LASALLE-PR-119-PSA
Dickinson started the school in 2000 originally at the San Bernardino Professional Firefighter’s Union Hall. The Academy is currently at a facility near the San Bernardino Airport.
“We have 170 students today, and we are looking at 325 next year,” Dickinson says. “We are also adding on a middle school and grades 6-8.”
Funded by the State of California, the academy's students study the public safety disciplines, police, fire and emergency medical services, in addition to traditional high school courses.
The Academy’s public safety courses also provide students with the required courses needed for entry into the police or fire academies, Dickinson says.
Dickinson says the academy differs from a traditional high school because the school is organized along paramilitary lines. Dickinson is the academy CEO and chief, the vice principal is the deputy chief and a cadet chief serves as head of the students. Students at the academy wear uniforms similar to the ones worn by fire departments. The academy also places a major focus on character development, leadership and ethics among the students, Dickinson adds.
Dr. Albert Arteaga, president of LaSalle Medical Associates(http://www.lasallemedical.com), says the Public Safety Academy’s discipline and small class size have benefited his son Diego who joined last year.
“Some kids thrive in an open environment, while others need a more structured environment before they are ready to use their own judgment,” Arteaga said.
Arteaga is impressed students at the academy have to wear uniforms, keep their hair short and refer to the teachers as “sir” or “ma’am.” “The teachers have a great deal of authority in the classroom,” Arteaga said.
Being exposed to instructors who are former police officers and firefighters has also provided his son with great role models, Arteaga says, adding Diego has expressed an interest in pursing a career in law enforcement in the future. “If he becomes a policeman or firefighter, I would be more than happy with that,” Arteaga said.
Currently a 10th grader, Diego Arteaga says the fire service and paramilitary training are some of the aspects of the academy he enjoys.
“I was interested in being a fireman and they have the instructors who can steer me in the right direction,” says Diego.
Diego also said an important part of the education at PSA is the six pillars of character which are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Although students at the PSA study regular high school courses such as geography, physics and science, the moral leadership training is an important part of the development of a young person.
“Sometimes young people’s lives go in the wrong direction,” Diego says. “The six pillars of character steer you in the right direction.”
Diego says many PSA graduates further their educations at Crafton Hills College which offers an associate of science degree in fire technology.
Graduates of the academy have gone onto careers in the military and with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Dickinson points out.
“The goal of the academy is to open up doors for students so they can achieve a career versus a job,” Dickinson says.
The Public Safety Academy is at 165 S. Leland Norton Way, San Bernardino. For more information call (909) 382-2211 or go to HYPERLINK "http://www.psasb.us" www.psasb.us .
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
GOOD CITIZENS ARE MADE, NOT BORN
IMMUNIZATIONS: SHOTS HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calf.) Across the globe, regular immunizations against otherwise ravishing diseases are helping the world’s population live longer, healthier lives, says Dr. Albert Arteaga, founder of the Inland Empire’s LaSalle Medical Associates.
Back-to-school time is here, and just as school attendance is mandatory, Arteaga wishes immunizations were just as mandatory. But, as yet they aren’t. “Parents do realize how important the shots are to the welfare of their children, but still we will see 80% of our patients in the last two weeks before school starts,” he notes.
Immunizations, often combined in a single injection, help prevent such diseases as pneumonia, polio, diphtheria, hepatitis and meningitis.
“Children are usually afraid of their perceived pain of the immunizations,” Arteaga says, “but that brief, tiny pain is nothing compared to the alarming, often lifelong, impact of the diseases they prevent.”
Parents should plan ahead for their children’s immunizations, he adds. “They need to break the barrier of ‘no time’,” he says. “They simply need to think ahead, and say, ‘Today is a good one for the shots’.”
There’s an important phrase in the medical profession when it comes to immunizations: “herd immunity.” “That’s where we can all be human barriers to these common but serious diseases,” he explains. “When we’re around people who are immunized, they protect the rest of us. And we can all help each other by being protected ourselves.”
While immunizations are routinely up to date only 30% of the time, LaSalle patients, at Arteaga’s urging, are 70% up to date. “Our patients are really good about that,” he says, “but so much more can be done. The problem is that with immunizations nothing seems wrong with kids, and so the parents too often simply put them off until the time is more convenient. You ought to hear the creative excuses we get.”
Under nearly all circumstances, immunizations are free to families, being subsidized by the Federal government for children.
