Michael la fetra biography definition

78 Malibu Colony Road, Malibu, Calif.

For sale: $22 million

"It's the third owner that can mess a house up," Michael LaFetra says. "I don't mean it in a disparaging way; it's just the way it works."

And LaFetra would know. What started as curiosity toward architectural treasures — a hobby of picking up notable homes, the way some collect and restore cars — has turned into a full-time occupation.

"I'm constantly scouring the Internet, [talking to] various people, trying to find architecturally significant homes, with a nod toward modern," LaFetra says. "Homes that are in danger that I can potentially save."

It was such research that led LaFetra to the Lautner Stevens House in At the time, the house was on its second owner, Christy Stevens, the wife of Dan Stevens, who commissioned the home in

"I fell head over heels for it," LaFetra says. "But at the moment I didn't have the cash for it. I tried to explain I was the best buyer, but she wasn't interested."

So the home passed onto the third owner, who installed updates that started to stray from legendary architect John Lautner's vision for the home.

It was also at that point that LaFetra was ready to try to snag the home again.

"So I went to talk to them and said basically, 'You’re screwing this house up, and if you’re going to turn and sell it you’re going to be in trouble because the buyer won’t know what you’re doing,'" he says.

A few days later, the owner called LaFetra back and agreed to sell.

By October , the renovation was underway, and although the home hadn't been structurally altered, a year later not a single surface remained untouched, LaFetra says.

"They had removed original built-ins, painted the original concrete They were trying to turn the house into something it wasn't," he explains. "I remember walking into the house, and they had removed an original Lautner lamp from the ceiling and had hung a wrought-iron chandelier with lightbulbs th

Transcript

[Music]

Intro: It’s Legal Toolkit with Jared Correia. With guest Bruce La Fetra. We play a round of Technical Knox’ Out, and then Jared makes us all question his taste in television and film by revealing some very unusual first, your host, Jared Correia.

Jared Correia: That bang hound you hear in the background can only mean one thing, it’s time for the Legal Toolkit yes, it’s still called the Legal Toolkit podcast even though my random orbital sander truly invites chaos.I’m your host, Jared ’re stuck with me because David Letterman was was annoying Kevin let’s be honest, everyone annoys Kevin Durant.I’m the CEO of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting, a business management consulting service for attorneys and bar us online at I’m the COO of Gideon build chatbots so law firms can convert more leads and conversational document, assembly tools so law firms can build documents faster and more can find out more about Gideon at

Now, before we get to our interview today with Bruce La Fetra,

Anthony “Tony” LaFetra, president and CEO of Azusa-based Rain Bird Corporation and University of La Verne trustee, died Thursday, Jan. 28, from an undiagnosed cancer at the age of 80, his family said.

LaFetra was a part of the Rain Bird family for more than 50 years. He joined the company in and during his tenure he served as a plant manager, vice president of sales and marketing, and executive vice president. In , he replaced his mother, Rain Bird’s co-founder Mary E. LaFetra, as president and CEO. He led Rain Bird from a small irrigation company in Glendora into a leading global manufacturer and provider of watering products in more than countries.

“Tony will be missed,” his brother-in-law, Art Ludwick, said in a news release. “He was at Rain Bird for decades and he did his job with distinction. May he rest in peace.”

Beyond leading a company, LaFetra also loved to give back to the community, particularly when it came to supporting education. Since , he served as a member of the Board of Trustees at the University of La Verne, where his mother had also been a long-time trustee and board chair.

“Tony was an icon at the University of La Verne,” University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman said Friday in the news release. “His intellect, time, and support helped to transform our university and improved the lives of generations of students. We will miss him terribly.”

In , the LaFetra College of Education at the university was named in his honor after gifting $10 million, the largest cash gift in the university’s year history.

“I know that education transforms lives. My parents, Clem and Mary Elizabeth “Betty” LaFetra, believed strongly in the power of education and in the University of La Verne. My mother served on its Board of Trustees for 16 years,” LaFetra said at the time of the donation. “They imparted their passion for education to me, so I ded

For other uses, see Rainbird (disambiguation).

Rain Bird Corporation is an international privately held manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services for landscapes, golf courses, sports fields, and agriculture which are designed to minimize water consumption. The firm is headquartered in Azusa, California, with offices and manufacturing facilities in Tucson, Arizona; Steele, Alabama; Tijuana Mexico; France; and China. Rain Bird sells more than 4, products and services in over countries.

History

Rain Bird had its origins in when Glendora, California, citrus grower Orton Englehart developed the first prototype of the horizontal action impact sprinkler. This new design offered slow rotation and more efficient watering than other sprinklers of that era, features that were long sought after by local irrigators. Orton's neighbor Clement LaFetra began helping him build and market the sprinklers, and they urged him to patent the invention. U.S. patent 1,, was awarded on April 16, Englehart preferred farming, so in , he sold the business to Clement and Mary Elizabeth LaFetra. Clem LaFetra passed away in and his wife Mary "Betty" LaFetra became the second CEO of Rain Bird Corporation. Under her leadership, the company became global. She was CEO until when her son, Anthony La Fetra, became CEO. Antony La Fetra ran the company until his death in At that time, Art Ludwick was named interim CEO, and in February , Mike Donoghue was named President and CEO.

The name Rain Bird was taken from the Native American legend of a bird that brought rain, in reference to the bird-like appearance of the impact sprinkler in action. Since its beginnings, the firm has offered irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas, commercial developments, and residential landscapes. Rain Bird has obtained over patents since its founding.

Recognition

The Rain Bird horizontal action impact-drive sprinkler h