Mayor and Council Pay Tribute to Founding Moreno Valley College President

Moreno Valley Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez adjourned Tuesday’s City Council Meeting in honor of Richard Tworek, Ph.D., the founding President and Provost of Moreno Valley College who passed away September 5 after battling a long illness.  “Dr. Tworek’s legacy is unmatched in Riverside County,” said Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez. “He helped designate Moreno Valley College as a beacon campus for health sciences and spearheaded the first physician’s assistant program in the County. He also gave me my first job, as a secretary in the dean’s office, when I was just 18 years old. He was a great man and will be missed.” In addition to his work at Moreno Valley College, Dr. Tworek served on the Board of Directors for the March Air Reserve Base Health Development Board. He was also on the Board for the Riverside University Health System Foundation and a longtime board member of the Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce, among many other designations.  “Everywhere I went with Dick, people enjoyed him and loved working with him,” said Jamil Dada, President of the March Field Air Museum and a close friend and colleague of Dr. Tworek. “He was very classy, very sophisticated, and he brought everyone along with him to the top. He was that kind of a person. He was larger than life, and we’re going to miss him tremendously.” Memorial services have yet to be announced. For more local news and information click here.