LaSalle welcomes childhood immunizations at all five of their Inland Empire clinics: 17577 Arrow Blvd. in Fontana; 1505 Seventeenth Street and 565 North Mt. Vernon Ave. in San Bernardino; 16455 Main St. in Hesperia; and 31762 Mission Trail in Lake Elsinore.
Appointments aren’t required, but are recommended by calling (909) 890-0407. Usually the immunizations last only 30 minutes.
“A half hour,” Dr. Arteaga says, “can save potentially years of devastating illness.”
EARLY MAMMOGRAMS SAVE LIVES
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Yearly mammograms save women lives. To help more low- to moderate-income women, LaSalle Medical Associates will began mammography at its Mt. Vernon Clinic in San Bernardino this September.
The Department of Health Services now requires mammograms for all women over 40. They are not only simple, quick and risk-free, but are known to lower the chance of fatal breast cancer by 25-35 percent. The tests normally take only five to 10 minutes.
Dr. Albert Arteaga, the founder and president of LaSalle Medical Associates, sees substantial light on the horizon regarding reducing occurrences of breast cancer in Black and Latino women.
“Fifteen years ago, there was a problem. Our friends' wives and daughters were highly reluctant to see a doctor about mammograms, personal breast exams or anything else related to breast cancer. It was all too personal for them, sharing such intimate matters with a medical professional.”
All that has changed, he feels, with so much effort having gone into public awareness programs. “I don’t see that this reluctance is any more prevalent among minority women than Whites. In fact, the figures are nearly identical. Public awareness is working. There’s no longer a need to convince women; it’s now a matter of getting them to come in.”
Sometimes the problem of getting women to come in is a financial one. Low-income Black and Latino women may believe they just can’t afford exams and tests. Women’s health insurance normally covers the expense, though for those without coverage there is that fear of high costs.
LaSalle can help women without insurance find a program to help pay for their mammography, Dr. Arteaga says. “There are many public assistance programs that the vast majority of low- to moderate-income women qualify for. We help them apply, and in many cases receive coverage.”
LaSalle Medical Associates has two reasons for instituting its new mammography
program. “On the one hand,” Arteaga says, “there’s an altruistic purpose. We simply want to help the community by helping women remain healthy and catching any potential breast cancer early enough to prevent its growth.
”On the other hand, it’s good business, and if our clinics are to continue helping patients from year to year, they simply must stay in business. So we help our patients get the care they need through state and/or federal insurance programs created to help people stay healthy,” Arteaga explains.
Occasionally politicians or special interest group opposes government programs that spend money to help the financially disadvantaged. “But, when we show them that programs like these are heavily utilized and help keep people healthy and so we spend less overall on treating sicker people,” he says, “the opposition to them diminishes. The numbers can prove to the naysayers that the state and federal programs are being used, and public funds are actually helping save lives.
“We believe that all women in the Inland Empire should have their annual mammogram and we are working hard to help them do so,” says Arteaga. “The more women we see, the more lives we can help save.”
LaSalle Medical Associates has five clinics in the Inland Empire. Their offices are in five convenient locations; 17577 Arrow Boulevard in Fontana, 1505 17th Street in San Bernardino, 565 N. Mount Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino, 16455 Main Street in Hesperia and 31762 Mission Trail in Lake Elsinore.
For more information or to schedule an appointment call LaSalle’s Mount Vernon clinic at (909) 884-9091.
Photo caption: Dr. Albert Arteaga, President and CEO of LaSalle Medical Associates, was recently awarded the San Bernardino County Medical Society’s Merlin Hendrickson, M.D. Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Community. Arteaga is recognized for his efforts to provide health services to Inland Empire children. (www.lasallemedical.com.) Left to Right - Maria Arteaga, wife of Dr. Albert Arteaga, daughter Sandy Arteaga and Mitzi Arteaga, Lynda Long of LaSalle Medial Associates.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
INLAND EMPIRE AD CLUB LEADS WAY IN EDUCATION
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Celebrating its 25th year, the Inland Empire Ad Club, with offices at 109 Church St. in Redlands, has appointed a new director of education to spearhead student involvement in the real world of advertising promotion. “We invited Micheal Swank from the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire to lead the club’s emphasis on education,” noted Theresa Mesa, the group’s 2007-08 president.
The Web designer and former Ad Club vice president says they want Swank to be a liaison to the schools in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, involving the students in founding their own ad clubs and participating in district and national advertising competitions.
