Greetings, Wolverines!

 

Last week, the STEM-MESA Center held a fantastic open house that drew dozens of students and showcased the center’s educational resources in hands-on ways. Thanks to Dean Lorrie Burnham, Dr. Daniel Mayo, Blue, and the entire team!   We had final interview for the Director of Financial and the faculty recruitment for microbiology.  Friday evening, I attended CSUSB’s 2026 Alumni Hall of Fame induction dinner to see Chancellor Dr. Diana Z. Rodriguez receive the Distinguished Alumni Award. 

This week, we have final interviews for Dual Enrollment Counselor position.  I will also participate the YMCA of the East Valley Principal appreciation luncheon and visit Arroyo Valley High School for the Career Fair and to present a check to the ASB.  Arroyo Valley High School brought the most participants to the SBVC High School Counselor’s breakfast and their ASB will be awarded a $500 check.  On Saturday, I will be attending the CSUSB President’s Legacy Gala honoring Dr. Tomas D. Morales.

I look forward to seeing all of you at our Tenure Reception and Spotlighting Awards on Friday.

 

Some highlights for this week:

 

  1. SENIOR DAY IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2026!
    On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, more than 600 high school seniors will be on campus from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM to learn about all Valley College has to offer. If you haven’t already, please contact outreach@valleycollege.edu if you want to highlight your programs during Senior Day. I’m looking forward to seeing future Wolverines on campus!  Special thanks to April Dale, Justine Plemons, and Amanda Moody for coordinating this fantastic event.

 

  1. SPOTLIGHTING AWARDS FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 17, 2026
    The annual Spotlighting Our Success employee awards are Friday, April 17, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Applied Technology Building. The awards recognize employees whose dedication, service, leadership, and innovation exemplify the spirit of SBVC. In honor of our centennial year, several new award categories have been introduced. Congratulations to each of the nominees!  Thank you to Dr. Jesse Neimeyer-Romero, Noel Arciero, Marvellee Diaz, and Matt Kim for facilitating the awards process; Gilbert Ortiz, Svetlana Tarasyuk, Cynthia Arevalo, Cristina Bacon, Damian Gonzales, Vladimar Aladin, and Barbara Bray for coordinating the logistics for Friday’s event; and Chef Stacy Meyer and her culinary students for preparing Friday night’s dinner.

 

  1. PROJECT ARTS EXHIBITION AT GRESHAM GALLERY THROUGH THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026
    Faculty, staff, students, and community members are invited to experience the new Project Arts: Expression, Investigation, and Participation exhibition at the Gresham Gallery, curated by adjunct instructor C. Ian White. Project Arts explores how artists use creativity to support social causes, challenge institutions, and build new models of cultural participation. The exhibition is on display until Thursday, April 16, 2026. Gallery hours are 9:00 AM-2:00 PM Monday through Thursday. 

 

  1. OPEN MIC IN HONOR OF PROFESSOR JOEL LAMORE THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026
    All are invited to share poetry, fiction, or music at an open mic event Thursday, April 16, 12:00-2:00 PM in the library viewing room, in honor of late Professor Joel Lamore. Professor Lamore often hosted open mic gatherings for the SBVC community to share their creativity. Same-day signups will be available. Thanks to Professor Edward Shea for organizing this creative tribute.

 

  1. ART OF SELF-REGULATION GATHERING THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026
    All employees are invited to attend “The ART of Self-Regulation" on Thursday, April 16, 2026, 1:00-2:15 PM in the Auditorium. This session will focus on practical, research-informed strategies to help manage stress, strengthen emotional regulation, and build resilience. I hope you can make time to attend this meaningful session.

 

  1. TENURE RECEPTION FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2026
    Please join me in honoring 12 Valley College faculty members who have reached tenure! Our Tenure Reception is Friday, April 17, 2026, 4:00–5:00 PM in the Gresham Art Gallery. This year’s tenure recipients are Samuel Addington, Anita Arnold,Djemoui Bouidi. Carol Damgen, Jaime Garcia, Nicole Jimenez, Nicole Lambrou, Amy Mills, Garry Parker, Mary Rascon, Hayley Smalls, and Wei-Chung Wang. Light refreshments will be served. Congratulations to our newly tenured faculty members!

 

  1. BLACK STUDENT SUCCESS WEEK APRIL 20-24, 2026
    California Community Colleges’ annual Black Student Success Week is April 20-24, 2026. To celebrate, there will be daily webinars at 12:00 PM. This year’ theme is “Revolution: (Re)Defining Black Student Success.” Valley College is proud to be a Black-Serving Institution, and I hope you take advantage of these webinars and in-the-works watch parties here at SBVC. More information is available here.

 

  1. API HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION APRIL 21, 2026
    The Asian & Pacific Islander Association is planning an API Heritage Month celebration on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 12:00-2:00 PM in the gym breezeway. More info to come!

 

  1. DISTRICT CLOTHES CLOSET IS NOW OPEN
    The San Bernardino Community College District Economic Development & Corporate Training Center’s community clothes closet is now open to those who need professional attire for job interviews or work. The closet is at the Professional Development Center, 114 S. Del Rosa Drive, San Bernardino, and is open 12:30-4:00 PM Monday-Friday. Those interested can contact Shalita Tillman at (909) 771-0171 or stillman@sbccd.edu to schedule an appointment. Thanks to the SBCCD for offering this resource to our community.

 

  1. SBVC WINS GOLD AT CCPRO FOR CENTENNIAL GALA WEB DESIGN
    Congratulations to Matt Kim and Cristina Bacon in our Department of Strategic Communications & Marketing for earning a Gold Award at the Community College Public Relations Organization (CCPRO) 2026 Conference in Paso Robles for their work on the Centennial Gala web portal. These annual awards recognize the top-performing community colleges across California, with submissions from all 116 colleges statewide. This recognition highlights the exceptional creativity and execution of our team on one of our signature Centennial projects.

 

  1. CATCH UP ON EVERYTHING HAPPENING AT VALLEY COLLEGE
    I shared our monthly report with the SBCCD Board of Trustees at their meeting April 9. Read all about what’s been happening on campus and catch up on previous editions here. Valley Up!

 

  1. MEN OF COLOR ACTION NETWORK APPLICATION APPROVED
    The Men of Color Action Network (MOCAN) has approved our application for the establishment of a Valley College campus chapter. The network advocates for men of color at California community colleges, encouraging academic, political, and social change needed to cultivate a learning environment that optimizes the success of male students of color. I’m pleased to offer this network as another of our services as a Black-Serving Institution.

 

  1. WOLVERINE CAL-GETC EVENT HELD ON MARCH 31, 2026
    On March 31, the Wolverine Cal-GETC event was held. This was a highly impactful, student-centered initiative designed to support students through comprehensive counseling services. 150 students attended and half of those students received direct assistance with preregistration for the upcoming summer and fall terms. This collaborative event brought together counseling staff and instructional faculty, creating an opportunity for students to engage directly with instructors across disciplines. Through meaningful conversations with faculty, students were able to make more informed decisions about their course selections and counselors were available to conduct progress checks. This event exemplifies the strong partnership that has been built between Instruction and Student Services to ensure student success.

 

  1. SHARE A CENTENNIAL MEMORY
    We’ve been inviting students, employees, alumni, and community members to share their memories during our centennial year. Please submit your reflections at SBVC Historic Highlights. 

 

Valley Up!

Gil