V.P. honored for Enterprising work -

Sena Schmidt / Roundup

Pierce College hasn’t always been the thriving, successful and economically established school that it is today.

Recently honored with the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Los Angeles Community College District, Vice President of Economic Development Tom Oliver, former interim president from 2004 to 2006, helped raise the school’s decreasing student enrollment numbers and formulated an educated master plan to assist in the million-dollar deficit hole into which Pierce had fallen.

Now, 19,000 new students and $1 million in college spending money later and Pierce is again living up to its profitable and popular image.

Oliver’s plan for reinvention originated a little over a year ago when he decided to make use of the 250 open acres of the campus’ land and create Pierce’s first fall Harvest Festival.

This project alone generated $125,000 for the school in only a two month period.

This year’s Harvest Festival profits will be going to new custodians and gardeners.

Along with the achievement of the Festival, Oliver also delved into the college’s agricultural roots and helped create the “Tomato Shack,” which was a produce stand at the corner of Victory Boulevard and DeSoto Avenue, with which the campus made $50,000 this summer.

All of the fruits and vegetables were grown on Pierce’s farmland.

“It was sad land,” Oliver said about the earlier conditions of the college’s soil.

“It had weeds in it. Now we have a pro farmer,” he said with a laugh, “Farmer John.”

Now, the college grows its own pumpkins, corn and tomatoes and is currently in the process of growing a vineyard under Oliver’s supervision.

“Everything has a budget that has to be approved by me,” said Oliver.

Founding director of Enterprise, Dennis Washburn, also helped donate money to Pierce.

All of these projects, including complete renovation and rebuilding of the business center, agricultural education center, copy center, food services, parking services, sheriff’s department, student store, farm market and equestrian center fall under the College Enterprise Operation, which Oliver heads.

Many of the bungalows will eventually be destroyed and those classrooms will be moved into one of the two new 10,000 square foot buildings currently being built.

But Oliver is certainly not all about the money.

Pierce’s extra farmland is worth nearly $2 million an acre and he is instead utilizing the land for educational purposes.

“Money is not what we’re about,” said Oliver.

“This land is dedicated to no non-college building,” he continued. “It’ll be pristine one of these days. It just takes time.”

Oliver’s near-future goals include further plans for the Equestrian Center and Canyon de Lana, a beautiful and secluded nature reserve on campus.

Another recent development project currently underway is the Agricultural Education Center’s “Pizza Farm,” an educational experience for children which is a crop circle with different “slices,” each growing a different ingredient used to make a pizza.

“It took six years for the college to get to where it is,” Oliver stated.

“But it wasn’t just me,” Oliver continued. “It was a real team effort with the faculty, the staff and the administration.”

Oliver is also a family man. He has a wife of 38 years, Mary, director of the Pierce Art Gallery, and two adult sons.

“They got their start at Pierce College,” Oliver said proudly.

“Just like me.”