“I’m excited,” says Swank. “I’ve been in education for a long time, and any way I can get kids actively involved in learning is my professional goal.” Swank, The Art Institute of California- Inland Empire's Academic Director of Graphic Design & Interactive Media, is making plans to create student ad clubs at various area campuses. “That’s what I love about this new position – working with other schools and their students,” he says. “And I want to use the ad competitions to give kids the chance to see what the real world is like in their fields of interest, in this case advertising.”
Mesa explains, “There is a National Student Advertising Competition, sponsored this year by AOL. And when a winning team’s ad campaign proposal is chosen, it, or portions of it, will be utilized by AOL in its own ad programs.”
Students will learn how to understand markets, develop ad campaigns and execute those campaigns for each level of competition, this way learning what companies expect and need when it comes to promoting their products or services to the public.
But Swank has only one year as Ad Club Education Chairman to pull off his expectations for students before he’ll relinquish his position in mid 2008. “The students and I,” he says, “will be working our tails off. The students are loaded with graphic and advertising talent, and here’s a chance to test their creativity in real business situations.” As Theresa Mesa puts it, “Micheal will be developing the entire Inland Empire’s student ad programs and campus clubs.”
“Through the Ad Club’s education plan,” Swank says, “students will gain valuable exposure to what their careers may be like. And along the way, they’ll be making important contacts for their post-education futures in advertising.”
PICTURE PERFECT COOKING IN SAN BERNARDINO
“The faculty, staff and students can attest to the fact that the foods prepared for the photo shoots are as good as they look because every month we are invited into the kitchens to partake in the delicacies,” says Campus President Byron Chung.
Donald and Brenda Lorenzi, the publishers of Inland Empire Magazine along with food magazines Tastes of Italia, a bi-monthly, and the quarterly Healthy Cooking, have included test kitchens in each of their publications for years, creating recipes that make mouths water and have people dashing to the market.
“Our food magazines,” she says, “are recipe oriented publications, especially, of course, Healthy Cooking and Tastes of Italia.” Circulated nationwide, and now expanding internationally, the publications are on more than 5,000 newsstands and in such chains as Borders and Barnes & Noble.
“For years, we experimented with foods in our own kitchen with our own staff,” Lorenzi says, “but, we have a company to run, too. And when the Art Institute’s Culinary Arts department came to me with a proposal to team up, I jumped at it.”
Byron Chung and Chef Eyad Joseph, the Culinary Arts director, founded the Culinary Arts program at the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire in January of this year.
“I want to show our 28 students that there’s more to working in the culinary field than just being an Emeril on TV. It takes a great chef 20 years to attain that level. In the meantime there are sous chefs, private chefs, baking and pastry chefs, corporate chefs, cruise chefs and, naturally, test kitchen chefs,” says Chef Joseph.
This chef knows what it takes to make it in the culinary world. Before joining the Art Institute of California, Chef Joseph served as chef at a five-star and five-diamond hotel, the Fairmount Scottsdale Princess Resort, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
He was also the regional executive chef for the popular Romano’s Macaroni Grill chain, and as executive chef at several other fine dining restaurants in both San Diego and Scottsdale. Chef Joseph was also a regular on many local cooking television shows and is the author of a new cookbook due this spring. He is a graduate of the Scottsdale Institute’s Le Cordon Bleu.
By partnering with Lorenzi’s magazines, Chef Joseph’s students gain hands-on experience with this little-known aspect of the culinary field. “When I met with Brenda and we tossed around the idea of our program taking over her magazines’ test kitchen, I was thrilled. It sounded mutually adventurous.”
The partnership is mutually beneficial, too. The publications gains new, well-tested recipes, the students get real-world preparation and cooking experience, readers are treated to the newest and most savory recipes and the university gathers nationwide exposure. Everyone wins.
The cooking takes place at the Art Institute’s a la carte kitchen, the university’s most elaborate culinary facility. “When they came to see our operation,” Chef Joseph says, “they were astonished with the facility and equipment. We have more than everything we’d need to do the kind of testing Brenda and her readers expect.”
The magazines send the new recipes to Chef Joseph every month. He reviews them with the students and makes a plan. What makes each recipe unique? What ingredients are needed? What equipment is required? How long will each element take? Which student does what? What ingredients do we have on hand?
