1888: The How, The Why

Jerry Van Leeuwen is a native Californian. He was born in Artesia. His father, an immigrant from Holland, was a dairy farmer and Jerry’s first real employment was milking cows for his dad in Chino, CA at the age of 15. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California in 1972 and a Masters of Administration from the University of California, Riverside in 1975. Jerry began a career in local government by working for the City of Chino Police Department as a guidance counselor moving into a management position in 1978. He left the City of Chino to accept the position of Assistant Director of Community Services in Escondido in January 1987. He retired from the City of Escondido in December 2012. In June 2013 Jerry accepted the position of Executive Director for the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. In that role he oversees the Center’s operations that include 3 theaters, a visual arts museum, art education programs and a full service conference center.Beth Solomon M