Dr. Bob ABEL 9/4/1997 – 6/21/2022 Full Time Faculty – Applied Physics
A student advocate, faculty leader, and physics genius, Dr. Bob Abel has taught applied physics at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard since 1997. For 25 years, he has modeled Olympic College excellence.
Dr. Abel shared that he enjoys favorite Olympic College moments every day because he gets to work with students and learn from them. The most meaningful part of his work has been helping students to understand the difference between learning and getting a grade and helping them realize their true potential. Working with nearly 4,000 students over the years, he has enjoyed each one. He believes everyone has a unique combination of talents, skills, goals and challenges, and we all have to work together under challenging conditions, such as college-level physics courses. He loves living and working in the same community, where he sees people, he has worked with every day.
Dr. Abel is a Fellow in the University of Washington Astronomy’s DiRAC Institute (Data Intensive Research in Astrophysics and Cosmology), where he works on issues relating to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The telescope should be operational by April 24, so he is currently working on developing software to analyze the unprecedented amount of data they will collect. It’s a ten-year survey that, by the end of the second month of operation, will have acquired much more than that of all the telescopes in history combined, so he is spending a lot of time on statistical methods.
Everyone loves Dr. Abel. His students, the physics team, his dean, the office staff and PSNS colleagues are all better people for working with Dr. Abel. Finally, while known for his clever sense of humor and fun-loving personality, it is Dr. Abel’s dedication to Olympic College, laser focus on student success, and his caring nature that will be missed more than anything.
Kim ABEL 10/26/2015 – 6/30/2022 Public Records Manager & Policy Development Coordinator
Kim Abel has worked for Olympic College for over 7 years. She received her J.D. from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR in 1983. Kim has dedicated a significant portion of her career to her community, both as a mayor and as the Public Records and Policy Development Manager for Olympic College. She served as Mayor of Port Orchard from 2003 – 2007. Other interests and positions included working as an Attorney and Chair of the Hearing Board in California, President of League of Women Voters of Kitsap and league of Women Voters of Washington. In 2019 Kim was Interim Associate Vice President of HR.
Since working in Human Resources, she has been an asset and a resource whose absence will be irreplaceable. She is always willing to assist other HR Managers in any tasks and has been a trusted advisor to HR leadership throughout her time with us. We wish Kim all the best in her retirement and as she leaves; she knows she has left a lasting mark on the college to which she has dedicated seven years.
Natalie CROMIE 12/22/2005-9/14/2021 Program Coordinator
Natalie Cromie joined Military & Veterans Programs from the OC Bookstore. She was instrumental as the MVP program coordinator and helping coordinate monthly events that helped engage military affiliated students. Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement!
Daris DEVANEY 6/18/2-19 – 7/31/2022 Program Specialist 2
Daris started her employment at OC Shelton in the spring of 2018 as a part time employee where she quickly adapted and became instrumental in the success of the Shelton campus. As a life-long Shelton resident she brought a lot of community knowledge, and as a former vice president for marketing she created eye catching advertising that boosted enrollment. That same September, she became the full-time Program Specialist that manages the main office. Daris has always maintained that working with students is her favorite part of the job, which is apparent by the relationships that she establishes with students. Daris has gone above and beyond when it comes to assisting students to be successful, she has devoted numerous hours of one-on-one help for those students who need additional guidance. Her consistent pleasant demeanor makes her easy to approach and work with. She will be sorely missed, but we wish her well as she enjoys her life as a retiree.
Karen FUSCO 7/1/2015 – 10/3/2021 Director of Access Services
Access Services Director Karen Fusco has been with Olympic College for more than 25 years. She started her tenure as adjunct faculty for Worker Retraining and moved into the Program Coordinator role with the then-named Disability Support Services Office in September of 1996. As she says, she is genuinely fulfilled by service to students and the academic and problem-solving aspects of the field of disability services. Karen has demonstrated dedication to her field through statewide leadership and participation in professional organizations, serving as President of both the Washington Association on Postsecondary Education and Disability (WAPED) and the Disability Support Services Council. Since its inception in 2016, she has been co-chair of the state’s Committee for Accessible Technology Oversight (CATO) where she helped raise awareness for technology access throughout the SBCTC system.
