For the 13th year in a row, Clark College employees donated backpacks and supplies to 52 school-aged children of Clark College students.

Names of children are gathered and referred by Workforce Education Services, Financial Aid, Veterans Affairs, Child & Family Services, and the Diversity Center. Each child is asked their favorite color and characters so the donors can find a backpack that is specific to that child.

This year, the Backpack Project provided 55 backpacks, adding to the grand total so far of over 730 backpacks collected throughout the years – thank you!

Here are some expressions of thanks from students and their children after receiving their backpack:

“Just wanted to say THANK YOU!!!! for all you have done for me through my college life, along with helping me with school supplies and a backpack for my son for the last two years also. It helped us out so very much, I am off to my new educated life. Thank You All, You Will Be Missed.”

“Thank you for the backpacks. I loooooove them I can’t wait to go back to school.”

“Thank you for your kindness and for the school supplies. I hope that everyone that goes to school in Clark College does really good.”

This article was contributed by Cindy Heck

Photos: Clark College/Cindy Heck

President Knight congratulates Linda Healy, left, and Vanessa Meyer on receiving the 2016 Exceptional Classified Staff Award.

Opening Day on Sept. 12 marked several celebrations of employee contributions to the college. Employees were recognized for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years of service to the college. Four employees–Facilities Services Maintenance Mechanic Michael Conder, ITS Specialist David Sims, Business Professor Patti Serrano, and eLearning ITS Specialist Scott Coffie–earned recognition for 35 years of service to the college.

Additionally, the recipients of the annual Exceptional Faculty Awards and quarterly Classified Staff Excellence Awards were recognized. The faculty awards are announced at Commencement and the quarterly Classified staff awards are announced each quarter. Additionally, two Classified Excellence Award recipients were announced to be recipients of the annual Exceptional Classified Staff Awards: Linda Healy and Vanessa Meyer.

Six Clark College employees received Presidential Coins during Opening Day. Introduced in 2007 by President Bob Knight, the coin is given to faculty and staff members who provide exemplary service to Clark students, the college and the community. The honorees are decided by the president and are kept secret until the names are announced–generally on Opening Day in the fall or during the annual State of the College address. The newest coin recipients are:

Prof. Adnan Hamideh at Opening Day.

Adnan Hamideh

Originally joining Clark College in 2001 as a temporary business instructor, Dr. Hamideh received tenure in 2005 and now serves as the division chair of the Business Department. He holds a Doctorate of Education from Portland State University. President Knight called Dr. Hamideh a “tireless proponent” of the new Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management degree that Clark will begin offering this academic year. In addition, Dr. Hamideh has led the development of the Business Core classes that help students prepare for business majors.

Rebecca Kleiva receives a Presidential Coin.

Rebecca Kleiva

After graduating from Clark College in 2010, Kleiva was hired as a program coordinator in Eligibility Programs (now Workforce Education). She was promoted to her current position of program specialist in 2011. In this position, she has managed the Worker Retraining Financial Aid program, which helps support students as they transition into new career paths, and developed partnerships and strategies that have helped the program exceed its target enrollment every year.

“She has consistently performed her job duties with the highest degree of integrity and professionalism,” said President Knight. “She is an innovative thinker who continues to evaluate how she can improve processes and procedures to better serve her students. … Her knowledge and eagerness to learn things that are outside of her normal job responsibilities help to ensure that the customer service that she provides to the public, community partners, co-workers and students is exemplary.”

Felisciana Peralta receives a Presidential Coin.

Felisciana Peralta

Felisciana “Felis” Peralta joined Clark College in 2008 as a Multicultural Retention Manager and was recently promoted to Director of the Office of Diversity and Equity.

“In her eight years at the college, she has been a strong advocate and partner on issues related to diversity and social justice, helping to create and support a supportive learning environment for our students,” said President Knight. “She is a champion of equity and inclusion and has played a vital role in the development of the college’s Diversity Plan, Social Equity Plan, and Diversity Center.”

Peralta sits on the Cultural Pluralism Committee, Academic Early Warning Committee, and the Incident Response Team at Clark. On the state level, she has been a leader of the Multicultural Student Services Directors’ Council and its annual Students of Color Conference. In June, she received the 2016 Val Joshua Award, recognizing her leadership in working towards eliminating racism and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people.

Brenda Shular receives a Presidential Coin.

Brenda Shular

Brenda Shular graduated from Clark College in 1996 and was hired the following year as a purchasing assistant. She currently serves as a procurement and supply specialist in the college’s Office of Purchasing and Central Services.