“We make a shopping list for Brenda, and she picks up what we need. Then we get to work.”
Chef Joseph guides the two dozen or more students for approximately two nine-hour days, staying with them at every step as they create 18 to 20 dishes on day one and another seven to eight on day two.
Healthy Cooking and Tastes of Italia sends a photographer who specializes in taking photos of food to document each step along with the final creations, and their own chef is on hand to take notes for the resulting articles.
One tricky aspect of all this is the advance timing required by publications that must plan each issue, sell ads and get them delivered or created, design page layouts, photograph covers, print and distribute those 150,000 copies.
“We have to work at least a year ahead,” Brenda Lorenzi says. “In the spring we’re thinking Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.” Finding fresh cranberries and turkeys in May can be a bit of a challenge, she adds.
And when it’s all over? “We have a feast,” the chef says. “The proof is in the eating.”
Healthy Cooking and Tastes of Italia are available at newsstands or by subscription at healthycookingmagazine.com or tastesofitalia.com. For more information on The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire call (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire.
Photo Caption:Chef Eyad Joseph, the Culinary Arts director, who founded the Culinary Arts program at the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire presents a pasta dish for photography.
ART STUDENTS GIVE HIGH SCHOOL LOGO NEW LOOK
(SAN BERNADINO, Calif.) Two Art Institute of California – Inland Empire (http://www.aii.edu/inlandempire) students redesigned the logo for San Andreas High School, an alternative high school in Highland. The students, Dante Guiab of Moreno Valley and Jesus Flores-Rodriguez of Fontana, each won a $200 prize.
“I am proud that our students were rewarded for their work,” says Byron Chung, president of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “Although we are a school, we play an active role in the community, whenever we have an opportunity. We often assign our students classwork which has them working with local non-profit agencies. It’s a win-win situation. The non-profit agencies get a great graphic project, like a logo or a brochure, and our students get to work on projects that can help build their portfolios for future employment. The Art Institute shows students you can make a living following your passion.”
Susan Ward, art teacher at San Andreas High School, says she decided to approach the college about the logo redesign project after an Art Institute instructor did a presentation at the school.
“One of the design instructors assigned the project to her class,” Ward explains. “They took on the task of redesigning our logo. We are changing from the Lions to the Quakes.”
The assignment took Art Institute instructor Robin Lindblom’s class about eight weeks to complete, Ward adds.
San Andreas students liked two designs so much they decided to choose elements from both designs to incorporate into their new logo. “They liked the lettering from one design, and they liked the character from the other,” Ward says.
According to Ward, she was impressed that many of The Art Institute students were more motivated by the spirit of volunteerism than the cash prize.
“It was not about the money, but more about the design experience and helping the community,” Ward says. “Dante said the project was extra special for him because his wife attended an alternative high school.”
Lindblom, who teaches concept design, says working on the project provided her students with a glimpse of what it is like to actually work on a real-life design job. “It was a good way of giving them the experience of working with a client. They had to learn how to take suggestions and make multiple revisions.”
For more information about The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, call (909) 915-2100 or visit www.aii.edu/inlandempire. The school is at 630 E. Brier Drive in San Bernardino.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of 36 locations throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
RAINBOW CELEBRATES 12th ANNIVERSARY
(FONTANA, Calif.) Rainbow Community Praise Center International of Fontana combines its anniversary with recognition of its membership October 12 and 13 with its 12th Anniversary and Apostle Appreciation Celebration.
Says Founder and Director Dr. D.C. Thomas, “We want to reconnect all those who have been involved with the church and instrumental in its development this past dozen years. And we want to let the public know,” he adds, “that we are a community church. As much as we are a part of the community, we want the community to become a part of our church that weekend.”
The theme for the celebration is “Exceeding in abundance,” from Ephesians, Chapter
3, Verse 20. The exciting event will be at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center’s Celebration Hall, 12505 Cultural Center Drive in Rancho Cucamonga.
Leading off the elaborate weekend is:
Youth Explosion – Friday, October 12 at 7 p.m.
Karen Wiggins will open the evening with a praise and worship participation. “Hers is a very anointed praise and worship service,” Thomas says. “The best I have ever heard.”
The guest speaker Friday will be Pastor Marc Raphel of the High Desert Seventh-day Adventist church in Victorville. Bringing praise-filled entertainment to the evening will be Another Peace Music Ministry, consisting of college and university students from all over the Inland Empire.