Over the years, Karen forged many OC relationships on behalf of students. Some of her partnerships with the Center for Learning Innovation, Information Technology, and Residence Life have been instrumental in advancing universal design principles and institutional access. Karen’s collaborations on projects to maximize efficiencies and resources have been dedicated to the improvement of institutional access for students and employees with disabilities and resulted in the development of protocols to prioritize captioning of instructional materials, the purchase of software to help streamline accessible course design, and the formation of the Instructional Accessibility Team with staff from the Center, Access Services, and IT. Karen has been honored to serve in this important role and is highly regarded by Olympic College staff, faculty and students and colleagues from across the state. Karen says the skills she’s looking forward to improving from now on involve travel, gardening, writing, cooking, dancing, running, yoga, and spending more time with friends and family.
Dr. Mary GARGUILE 10/17/1977 – 9/8/2021. Vice President of Instruction
Dr. Mary Garguile is a product of Olympic College. She began her career at OC as a student employee in the child development center. From there, she went to classified employee, to full-time faculty, to dean, to vice president. She started in the childcare center on campus and acted as both faculty and director. Mary Garguile is recognized nationally as an innovator in Early Childhood Education. Here are just a few of the countless contributions Dr. Garguile has made to Early Learning in Washington State and at Olympic College during her 44 years of service.
As Early Childhood Education faculty, she was instrumental in starting the campus childcare center. During this time, Mary acted as both center director and ECE faculty, teaching and advising hundreds of students while also overseeing center operations. Also, as faculty, she wrote the AAS-T degree in ECE that was eventually adopted at many other community and technical colleges throughout the state. She wrote the initial Head Start Grant which began a partnership between Olympic College and the Olympic Educational Service District that continues today.
Mary co-authored several programs that are still in practice. These include Washington State Early Childhood Skills Standards that became the template for the Department of Early Learning’s Core Competencies for early childhood providers. “Building Bridges to Higher Education” coursework eventually led to ECE stackable certificates recognized statewide. The original state requirement for childcare providers later became the 30-hour Child Care Basics Washington licensing law. She also served on the originating team that developed WAOL (Washington Online Courses) that offer ECE classes in a shared capacity across the state.
She has collaborated with other ECE professionals in capacities such as a peer reviewer for the OER text used in ECED& 105 Introduction to Early Childhood Education, President of ACCESS, a national early childhood board for community and technical colleges, and as President of Early Childhood Teacher Preparation council for the state of Washington.
Mary served as Dean of Workforce Development and then Vice President of Instruction for the past 14 years. Her services and contributions will be remembered for years to come.
Margaret GEORGE 5/2/94 – 11/30/2021 Custodian 2
When I first started working at Olympic, it was the end of 2 ½ years of non-work, unemployment dried up, bills, broken vehicle and broken man. Then one day, at the start of work, Margaret came up to me. She ad a bag of groceries and a loaf of bread. She said, “This is for you, take care of yourself.” Well at that point I was no longer broken, I was mended by a loving spirit and a compassionate heart. Yea – That’s Margaret. (Co-worker).
Cameon GEYER 9/6/2007 – 6/21/2022 Full Time Faculty – Chemistry
Professor Cameon Geyer has been an asset to the Chemistry program at Olympic College, bringing incredible experience to our students. She is retiring after having been at Olympic College since 1991, initially as an adjunct faculty member, and since 2007 as a tenured professor. She consistently shows kindness to her students as well as her colleagues and has been a leader in developing measurable learning outcomes and effectively conducting assessments of student learning. While her tests are challenging, some might even say hard, everyone says that they are fair and that the students are given the opportunity to be well prepared. This is exemplified by her continual search for a better way to teach chemistry concepts and labs. She will be dearly missed.
Mary HACKIE 9/8/2015 – 1/14/2022 Full Time Faculty – Nursing
Janice HILL 11/17/2014 – 8/1/2022 Data Consultant 2
‘Olympic College, and specifically Enrollment Services, has been so fortunate to have Janice as part of our community. Her knowledge and skills in the realm of data, writing code, building reports, developing ways to provide the information we need to revise and create business processes, is phenomenal! Her efforts are user friendly, understandable and always support students and the staff who help them. She patiently outlines and explains the complex machinations of how good, clean data is retrieved and may be used. Most importantly, Janice stayed with us through ctcLink validation, testing and conversion with humor, a bit of snark and kindness. I consider her a true friend. She is my kindred nurturing Earth mother and ocean spirit. Happy camping!