“She is a rock-solid employee who manages an enormous amount of orders in Purchasing in a timely way and with great customer service,” said President Knight. “She’s played a key role in getting the STEM Building orders processed in time to ensure furniture and equipment is ready for the building’s opening.”

Mike Silva receives a Presidential Coin.

Mike Silva

Mike Silva graduated from Clark College in 2001 and was hired as a computer maintenance technician later that same year. He was promoted to an Information Technology Systems Specialist in 2002 and now serves as the supervisor of the Multimedia Department.

Last year, Silva led a collegewide effort to redesign the college’s standard classroom technology configuration. Working with faculty and staff, he developed a new design that not only provides additional teaching tools for faculty, but saves nearly $10,000 per classroom in equipment costs. He has also been part of the effort to make the college’s new STEM Building ready for students and faculty.

“Over the past 14 years, he has been in a variety of technical roles providing outstanding customer service and a calm, reassuring voice able to solve the thorniest technical problems,” President Knight said. “As the labs supervisor, he hired and mentored hundreds of student workers, preparing many for jobs and life after their graduation from Clark College. In mentoring these students, he clearly demonstrates that we all have a role to play in student success. … He is an outstanding supervisor, technician, and friend to many on campus.”

Prof. Caleb White receives a Presidential Coin.

Caleb White

Caleb White joined Clark College as a tenure-track welding instructor in 2013 and received tenure in 2016. He holds an associate degree in automotive and diesel technology from Universal Technical Institute and previously worked at Christensen Yachts, where he helped build some of the biggest luxury yachts in the world.

“He has not been at the college for a long time, but he has already made an impact,” said President Knight.

White has worked to redesign the welding curriculum to include more hands-on learning that can be translated directly into the workplace. Each quarter, his students use their skills to create a project. Projects have included aluminum stools for students to use in the welding lab, a large pressure vessel that can be used on job sites, and an aluminum fishing boat that was a star attraction of the college’s display at the 2016 Clark County Fair.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Joanne Emel

Congratulations to Joanne Emel, recipient of the 2016 Summer Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

First hired at Clark in 1997, Emel is the Program Specialist 2 for the Office of Instruction (OOI). She is known for her positive demeanor and her outstanding knowledge of Clark. In addition to her regular duties, Emel is an active member of the Emergency Response and Safety Team as well as part of the team preparing the college for the ctcLink transition. In addition, she recently assisted with the R25 conversion to 25Live.

Some of the following comments submitted on Emel’s behalf by her colleagues reflect her positive spirit and team mentality:

“Joanne takes a moment to greet each and every person who comes through the door, helping to ensure that the OOI is a welcoming space for the entire Clark community.”

“New staff members are enormously grateful for the way in which Joanne is always ready and able to assist when something is unknown or unfamiliar—she has been a huge help in the transition to Clark for new department members. We know we are able to approach her with questions, no matter how seemingly trivial, and she is consistently able to help even if the question falls outside of her work.”

“[She] is a cheerleader for Clark: She has encouraged new staff members to get involved with campus activities and is always able to provide positive anecdotes about the College.”

“Joanne’s long commitment to Clark, stellar work ethic and excellent level of service are inspiring to her colleagues, and this award is an ideal opportunity for these strengths to be recognized.”

Roslyn Leon Guerrero

Clark College Administrative Assistant Roslyn “Roz” Monique Leon Guerrero was recently appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA).

Leon Guerrero, who is of Chamorro descent, was born and raised on the island of Saipan, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). She has more than 15 years of experience working in education, with community organizations and outreach to Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) both on the islands and in Southwest Washington. Originally hired in Clark’s Office of Instruction in 2010, she currently works in the Office of Diversity and Equity where she monitors, manages, and supports the Diversity Center and the office’s leadership. She also does outreach, recruitment, and retention of AAPIs. She is the advisor of the Asian Pacific Islanders Club that leads events, education, and outreach for AAPIs at Clark College and the greater Clark County community.

Leon Guerrero works with many organizations and boards in Southwest Washington focusing on AAPIs. She is a standing member of the Faculty and Staff of Color Conference Planning Committee (a statewide committee composed of representatives from all Washington colleges) and a Washington Public Employees Association steward representative for Clark College. In 2015, she completed the Social Justice Leadership Institute, an institute designed for individuals working in higher education in Washington to hone skills, build community, and network with other higher-education professionals.

