Steven Bloomberg
Community Developement Vice President

A Florida University administrator with a penchant for fixing old sports cars was named OCCC’s new Vice President of Community Development recently.

Steven Bloomberg, executive director of Community Development from Florida Gulf Coast University, said he plans to promote community development through cultural and recreational classes and activities.

Bloomberg said the first thing on his agenda will be to get acclimated and to help the members of his division.

“As an administrator, my job is to ensure that the students receive the best educational experience possible,” Bloomberg said.

He also will supervise the directors of the Capitol Hill Center, Career Transitions Program, Community Outreach and Education, Cultural Programs, Recreation and Fitness and the extension agent of the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance.

While at Florida Gulf Coast University, Bloomberg implemented a new online registration system and founded the Southwest Florida Training and Educational Alliance, he said.

Bloomberg also created the Great Scholars Lecture Series featuring nationally recognized faculty members from universities such as Harvard and Stanford, he said. Bloomberg said he plans to mimic this program at OCCC.

“Mr. Bloomberg is a results oriented, dynamic leader with a strong track record of performance in higher education,” said OCCC Executive Vice President Jerry Steward.

Bloomberg is familiar with the mission of community colleges. He began his college education at a Cerro Coso Community College in Ridgecrest California. He said community colleges are very important to him.

“No other type of educational institution has as broad a mission and touches so many lives,” Bloomberg said.

He holds a master’s degree in education from west Texas A & M as well as a bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of La Verne, Calif., said Bloomberg.

Although Bloomberg grew up in Nebraska he is no stranger to Oklahoma.

“I’m very familiar with Oklahoma because my wife is an Oklahoma native,” Bloomberg said. “Oklahoma is a great place and one would be hard pressed to find more genuine or honest people.”

For recreation, Bloomberg enjoys automotive restoration, a hobby he has enjoyed since the age of 13. He is currently restoring a 1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra.

For more information about Community Development activities call 405-682-7814.

To contact Christian Kosted, email onlineeditor@occc.edu.