Cerritos College News Releases

Photo of Richard Nicholson (left) and Anthony Fortner (right) with the Sam Maloof Award plaque NORWALK, Calif. – April 8, 2008 – Cerritos College faculty member Anthony Fortner, of Pasadena, received the Sam Maloof Award on March 14, 2008 at California Industrial and Technology Education Association (CITEA) Conference in Riverside. Fortner has taught woodworking technology and craftsmanship at Cerritos College since 1996 for the past 12 years.

The Sam Maloof award was established by Marty Mangan, then-president of the California Association for Construction Technology Education (CACTE) in honor of Sam Maloof, internationally recognized woodworker. He is the self-taught master of contemporary American Furniture and his sculptured cradles, chests, bureaus, and chairs grace some of the world’s major museums. The shape of the award plaque is a replica of a chair seat handcrafted by Maloof. The purpose of the award is to recognize an individual’s lifetime achievement in the area of woodworking and technology education.

”We are proud of our colleagues in education who are always doing their best to stimulate students in our profession,” congratulated Cerritos College’s Manufacturing Department Chair Terry Price. “It sends a good message to all about our excellent programs we have here at Cerritos College.”

To Fortner, this award was made extra special by receiving the plaque from his lifetime mentor Richard Nicholson, consultant to Los Angeles County Office of Education and his high school woodworking teacher.

“It meant so much to me to receive the award from Richard,” said Fortner in excitement. “This honor is an amazing testament to the energy and excitement of the woodworking students here at Cerritos College. We teach one real concept in woodshop – CONFIDENCE! ‘I Can Do It' is the spirit of the woodworking community at Cerritos College, and I believe I demonstrated the spirit with this recognition.”

“It was a great moment in my 41 years in education to present the Sam Maloof Award to my past San Gabriel High School woodworking student Tony Fortner,” said Nicholson.
“Tony has always been excited about woodworking. He excelled in my woodworking class.”

Fortner and Nicholson now work together to assist future woodworking teachers through the Cerritos College’s CTE Teacher TRAC program.

“Tony was my star woodworking student, the best fine woodworker to ever come through my classes, a family man and now a teacher maker. I am proud of his accomplishments and very deserving of this important award”

Cerritos College Woodworking, one of the finest woodworking schools in Southern California, offers classes in furniture making, cabinetmaking, woodturning, and related topics. Twenty instructors work out of a 27,000 square-foot facility, where over 100 stationary and portable woodworking machines are available. The program emphasizes hands-on training and real-world experience, and all classes are project-focused. Over forty different classes cover topics including faceframe and frameless cabinet construction, architectural millwork, table and casegood construction, solid surface fabrication, hand tools, and veneering.

For more information on the Cerritos College Woodworking program, please contact Anthony Fortner at (562) 860-2451 ext. 2985 or at afortner@cerritos.edu.

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 200 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently nears 20,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.

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Cerritos College

Releases 2008