Herb Roney

College Friend

“Everybody working at SMC is an ambassador for the college because of the love they have for it.”

“It’s the good life,” says Herb Roney who recently retired as SMC Vice President of Community Relations. “I’ve got the whole back yard torn up to plant some honeydew melons for my wife,” he says with his legendary wry delivery. “You know: Honey, do this. Honey, do that.” Ba da boom!

But notorious one-liners aside, Herb Roney has grown a great deal with SMC, like ivy, like tradition and like the reputation of a great institution. “I started out as a student at the college, in 1947, without any real goals,” he recalls. But military service in wartime Korea opened his eyes. “Once I was in I knew I wanted to get out!” he says. “When people are shooting at you, you very quickly discover dedication.”

Herb first became part of the SMC team as a counsellor and quickly moved into teaching. “It’s a dream place to teach because of the quality of our people and their inner desire to make sure that people succeed,” says Herb. As vice president of community relations he was involved with “all the non-instructional areas of the college: police, services, KCRW. And there’s an esprit that develops among us all.”

“I’ve seen the college grow from its infancy to become the embodiment of what a community college should be,” says Herb. “We’re a total outreach program for the entire community. A school with a very deep concern for people.” And then Herb’s phone rings. “That happens a lot since I retired,” he says. “I’ve got a great family stretching back to 1956.”

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