Wants to Focus On Career Technical Education
By Allen Payton, Publisher
The remaining four members of the Governing Board of the Contra Costa Community College District voted unanimously to appoint Robert Calone of Pittsburg to the vacant seat in Ward 5, during a special Board meeting, today, Wednesday, March 9, 2011.
The vacancy was created when two-term member Jess Reyes passed away on January, 31 and the Board voted to appoint a replacement for the remainder of his term, through December, 2012. Ward 5 includes most of Antioch, as well as Pittsburg, Oakley, Brentwood, Bethel Island and Knightsen.
Calone was one of three finalists chosen from a field of applicants, including Supervisor Federal Glover’s former Chief of Staff Vincent Manuel and current Los Medanos College student and counselor for a local non-profit mentoring program for youth, Simone Gikanga, both of Antioch. They were interviewed during the special board meeting, today. (This writer was also an applicant but did not make the cut for the final interviews).
In his application, he had letters of recommendation from both newly elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and former State Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla.
A native and life-long resident of Pittsburg, Calone is a retired, 43-year Journeyman Plumber with Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 159 and former Superintendent of Plumbing for Los Medanos Plumbing Company. He was an original and 16-year member of the Delta Protection Commission and has been a part-time vocational education teacher since 1978. He is a 1976 graduate of Golden Gate University with a B.S. Degree in Management and a Minor in Engineering.
Calone is also a Board of Director for Kasimu Education Fund in the poor village of Malawi, Africa where I oversee the disbursements of funds for educational studies, scholarships, food and nutrition programs for children and the construction of classrooms as well as high school and teacher housing.
In his application, Calone said “I am…particularly interested in supporting further development of Career Technical Education programs in such areas as nursing, “green” technology, construction management and computer generated drafting.”
“I want to coordinate Career Technical Education courses with the job opportunities in and around Contra Costa County. This could include nursing, welding, radiology, medical office administration, construction management,
“green” construction technologies, etc. My goal would be to make CTE in the District a model for the state,” he added.
His children attended Los Medanos College and he lives in Pittsburg with his wife of 46 years.
Congratulations to our new Community College District Governing Board Member, Robert Calone. Let’s all wish him well in his new position.
The board oversees the three main campuses of Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill and Contra Costa College in San Pablo, as well as the Brentwood and San Ramon Centers. For more information about the college district, visit www.4cd.edu.
