Greetings, Wolverines!

Last week was a truly epic week celebrating our 100th birthday! I will never forget singing Happy Birthday to our college, enjoying cake and taking the “100” photo with you on Thursday -- officially Valley College Day in San Bernardino! Each of you is part of our history. Thank you for making it such a festive occasion, and for advocating for our students every day.

And it was an unforgettable night on Friday at our Centennial Gala! I’m profoundly grateful to the foundation, gala committee, community stakeholders, supporters, and volunteers for working so tirelessly to make it such an unforgettable night. For those who attended, I hope you got to admire the 1926 Buick Opera Coupe restored by our automotive program and learned about the people who have made Valley College a cornerstone of the community over the last century. Thank you to the faculty who served as the Centennial Build Team and oversaw the beautiful restoration of the vintage vehicle: Craig “Kiwi” Hopkins, Edgar Pelayo, Arnol Alvarez, Dave Otero, Ryan Tobin, Vitelio Hernandez, Paul Cook, and the automotive students who had a hand in the process. Here’s to our next 100 years! Thanks to SBVC Foundation Executive Director Mike Layne and his staff, Carol Dixon, co-chairs Gloria Macias Harrison and Dr. Yolanda Moses, and so many others who made it such a stunning event. Here's to the next century!

Additionally, we just marked another milestone heading into our next century -- the groundbreaking for our new Aeronautics and Health Sciences buildings. Many students joined district and SBVC leaders, faculty and staff for a tour, special exhibits, and appetizers made by Valley Grill. These two buildings begin our next century of building futures and will house generations of workers in in-demand industries.

This past weekend, our Honors students participated in the annual research conference sponsored by the Honors Transfer Council of California. The event was held on the UC Riverside campus and the Valley delegation was led by Associate Professor Carol Damgen, Honors Program Chair. Although I was unable to attend this year’s conference, I would like to thank VPI Leticia Hector, Dr. Nori Sogomonian, and Dr. Jesse Neimeyer-Romero for attending and encouraging our student scholars in the pursuit of knowledge.

A quick note that I will be out of the office next Monday and Tuesday. Vice President of Administrative Services Keith Bacon will be in charge.

Some highlights for this week:

PEC ANALYZING IMPACT OF SERP ON VALLEY COLLEGE

As a reminder, the President's Executive Cabinet (PEC) is evaluating budgetary impacts of employees taking the District-sponsored Supplemental Employee Retirement Plan (SERP). This plan is a retirement incentive for employees meeting certain eligibility requirements. The District will decide whether to move forward with the retirement incentive once a review of the final participant list is conducted, and applicants will be notified of next steps. To those who applied, thank you for your patience! PEC is also evaluating how the SERP will impact the collegewide reorganization. Stay tuned for additional updates.

BLU FOUNDATION MET WITH PEC MARCH 31, 2026

The President's Executive Cabinet had the opportunity today to connect with the BLU Educational Foundation. We discussed improving collaboration with the BLU Foundation and showcasing our reach as a Black Serving Institution. We also explored the space needs of BLU when they must transition from the Village. It was important to share with BLU the plans for the Student Services Building. I appreciate the BLU's support of our community.

COLLEGE COUNCIL RECEIVES UPDATE FROM DR. MITCHELL REGARDING PLANS FOR THE MULTICULTURAL CENTER, MARCH 25, 2026

Valley College continues to collaborate with Inspire School Services and Dr. Keenon Mitchell to advance the vision and implementation of the San Bernardino Valley College Multicultural Center. Dr. Mitchell continues to engage campus leadership, constituent groups, and affinity groups as SBVC defines the focus of its Multicultural Center. More details will be shared as implementation draws closer.

EXPLORING BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES WITH SAN BERNARDINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

SBVC is exploring collaborating with the City of San Bernardino on branding opportunities at San Bernardino International Airport and public corridors near the airport. VPAS Keith Bacon, Director Paul Bratulin, my Executive Assistant, Dr. Jesse Neimeyer-Romero, and I enjoyed a presentation and tour March 30, 2026 at the airport, which is becoming a local leader in cargo and offers two passenger flights on Breeze Airways. We may also explore expanding course offerings at EDCT connected to airport industries. Stay tuned for more exciting developments with the airport!

VALLEY COLLEGE HOSTS GATES FOUNDATION, GIA, ARROYO VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, SAN ANDREAS HIGH SCHOOL, AND DSO MARCH 30, 2026

SBVC is developing an AI pathway in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, San Bernardino City Unified School District, and GIA. Thanks to VPI Leticia Hector for spearheading this! We really appreciate the community of leaders working together to design, create, and implement innovative dual enrollment opportunities for our community. We are especially thankful for our high school partners who joined us on their Spring Break. Stay tuned for more information.

CLASSIFIED EVENT APRIL 1, 2026

Classified professionals are invited to “Collaborating Upward: Partnering with your Manager for Shared Success,” April 1, 2026, 10:00-11:30 AM or 1-2:30 PM in the campus center student lounge. Thanks to Classified Senate Professional Development Liaison Laurie Sullivan and her team for coordinating this event and last week’s Classified Week events. Please RSVP here.

REGISTRATION BLOCK PARTIES

Starting Monday, April 6, 2026, EOPS, CARE, NextUp, Guardian Scholars and CalWORKS block parties to promote summer and fall registration. Students can enjoy breakfast or lunch and register on site. All registration block parties are posted on www.valleycollege.edu/calendar. Kudos to Joanne Hinojosa, Keenan Giles, Marty Milligan and Monica Perales for getting our students registered.

THANKS FOR JOINING PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE CABINET FOR UPDATES TO THE STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING, MARCH 27, 2026

Thank you for joining us for the Student Services Building Forum on March 27, 2026 to see the building plans (and changes), ask questions, and share your thoughts. We value your thoughts and look forward to serving students in this new space! Kudos to VPSS Yvonne Gutierrez-Sandoval, VPAS Keith Bacon, and everyone involved in creating this forum for the community.

PROJECT ARTS EXHIBITION AT GRESHAM GALLERY

Faculty, staff, students, and community members are invited to experience the new Project Arts: Expression, Investigation, and Participation exhibition at the Gresham Gallery and is 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 April 16, 2026. Gallery hours are 9:00 AM-2:00 PM Monday through Thursday.

SAVE THE DATE FOR SPOTLIGHTING AWARDS: APRIL 17, 2026

The annual Spotlighting Our Success employee awards are Friday, April 17, 2026. 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. Please watch your email for event information and I hope you can attend this special event.

NEW CENTENNIAL PODCAST EPISODE

The newest episode in our new centennial podcast series features human resources professional Dawn Garcia, who has ties to Valley College. The podcast shares stories behind our 100 years of impact, featuring conversations with those who helped shape Valley College and those leading us into the next century. Watch and listen to the podcast on YouTube and Spotify.

STAFF & FACULTY ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

As the year draws to a close and we begin to celebrate our students’ achievements, we would also like to take time this season to celebrate the academic achievements of all of you, our valued staff and faculty. If you have earned a degree (Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate) please email Dr. Jesse Neimeyer-Romero (jneimeyer@valleycollege.edu) with your degree and the name of your accredited institution so that we may be able to acknowledge your hard work in advancing your own education while serving Valley students.

THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK WITH THE VALLEY COLLEGE ISER

The Accreditation and Outcomes Committee appreciates your feedback on our Institutional Self Evaluation Report (ISER) draft! You can help ensure all major initiatives, programs, data, and outcomes are included. Special thanks to VPI Leticia Hector and Faculty Lead Jeremiah Gilbert as well as the entire team working on our accreditation.