Four Join SBCCD Management Team

The San Bernardino Community College District (SBCCD) welcomes four new managers: Alfredo Cruz as the General Manager of KVCR TV-FM; Pierre Galvez as the Chief of Police for the SBCCD District force; Jose F. Torres, Director of Fiscal Services; and Lawrence Strong, Director of Internal Audits. President of the SBCCD Board Donald L. Singer, Ph.D., expressed his pleasure at the expertise each brings to his new position, saying, “These were highly sought-after positions, and the Board of Trustees was glad to have the opportunity to place such a qualified candidate in each leadership role.” SBCCD Chancellor Bruce Baron said, “We are so pleased to welcome Alfredo, Pierre, Jose and Lawrence to the Community College District. The SBCCD is known for providing exceptional educational opportunities to students in the Inland Empire. It is vital that our team members represent an enthusiasm for community service, are knowledgeable in their professions, and have a commitment to the success of the District and its divisions.” Alfredo Cruz, M.A., General Manager, KVCR TV-FM, comes to KVCR with years of experience in public media, having managed both community and institutional broadcast licensees. He rose through the ranks at stations offering popular music, Spanish-language programming, news, NPR programming and jazz. A nationally respected broadcaster, Cruz spent six years at WBGO, Newark, before coming west in the mid-90s to become a popular southern California jazz host at KKJZ, Long Beach (formerly KLON). Cruz also worked at NPR in Washington, DC, for United Nations Radio in New York City, has taught college and university level courses, contributed to The Smithsonian Institution and written entries for scholarly publications. Over his decades-long career, Cruz has worked as an engineer, journalist, producer, news editor, production manager, music director, and as an assistant general manager. He is the winner of two consecutive awards from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and comes to KVCR from his two most recent positions: as Station Manager at Trinity University’s KRTU in San Antonio and as President and CEO of KUVO in Denver. Cruz was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. He attended the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Radio Television and Film. As the recipient of a Corporation for Public Broadcasting Fellowship, and a Kiplinger Fellowship, Cruz also earned a master’s degree in journalism from Ohio State University. Alfredo Cruz is a longtime resident of the Inland Empire and thrilled to be working close to home and to his family. Pierre Galvez, A.A., Chief of Police, began his law enforcement career with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department as a patrol deputy at the Fontana Station. He was promoted to Detective and assigned to Crimes against Children and Homicide. After his promotion to Sergeant, he was assigned to work Narcotics, FBI Bank Robbery Task Force and Criminal Intelligence. He served with the Fontana Unified School District police department as the Assistant Police Chief for 6 years, and then as interim Lieutenant for San Bernardino Community College District Police Department prior to his current appointment. A California licensed private investigator, Chief Galvez earned his Associate of Arts Degree in Administration of Justice from the San Bernardino Valley College and he is a graduate from the University of Southern California Child Abuse Investigation Institute. Chief Galvez is a resident of the Inland Empire with over 29 years of law enforcement experience. He and his wife Charlene of 33 years have two sons: Jason, 32 and Daniel, 23. Jose E. Torres, M.B.A., Director of Fiscal Services, brings more than sixteen years of finance and management experience in the public and non-profit areas to his new position as Director of Fiscal Services. He joins the SBCCD from the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino, where he served as Vice President of Financial Services. Prior to that, he was the Finance Manager for Don Bosco Technical Institute in Rosemead. Torres earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Cal Poly, Pomona and his Master’s degree in Public Administration from Cal State San Bernardino. He and his wife Ati have a 6-year-old daughter and reside in Rancho Cucamonga. Lawrence Strong, B.S., Director of Internal Audits, joined in September as Director of Internal Audits. In this position he will provide independent, objective assurance and advice on issues and operations that present material risk to the District. Strong has 25 years’ combined experience in auditing, accounting operations, compliance, financial reporting and corporate lease administration. Prior to joining us, he served from 2003 to 2013 at Hot Topic, Inc., most recently as Assistant Controller, where he had direct responsibility for internal audit, external financial reporting and other accounting operations. Strong has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Brigham Young University and is a certified public accountant. He and his wife of 26 years reside in Highland, California and are the proud parents of five children.