The gift from the former Pantone CEO is a part of AFI’s "Focus on the Future" campaign.
The American Film Institute has received a $3 million gift from AFI trustee emeritus Lawrence Herbert.
The gift will establish the Lawrence Herbert Alumni Center on the Los Angeles campus, as well as a digital portal, AFI Backlot, to magnify the center’s global reach to alumni. The gift from Herbert is part of AFI’s "Focus on the Future" campaign, which is meant build infrastructure to help alumni in their careers through development resources, engagement with the school's network of mentors and the championing of the ongoing global accomplishments of AFI alumni.
"This gift will prove transformational for AFI alumni — and for the future of the art form," president and CEO Bob Gazzale said in a statement. "Mr. Herbert’s continued commitment to AFI will inspire the careers of America’s next generation of storytellers."
"Film is the universal language of our modern day," said Herbert, the former CEO on Pantone, who served on the AFI board of trustees from 1987-2017. "And the AFI Conservatory is educating new and inspiring voices. At this time in history, it is my honor to create a place at AFI that will drive the future of this global connection between all of us who love a story well-told."
