The keynote speaker at De Anza College's 29th annual commencement is Claudette Brero Weber, the founder and president of Brero Construction, Inc., located in Santa Clara.
The graduation ceremony will be held Friday, June 21, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. in Flint Center, followed by a reception in the Sunken Garden. More than 1,160 De Anza students will earn associate degrees this year, and more than 700 graduates are expected to attend commencement. At the ceremony, a number of surprise awards will be presented to graduates for their academic and service achievements.
With more than $23 million in revenue and a distinguished list of successful projects, Brero Construction is considered the largest female-owned general building contractor in the United States and ranks as the fifth largest Hispanic-owned construction company. Some of its projects include the San Jose Museum of Art, the Fallon House historic renovation, a U.S. Postal Service facility, and all of the 36 light-rail stations in San Jose.
Weber was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 1991 by Inc. magazine. The company president fosters innovative business practices, including complete financial disclosure to her employees, whom she considers her most valuable asset.
Weber, who has also been a guest speaker at Stanford University and San Jose State University, started her first business by the age of 17 and has founded several kinds of business ventures, including a bus service, restaurant, helicopter school and paint-manufacturing firm. She started Brero Construction in 1980 with the emotional support of her husband and close friends, but with very little capital. Along the way, she raised seven children and now has seven grandchildren.
A live broadcast of the commencement will be available in conference rooms A and B of the Hinson Campus Center, as well as on cable channels 15, 25, 30, 34a, and 50 (depending on the viewing area). The broadcast will be repeated on Sunday, June 23, beginning at 3 p.m. on the same channels.
This article appeared in the Cupertino Courier, June 19, 1996.
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