We are living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. - Winston Churchill

Ed Zolla, PENN Tribute Rider

The Bucknell-Penn Alumni Bike Race Across America for Scholarship is also conducted as a tribute to Ed Zolla, graduate of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Ed had planned to make this ride in support of both Penn and Bucknell, along with Bruce Lederman, his business partner of many years..

Unfortunately, on September 2, 2006, Ed died unexpectedly at the age of 58 from a sudden cardiac event while on vacation with his family in Lake Tahoe, CA.

Ed was married 35 years to Susan Penecale Zolla, Bucknell class of 1968.

Ed was born in Chicago, IL. After college, Ed served as a Naval officer in Vietnam.

Ed had an exciting business career. He launched, acquired and operated many enterprises including a liquid bottling company, a large consumer textile manufacturing and import company, and Industrial Equity Capital, an acquisition firm. He also was the founder and president of Horizon Construction, a construction and property management firm specializing in affordable housing throughout Los Angeles and Kern County.

Ed was active in Young President’s Organization and World President’s Organization. He also taught a class on entrepreneurship at the USC Marshall School of Business.

Ed and Susan’s life have been filled with philantrophic interests. In honor of his mother’s work at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, he founded Holidays from the Heart. Through this, Ed and his family and friends delivered Christmas to needy families with sick and dying children.

Ed was a founder of the annual Chinese New Year Dinner Event to raise money for Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.

Ed served on the Los Angeles Opera Board of Directors, was a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Board of Overseers and sponsor of the Center Theatre Group.

One of the causes closest to Ed’s heart (and his family) was to promote access to college for inner-city youth. He and his family have endowed scholarships for minority students at both Penn and Bucknell.

In addition, he and his family have been generous supporters of the One Voice Scholars Program (see www.onevoice-la.org) and the Fullfillment Fund. Ed was very proud that scholarship students of One Voice who attend Penn and Bucknell.

Ed and Susan have three wonderful daughters, Alissa Bartle, Mimi Neandross and Anne Zolla. Alissa and Peter are proud parents of Anna Bartle and Mimi and Mimi and Erik are proud parents of Mateo.

Ed was an avid cyclist. Both Bruce Lederman and Frank Arentowicz biked over 20,000 miles with Ed in the Santa Monica Mountains on weekends over the last 12 years with a bicycle club entitled, The Silverbacks.