Carolyn Tillman: Reflections on 25 years of service, family history, and dreams for the future

By Cynthia Mendoza

Pandemic restrictions aside, Carolyn Tillman began 2021 with nothing to do so to speak; no checking emails, no ringing phones, and no jam packed calendar. Welcome to retirement. At the end of 2020, Tillman retired from San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) after nearly 25 years of service as Special Assistant to the Superintendent.

Tillman, who holds a degree in speech pathology/audiology from Loma Linda University, joined SBCSS in the fall of 1996 and served as Special Assistant to the Superintendent overseeing various programs throughout the years, including SBCSS Wellness Strategic Plan, the state funded Nutrition Education Program, a regional coordinator for the California Department of Education’s Safe Schools Program, and a manager in the Foster Youth Services initiative. 

In her role as Special Assistant to the Superintendent, Tillman did what she most loves – working with people. The role was one of serving as a connection between the various sectors of community such as businesses, chambers of commerce, law enforcement, and others, and as a liaison that brought community concerns and feedback directly to the superintendent, and then relaying responses back.

Apart from community involvement as part of her official role, Tillman is a very involved member of the San Bernardino community, a place she had called home most of her adult life. Tillman has served numerous organizations including, but not limited to: San Bernardino County African-American Employees Association (SBCAAEA); founding member of the San Bernardino Arrowhead United Way; Women’s Leadership Council; San Bernardino County Women’s Network Board; San Bernardino Community Scholarship Board; American Cancer Society Board, San Bernardino Chapter, and is a lifetime member and past president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Inland Empire Section. She currently serves as a Trustee to the San Bernardino City Library Board and as San Bernardino County 5^th District Commissioner for the San Bernardino County Equal Opportunity Commission.

Between her professional and personal involvements, it all came down to a love of people, and especially the students she served, which is what Tillman says she will miss the most about her time at SBCSS.

“Connecting with students is where the rubber meets the road,” she said. “I loved providing them with encouragement, mentorship, and networking. I wanted them to know there are people who wanted to help them to be successful.”

And because she was involved in so many communities Tillman became a go-to person because of the relationships she built countywide, thus connecting many people who might not have otherwise connected, and all with a common outcome of serving students.

“I will miss being in [students’] world like that,” Tillman said. “I loved facilitating connections and networking across the county, and seeing the difference those connections made.”

During her time at SBCSS, Tillman served under various superintendents, including Barry Pulliam, Herb Fischer, Gary Thomas, and most recently, Ted Alejandre who is the current superintendent.

“Carolyn was an incredible professional and dedicated to serving her community,” said Alejandre. “She went above and beyond to serve students not just in her own community but in all our districts. She had such a warm heart that people were inclined to work with her because the care she exhibited was genuine. We are really going to miss her.”

Though retired, Tillman continues to be an involved member of her community, but she is also enjoying the time to engage in some long-time personal interests, most notably, genealogical research of her family tree as far back as the early 1800s.

The project has been a painstaking one, but well worth the effort for Tillman. The information uncovered has closed some doors of questions, but opened doors of new connections. More than anything, Tillman says it has reinforced her faith in God and taught her empathy. “It has helped me think more soberly about the challenges others face and understanding their life’s journey,” she said.

Writing a book about her family history and her experience in genealogical research may not be entirely out of the question for Tillman in the future. For now, apart from the on-going research, Tillman is enjoying spending more time with her grown children and grandchildren, and dreams of a time when she will finally be able to take a highly anticipated trip to Africa, when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. “I am grateful and blessed. It was a divine gift to be on this path and I pray I have honored it as such,” Tillman says about her combined work and life experience. “That same divine presence is leading me to new chapters in my life, but I hope to continue being light on a hill and inspiration to others, and that my Creator is glorified because of it.”