Love,
Sandi and the entire Enrollment Services crew’
Sally HOLT 9/17/2018 – 2/4/2022 Customer Service Specialist 3
Sally began working at the college in 2018 in the Ranger Station and joined the Welcome Center team shortly after. Sally was one of the first Student Success Navigators to work in the pilot program of the Welcome Center where she helped to shape a more customized enrollment experience for students. In her tenure at OC, she helped a tremendous amount of students navigate the enrollment process and prepare for success in their academic pursuits. She was committed to helping all students and always exhibited a kind, helpful demeanor. In retirement, Sally will be found walking the dog, playing more pickleball, helping at the food bank, and remodeling her home. She is missed by staff and students, but we wish her the very best in her retirement!
Sharon JAMES 9/8/2002 – 8/13/-2021 Program Coordinator
Worked at Olympic College for nearly 19 years! She started her OC career in Early Childhood Education and later transitioned to the position of Program Coordinator in Workforce Development supporting over 20 Professional-Technical Advisory Committees. She was truly OC’s Number #1 Community Ambassador interacting with hundreds and hundreds of our vital community experts.
Common adjectives used to describe Sharon include fun, kind, caring, compassionate, patient, creative, supportive, organized, respectful, team player, culinary wizard, and reliable. She has become an avid gardener and continues to enjoy traveling with recent destinations including the Grand Canyon and Nashville.
Dinshaw JOKHI 9/10/1998 – 1/5/2022 Full Time Faculty – Philosophy and Political Studies
“Professor Dinshaw Jokhi arrived at Olympic College in the Fall of 1998 and spent his professional career of 23 plus years teaching Philosophy, Humanities, and Political Sciences classes in the Division of Social Sciences & Humanities. His dedication to the topics of Philosophy and Political Science are known to his students and peers. His love for philosophical discussions with others will be remembered by all who knew him.”
Laureen LARSON 2/18/2003 – 12/24/2021 Program Specialist 2
Laurie Larson loved working for Olympic College and the IT Help Desk. Her job was her life. She adored the people she worked with. She loved to come to work and be with the friends she made here. Laurie had a passion for helping and feeding people. She was dependable and eager to assist with anything thrown her way. She loved animals of all kinds, but she had a special place in her heart for birds and she was also a dog breeder. Laurie had a fun-loving attitude most of the time and enjoyed her work her at OC.
Laura LEE 1/2/2013 – 1/31/2022 Program Assistant
She came to Olympic College about 9 years ago. She brought to us many things such as wisdom, insight, respectfulness, and humor, just to name a few. Some of her greatest strengths are supportive listening which allowed students to share their concerns in a non-judgmental atmosphere, and wisdom to understand the emotions students may be dealing with. Faithful, kind, and integrity are just some of her many qualities.
Gail A LEURQUIN 10/12/1988 – 1/31/2022 Fiscal Technician 3
Gail began working for Olympic College in October of 1988 in the Culinary department. After some years in Culinary she was asked to run the Student Center espresso stand, and shortly after that she took on the bookkeeping duties for Culinary Arts, as well as the espresso stand. In August 2020 Gail moved to the Cashier office, where she worked until her retirement in January 2022. Clearly, Gail is a woman who wears many hats and is able to adapt to changes around her. Gail’s friendly smile was a welcoming sight to both students and staff, with whom she was able to create excellent working relationships. Gail wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and help where she was needed, even when she had no prior experience. Her quick learning skills enabled her to step into the role as the OC Bremerton Cashier and led to her becoming an essential member of the Student Financials Department. Gail assisted the department in creating and implementing new business processes within the new administrative system, ctcLink. Gail was our front-line person who, again, came to be heavily relied on. Gail’s past experiences afforded her the ability to connect with people coming through the building and establish positive connections with staff across the campus. Although we miss her dearly, we are all glad that Gail now gets the time to do the things that are important to her, and only has to show her face when she is ready and willing. Thank you, Gail, for ALL your hard work! Congratulation on retirement.
Dr. Scott LINTELMAN Full Time Faculty – Computer Information Systems
A member of the Computer Information Systems faculty team from 2018-2022, Professor Scott Lintelman had a big impact on the program. His professional expertise and educational background served him well as an educator. Before coming to Olympic College, he was a Boeing engineer for many years, offering him applied experience and engaging industry stories for his students.
Earning his doctorate in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois, resulted in deep content knowledge. Professor Lintelman mostly taught software development courses, but his broad background prepared him for the many other courses he was asked to teach at Olympic College. As he transitions into retirement, he has plans to spend time outdoors doing the many activities he loves.
