Board Member Biography - Board of Trustees for the Ohlone Community College District
Trustee Bill McMillin
On Friday, March 11, 2011, Bill McMillin lost his long battle against leukemia. He was 68 years old. We at Ohlone College are deeply saddened by the loss of long time trustee Bill McMillin. Bill held the College in high regard and shared the vision of excellence that we have for Ohlone College. He wanted us to be our best and was persistent in his efforts to hold us to that level of performance. He was dedicated to his role as trustee and held the office until his death. We appreciate all he did for the College over the years. He will be missed as a trustee and as a friend to Ohlone.
—Dr. Gari Browning, President Ohlone College
Bill McMillin was elected to the Ohlone College Board of Trustees in November 2002. Prior to that his involvement with the College included helping college officials broker a land deal to purchase a prime piece of real estate that would be used for a second campus in the City of Newark. This property greatly enhanced the momentum for Bond Measure A to pass giving the college $150 million to build the Ohlone College Newark Center for Health Sciences and Technology, according to fellow trustee Garrett Yee.
Bill graduated from Stanford University (B.A. Mathematics, M.A. Education). He studied law at the University of San Francisco Law School, real estate at Ohlone College, and completed the course work, but not the dissertation, for the Ph.D. in Educational Administration at Syracuse University.
With a strong educational background, Bill was a mathematics and aviation teacher, Middle School Principal, educational planner, and statewide Coordinator of the New York State External High School Diploma Program. He held numerous elected positions, prior to the office of Trustee at Ohlone, including eight years on the Newark School Board, President of the Mission Valley Regional Occupation Program and Special Education Boards, and President of the Alameda County School Boards Association.
Bill was elected in 2008 to serve on the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) Board simultaneous to serving on the Ohlone board. The CCCT Board is composed of 20 local trustees, recognized statewide for their outstanding leadership and dedication to serving students.
Bill was a commercial real estate broker and has served on local and state boards, including the Association of South Bay Brokers, the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks, and the Building Industry Association.
An active community member, Bill coached soccer and little league and served on the Parks & Recreation Commission, Community Development Advisory Committee, and as president of the Lake Area Residents Association.
According to Bill his greatest accomplishments were - his son, Mike, (UCLA - aerospace engineering, Cal State Hayward - mass communications), and daughter, Maya, (Stanford – B.A. political science, MBA at Stanford Business School).
Emergency