Lecture on Leadership

James Ramos, who blazed a path of leadership and became the first Native American serving the public in varied state, regional, and county governmental posts, will lecture on leadership at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 9, 2014, at Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, 127 N. San Gorgonio Ave. in Banning. Your $5 helps us save and share Native American cultures.

Ramos, of San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, is the first Native American:
• Elected as a San Bernardino County Supervisor (serving the Third District since 2102);
• Elected to the San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees, where he served as president (2005-2012);
• Serving on the California State Board of Education (since he was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011).

Ramos also is chairman of the California Native Heritage Commission, and has served on that commission protecting California Indian cultural resources since appointed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2008. He also is the immediate past Chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

His civic leadership includes service on numerous boards and organizations promoting business, economic, and social opportunities in Inland Southern California. His numerous awards for service and leadership include an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Northern Arizona University (2009), recognition from the California League of High Schools for his support of the education community of Region 10 (2010), and the Congressional Community Leadership Award (2003).

Ramos was born and raised on San Manuel Indian Reservation, where he and his siblings lived in one of three mobile homes along Victoria Avenue. He began working at an early age, and today he’s a successful entrepreneur, operating two restaurants in the San Bernardino area. He and his wife of 24 years, Terri, are the proud parents of four children. Ramos earned his associate’s degree at Victor Valley Community College, his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting from California State University, San Bernardino, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Redlands.

Ramos has a deep commitment to the preservation of California Indian culture. He is co-founder of the San Manuel Band’s Cultural Awareness Program, and serves as director of the California Indian Cultural Awareness Conference held annually at California State University, San Bernardino. He is one of the founding board members of the nonprofit Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, which saves and shares Southern California’s Native American cultures, languages, history, and traditional arts.