SAN BERNARDINO, CA-At their regularly scheduled meeting on December 11, the San Bernardino Community College District (SBCCD) re-installed Board Members Donna Ferracone and Dr. Donald L. Singer and installed new Board Member Joseph Williams. San Bernardino County Supervisor and former SBCCD Board President James Ramos administered the oath of office. The Board of Trustees members elected trustee John Longville to serve as Board President, and Trustee Dr. Kathleen (Katy) Henry as Vice President and Trustee Joseph Williams as Clerk. The Trustees will serve in those offices for two years.
SBCCD Chancellor Bruce Baron said, “The public elected experienced leaders who bring to the Board a commitment and understanding of the mission of our District that will enhance the District’s ability to serve our two colleges, KVCR, the Economic Development and Corporate Training Division and our community in general. Our Board will continue serve the students and community with dedication.”
The newly elected officers of the Board of Trustees are:
President John Longville was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2008, at which time he retired from his adjunct faculty position at San Bernardino Valley College.
He also is a member of the Board of Directors of the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District (2007-present), and has previously served as a member of the California State Assembly (1998-2004), Mayor of Rialto (1987-1998), and member of the Rialto City Council (1978-1984 & 1986-1987). During his municipal government years, John was particularly active in regional government agencies, serving as President of both San Bernardino Associated Governments (1982-1983) and the Southern California Association of Governments (1992-1993) and as a founding board member of the Southern California Regional Rail Association (Metrolink).
He has been active in a wide array of local civic and charitable organizations since he first moved to San Bernardino County in 1972 to work as press secretary for the late Congressman George Brown.
Vice President Dr. Kathleen (Katy) Henry is a university instructor and a dissertation mentor for doctoral learners. Dr. Henry first started her educational pursuits at the community college level. As a result, she is a strong advocate for meeting student needs and overcoming barriers to their success at this pivotal time in a student’s educational life. She is highly supportive of programs that help veterans, students with special needs, as well as eLearning programs. She earned her B.S. at Southern Illinois University in Workforce Education and Development and recognizes the importance of vocational education programs. She earned her M.A. in Organizational Development and her Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from the Fielding Institute.
Dr. Henry’s community involvement includes: Member Steering Committee for the Women’s Leadership Council of Arrowhead United Way, Chairperson for the Scholarship Committee of the Highland Woman’s Club, member/past Chair of Youth Services and K-Kids at Kiwanis Club of Highland, and she serves as an Ambassador for the Highland Chamber of Commerce.
Clerk Joseph Williams was appointed to fill a Board of Trustees vacancy in 2013 and elected to the Board in November, 2014.
He is the Founder and CEO of the Youth Action Project (YAP) and has served youth and adults of the Inland Empire for the past fourteen years. YAP integrates youth popular culture in its program to engage positive dialogue, decision-making, and actions that will improve educational and workforce outcomes.
Prior to founding YAP, Joseph was employed with the County of San Bernardino for nine years, working for the Department of Behavioral Health, the Workforce Development Department and the Sheriff’s Department.
He currently serves as a member of the California Workforce Investment Board and the California Committee to Employ People with Disabilities, and as the Vice-Chair of the Legislative Committee on the San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board.
Joseph served as the SBCCD Student Trustee when he was a college student, continuing on to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration the University of Redlands.
The Board also approved its schedule of meetings for 2015. The meeting dates are posted on the SBCCD website, sbccd.org, and the public is invited to attend open meetings and study sessions.