Dr. Cheryl NUNEZ 6/15/2015 – 3/4/2022 Vice President of Equity and Inclusion
Cheryl came to Olympic College in 2015 from Cincinnati, OH, where she was the Assistant to the President for Diversity & Equity and Chief Diversity Officer at Xavier University (2005-2013). Prior to working at Xavier, Cheryl was involved in Affirmative Action and Multicultural Affairs at Northern Kentucky University (1995-2005) serving as the compliance officer of several programs such as Title IX, ADA and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in English & American Literature and Language from Harvard University and master’s degree in Educational Foundations from the University of Cincinnati. She served as our first Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and essentially created the position as time went on. Over her years here she was VP over Human Resources, Communications, and Equity and Inclusion. She served on numerous committees and projects such as the Equity Institute Development Series, Equity4Excellence, IPAR, Kitsap Strong Leadership, NAACP, Partnering for Youth Achievement, Kitsap County Social Justice Network, Chief Diversity Officers Committee, Red Cross and so many more. Under her leadership, OC created its first Equity Strategic Plan, the Presidential Equity & Excellence Lecture series, the Second Chance higher education program for formerly incarcerated people, and held countless workshops on equity. In 2020, she was the recipient of the YWCA Mission Award for Eliminating Racism and Empowering Women.
Dr. Lisa PALAFOX 9/8/2015 – 12/31/2021 Full Time Faculty – Organizational Leadership and Resource Management
Dr. Lisa Palafox taught Organizational Leadership and Resource Management, at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, from 2015 to 2021. She had an engaging presentation style and her enthusiasm for leadership topics was always apparent. A lifelong learner, Dr. Palafox earned a Doctorate in Philosophy. As she taught leadership topics, her foundation in philosophy prepared her to teach her students the importance of questioning and problem solving, and to always seek new information. Students and staff who got to know Dr. Palafox miss her and wish her the best in retirement.
Anthony SAN FILIPPO 9/22/2003 – 12/13/2021 Program Coordinator
Tony was the Program Coordinator for Duplicating Services from December 2009 until his retirement. Prior to that, Tony was an adjunct faculty member with the B&T dept. During his tenure as Program Coordinator, Tony was instrumental in the implementation of several equipment upgrades and a major change to the ordering process of duplicating requests. While quick witted and eager to help all customers, he was especially adept at helping customers to learn how to design projects for their duplicating needs. Best wishes and enjoy retirement!
Grant SATHER 6/2/1986 – 7/5/2022 Central Services Supervisor
Having served the Olympic College community for 36 years, the time has come for him to focus on the most fulfilling and rewarding relationships of his life, his family. Grant began his journey with OC as a Supervisor in the OC Bookstore Stockroom then moved onto holding several leadership positions in Duplicating and Central Services. Since the combination of these departments in 2003 he has successfully served as the Supervisor of Central Services. He has been dedicated and steadfast during times of enormous change over the years. You can hang your hat on the fact that he will get the job done and done right the first time. As many staff that work in service roles, the tasks undertaken far exceed the title, to which Grant is no exception. With his departure we will likely have a new appreciation for his commitment to process and solid solutions to obstacles seen and/or anticipated. His deliberate work ethic has been the backbone that maintains the expected service level his dept provides. Grants expertise and willingness to serve the OC community will be greatly missed. Please join me in congratulating him as he retires and embarks on his future.
Dr. Rebecca SEAMAN 8/1/2016 – 8/31/2022 Dean for Social Sciences and Humanities
Dr. Rebecca (Beccie) Seaman has been an exemplary administrator at Olympic College for the past 6 years. As Dean, Beccie leads Instruction’s largest division, Social Sciences and Humanities, and supervises more direct reports than any other employee at the college. In addition to this enormous responsibility, Beccie has been tasked over the years with some big projects. She led CBA negotiations; co-managed the preparation for OC’s 2018 accreditation Year Seven Self-Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness; oversaw the introduction of the BAS in Filmmaking, the first BAS in SSH Division; ushered through a partnership with Suquamish Tribe; and most recently was tasked with renewing and standardizing the college’s university partnership MOUs. She has served on numerous committees such as IPPR, Strategic Enrollment Management, Shelton Strategic Planning, OCAP, Assessment Leadership Planning, Assessment Leadership Team, ARGAC, Administrative Negotiation Team, FCC, IAC, and more. In all of this, and despite the heavy workload, Beccie has been known throughout her time at Olympic College for her preparation and professionalism. A few attributes come to mind:
- Beccie is ethical and will always seek to do what is right, rather than what is expedient or comfortable.
