It is with a heavy heart that I adjourn tonight’s meeting in memory of Cheri Fleming, a devoted community activist and philanthropist, who passed away a little more than a week ago.
It is truly inspiring to see how much Cheri meant to the Santa Clarita community.
It speaks to the amazing woman she was to see the many articles, social media posts and messages of love celebrating this kind, generous and special lady.
Cheri was born and raised in Parma Heights, Ohio, and moved to the Southern California area after college.
It was then that she met Don Fleming – a tanning salon equipment supplier who helped her open her own salon – and the two later married.
Cheri continued to find success in the local business community, owning and managing several auto dealerships before she and Don purchased Valencia Acura in 1997.
She wasn’t just an accomplished businesswoman, of course.
Cheri was also deeply committed to serving the community and ensuring Santa Clarita residents had access to services and resources they need.
She served on the board of a number of organizations, including the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation, the Child & Family Center, the American Cancer Society, the Chamber of Commerce and the Boys & Girls Club of SCV.
Cheri also joined Soroptimist International of SCV in 1999.
In her more than 20 years with the organization, she also served as President of Soroptimist International of the Americas, overseeing 36,000 members in 20 countries.
In 2004, Cheri and Don were named the Santa Clarita Valley’s Man and Woman of the Year for their hard work and dedication to our community.
She was also recognized over the years by being named Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles County 5th Supervisorial District and Commission for Women in 2012 and was routinely named by The Signal as one of Santa Clarita’s 51 Most Influential individuals.
The SCV Business Journal also honored Cheri with the Woman in Business Award for Mentoring in 2018.
In 2019, both Cheri and Don received the highly distinguished Silver Spur Community Service Award from the College of the Canyons Foundation.
I know I speak for the Council when I say that the positive impact Cheri made on the world will continue to be felt for generations.
We join Cheri’s family and friends in grieving at this difficult time and our thoughts are with her husband, Don, and her three stepchildren.