The San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees swore in three new trustees and an incumbent, and said farewell to two long-term trustees at its organizational meeting last night.
Newly elected trustees John Futch, John Longville and Jess C. Vizcaino, Jr. were sworn in by Congressman Joe Baca for four-year terms and incumbent Carleton Lockwood, Jr. was sworn in by Trustee Allen Gresham.
John M. Futch, a retired California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) administrator, has been a resident of the Inland Empire for 30 years. He is a graduate of San Bernardino Valley College and received his bachelor of arts in political science and master's of arts in social science from CSUSB.
John Longville served as a member of the California State Assembly (1998-2004), Mayor of Rialto (1987-1998), and councilmember of the City of Rialto (1978-84, 1986-87), and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District. He resigned from his adjunct faculty position at San Bernardino Valley College when he was elected as trustee.
Jess Vizcaino, Jr. is a credentialed teacher and administrator at a charter school. He received his bachelor of arts in communication from CSUSB. He is a former U.S. Army paratrooper and congressional aide to the late Congressman George Brown.
Carleton Lockwood, Jr. was first elected to the Board in 1991, following in his father's footsteps. He is president of Lockwood Engineering & Surveying Co. in Rialto. Lockwood is on the Crafton Hills College Foundation, East Rialto Kiwanis, the Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors Association and American Society of Civil Engineering and Land Surveying. He earned a bachelor's of science degree in civil engineering from San Diego State University and an associate degree from San Bernardino Valley College.
The remaining trustees are James Ramos, Dr. Donald Singer and Dr. Charles S. Terrell, Jr.
A special reception was held for outgoing board members Allen Gresham and Charles Beeman, who received recognition from Senators Feinstein and Boxer, Congressmen Lewis and Baca, State Senators Gloria Negrete McLeod and Bob Dutton, San Bernardino County Supervisors Josie Gonzales and Paul Biane, San Bernardino Mayor Patrick J. Morris, and Council Member Liz Harris from Big Bear Lake City. Both trustees were also presented with plaques from the SBCCD employees and wall clocks from their fellow trustees.
Allen Gresham, graduate of Stanford Law School and former partner at Gresham, Savage, Nolan & Tilden law firm, joined the San Bernardino Community College District as an elected trustee in 1971. He is the third longest sitting trustee in the state. Through his 37+ years on the Board, Gresham has demonstrated his devotion to public education and the youth in his community. He has also been involved in many other community service organizations, including the San Bernardino Symphony Association, Kiwanis Club of San Bernardino, San Bernardino YMCA, San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce, World Affairs Council of Southern California, and too many more to list.
The SBVC art gallery was name after Allen and his wife Clara in 2006 for their volunteer hours and long-time commitment to the art gallery.
Charles "Chuck" H. Beeman, a retired pharmacist and owner of Beeman's Pharmacy, was appointed to the San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees in 1983. An alumni of San Bernardino Valley College, he taught track and cross country there for five years.
Chuck Beeman missed making the 1956 Olympics team in track by a fraction of a second, but when the SBVC Track was named after him in January 2007, he indicated this was his best reward in life.
During their years of service collectively, Gresham and Beeman saw:
* the opening of Crafton Hills College in 1972,
* the hiring of five chancellors,
* San Bernardino Valley College win numerous intercollegiate athletics conference titles,
* the initiation of Proposition 13 and subsequent budget shortfalls
* enrollment at both colleges rise and fall, based partly on enrollment fees that also rose and fell over the years
* the construction of a new district facility on old Norton Air Force Base
* the passing of two bond measures: Measure P, $190 million in 2002 and Measure M, $500 million in 2008
* a massive construction program at San Bernardino Valley College; constructing five new buildings and demolishing seven because of their proximity to the San Andreas fault line
* Crafton Hills College become a leader in firefighting and paramedic training
* KVCR-FM/TV move from analog to digital and expand its service area
* master planning for SBVC and CHC through 2025
* over 150,000 students graduate
The San Bernardino Community College District is composed of San Bernardino Valley College, Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, KVCR-TV/FM and the Professional Development Center.
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