Balbir Dhillon

Trustee Balbir Dhillon assumed his duties on the San José/Evergreen Community College Board of Trustees in December 2006, representing Area 2 in East San José. Although this is his first time in elected office, he is no stranger to community volunteerism, serving as Vice President of the San José Gurdwara on the corner of Quimby and Murillo Avenue, and also on San José ’s Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Board.

Trustee Dhillon is a firm believer in the quality and power of public education. His three children have attended public schools from kindergarten on, and he has instilled in his own children the understanding that through hard work and by taking advantage of opportunities presented to you in the public schools, that an individual can and will enjoy academic and professional success.

Born in India, the youngest of five children from a farming family, Trustee Dhillon was the first in his family to seek postsecondary education and earned a bachelors degree in liberal arts. Knowing that a career on the family farm was not for him, he immigrated to the United States in 1979, and found work in the growing electronics industry, assembling computer motherboards. While working in electronics, Trustee Dhillon took classes from San José City, Evergreen Valley, and Mission Colleges and embarked on a successful career in real estate and brokerage in 1986. In 1993 he expanded his business to include ownership of several convenience stores, and he continues to oversee the management of those stores.

“I want this District to be the best it can be, and become the community college district of choice for students of all ages in the San José and Milpitas area,” says Dhillon. “I feel this can be a very competitive District, and I’d specifically like to see an increase in the number of Workforce Education programs we have to offer. It’s important to give people real skills they need to seek employment, and it’s equally important to offer our students

the choice to continue their education in their chosen field if they desire a four-year college degree after they begin to work in their chosen field.”

Married to Ranbir, Dhillon is the father of three children—sons Pritpat, 23, a student at Sacramento State, and Amanpal, 15, a student at Independence High School; and a daughter, Prabhjit, 21, a student at Mission College. “My children have always gone to public schools, and I am proud of the education my children have received at Independence High School,” says Dhillon.

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