Candidate for
Board Member; San Bernardino Community College District

Don Singer is proud of his having served as an educator in Southern California schools and colleges for over 30 years. He was a teacher in all types of institutions, ranging from middle schools through university programs. He has taught a wide variety of courses, including United States History, English, Geography, American government, and, in graduate programs, courses in Education for those students desiring a Master's degree or Doctoral degree in Education or Higher Education. Don has four degrees from the University of Southern California, including a Bachelor's degree in History; a Master's degree in Education; a Master's degree in History; and a Doctoral degree in Higher Education.

Most of his career in education was spent in the California community college system, in which he served in a variety of capacities, including instructor, dean, vice president, and president. He is the only person who had the pleasure and privilege of serving as the President of the two colleges in the San Bernardino Community College District. He served as President of Crafton Hills College for eight years and as President of San Bernardino Valley College for seven years.

Following his early retirement from San Bernardino Valley College he served for several years as the Executive Director of Inland Action. Inland Action is a long-standing, non-profit, non-partisan corporation of public spirited citizens who are banded together to aid in the economic development of the Inland Empire. Headquartered in San Bernardino, the group holds weekly meetings to which leading business people, elected officials, and other community leaders are invited to speak on matters of economic and cultural concern. The groups works actively and effectively with elected officials in both Sacramento and Washington, D.C. to effect needed economic change in the Inland Empire.

Don was first elected to the Board of Trustees of the San Bernardino Community College District in 2001 and was re-elected in 2005. He was elected by his Board colleagues to the positions of Clerk of the Board, Vice President of the Board, and Board President. During his tenure on the Board, Don has worked hard on a number of issues which are important to the communities which support both Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College, including helping to lower the cost of textbooks; working with the Legislature to convince them to provide the needed financial resources for the District; and working with business groups and business leaders to increase the college-going rate in our community.

His involvement in the community college movement extends beyond his membership on the Board of Trustees of the San Bernardino Community College District. He has been elected and serves on the Board of Directors of the California Community College Trustees. This is the group which represents all 442 locally-elected Board members from the 72 community college Districts in the State and works to establish goals toward which all of the community college Districts will strive.

Don is active in his local community, serving as a member of the Redlands Noon Kiwanis Club, the Native Sons of the Golden West, and volunteers time to work in Smiley Library and for Ronald McDonald House in Loma Linda. He has been married to Joanne for 47 years and has three children and three grandchildren.