Cerritos College

John Moore, Long-Serving Cerritos College Board Member, Set to Retire

For Immediate Release: November 26, 2007

Media Contact: Allison Abel, Public Affairs, (562) 860-2451 ext. 7878. 

NORWALK, CA -- November 26, 2007 --John Moore, a long-time member of the Cerritos College Board of Trustees, will retire this December after nineteen years on the board.

Moore was originally appointed to the board to fill a vacancy when Barbara Hayden left the board before her term expired. He then was elected to the board in 1989 and has served continuously since then, holding the offices of board president, vice-president and secretary multiple times.

During his service on the board, Moore considers his best accomplishment to be maintaining the institution’s financial solvency. “We have always had healthy reserves to carry us through hard times, and never had to lay anyone off,” says Moore.

He also points to campus transformation projects, such as the Wilford Michael Library and Learning Resource Center, the Student Activities Building, and the remodel of Falcon Square as major successes during his time on the board. Finally, Moore cites the creative freedom he and other board members have fostered in Cerritos College staff and faculty members, encouraging them to
“think outside the box as to how to better serve students.” The success of this is measured by Cerritos College’s high rate of funded grants.

“Serving on the Board of Trustees these many years has been an extremely rewarding experience for me,” says Moore. “I meet community members all the time who attended classes here and went on to lead very successful lives.”

“Mr. Moore has selflessly and consistently given his time and energy and commitment to ensure that our students and community are well served. He has made a significant difference in his 19 years of service and will be missed by all,” said Dr. Noelia Vela, Cerritos College president/superintendent. “He is the kind of guy that wants to make things better and he will, no doubt, continue to do that at he continues on the next leg of his journey. We’re better off because of Mr. Moore’s service on the Board.”

Moore retired last year from his job as an account executive for Kraft Foods. He has been active in the community, volunteering for and serving on the boards of organizations such as the American Heart Association, Los Cerritos YMCA and Cerritos Optimist Club. He served 9 years as a member of the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) association.

As he retires, Moore looks forward to traveling and spending time with his grandchildren.

Moore has resided in Cerritos for the past 33 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration at California State University, Fullerton.

The seat on the board left open by Moore’s retirement will be filled by Tina Cho, a psychiatrist from Norwalk who was elected in the recent Cerritos College Board of Trustees election.

Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college's district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently surpasses 20,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.

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