- Beccie is fair-minded – she finds something good to say about everyone, and she has the insight to truly understand people and to bring out the best in them.
- Beccie is persistent and will follow-up until the job gets done.
- She is improvement-oriented, and she is leaving her division better than she found it.
- Beccie has mentored and professionally developed her division faculty and her colleagues (including this new VPI).
Beccie has a BSED in Social Sciences, MA and PhD in History from Auburn University. Beccie came to OC from Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. She taught in higher education for 32 years prior to OC and achieved tenure and the rank of full professor at two separate colleges. Beccie is a historian and scholar, and she is the author of the 2018 book Epidemics and War: The Impact of Disease on Major Conflicts in History.
Olympic College will miss Dr. Seaman. We are grateful for her years of service and wish her the time in retirement to enjoy her family and pursue her many professional and personal interests more fully.
Chris STOKKE 9/5/1996 – 12/13/2021 Full Time Faculty – Nursing
Chris Stokke began his nursing career as a Navy Nurse. He retired as a Commander in the Navy with nursing experience in leadership, obstetrics, critical care, and medical-surgical nursing. Chris has been a tenured faculty member since (1996?). He graduated from Washington State University with a Master’s in Nursing (MN) and Bachelor Degree in Nursing (BSN). He has taught numerous courses to include: N142, N151, N152, N156, N146, N160, N180, N 181, N182, N212. While at Olympic College he served and contributed on many committees and was AHE President.
Mark WESTLUND 9/7/2000 – 12/13/2021 Full Time Faculty – Computer Information Systems
Professor Westlund was a valued member of the Computer Information Systems (CIS) faculty team from 2000 to 2021. He is a talented web developer; an exceptional, committed educator; a champion of student success; and a dear colleague to so many. Professor Hanson noted, “Mark has a witty sense of humor and is the most well-read person I have ever met. If he ever makes it to Jeopardy, he will have a long run!” Professor Kathy Bright shared, “I always looked up to Mark Westlund, and was grateful that he was my co-chair on the e-learning Council. He was very passionate about technology, and admittedly, often talked about concepts in a way that was way over my head. However, when he did talk about those issues, I knew they were important and that I should listen. Mark always supported me, even if he felt I was headed in the wrong direction.”
As a Computer Information Systems faculty in 2000, Professor Westlund was a pioneer in developing excellent distance learning classes. At a time when many felt online learning was never going to be mainstream, he embraced the new venue. Not only did he move classes online, but he also supported others in making the transition.
Professor Westlund had many important accomplishments while at Olympic College. He initiated CIS annual retreats to help the team focus on their goals. He was instrumental in developing the CIS Digital Chautauqua to bring K-12 and industry together with CIS faculty to explore career paths for students. More than a decade ago, he created the CIS Digital Advisor Web site and Education Plan Checker to assist with online advising. He taught on ground, ITV, hybrid, online asynchronous, and online synchronous. He developed his own online instructional platform for online teaching in 1997, portions of which he transferred to Canvas when he began to think about retiring.
Favorite Olympic College moments for Professor Westlund were working with his amazing colleagues, especially the CIS faculty who were also his friends. He said that they were always there for each other. He shared his appreciation for the profound support, professionalism, and warm friendship from his CIS colleagues. He describes them as “an amazing crew and they always had his back and were fun to spend time with after-hours…”
As Professor Westlund reflected on what he enjoyed most at Olympic College, he shared that he enjoyed students who listened and learned and didn’t focus on what they thought they knew. One of his all-time favorite students was a woman named Maria. Maria and her 18-year-old son enrolled in the CIS program, she listened, worked hard, graduated, and found a great job as a middle-aged woman in a male dominated industry.
Professor Westlund is enjoying retirement. He stays up late and sleeps in. He has time to follow his passion for reading, writing, researching, taking long walks at Fort Worden, and watching mostly foreign movies. He also volunteers at many events in Port Townsend like the Maritime Center 48/7 race and the Wooden Boat Festival. He is currently onboarding his 8th Rotary exchange student. Most of all, he enjoys spending time with his wife. They have tea at 3:00 most days and play a game of cribbage after most dinners.
Professor Westlund is an impressive educator, friend and colleague. Although he is missed on campus, the benefit of his contributions and positive impact to the college remain.