“Being appointed to the Commission on Asian Pacific America Affairs is an honor and privilege,” says Leon Guerrero. “This will actually benefit Clark College in outreaching to diverse populations. My goals while on the commission are as follows: to be the voice and advocate for equitable services for AAPIs in health, education, safety, etc.; to do outreach and educate AAPIs of Washington on the resources available to them; to represent and call out barriers and systemic challenges for AAPIs in Washington; and to work collaboratively with the other commissioners to support AAPIs in Southwest Washington.”

Leon Guerrero is not the first employee from Clark’s Office of Diversity and Equity to sit on a Washington State commission. Last year, Diversity Outreach Manager Dolly England was appointed to the Commission on African American Affairs, and Program Specialist Rosalba Pitkin served on the Commission on Hispanic Affairs for two terms.

Founded in 1972, the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs has an advisory board made up of twelve Governor-appointed commissioners representing the state’s diverse Asian Pacific American communities. Commissioners advise the Governor and state agencies on issues that concern APA communities. Commissioner terms are for three years.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Clark alumnus and employee Narek Daniyelyan was named to the WSU Board of Regents. Photo courtesy of WSU.

Clark College alumnus and employee Narek Daniyelyan has been appointed by Governor Jay Inslee as the student member of the Washington State University Board of Regents for the 2016-2017 academic year.

“I am excited to have Daniyelyan as our student representative on the regents,” said WSU President Kirk Schulz. “He has an impressive background and will bring a strong student voice to board deliberations.  I look forward to working closely with Daniyelyan during my first year as WSU President”

Daniyelyan has a long history of service to institutions of higher learning. During his time at Clark, he was a Student Ambassador, helping to guide new students around the college and supporting Clark events. He graduated from Clark with his Associate of Arts transfer degree from Clark in 2009, but soon returned to the college to work as a recruitment specialist. He currently works in the college’s Office of Instruction as its Education Partnership Manager, engaging with local schools, businesses and other higher education institutions to create and maintain mutually beneficial student partnership agreements. His other past work includes serving as a recreation leader for the City of Vancouver and as an intern with the Clark County Juvenile Court system.

Daniyelyan continued his education after Clark, graduating from WSU Vancouver in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development. In 2013 he began his master’s degree studies in public affairs at WSUV.

“Upon graduation, I plan to continue working in higher education and serving students in our community,” said Daniyelyan. “Education has given me an opportunity for social mobility, so I want to help others see their potential and become the best versions of themselves.”

“I am ecstatic to be serving as the Student Regent and am looking forward to representing all WSU students,” Daniyelyan said of his appointment. “During my time as student regent I hope to learn about some of the amazing things that past Student Regents have accomplished, work with current board members on some of the pressing initiatives for the year, and serve as a liaison between students and the board.”

Daniyelyan was elected vice president of the Associated Students of WSU Vancouver and has held a variety of other student leadership positions, including serving as a student ambassador and as director of Leadership Development for ASWSU-Vancouver.

Effective July 1, Daniyelyan’s appointment will run through June 30, 2017. He succeeds current Student Regent Jansen VanderMeulen, of Burlington, Wash.

This article adapted from the Washington State University news site.

The 2016 Exceptional Faculty Award recipients are, left to right, Joseph Cavalli, Dr. Kathleen Chatfield, Heather McAfee, and Doug Mrazek.

During the 2016 Commencement ceremony, President Robert K. Knight announced the names of the recipients of the 2016 Clark College Exceptional Faculty Awards. The awards are presented annually to full-time and part-time faculty members. Nominations can be submitted by Clark College students, faculty, classified employees, administrators, alumni, Board members, and Foundation directors.

The awards are made possible through an endowed trust fund established by the Washington State Legislature and the Clark College Exceptional Faculty Endowment Fund, which was established in 1993. That fund provides recognition of exemplary work performance, positive impact on students, professional commitment, and other contributions to the college.

This year’s Exceptional Faculty members are:

• Joseph Cavalli, instructor of history
• Dr. Kathleen Chatfield, instructor of business technology
• Heather McAfee, professor of geography
• Doug Mrazek, professor of French

Joe Cavalli, History

Joseph Cavalli has taught history at schools in Croatia, Italy, and Bahrain. He began teaching at Clark shortly after returning to the Pacific Northwest in 2006. For the past five years, he has also served as the director of Clark’s award-winning Model United Nations program. He also teaches history through Clark College’s non-credit Mature Learning program and at Mt. Hood Community College.

