San Bernardino Community College District Honors Long-Time Employees

The San Bernardino Community College District employs more than 1,200 full and part-time employees on multiple sites stretched from the mountains outside Yucaipa to downtown San Bernardino. Last week, the District came together to recognize 409 employees who each have worked for the District anywhere between 5 to 45 years – a collective total of more than 4,900 years of service. Chancellor Bruce Baron told the gathered crowd, “This year, for the second time, the San Bernardino Community College District was named one of the Top 100 Public Employers in the Inland Empire by IE Executive magazine. Successful employers recognize that longevity in their workforce equals more knowledgeable and more professional service to the customer. In our case, our customers are our students. We are the pipeline for successful employment between students and the businesses in our region. And we cannot successfully complete our mission without stellar, dedicated employees. The average American stays on a job 4.6 years. These 409 employees have averaged more than 10 years each, and they are all still working for the District!” The District recognized 18 employees who have served the District from 30 to 45 years each and 25 who have been with the District for 25 years. Angelita Gideon, recipient of the 45-year award, is a supervisor in the San Bernardino Valley College library who came to the campus as a student, fell in love with the school, and stayed on. She said, “Every day is a wonderful day in the library. I love what I do, the people I work with and the students we serve.” The San Bernardino Community College District is experiencing significant growth, with enrollment having jumped over 10% in the past year. The Board of Trustees for the District voted to fund an increased number of sections above the funding the District receives from the State of California to help meet the demand. They anticipate serving more students than ever before in the next few years. “The Inland Empire, among the nation’s hardest-hit local economies during the past five years, is now the fastest growing region in Southern California, a trend predicted to continue over the next five years, according to the most recent economic forecast. The need for an educated workforce in the IE continues to grow. Our staff provides our students with their industry knowledge in the classrooms and labs, and soft skills training through the clubs and other activities, and they listen and support each of them, as individuals who will go forward and apply their unique talents, enhancing our community.” noted Chancellor Baron.