Candidate for
Director; Modesto Irrigation District; Division 3

Dr. Tom Van Groningen retired as Chancellor of the Yosemite Community College District in 1992 after 38 years in education. In 1993 he was elected to the Modesto Irrigation District Board of Directors. He also serves as a member of the County Bank Board of Directors. He has served as the Executive Director of Stanislaus Partners in Education and the Vice President for Governmental Affairs for the Modesto Chamber of Commerce. He is also a self-employed consultant working with community college districts and other public agencies conducting Chief Executive Officer searches, organizational studies, facilitating board/staff workshops and planning retreats. He has also served as Interim Chancellor for the Los Rios community College District since his retirement in 1992.

Among his many accomplishments, he is Past President of the Association of California Community College Administrators and a former board member of the California Community Colleges Chief Executive Officers. In both organizations he also served with distinction as Finance Committee Chairman. He is a former member of the California Association of Community Colleges Legislative and Finance Commissions, and a Past President of the Industry Education Council of Stanislaus and Tulare Counties and Past Vice President of the Industry Education Council of California.

He continues to be active in the community serving on several boards of non-profit organizations. Following the devastating 1997 flood he directed a flood recovery project for the local Ministerial Association providing assistance to 130 homeowners. He is also active in church affairs having served as Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent, Deacon, Elder, and is a member of the Denominational Board of Trustees. He chaired the successful countywide 1999 1/8-cent library sales tax continuation campaign and co-chaired the 1999-2000 United Way fundraising campaign.

In 1989 he received the Association of Community College Trustees Pacific Region Chief Executive Officer Award. In that same year he was selected as one of fifty outstanding community college chief executive officers nationally by the University of Texas Community College Leadership Program. In 1992 Dr. Van Groningen was named Man of the Year by the Modesto Post of the American Legion, the Stanislaus County Bar Association honored him with the Liberty Bell Award and the Modesto Exchange Club presented him the Golden Deeds Award. In 1994 the Modesto Chamber of Commerce selected him as the Chamber Man of the Year.

He has served as a speaker at numerous state, regional and national professional conferences and has been honored and recognized by many professional organizations