Cavalli says he sees history more as a context for understanding the world than as a rote memorization of names and dates. “It’s not about me giving students information,” he says. “What I want to impart is the love of learning and the need to be curious.”

Students appreciate Cavalli’s efforts to make history relevant to their current lives. “I had no interest in history whatsoever until I took his class,” wrote one student. “After my first class with him, I was enthralled. Now, history is my favorite subject and my current major.”

Dr. Kathleen Chatfield, Business Technology and Management

Over the course of her 21 years at Clark, Dr. Kathleen Chatfield has taught a variety of courses, including keyboarding, microcomputer applications, Microsoft Excel, e-commerce, and project management. In truth, however, her influence goes far beyond those subjects. In fact, she has been a part of every online class offered at Clark College through her work as the senior instructional designer for the college’s eLearning Department, where she helps Clark faculty learn how to develop online classes.

“It is a daunting task to guide so many full-time and part-time instructors through all the different learning systems, while also helping them to maintain their unique styles and philosophies of teaching,” wrote one nominator. “Yet Dr. Chatfield manages to accomplish this task.”

Dr. Chatfield continues to teach classes to students as well, saying that this experience helps her better understand the needs and challenges of faculty. This adds up to more than a full-time workload, but Dr. Chatfield says, “I’m doing what I love. I’ve never woken up in the morning and said, ‘Oh no, I have to go to work.’”

Heather McAfee, Geography

Heather McAfee first became interested in geography while working for the U.S. Department of Defense, doing cultural analysis of Iraq that included mapping the civilian population there. “I love geography because it is the most interdisciplinary subject you can study,” she says. “It touches everything, even health—we have medical geography. Recently in my classes, we’ve looked at and mapped the spread of the Zika virus.”

McAfee serves as chair of the Geography Department at Clark; she also serves on the college’s AA Transfer Committee, the Library of the Future Taskforce, and the Learning Communities Taskforce. Additionally, McAfee has worked to create connections between Clark and community organizations, including the Water Resources Education Center and the Vanport Mosaic.

“She made her classroom a comfortable area where every person’s opinion and outlook was highly valued,” wrote one student. “Her teachings went much deeper than the textbook material. She wanted us to dig deep and relate every lesson to our personal lives and experiences, and it taught all of us so much about the world around us.”

Doug Mrazek, French

When Doug Mrazek was job-hunting after receiving his master’s degree in French from the University of Illinois in 1978, one of his professors told him that the Pacific Northwest was so beautiful that if he took a job there, “you’ll never want to leave.”

Those words turned out to be prophetic; Mrazek has devoted 38 years to teaching French at Clark. He has taught generations of Clark students how to conjugate être, led dozens of them on trips through France and Quebec, and helped the French Club put on countless events as its academic advisor.

Small surprise, then, that Mrazek received more than 30 nominations for this award this year. “I’m in amazement,” he says. “It’s a tremendous sense of closure. After a career of 40 years, it’s a nice way to move on.”

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Linda Healy

Congratulations to Linda Healy, recipient of the 2016 Spring Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Nominated with input from seven Clark employees,the Advising Program Support Supervisor is described as someone who exhibits an exceptional work ethic and flexibility, as well as the willingness to do whatever needs to be done. She has worked in the Advising Services Department for 10 years, and is commended for bringing a student-centered approach to the front-desk team, as well as a powerful combination of “clear personal investment, professionalism, and heart.” She actively engages in campus-wide events, leadership meetings and discussions, and Advising Services and Student Affairs activities – demonstrating excellence in her own performance and inspiring it in others. She is regarded for her responsiveness and follow through, and is known for her ability to make people feel noticed, valued, and welcomed. As one nominator explains it, “Linda is truly an ambassador for the Penguin Nation, demonstrating consistent, tireless commitment to the success of students, positive communication, collaboration, and personal investment in Clark College.”

Congratulations as well to this quarter’s other nominees:

Haley Gordon works as the Program Coordinator for the Event Services Department, juggling thousands of reservation requests every year with “ease and precision,” according to her nominator. Gordon is very involved in college activities, works closely with other areas of the college, and has been a key contributor in implementing several process improvements that have benefited the department and increased services to meet the needs of faculty and staff. Her nominator explains that Gordon “continues to impress students, staff and faculty” with her knowledge of campus space and features, allowing her to assist others in finding the right space for their needs. She is described as “gracious and kind,” with a driven and motivated work ethic that is unwavering. Gordon is praised by her nominator for going above and beyond the call of duty, and for her “hands-on” approach, tackling every challenge with a “positive, can-do attitude.”

