The 29th annual Treasures of Los Angeles event on June 4 highlighted leaders who have strengthened the Los Angeles community. This year’s honorees were recognized for a range of efforts, from fighting fires to transformative work with formerly gang-involved and incarcerated individuals — and among the award recipients was Arizona State University President Michael M. Crow.

The annual event is part of the Central City Association of Los Angeles, the city's premier advocacy organization. While Crow is based in Arizona, he is not a new face to the Los Angeles community.

Since fall 2000, ASU has enrolled more than 115,000 students from California. During the early years of Crow’s leadership, ASU began funding Zócalo Public Square, a unit of ASU Media Enterprise that blends live events with humanities journalism. ASU’s presence in California has since grown and thrived.

ASU’s locations in California — the ASU California Center Broadway and ASU California Center Grand — put students in the middle of downtown Los Angeles to study subjects including film and fashion.

In 2023, ASU's fashion program in Phoenix expanded to Los Angeles, becoming ASU FIDM. Part of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, ASU FIDM reflects the university’s commitment to innovation in fashion education, with programs led by industry-connected faculty and grounded in sustainability, technology and entrepreneurship.

The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, with locations in Phoenix and Los Angeles, empowers passionate film and media artists with the technical skills and creative experience that will allow them to change the world with new visions, stories and voices.

Additionally, ASU has partnered with community colleges in California to ease college credit transfers for California-based students hoping to become Sun Devils.

“The Central City Association is proud to honor President Michael Crow as one of this year’s Treasures of Los Angeles,” said Nella McOsker, the association's president and CEO. “Under his leadership, ASU has redefined what’s possible in higher education — embracing innovation, forging strategic partnerships and preparing students to lead in an ever-changing workforce. President Crow’s investment in downtown Los Angeles has helped embed students into the heart of our city, contributing to a more vibrant, inclusive residential community. At a pivotal time for DTLA, his visionary commitment to driving meaningful societal impact is exactly what our city needs.”

Crow said ASU is committed to enhancing access to quality education in Los Angeles and throughout the state.

“We are grateful and enthusiastic for the opportunity to establish new degree pathways for learners in Los Angeles, and to forge innovative partnerships with the local community to help provide education at scale,” he said. “Together, we will continue to move education forward.”

Previous honorees include the Downtown Women's Center; Olympic Gold Medalist Janet Evans; and Jonathan Gold, a restaurant critic with the Los Angeles Times. In addition to Crow, this year’s honorees were the Los Angeles City Fire Department, County of Los Angeles Fire Department and Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries.