On February 6, two college presidents, five K-12 school district superintendents, the presidents of their respective boards, and the county office of education met at San Bernardino Valley College for a momentous occasion: to jointly sign a Declaration of Adult Education Collaboration, commemorating their long-term commitment to improving access to adult education in the Inland Empire.

“This partnership is a great opportunity for continuous collaboration between our college and local school districts,” said SBVC President Diana Z. Rodriguez. “I am eager to see how we can continue to improve educational attainment rates for working adults and their families.”President Diana Z. Rodriguez signs the Declaration of Adult Education Collaboration. Seated (left to right): Dr. Wei Zhou, Joseph Williams, Diana Z. Rodriguez. Standing (left to right): Jerry Almendarez, Dr. Cuauhtémoc Avila, Lori Rhodes, Patricia Ingram, Dr. Margaret Hill, Dr. Dale Marsden, Gwendolyn Rodgers, Michael J. Gallo, Kit Alvarez, Donna West, Dina Walker, Cali Binks.

The declaration was signed by each voting member of the Inland Adult Education Consortium along with their respective board presidents:

  • Diana Z. Rodriguez (President, San Bernardino Valley College)
  • Dr. Wei Zhou (President, Crafton Hills College)
  • Joseph Williams (Board President, San Bernardino Community College District)
  • Dr. Dale Marsden (Superintendent, San Bernardino City USD)
  • Dr. Margaret Hill (Board President, San Bernardino City USD)
  • Jerry Almendarez (Superintendent, Colton Joint USD)
  • Dan Flores (Board President, Colton Joint USD)
  • Dr. Cuauhtémoc Avila (Superintendent, Rialto USD)
  • Dina Walker (Board President, Rialto USD)
  • Lori Rhodes (Superintendent, Redlands USD)
  • Donna West (Board President, Redlands USD)
  • Cali Binks (Superintendent, Yucaipa-Calimesa JUSD)
  • Patricia Ingram (Board President, Yucaipa-Calimesa JUSD)
  • Kit Alvarez (ROP Administrator, San Bernardino County Office of Education)

Created by the State of California’s Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG) in 2015, the Inland Adult Education Consortium is headquartered at San Bernardino Valley College. Its membership is comprised of all K-12 superintendents and college presidents in the cities of San Bernardino, Yucaipa, Colton, Rialto, and Redlands, as well as the administrator of the county’s regional occupational program (ROP).

Emma Diaz, AEBG Coordinator (left) and Dr. Stephanie Briggs, SBVC Dean of Mathematics, Business and Computer Science (right), display the signed declaration.“I am excited about the signing of this declaration,” said Emma Diaz, San Bernardino Valley College’s AEBG Coordinator. “It reflects the commitment our regional leadership has in working together to empower change in our community.”

For more information on the Inland Adult Education Consortium at San Bernardino Valley College, visit www.inlandab86.org.