquin River

DON'T MISS

Trump Fires NSC Officials a Day After Far-Right Activist Raises Concerns to Him

DON'T MISS

China Halts Approvals for New US Investment Projects

DON'T MISS

Measles Spreads to Central Texas; 5 States Have Active Outbreaks

DON'T MISS

Trump Tariff Fears Erase $2 Trillion From US Stocks

DON'T MISS

Startup Offers Controversial Microplastic Blood Cleansing Treatment

DON'T MISS

Senate Confirms Mehmet Oz to Take Lead of Medicare and Medicaid Agency

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Pence Will Receive the Profile in Courage Award From the JFK Library for His Actions on Jan. 6

DON'T MISS

Politics Turns Ugly for a Conservative Running for Fresno State Student Body President

UP NEXT

Startup Offers Controversial Microplastic Blood Cleansing Treatment

UP NEXT

Pence Will Receive the Profile in Courage Award From the JFK Library for His Actions on Jan. 6

UP NEXT

Politics Turns Ugly for a Conservative Running for Fresno State Student Body President

UP NEXT

Flores Homers, Matos and Wade Also Go Deep to Help Giants Cap Sweep of Astros

UP NEXT

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

UP NEXT

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

UP NEXT

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

UP NEXT

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

UP NEXT

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

Nancy Price,
Multimedia Journalist
Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email

Measles Spreads to Central Texas; 5 States Have Active Outbreaks

4 hours ago

Trump Tariff Fears Erase $2 Trillion From US Stocks

4 hours ago

Startup Offers Controversial Microplastic Blood Cleansing Treatment

4 hours ago

Senate Confirms Mehmet Oz to Take Lead of Medicare and Medicaid Agency

6 hours ago

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

7 hours ago

Pence Will Receive the Profile in Courage Award From the JFK Library for His Actions on Jan. 6

7 hours ago

Politics Turns Ugly for a Conservative Running for Fresno State Student Body President

8 hours ago

Pentagon’s Watchdog to Review Hegseth’s Use of Signal App to Convey Plans for Houthi Strike

8 hours ago

President Trump’s Tariffs Could Be the Political Tipping Point

9 hours ago

Order That Kept Water in the Kern River Reversed by 5th District Court of Appeal

9 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: CEMEX’s New Mining Plan for the San Joaquin River

GV Wire’s Edward Smith talks with KMPH Fox 26 “Great Day” anchor Christina Rodriguez about the possibility of CEMEX digging a 600-foot hole ...

3 hours ago

3 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: CEMEX’s New Mining Plan for the San Joaquin River

President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
3 hours ago

Trump Fires NSC Officials a Day After Far-Right Activist Raises Concerns to Him

4 hours ago

China Halts Approvals for New US Investment Projects

4 hours ago

Measles Spreads to Central Texas; 5 States Have Active Outbreaks

4 hours ago

Trump Tariff Fears Erase $2 Trillion From US Stocks

4 hours ago

Startup Offers Controversial Microplastic Blood Cleansing Treatment

Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, seated right, gives a thumbs-up alongside his wife Lisa Oz, seated left, with friends and family after he testified at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP/Ben Curtis)
6 hours ago

Senate Confirms Mehmet Oz to Take Lead of Medicare and Medicaid Agency

7 hours ago

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend