Congratulations to Robert Schmidt – RCCD’s 2024 Classified Employee of the Year!
03/25/2024
At the board of trustees meeting of the Riverside Community College District (RCCD) on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, the trustees voted unanimously to approve Senior Public Affairs Officer Robert Schmidt as the District’s 2024 Classified Employee of the Year. He was selected for this honor by the executive cabinet of Chancellor Wolde-Ab Isaac. As the District’s awardee, Schmidt will now be the District’s nominee for state honors. The California Community Colleges Board of Governors, Consultation Council and the Chancellor’s Office will soon be selecting award winners to represent the state. Recipients will be announced and honored at the May 20, 2024, Board of Governors meeting in Sacramento, California.
After his initial career as a reporter for the Press Enterprise, Schmidt was hired to work at Riverside City College in August of 1989. He helped build the athletics programs at the college as the Sports Information Director, known all over town as a dedicated Tiger Backer. Schmidt is still actively engaged in local and regional community college athletics, and the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) - writing articles, recording game statistics, updating rosters, scorekeeping, and maintaining records. He has done this work in both volunteer and paid positions, even when these are not specific roles or responsibilities in his current job description. He does it because it is important to the student athletes, and to the coaches and athletic directors at the colleges. He ensures that they are adhering to the rules and regulations to qualify for state competitions and championships. He is one of those behind-the-scenes people who get the work done. Because he has been doing these supportive services in athletics for so long, he is recognized throughout the state for his dedication, expertise, and willingness to help.
Schmidt moved to the RCCD Foundation in July of 2012, and served as a specialist there for a year before he became the Senior Public Affairs Officer of the District in 2013. He is an active participant in District and college committees charged with preparing for events like Welcome Day, the MLK breakfast and Cesar Chavez Day celebrations, and college commencement ceremonies. He willingly provides his expertise in marketing and promotion, but also looks at the big picture to make sure that the events are focused on student achievements and are promoted and accessible to the entire community. For 12 years, he has also planned and coordinated the annual RCCD Faculty Lecture Series events. He is the longest serving Senior Public Affairs Officer of the District.
We are proud of his service and commitment to the students at our colleges, and student athletes throughout the state. Robert Schmidt is a champion and stellar example of RCCD classified professionals. We strongly endorse his nomination for state honors and consider him an excellent representative of the Riverside Community College District.
Published by External Relations & Strategic Communications