Edward M. Zolla died unexpectedly from a sudden cardiac event while on a family vacation in Lake Tahoe on September 2. He was 58. Born in Chicago, Ed was a graduate of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation he was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Navy and served a tour of duty in Vietnam. He was proud of his service to his country, and was equally proud to return to Vietnam years later in pursuit of humanitarian and Vietnamese economic development causes, thereby completing, for him, his real tour of duty. A successful entrepreneur, Ed launched, acquired, and operated a multitude of enterprises in a variety of industries, including a liquid bottling company serving Fortune 100 clients, a large consumer textile manufacturing and import company, and others. He most recently founded Industrial Equity Capital, an acquisition firm. For nearly 30 years, Ed was the founder and president of Horizon Construction, a construction and property management firm specializing in affordable housing throughout Los Angeles and Kern County, and student housing at the University of Southern California. He measured all his many business ventures and economic accomplishments not only by their financial statements, but by the opportunities he created for the people he worked with and the communities he affected. Ed was also a longtime active member of the Young President’s Organization and World President’s Organization. He taught a class on entrepreneurship at the USC Marshall School of Business and, in typical Ed Zolla style, most recently taught business finance at Manual Arts High School. Ed’s entrepreneurial skill, abundant energy and insight were not limited to business. In honor of his mother’s work at Los Angeles Childrens Hospital, he founded Holidays from the Heart at the hospital, via which Christmas was delivered by him, his family, and his friends, to countless families with sick and dying children. In addition, Ed’s annual Chinese New Year Dinner Event provided a ‘unique’ dining experience; over the years, he and co-founders raised enough funds to build an orthopedic surgical unit for Childrens Hospital. Ed, the contractor, built the homeless teen shelter for the Los Angeles Youth Network, where he also served on the board of directors for many years. Ed, patron of the arts, was a proud member of the Los Angeles Opera board of directors, serving on its education committee, where he was committed to bringing opera into the public schools. With his wife Susan, he was a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic board of overseers, and sponsor of the Center Theatre Group. Susan Zolla is founder and owner of the Channel Road Inn in Santa Monica Canyon and the Inn at Playa del Rey. She and Ed were married 35 years. While many other nonprofit organizations and individuals profited from Ed’s largess, the cause closest to his world vision was to provide access to college for inner-city youth. He endowed full scholarships for minority students at the University of Pennsylvania and Bucknell University. He also funded financial-aid packages at Franklin Marshall College and Colgate University, and was a generous benefactor to the One Voice Scholarship program and the Fulfillment Fund. Ed enjoyed travel’the more exotic the better’and scuba diving; had recently taken up running; and was an avid cyclist who deeply treasured his Pelaton Cycling Group and their 50-mile Saturday morning rides. Just about every day, Ed met with someone: a friend, a friend’s son or daughter, a high school student, or friend of a friend, who sought Ed’s advice, counsel and candid direction. He helped many people find their better self and achieve their very best. Ed’s life was short, but his impact and accomplishments will endure far into the future. Beyond all, Ed loved his family with a deep devotion. He lived in Brentwood, but his three daughters attended Palisades High (where they all played varsity soccer), and he never missed the town’s Fourth of July parade and the fireworks show. Ed is survived by his life partner and loving wife, Susan; his treasured daughters, Alissa Bartle (husband Peter) of Westchester, Mimi Neandross (husband Erik) of Santa Monica, and Anne of Costa Mesa; his granddaughter, Anna Bartle; and his sisters Debby Loggia (husband Joe) and Wendy Treadway (husband John). In memory of Ed, the family has established a scholarship fund for college-bound inner-city high school students. Donations can be made to The Edward Zolla Memorial Scholarship Program, c/o GNA, 3015 Main St., Suite 300, Santa Monica, CA 90405.
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