Longtime LTCC Trustee Dr. Wenck retires after 42 years on board

South Lake Tahoe - The year was 1974. Richard Nixon resigned as president, Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, All in the Family and Sanford and Son were number one and two on the top TV show list, gas was 38 cents a gallon and Dr. Frederick “Fritz” Wenck became an elected Board of Trustees member for Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC).

Fast forward to 2016 and Dr. Wenck retired from the board.

A large crowd gathered at this week's LTCC board meeting to congratulate the South Lake Tahoe dentist on his retirement, and to thank him for his decades of service and numerous efforts to guide and develop LTCC into the world-class institution it is today. Dr. Wenck is retiring from the system as the third longest-serving community college board trustee in California history.

Dr. Wenck first became a trustee on March 5, 1974, when the very first Board of Trustees was elected by South Lake Tahoe voters. At the same time, they also voted in favor of creating the Lake Tahoe Community College District, laying the groundwork for a college to come to South Lake Tahoe. Joining Dr. Wenck in that first trustee group were William Conlon, Rev. Donald Swanson, Dr. Will Cluff, and Roberta Mason, who retired as an LTCC trustee and Board president in 2014 after 40 years of service.

New Board of Trustees President Karen Borges, who was sworn in by Dr. Wenck at the meeting, said, “It’s rare for a community college in our state to have a trustee stay on board and be active and committed for this long. Fritz is really special, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for his devotion to LTCC. He’s always thought about what’s best for the long-term viability of the college, what’s best for students, what’s best for everyone else. I have great respect for Fritz’s unwavering commitment to LTCC and to his community. I’ll miss him and his wisdom and experience.”

Dr. Wenck says that he “didn’t expect to be around this long” as a trustee, but he committed to it for the long haul because of the importance of the work. “My goal right from the start was to get a college here, and to be a help to students and citizens of our town. Getting the school in place and making it open and accessible to anyone who wanted access, for vocational and transfer students in particular…this has been the most important part of the job,” said Dr. Wenck.

To honor Dr. Wenck’s long-time commitment and service to the college, a resolution was passed at the meeting recognizing his work. A measure to rename LTCC’s Board Room in Dr. Wenck’s name was also unanimously passed.

In addition to bidding Dr. Wenck a fond farewell, brand-new trustee Nancy Dalton was also sworn in at Tuesday’s meeting. Dalton was elected to represent Trustee Area 4, which is bordered by Al Tahoe, Pioneer Trail, Highway 50 out in Meyers and back into town up to the intersection with Al Tahoe. Dalton has a long track record of community engagement, local board experience, and has a deep connection to education, serving as a high school math teacher locally since 2002.