Manda Levie provides the sole staff support for the Communications and Humanities Division, which comprises nine separate departments. In addition, she supports the College Essentials Department, which serves faculty and students campuswide. Levie is commended for being a “strong and dependable addition to our staff team, who has made great contributions to process improvement and overall team workflow.” Described as a problem-solver, Levie is known for her collaboration, creativity, friendliness and efficiency.  According to one nominator, “Manda deals with issues promptly, professionally and with a spirit that can only be described as positive. She is keenly aware of what’s going on and repeatedly demonstrates her commitment to a good educational environment.” Another nominator sums it up like this: “Manda’s amazing!”

It’s that time of year again: Preparation is underway to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2016 at this year’s Commencement Ceremony on June 16, and the college needs volunteers to make the event successful for our graduates. There are a variety of opportunities for the college community to get involved, ranging from assisting with the distribution of the faculty and staff caps and gowns to helping at the graduation ceremonies.

The college invites you to participate in these activities as we celebrate the excitement of our students and honor their academic success. Supervisors are encouraged to work with employees on their schedules to allow participation. The time commitment will vary depending on the job you sign up for; the maximum time commitment will be 1 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 16. Additionally, there will be a one-hour training session for all volunteers on Tuesday, June 7, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. in GHL 205.

We will be holding the graduation ceremony, which includes GED and High School Diploma graduates as well as our degree-earning graduates, at The Sunlight Supply Amphitheater at 7 p.m. This is a very large facility that requires the assistance of several staff helping to direct guests and ensure a successful event.

For those who are unable to participate in the ceremony, please consider participating in the faculty and staff cap-and-gown distribution process. The time commitment is for one-hour blocks on Wednesday, June 8.

Anyone interested in volunteering should email Michelle Golder as soon as possible. Please consider offering your time to this worthwhile event.

Did you attend a wellness seminar? Participate in a wellness event?  What are your wellness interests?

The Healthy Penguin Nation team is asking for your feedback to these and other questions, which will help focus our planning efforts and ensure the wellness program is relevant to your needs and interests.

You can access the survey through May 20 by following this link: Healthy Penguin Nation Wellness Program Survey

Thanks for your participation!

Rebecca Kleiva

Congratulations to Rebecca Kleiva, recipient of the 2016 Winter Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Kleiva has provided outstanding services to the college community for the past seven years. She manages the Worker Retraining Financial Aid program, positively impacting the lives of students, and has been a superb contributor to the Workforce Education Services team. She is regarded by her nominators as an “innovative thinker who always goes above and beyond the call of duty to support students.”

Nominators added that, due to Kleiva’s efforts and excellent work performance, Clark College has exceeded its Worker Retraining FTE target, which has resulted in the State Board allocating additional Worker Retraining funding to support the college and students. It has been Kleiva’s knowledge and eagerness to learn things outside her normal job responsibilities that have ensured the customer service she provides to the public, community and her co-workers is exemplary. One of her Worker Retraining students said, “Rebecca is an amazing agent who goes above and beyond. She made enrolling in your program a piece of cake.  She is very professional and has incredible patience and understanding. We are all very fortunate to have her.”

Congratulations as well to this quarter’s other nominees:

Sherry Smith has been an employee at Clark College for 13 years. She is described as thorough, patient and understanding; working hard behind the scenes to go above and beyond in order to fulfill faculty requests or tasks that at times can seem unattainable.  While fostering a welcoming atmosphere, Sherry shows a genuine interest and ability in helping with a multitude of issues. Not only do the students look to her as a mentor, but staff do also. As one nominator explains it, “The STEM unit would not function without Sherry Smith. She is the heart of the unit. She is professional, collegial, and above all always ready and willing to assist.  She knows the answer to any question, and keeps track of a plethora of information. I am so very thankful for Sherry Smith, and I know no one more deserving of this honor.”

Manda Levie provides the sole staff support for the Communications and Humanities Division, which comprises nine separate departments. In addition, she supports the College Essentials Department, which serves faculty and students campuswide. Levie is commended for being a “strong and dependable addition to our staff team, who has made great contributions to process improvement and overall team workflow.” Described as a problem-solver, Levie is known for her collaboration, creativity, friendliness and efficiency.  According to one nominator, “Manda deals with issues promptly, professionally and with a spirit that can only be described as positive. She is keenly aware of what’s going on and repeatedly demonstrates her commitment to a good educational environment.” Another nominator sums it up like this: “Manda’s amazing!”