San Bernardino Valley College is at the forefront of teaching the next generation of battery-electric truck technicians, and those efforts were rewarded in February by Southern California Edison.
The San Bernardino Valley College Foundation received the 2022 Clean Energy Champion Award during SCE’s 20th Annual Black History Month Celebration. The event was streamed online, and featured a short video about SBVC’s Heavy/Medium Duty Truck Technology department, featuring Prof. Kenny Melancon, SBVC Foundation Board President Dr. Dennis Byas, and SBVC Foundation Director Mike Layne.
Lisa Cagnolatti, SCE’s senior vice president for customer service, introduced the award, and shared that the SBVC Foundation was chosen for several reasons, including its longstanding partnership with SCE and the foundation’s commitment to securing scholarships for STEM (science, technology, engineer, and mathematics) students.
“With our goal of cleaner air by 2030, these students will learn the skills necessary to enter the electric vehicle and clean energy fields, where technicians who know the latest technology will always be in demand,” Cagnolatti said.
Grants from SCE have helped SBVC purchase the latest equipment needed to provide a top-notch education, and Layne said contributions to the SBVC Foundation have a “legacy impact,” as they go to programs that empower students to set out on careers that will change their lives in “a meaningful way.”
The California State Assembly also presented the SBVC Foundation with an acknowledgment of the honor, sending a certificate in recognition of the SCE Clean Energy Champion Award.