Sabbath School– Saturday, October 13 at 9:30 a.m.
Open Praise and Worship is the heart of the Sabbath School that Saturday with recording artist Sonya Griffin-Lemon. Additionally, there will be a special message from Dr. Jerome Crichton, Senior Pastor at Every Word Ministries in Antioch, California.
Worship Service – Saturday, October 13 at 11:00 a.m.
The Abundant Living Praise Team joins in the festivities that morning along with the Greater Los Angels Cathedral Choir. Guest speaker will be Dr. La’Chelle Woodert, the famous Los Angeles area civil rights defense attorney. “She is a powerful woman of God with a prophetic anointing,” Thomas explains. “She ministers healing and deliverance throughout the country.”
Sensational ‘60s Party – Saturday, October 13 at 7:00 p.m.
The weekend is capped off by comedian Ron G, the second-place winner of Bill Bellamy’s “Who Got Jokes” television show. This extremely talented and youthful comedian from Atlanta, Georgia is unique in the business – he tells clean jokes.
Along with enjoying Ron G and other entertainers Saturday evening, you can share a gourmet Italian dinner and dancing, plus karaoke and Name That Tune contests.
Tickets are required for the Sensational ‘60s party at $12 for adults and $7 for children, and are available by going online to rainbowcommunity.org, or calling Rainbow at (909) 972-9467. Call, also, for the weekend’s details or stop by the Rainbow Community Praise Center International at 15854 Sierra Lakes Parkway in Fontana.
“We’re celebrating our first dozen years,” Dr. Thomas says, “and paying tribute to all those who have made it possible. Come and join us; you’ll have an unforgettable time.”
-End-
ART INSTITUTE LENDS ITS EXPERTISE TO BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire (http://www.artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire/) isn’t just an academic island. It’s a vital part of the local community, and one of its goal is to help the Inland Empire’s many nonprofit organizations whenever possible. That’s where the university’s Summer Studios program comes into play. The Summer Studios are four-day workshops for high school juniors and seniors assisted by the university’s teachers.
“The idea behind the Summer Studios program,” says President Byron Chung, “is two-fold: On the one hand, it lets our students and high school participants explore the real world of fields that interest them. And on the other, the Art Institute works with the area’s non-profit groups that can use the help.”
Take, for instance, San Bernardino’s Boys & Girls Club. The 40-year-old group, part of the 100-year-old national organization, has 2,000 young people it helps in its three area facilities. Clifford Hackney, the chief professional officer of the San Bernardino club, says their objective is to “enhance their quality of life.” He says, “Kids now have a safe place to do their homework, and there’s adult supervision for all activities. This is a one-stop shop for these kids. We offer them what will deter them from the negative element.”
However, Mark Davis, the executive director of the San Bernardino club says, “Our brochures and web site have never looked professional. There’s never been a cohesive appearance to any of it. So, when the Art Institute contacted us to help, we leaped at it.”
From June 26-29, the university will coordinate about 20 students, high schoolers and institute members, to improve the club’s printed materials, web site and even improve the meal offerings.
Santosh Oommen, the academic director of the university’s Media Arts & Animation department, heads the brochure and web program for the club. “While assisting with the Boys & Girls Club material, we’re also introducing kids to what real-life work is like. They don’t just sit in a classroom all day, but are actually ‘on the job,’ creating, developing and administering what this nonprofit needs,” Oommen says.
From the 125 students in all his programs, Oommen has a select handful who will be designing a new club brochure and other printed material to present the myriad facets of the club’s services. No easy task, but, he adds, “The high school students who have enrolled in the Summer Studios will be working with our top institute students to pull it off.”
“Our web site,” Davis said, “has always been a hodgepodge. It’s been worked on here and there, but it’s hard to manipulate, update and use. The Art Institute will solve that problem perfectly. The site and materials have never looked professional or standardized in any way.”
“The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire boasts one of the finest and most complete Culinary Arts departments in the state”, says Chef Eyad Joseph, the program’s director. He has about 30 culinary students garnering real-world experience for careers as sous chefs, baking and pastry chefs, corporate chefs, cruise chefs, restaurant chefs and more.
For the rest of the year, the Culinary Arts Department plans to create new lunch menus for about 125 children who daily attend the Boys & Girls Club of San Bernardino’s main facility (1180 W. 9th Street).
