The San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) Alumni and Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held at San Bernardino Valley College's Kinesiology and Athletics Complex, where a group of ten new honorees were inducted. Among the inductees were Olympic level athletes, educators, philanthropists, and more.
The SBVC Foundation honored new Alumni Hall of Fame inductees Marta Macías Brown, Dr. Tom M. Rivera, Dr. Willie Roberts (posthumous), Roger Schmidt, and Dr. Julius Zelman (posthumous). SBVC Athletics inducted athletes and coaches to the Athletic Hall of Fame: David Lang (posthumous), Coach Gene Mazzei, David Olbright, Dane Selznick, and Tyree Washington.
The group boasts a list of accomplishments difficult to encapsulate briefly. To name a few, activist and philanthropist Marta Macías Brown co-founded the El Chicano Newspaper. A lifetime of service to education, Dr. Tom M. Rivera co-founded the Inland Empire Future Leaders Program and free health clinics in San Bernardino. Scholar and educator Dr. Willie Roberts was a Medal Of Honor Recipient and consultant to Governor Ronald Reagan. Author, educator, and scholar Roger Schmidt, created the first religious studies department in a California public community college. Dr. Julius Zelman was a highly regarded thoracic surgeon in San Bernardino County.
Multi-sport athlete David Lang was a Super Bowl XXX Champion. Coach Gene Mazzei has won conference championships in four different sports and was named “Coach of the Year” in each. UCLA National Champion and All American David Olbright served as captain of the USA National Team. Volleyball Magazine named beach volleyball World Champion Dane Selznick one of the “Top Ten Defensive Players of All Time”. Olympian Tyree Washington was 2001’s fastest man in the world and was ranked number one in the world at the 400 meters in 2003.
SBVC Foundation president Rich Beemer introduced the evening's emcee, Hall of Fame alumna Judith Valles. "SBVC salvaged a generation of us; I am so grateful and indebted to this college," said Valles. Valles also acknowledged dignitaries in attendance, including fellow current Hall of Fame members. "I'm honored to be in a room with such accomplished individuals. You are the embodiment of success on so many levels," she added.
The event also served to support current and future SBVC students. Beemer returned to discuss the mission of the Foundation and pledged additional support, as guests joined in donating.
The many achievements of the honorees were announced as each inductee, or individual accepting on behalf of the inductee, was introduced and presented with a Hall of Fame plaque. Inductees and family members spoke about the role of the College and shared meaningful stories.
Accepting on behalf of her father Dr. Willie Roberts, daughter Sharon Richards expressed the pride her father would have had in his induction into the Alumni Hall of Fame.
It was an emotional evening for friends and family of superstar athlete David Lang, inducted posthumously. Beyond Lang’s outstanding athletic ability was a deeply caring individual, said former San Bernardino Valley College coach Ken Blumenthal.
It has been a great pleasure being at SBVC…it’s been a very important part of my life,” said inductee Roger Schmidt.
Dane Selznick thanked fellow inductee Coach Gene Mazzei. “You are the one,” said Selznick, referring to the instrumental role Mazzei played in his life. Mazzei perhaps best summed up the pride of the evening: “When you leave, I want you to whisper to yourself ‘We are VC (Valley College),’” he concluded.