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With an extensive record of public service in the city of Pasadena, Ross Selvidge takes over the Area 1 trustee seat with a wealth of experience in the city.

Courtesy of Ross Selvidge Ensign Ross Selvidge in Vietnam, 1971.
Courtesy of Ross Selvidge
Ensign Ross Selvidge in Vietnam, 1971.

Selvidge has more than 35 years of experience in fiscal and economic management. Some of Selvidge’s titles include: planning commissioner,?Recreation and Parks commissioner and board member on the Rose Bowl Stadium Operating Company, just to name a few.

Education has always been a focus for Selvidge. Working as a co-chairman and chairman of the Library Funding Task Force, Selvidge has helped Pasadena libraries receive more than $30 million in extra revenue over the last 20 years.

Selvidge was born in New Jersey and moved to the state of Michigan shortly after. At 10 years old, Selvidge moved to Altadena.

Selvidge attended Elliot Middle School and John Muir High School, where he competed on the gymnastics team.

Selvidge later attended PCC for a year where he competed on gymnastics team in 1965. He was also active in the Mountaineering Club.

“The Highlanders was a very active PCC club that sponsored hikes, camping, technical (rock climbing) mountaineering, caving, etc. activities. I participated in the Club’s activities for several years after leaving PCC,” said Selvidge.

Ross was a valued member of the gymnastics team that went undefeated and won a state championship.

“Ross was very reliable, always on time, worked hard and was an active member of my team. He is very conscientious and I think he’ll be a great addition to the board,” said Jerry Todd, former PCC Gymnastics Coach.

Selvidge then went on to USC where he obtained a degree in architecture. While at USC, Selvidge also competed and later served as a manager for the school’s gymnastics team.

“It’s a rigorous curriculum and very time consuming, especially since I was also involved with gymnastics,” he said.

After USC, Selvidge joined the Navy. As a Civil Engineer Corps Officer, he spent more than a year in Vietnam undertaking building projects.

After returning home, Selvidge became the officer in charge of construction on the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, which is located near the city of Irvine.

Selvidge completed his active duty at El Toro, working on a number of construction projects on the base.

“We did everything. We replaced runways, renovated buildings, built barracks buildings, family housing, as well as communications and maintenance facilities, everything you would need on an air base,” said Selvidge.

After completing active duty, Selvidge briefly work for a developer and then decided to return to college. He returned to USC where he eventually obtained a PhD. in Finance and Land Economics.

After graduate school, Selvidge went to work for another developer in Arizona and after a couple of years he returned to California and focused on consulting.

“For the last 25 or 30 years, I’ve been mainly doing financial and economic consulting, primarily in real estate and land use policy,” said Selvidge.

Selvidge and current Area 1 trustee Geoffrey Baum have known each other for many years and Selvidge has always been interested in the workings of the board.

“Ross Selvidge is extremely smart, wise, independent, kind and cares deeply about PCC,” said Baum. “We were friends long before I was first elected to the PCC board in 2001. He will be a terrific member of the board of trustees and will always put students first in his service on the board.”

Selvidge and his wife, who also attended PCC, have been married for almost eight years. He enjoys reading and has particular interests in history, science and technology and political satire.

He also has an interest in classic sports cars. Selvidge has three Morgan sports cars which he maintains himself.

Selvidge has also been a licensed pilot for more than 40 years, and he continues to enjoy hiking and the outdoors.

Selvidge credits PCC as a huge part of his success.

“I owe PCC a lot,” he said. “It’s really an extraordinary resource and its meant so much to so many people and it’s a really good college. And if you’ve got something good you have to work hard to keep it that way.”

 

 

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