Bob Fass:
Our Children, Our Community, Our Future
My Background
I am a Claremont native and an alumnus of Claremont public schools. I attended Sycamore School, El Roble and Claremont High School. I am also a proud CUSD parent.
I live and work in Claremont and I witness every day the impact that teachers and staff have on students. I have a master’s degree in nonprofit management and have worked as both an educator and an administrator. Through my professional and voluntary work in the nonprofit sector, I have gained significant experience in governance, fiscal accountability, strategic planning, organizational development, collaborative problem solving, data analysis, policy making, and more.
I have demonstrated a significant and lasting impact on our school district through my work with: The Claremont Educational Foundation (CEF); Sycamore School Governance Council; capital projects including the CHS theatre renovation and the Sycamore School library; Claremont After School Programs (CLASP); Citizens Oversight Committee for Measure G; and Sycamore School Equity and Inclusion Committee.
I am passionate about creating safe and accessible learning environments that inspire and enhance student achievement, while challenging our students to think critically and demonstrate knowledge across academic disciplines to solve real world problems and develop life skills. My goal is to help our school children become successful and productive citizens who will lead lives of purpose in a complex and ever-changing society.
I believe that a strong public school system is the single greatest asset any community can have for its youth. Our strength as a community depends on our constant vigilance to both the current and future sustainability of our schools. If elected, I am prepared to think critically, work collaboratively, listen attentively, evaluate independently, and bring sound judgement to the challenges affecting public education. It would be a great honor to serve our community in this capacity.
My Family
My family moved to Claremont in 1969 and have called this community their home for the past fifty years. Collectively, we have been deeply involved in many facets of community life.
My father, Richard Fass, is a retired Vice President at Pomona College. He recently served as Chairman of the Measure G school bond campaign and is a former Board Chair of Pomona Valley Hospital, Mt. San Antonio Gardens and the Claremont Police Commission. Richard’s wife, Amy, is Executive Director of Shoes That Fit and served on the Claremont Architecture Commission. She is a former Board Chair of Claremont Heritage, House of Ruth, and Mt. San Antonio Gardens.
My mother, Barbara Fass, is a retired clinical psychologist who practiced for decades in Claremont and taught courses at the University of La Verne, the Claremont Colleges and the California School of Professional Psychology.
My wife, Kristen Fass, is the office manager of Claremont Heritage, Treasurer of the League of Women Voters, and a six-year member of the Sycamore School Governance Council.
Kristen and I have a 15 year-old daughter and a 12 year-old son. Three years ago, our daughter identified a sustainability problem in our schools and solved it by raising the money to install a water bottle refilling station at Sycamore School (the first elementary school in Claremont to have one). To date, that machine has saved the equivalent of 13,500 disposable plastic water bottles.
My Experience
Current Professional Work
I serve as the Senior Director of Development for Leadership and Planned Giving at The Webb Schools in Claremont. Leading a team of gift officers and support staff, I am responsible for securing charitable contributions to support endowed faculty development funds, scholarship funds, research funds for the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, academic program funds, capital funds for buildings and grounds, and annual operating support. In addition, I have extensive volunteer experience in various areas of education.
Current Volunteer Work
Director Emeritus, Past President (2015-2018) and Strategic Planning Chair,
Claremont Educational Foundation
Committee Member,
Citizens Oversight Committee for Measure G
Member,
Local Control Accountability Plan Parent Advisory Council
Committee Member,
Sycamore School Equity and Inclusion Committee
Former Board Member and Advisory Council Member,
Ophelia’s Jump Productions
Board Member and Membership Chair,
Los Angeles Council of Charitable Gift Planners
Prior Professional Work
Managing Director,
Georgia Shakespeare at Oglethorpe University
MFA Program Director and Associate Professor,
Southern Utah University/Utah Shakespeare Festival
Executive Director,
Fort Worth Shakespeare in the Park & Allied Theatre Group
Prior Volunteer Work
Ways and Means Chair,
Sycamore School Governance Council
Committee Member,
CHS Theatre Renovation Committee
Committee Member,
CHS Theatre Legacy Fund Committee
Development Consultant,
Claremont After School Programs (CLASP)
Strategic Planning Consultant,
Claremont Heritage
Prior Government Experience
Panelist,
National Endowment for the Arts
Panelist,
California Arts Council
Board Member,
Utah Cultural Alliance
Education
University of Alabama,
Master’s Degree
California State University, Fullerton,
Bachelor’s Degree