The Art Institute’s Summer Studios program has been in operation for more than five years throughout the university’s 34 campuses across North America. Currently in its second year, the San Bernardino campus’ Summer Studios program brings the school’s full potential and experience to numerous Inland Empire non-profit organizations. “We want to help the community whenever and wherever we can,” Chung says. And so they do.
For more information about The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, call at (909) 915-2100.
For more information about the San Bernardino Boys & Girls Club, Call Mark Davis at (909) 888-6751.
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Photo Caption: Left to Right; Jerold Faust, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Monica Jeffs, Director of Admission, The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire and Mark Davis Executive Director of the boys and Girls Club of San Bernardino and Rialto.
STATE TOXIC SUBSTANCE CONTROL DEPUTY HEADS SOLUTIONS PANEL
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Leonard Robinson, Chief Deputy Director for the California Department of Toxic Substance Control, (http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/) will lead a panel discussion on the California Take It Back! Partnership, Monday, Oct. 8 from 2-3 p.m at the Hazardous Materials Management Association’s Annual Conference. The conference is in San Diego at the Bahia Resort Hotel in San Diego
The California Take It Back! Partnership is a consortium of state and local government, retail stores, businesses, academia, non-profit organizations and energy utilities that are providing, or making provisions for, California residents to properly recycle their used fluorescent lights, used alkaline batteries and used electronics at locations that are free, local and convenient.
Robinson says, "The residents of California take pride in their environment. It is important for government and business to team up and provide locations for Californians to properly manage their used fluorescent lights, alkaline batteries and electronics at locations where they live, work, shop play or go to school.
“These items, if improperly managed, can pollute drinking water and soil as well as negatively impact public health."
Representatives from Wal-Mart, Pacific Gas and Electric and a local agency will participate on the panel with Robinson.
Robinson is available as a keynote speaker or topic speaker on e-waste and issues regarding Toxic Substance Control. For more information call Kim Smith at (916) 322-2198 or e-mail kim.smith@dtsc.ca.gov.
Leonard E. Robinson was appointed to the position of Chief Deputy Director for the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in September of 2004. He has over thirty (30) years experience in the environmental management.
Currently serving as DTSC’s Chief Deputy Director, Mr. Robinson oversees the day-to-day operations of the Office of Legal Affairs; Hazardous Waste Management and Statewide Compliance Program; Site Mitigation and Brownfields Reuse Program; External Affairs; Legislative Affairs; and the Science, Pollution Prevention and Technology Program. DTSC‘s mission is to protect public health and the environment. Mr. Robinson is spearheading the “California Take It Back! Partnership”. This Partnership is a consortium of State and Local Government, retail stores, non-profit agencies and utilities that provide free local and convenient locations for California consumers to recycle their universal wastes. Robinson has been a featured speaker at several functions and conferences including the California Waste Association (CWA), Air & Waste Management Association, California Certified Unified Program Agencies (Cal-CUPA), Steel Manufacturers Association, Law Seminars International, Environmental Industry Summit and the Product Stewardship Council.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Robinson was the Environmental/Safety Manager at TAMCO Steel. Located in Rancho Cucamonga, it is California’s only steel mill. While at TAMCO Steel, Mr. Robinson started a program that recycled used oil filters into steel reinforcing bar (rebar) for use in the construction industry. Another recycling program started by him was named “Project Isaiah,” a program where firearms delivered by Southern California law enforcement agencies were melted and also recycled into rebar.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Robinson also taught leadership and executive management classes. He was a daily radio talk show host on KTIE 590 AM, a lecturer and a motivational speaker. He has authored two books: “PositivitY” and “Getting Back To Abnormal” that are waiting to be published. Mr. Robinson served as Principal of UC Riverside’s Saturday Academy, which was a program that placed low income children on track for college.
Mr. Robinson’s past Board and Committee activities included:
• Board Member - Scholarship, Opportunities, Achievement and Responsibility (S.O.A.R.)
• Board Member - California Waste Association (CWA)
• Board Member - Public Broadcast Station WETA Advisory
• Board Member – Keep California Beautiful
• Chair - Steel Manufacturers Association Environment Committee
• Member - National Environmental Justice Advisory Council
• Chair - Moreno Valley Ecological Protection Committee
• Adjunct Instructor - Environmental Technology at Chaffey Community College
• Member – Governor’s Emergency Operation Executive Committee
• Member - "Leadership for the Government Executive " Advisory Committee
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