November 17, 2006

Community Leader Balbir Dhillon first Indio-American elected to SJECCD Board of Trustees

Local businessman and community activist Balbir Dhillon will begin his tenure on the San José/Evergreen Community College District’s (SJECCD) Board of Trustees as the Area 2 representative in December. He is the first Indio-American to be elected to serve on a community college board of trustees in the Silicon Valley.

“I am looking forward to working with Mr. Dhillon and I am sure his knowledge in business as well as his experiencing his own ‘American success story’ will help make many good things happen for our community college district,” said SJECCD Chancellor Rosa Pérez. “He is a strong advocate for public education and is a firm believer in that college is intended to benefit the local community and its students.”

Trustee Dhillon is indeed an American success story. The youngest of five children of a farming family, Mr. Dhillon was the first of his family to seek postsecondary education, attending university in his native India, and graduated with a liberal arts degree, with extra coursework in political science and geography.
H
e came to the United States in 1979, and found work in electronics, assembling computer motherboards. In 1986, he began a career in real estate and brokerage after taking coursework at San José City College and Evergreen Valley College. Finally, in 1993 he expanded his business to include several convenience stores throughout San José.

Dhillon was urged to seek a position on the SJECCD Board of Trustees by San Jose Area 2 (East San José) residents once Trustee Tovar decided not to seek re-election. He is looked upon as a leader in his community, serving on the City of San José’s Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Board, which is a non-profit organization in Silicon Valley that offers financing to new small businesses in San José. He is also the Vice President of the Gurdwara Temple on the corner of Quimby and Murillo Avenue.

“I want this District to be the best it can be, and become the community college district of choice for students of all ages in the San José and Milpitas area,” said Dhillon. “I feel this can be a very competitive District, and I’d specifically like to see an increase in the number of Workforce Education programs we have to offer. It’s important to give people real skills they need to seek employment, and it’s equally important to offer those people the choice to continue their education in their chosen field if students elect to continue at a four-year college after they begin to work in their chosen field.”

Dhillon is married to Ranbir, who has been busy raising the couple’s three children—sons Pritpat, 23, a student at Sacramento State, and Amanpal, 15, a student at Independence High School; and a daughter, Prabhjit, 21, a student at Mission College.

“My children have always gone to public schools, and I am proud of the education my children have received at Independence High School,” said Dhillon.

“I will know the Board of Trustees is doing a good job for the SJECCD when I see how well our students do out in the community. If they are doing well, the Board of Trustees will know they are doing their job well, and doing the right thing for the community,” he added.