James Ramos

Ramos' role as chairman will be one of many hats the tribal member wears. In November, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Ramos to the Native American Heritage Commission, which works to protect American Indian burial and archaeological sites from vandalism and inadvertent destruction, among other things. In 2005, Ramos was the first American Indian elected to the San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees, where he currently serves as vice president of the board. He also serves as director of the California Indian Cultural Awareness Conference held annually at Cal State San Bernardino. Ramos earned his associate’s degree at Victor Valley Community College, his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting from California State University, San Bernardino, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Redlands. Since 2008, he has served as the elected Chairman of the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians. Ramos was born and raised on the San Manuel Indian Reservation in Highland, California. He and his wife Terri are the proud parents of four children.