Bakersfield College Alumni Association and Foundation Announces Selected Inductees For Annual Alumni Hall of Fame Dinner

To be awarded posthumously-Steven was instrumental in the development of a police department at the Kern High School District, and he served as Chief of Police for the Kern High School District from January 2000 until his sudden death in 2011. Prior to that role, he was a deputy sheriff at the Kern County Sheriff's Department where he played a critical role in lowering tension between local youth and deputy sheriffs. He was a tremendous influence as he coached in a multitude of sports programs where he taught sportsmanship and teamwork not only to the young athletes, but to their families as well. Steven developed and presented the “Scared Straight” program to help correct the path of troubled young people in Kern County.

As Kern County's Chief Administrative Officer, Ryan's job is critical to the success of the nearly 8,000-person organization and nearly 1 million residents who call Kern County home. Ryan has navigated some of the most challenging and complex issues ever to face our county, from guiding the organization through an annual fiscal deficit of $62 million dollars to leading the entire community through the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, he is changing the way our county deals with one of its most prevalent issues - homelessness - by successfully implementing Kern County's Strategic Mitigation Plan. Ryan has worked in a variety of positions across the nation, but Ryan is a Bakersfield resident born and raised, and his dream was always to return to Kern County to pour his experience back into our community.

After 25 years as a photojournalist covering the most important stories of our times (including Iraq, Afghanistan, and the civil rights movement in the deep south) Max is now the national photo editor at the Washington Post. His pictures have appeared in virtually every major magazine and newspaper in the United States and the world, and they are instantly recognizable. Max's work reveals to the world not just the enormity of the events he covers, but the humanity and emotion of the toll of these world-changing events on the people impacted. Max got his start in the Bakersfield College journalism program, and over the years he has conducted numerous lectures and presentations, and has mentored photojournalists around the world and at Bakersfield College.

As Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive Officer for Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, Robin is responsible for the day-to-day nursing operations of the hospital, with a staff of more than 900 nurses and 1,400-plus total staff members under her leadership. She got her start at Bakersfield College when she was a single mom of four girls. Her children remember that each day she would feed, bathe and clothe them, and help with all of their homework, and school projects before she would try to get some rest. Her alarm would be set for 3 AM so she could get up to study before she had to be ready to do it all again. Robin has experience as a critical care nurse, and she served as a transplant coordinator during a brief hiatus from working in a hospital environment. She continues to work to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation and she volunteers with a variety of health-related non-profits.

As the President/CEO of the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (KCHCC) and the KCHCC Business Education Foundation (which he founded in 2002), Jay is an exceptional leader whose influence has had a tremendous impact on the local economy. In addition to tripling the membership of the KCHCC in less than 10 years at the helm, Jay has developed and implemented programs that have helped prepare more than 1200 entrepreneurs and new business owners. As the central region chairman of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, he has played a pivotal role throughout the state of California advocating for Kern's small businesses, Hispanic and diverse communities, policy issues, and political dynamics impacting our economic growth. Recent expansion of KCHCC programs focuses on rural communities, providing new opportunities for entrepreneurs in outlying areas. Jay has partnered with Bakersfield College on initiatives, expanded an excellent partnership which benefits students, and higher education.