RCCD Colleges Participate in E-Commerce and Logistics Summit
04/23/2025
Leaders from the Riverside Community College District (RCCD) and its colleges (Riverside City College, Moreno Valley College, and Norco College) attended the 2025 Southern California E-Commerce & Logistics Summit in Pomona, CA on April 17th. The event was facilitated by the Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP) and Prologis. RCCD participants shared a table at the event where management and staff listened intently on the state of e-Commerce and logistics in the region particularly as it would affect community colleges, students, and the regional workforce and economy.
The summit included a noteworthy variety of panelists and speakers from Southern California. Some of the topics included a panel discussing the state of the supply chain, challenges and ramifications to the new California Assembly Bill (AB 98) and its effect on local cities, e-commerce, and logistics in the region, and finally concluding with a panel of speakers engaging about the path forward and where does this industry go from here.
At the summit, it was shared that approximately 1 out of every 9 jobs in Southern California is tied to e-commerce/logistics. Several industry speakers shared a cautious but concerned perspective about the new national tariffs that have commenced and its effect on transportation (trucking, rail, air, and ship traffic at the SoCal ports) and logistics in Southern California including the Inland Empire.
One of the highlighted speakers was Pete Van Helden, CEO of Stater Bros who shared about his experience as an executive leader in the industry, plus accomplishments and challenges that lay ahead for his company and others in the region.
“I had a brief but meaningful conversation with Mr. Van Helden about Stater Bros.’ store upgrades and the potential for apprenticeship partnerships. He was open to exploring how RCC and our sister colleges could support their workforce needs, and mentioned their interest in expanding collaborations with local community colleges,” stated John Wilson, Apprenticeship Director, Career & Technical Education.
"RCCD Colleges are well prepared to offer courses and awards in which students can develop their knowledge and skills in order to engage in jobs and careers in the e-commerce and logistics industries in the Inland Empire”, said Jason Kennedy, RCCD Director of Workforce and Economic Development Projects.
For more information about Riverside Community College District Workforce and Economic Development, please visit https://wed.rccd.edu/index.html.
Published by External Relations & Strategic Communications