MEET TONY
“I am humbled that I am able to endorse one of the kindest out there. Each day he serves is another day our community thrives.”
Paul Cheng, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Arcadia
Dr. Anthony Fellow was once introduced by a member of the California State Assembly as a “pillar of the San Gabriel Valley.” With an extensive record of community and technocratic service, Dr. Fellow is a community builder who has dedicated both his personal and professional life to strengthening the foundations on which all thriving, healthy and vibrant communities are built – water, government and education.
Fellow was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, grew up in neighboring El Monte and currently resides with his wife, Clara Potes-Fellow, right here in Arcadia, California. In 2019, Tony and Clara Fellow were honored as "Distinguished Citizens of the Year” by the Greater Los Angeles/San Gabriel Valley Boy Scouts.
Clara Potes-Fellow, whom he met while they were graduate students at the University of Southern California, is a crisis communications expert, having worked at the Metropolitan Transportation Agency, Edison International and as Press Secretary for Cal State System Chancellor Charles Reed. Potes-Fellow also served as Bill Clinton’s Press Secretary for Hispanic Affairs during his first campaign for president, and had the option of joining Michelle Obama’s staff in the White House. Clara now works in private practice raising money for nonprofit agencies.
Both Anthony and Clara are Italian-trained artists with dual focus on paint and sculpture. In fact, Clara is an accomplished sculptor who has exhibited her works in Gubbio, Italy.
In his spare time, Fellow enjoys teaching Bible Study at St. Francis of Rome Catholic Church in Azusa.
Dr. Fellow is currently completing post-doctoral classes in Catholic Theology at St. Joseph’s College of Maine.
PERSONAL
Fellow graduated from Cal State Los Angeles with a B.A. degree and Cal State Fullerton with an M.A. in Communications, where he was first asked to be a member of the adjunct faculty. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree and Lifetime Secondary Teaching Credential, Fellow worked as a reporter at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. He was promoted to Assistant City Editor and Columnist, and headed the political elections team covering the presidencies of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.
He went on to earn an M.A. and doctoral degree at the University of Southern California. While at USC, Fellow was named a Walter H. Annenberg Fellow.
For the past 30 years, Dr. Fellow was a distinguished full Professor of Communications and Political Science at Cal State Fullerton, where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in media and politics, media history, media law and international communications.
Fellow also sits on Doctoral Committees at the Claremont Graduate School and the Fielding Institute in Santa Barbara.
Dr. Fellow was named a Fulbright Scholar during the George W. Bush Administration and was assigned to Italy’s most prestigious Fulbright position at Vercelli University. That year in Rome, Fellow was recognized as one of America’s most distinguished university professors.
Dr. Fellow has also served as Chair of the Department of Communications and Department of Cinema and Television Arts at Cal State Fullerton, where he was named Senior Distinguished Professor.
He is the author of American Media History: The Story of Journalism and Mass Media;
Tweeting to Freedom: An Encyclopedia of Citizen Protests and Uprisings Around the World;
Copy Editor’s Handbook for Newspapers and Writing in a Multimedia World. Fellow remains an active social media, Civil War and Healthcare researcher, presenting his findings at national and international conferences.
While at Cal State Fullerton, Fellow founded the Florence Program. The Florence Program, now going strong for more than fifteen years, is regarded as one of most successful and immersive study abroad programs in the nation, and one of the top-tier programs in California’s higher education system.
During this time, Fellow was anchor of various cable television news shows in Southern California. He also anchored and produced CSUF’s World Press television show, which won a national Telly Award for Best University News Program. He was under contract with Universal Studios and played the role of a journalist in Raymond Burr’s Kingston Confidential series.
EDUCATION AND
PROFESSIONAL
In 1991, on a forward-looking platform that promised to reimagine the politics of water, Dr. Fellow was elected to the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, where, to this day, he proudly and effectively represents the residents of Arcadia, Bradbury, El Monte, Monrovia, Pasadena, Rosemead and Temple City.
From his first day on the dais to now, Director Fellow remains hard at work delivering on his promise by championing programs, policies and infrastructure that introduce sustainability, renewability, resiliency and fiscal responsibility
into the complex ecosystem of water management, production, recycling and policy making.
As Director, Fellow continues to inaugurate and spearhead transformative water programming throughout the
San Gabriel Valley, including the establishment of District 1’s first ever water recycling program, which safeguards
against drought by offering a renewable and alternative source of water for the San Gabriel Valley’s commercial and irrigation needs, and the Upper District’s signature reforestation program in the Angeles National Forest.
With his most recent re-election to the Upper District in November 2018, Dr. Fellow holds the longest tenure of service
on the policy body. In addition, Director Fellow is in his eighteenth year of service as a director and vice-chair of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest treated water supplier in the United States.
WATER
In 1996, Dr. Fellow was elected to the El Monte City Council. During his nine years on Council, Fellow focused on growing the local economy, bringing well-paying jobs to his community and attracting new businesses both small and large, including the Home Depot. He also worked to bring in new housing for El Monte’s hard-working families, and made strides in beautifying the city.
What was perhaps Councilman Fellow’s greatest labor of love was helping to make the Dorris Dann Recreational Center a reality for El Monte’s youths, families and seniors.
GOVERNMENT
In 2009, Arcadia voters overwhelmingly elected Dr. Fellow to the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees for Area 7, where he quickly became known as student and family focused.
During Tony’s 12-year tenure, PCC exceeded many major milestones, and came to distinguish Itself as a true success story in higher education – beating the odds! Thanks, in part, to Tony’s leadership on the Board, PCC is now recognized as one of the nation’s Top 10 Community Colleges for six years running, is ranked the #1 college in California and #2 in the nation for active-duty military and veterans, continues to offer free 2-year tuition for in-district students, operated under a balanced budget for the first time in more than 30 years, achieved 100% accreditation with no remedial actions necessary, built up a healthy and robust reserve to bring resiliency to the institution’s operations and financial aid programs and continues to be dedicated to transparent finances and regular clean audits. In short, Pasadena City College, Its students and faculty were thriving during Tony’s time on the Board.
As your Trustee:
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Tony helped implement an ambitious campus-wide facility, infrastructure and technology modernization program that prepared the nearly 100-year-old college for its next century of academic, athletic and artistic excellence.
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PCC substantially increased Its investment in cultivating a robust catalog of more than 23 workforce preparation programs that ready certificate-track students for competitive high-employment careers and well-paying jobs.
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PCC has emerged as one of the most diverse and inclusive college campuses in the nation. In fact, PCC now graduates more Hispanic, Latino and Asian students with Associates degrees than any other college in the nation.
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PCC cultivated a robust Partnership Academy Program that, to this day, prepares local high school students for entering higher education or pursuing competitive high-employment career pathways. This Dual Enrollment initiative partners with all seven feeder school districts to offer college-level courses to local high school students.
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PCC fortified a truly comprehensive Veterans Services Center, characterized by a pioneering collaboration of academic and peer support services for active duty, honorably discharged, and retired military students and their families. Pasadena City College continues to be regarded as a top-tier military serving institution. For five years in a row, the Military Times has named PCC the #1 "Best for Vets" school in California and #2 in the nation, out of more than 1,000 community colleges. Additionally, G.I. Jobs Magazine consistently names PCC as one of the nation’s top “military friendly schools.”
Ending his service on a high note, out of the 116 community colleges statewide and more than 1,000 nationwide, Pasadena City College was the only nominee and awardee from the entire state of California in 2021. With the Aspen Institute consistently naming PCC as one of the Nation’s 10 Best Colleges, the success of Dr. Fellow’s time on the Board speaks for itself.
TRUSTEE
