By Jondi Gumz
When Arne Croce was a high school freshman, he was on the college-prep track to get into a university — until his father died unexpectedly.
From Left: Eileen Hill, executive director, Cabrillo College Foundation; Arne Croce; Gail Pellerin, former Santa Cruz County Clerk
Within a year, he dropped out of band and sports, picked up bad habits, and neglected schoolwork. Graduating with a 2.0 grade-point average, he had few options, enrolling by default at Cabrillo College.
“I was convinced I was not cut out for school,” he recalled.
The faculty at Cabrillo — stimulating and attentive — changed his mind.
“They made me want to learn,” Croce said. “I trained myself to concentrate and study and to my surprise, I started to do well.”
With his counselor encouraging him, Croce was accepted at UC Berkeley. This led to a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s in public administration, and a 30-year career in city management. He was city manager in Los Altos, then San Mateo, before spending a year traveling with his wife and heading a San Mateo nonprofit.
Now that they are back in Santa Cruz County, Croce is launching the Local Government Fellows program at Cabrillo College.
It’s “a way to give back to the institution that gave me the start to a wonderful and fulfilling career and to promote local government careers,” he said.
Croce contends developing dedicated, competent, and diverse local government managers is key to maintaining essential services provided by cities, counties, and special districts.
The program is to include: A $2,000 scholarship, a paid internship with a local government agency — a key element and Croce said he has commitments from Santa Cruz County and the cities of Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville — and mentoring by a current or retired government leader.
Supporters include Gail Pellerin, Santa Cruz County clerk and election official for 27 years before she stepped down in December 2020, Dana McRae, who spent 22 years as Santa Cruz County Counsel before retiring and Greg Larson, former Los Gatos city manager and now interim city manager in Cupertino.
“We have set an ambitious goal of raising an endowment of $100,000,” Croce said. “This would support the selection of two Fellows annually.”
So far, $23,000 has been raised.
Martin Bernal, who spent 11 years as Santa Cruz city manager, asked for contributions at his retirement gathering.
Croce and Pellerin spoke to the Capitola City Council Wednesday night, giving an update and thanking the city for its $10,000 contribution.
The program will select Cabrillo College students with preference to those who are the first in their family to attend college and pursue a major consistent with a career in local government service.
When might the program begin?
“Next fall semester if we raised the money,” Croce said. “I’m optimistic.”
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How To Give
The Cabrillo College Foundation will accept contributions to the Local Government Fellows Program. You may contribute in the following ways:
- CHECK: Send a check payable to the Cabrillo College Foundation. Enter Local Government Fellows Scholarship in the memo section.
Cabrillo College Foundation
6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003
- CREDIT CARD: Call the Cabrillo Foundation office at 831-479-6338 to donate with your credit card
- ONLINE: https://foundation.cabrillo.edu/donate/
Enter Local Government Fellows Scholarship in the Special Instructions or Notes section
- DONOR-ADVISED FUND: Initiate gift to Cabrillo College Foundation for the Local Government Fellows Scholarship
