Wenck won't seek reelection; Retiring from LTCC board after 42 years

The Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) will be saying good by to Dr. Fritz Wenck this December as he leaves the LTCC Board of Trustees after serving for 42 years. Wenck is the current President and one of the longest-serving trustees in California’s community college system.

Wenck, , is retiring after 42 years of service. Dr. Wenck is a founding Board member of LTCC who was first elected on March 5, 1974. At the same time, the public also voted in favor of creating the Lake Tahoe Community College District, making it possible for a college to arise in South Lake Tahoe. Joining Dr. Wenck that day were William Conlon, Rev. Donald Swanson, Dr. Will Cluff, and Roberta Mason, who retired as an LTCC trustee and Board president in December 2014.

“Dr. Wenck has been a dedicated and tenacious supporter of higher education in the South Shore, and his quick wit and commitment will be missed,” said Clerk of the Board Dr. Karen Borges.

In May, 2015, the California Community College League honored Wenck for his 41 years of service at the time.

Dr. Wenck provided much-needed guidance as a founding Board member, helping the college grow from 500 students at its start to over 5,000 today. He helped take the campus from its old Gerkens Lodge location on Highway 50 to today’s beautiful 164-acre campus on Al Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe. In addition to his over four decades of service as trustee, Dr. Wenck has also been in practice as a local dentist for 47 years, and is an active member of the Optimist Club.

On his impending retirement, Dr. Wenck said, “I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure on the Board. I always tried to do what is best for the college, the students and the community. I am proud of what my fellow trustees and I have accomplished, and eagerly anticipate the future for LTCC."

Dr. Wenck’s last Board meeting will be December 13, 2016, when the Board reorganizes and welcomes new trustees voted into office on November 1, 2016.