Five employees received annual awards in three categories at Clark College’s 2021 Opening Day event, held virtually on September 13.

Awards announced included:

• Exceptional Administrative Exempt Award
• Exceptional Classified Staff Award
• Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award

Additionally, the Exceptional Faculty Awards, which were announced during Commencement, were recognized a second time. Employees were also recognized for their years of service, with one employee, David Sims of IT Services, honored for 40 years of service to the college.

Exceptional Administrative Exempt Award

Mike See, Director of Safety and Security

Mike See joined Clark College in November 2016 as its emergency manager. He was named Interim Director of Safety and Security in September 2017 and was named permanently to the position in December of that year. A retired captain with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, See brings to Clark College extensive experience in law enforcement, institutional safety, and emergency management.

See’s nominators said, “His approach helps to build bridges around campus, and helps to break down silos. It makes people feel like their work and department matter to more than just their little piece of the pie. That helps to breed pride in work and helps people to take ownership of their work product. 

“Mike is open to doing whatever he needs to do to make the college work better. I have rarely met an employee at any level of the college in my 24 years who is more dedicated to making this a better place to be for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.”  

Congratulations to all the other nominees for the 2021 Exceptional Administrative Exempt Award:

• Wendé Fisher, Advising 
• Renee Schiffhauer, Advising 
• Brenda Walstead, Dean of Business and Health Sciences  
• Nicole Rogers Marcum, Office of Instruction 
• Julie Robertson, Grant Development  
• Abby Thompson, Enrollment Services 
• Cindi Olson, Student Affairs 
• Jennifer Lea, Business Division 
• Katlyn Viers, Advising 
• Angela Ford, IT Services  

Exceptional Classified Staff Award

Jordan De Van, Program Specialist, Enrollment Services

Jordan De Van is a Program Specialist in Enrollment Services. Comments from her nomination include: 

• “Jordan has one of the strongest senses of customer service and how it should be demonstrated. She not only responds quickly to inquiries from students and other departments, she responds happily despite her busy workload.”  
• “Jordan is always helpful and understanding when assisting others outside of her department. Instead of rushing through issues that arise with tracking student grades in the database system, she takes the time to investigate, and assists instructors to better prepare them if the issue were to arise again in the future.” 
• “Jordan’s knowledge, expertise and sense of humor always makes working with her a pleasure.” 
• “She assists each individual in a way that they can understand the steps of the process and provides them with direction that helps them along further in the process—all with a smile on her face.” 

Damon Grady, Campus Security Sergeant, Security and Safety Services

Damon Grady has been with Clark College’s Security and Safety Department since 1997. He served as a Campus Security Officer for 20 years before being promoted to the sergeant’s rank in January of 2018. Comments about Grady include: 

• “He frequently takes after-hours calls and adjusts his shifts so that his people get the support they need. Managing the schedule for 17 people, half of whom are part-time, to provide 24-hour coverage is a difficult and complicated endeavor.”  
• “Damon has gone beyond his role. When he noticed the decrease in on-campus staff presences, he purposefully expanded his knowledge on all the student-facing services and learned how they work to best support Clark students so he would be prepared to answer students’ questions during the COVID-19 pandemic.”  
• “Damon works closely with his subordinates to ensure they have the training and guidance necessary to be successful in their respective roles.” 
• “Damon responded to a medical call that involved a person with a life-threatening injury. He was quick to respond while properly assessing the situation and keeping those involved safe and calm until EMS arrived.”  

Congratulations to all the other nominees for the 2020-2021 Exceptional Classified Award:

• All Classified Staff 
• Dan Ellertson, Retail Clerk Lead, Bookstore 
• Darci Feider, Program Coordinator, Student Life  
• Jerry Horn, Secretary Senior, WPTE + STEM UNIT 
• Jen King, Program Specialist 2, Financial Aid 
• Christy Lewis, Fiscal Technician 3, Information Accounting Services 
• Malissa Pierce, Program Specialist 2, Transitional Studies Division 
• Tiffany Saari, Secretary Senior, WPTE + STEM UNIT 
• Karina Sanchez, Program Specialist 3, Financial Aid 
• Kayla Escott, Program Manager, Financial Aid 
• Jenny Shadley, Graphic Design Supervisor, Communications & Marketing 
• Everett Yu, Equipment Technician 3, Grounds 

Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award

Hanan Al-Zubaidy, Director of Clark College at Larch

Hanan Al-Zubaidy is Director of Clark College at Larch Corrections Center. A nominator had this to say about her: “In winter of 2021, when COVID ran rampant through Larch Corrections Center, Hanan prioritized accommodating our students through the outbreak, if faculty felt comfortable entering, and worked with Department of Corrections administration to provide learning materials to eager students, rather than making them wait. Students were able to graduate during a month-long lockdown as a direct result of Hanan going above and beyond to manage a student-centered approach in even the most challenging and stressful of circumstances. We have watched Hanan overcome the misogyny, racism and ignorance that exists within the ranks of the DOC, and she rose anyway from graduate student intern, to Reentry Navigator, to Director.” 

Kushlani de Soyza, Professor of Women’s Studies

Kushlani de Soyza joined Clark College as a tenured professor of women’s studies in 2013. A nominator said this about her: “Kushlani is committed to ensuring her students feel safe in class and at Clark in general. For example, as the college periodically suggests changes that will impact instruction–[such as] how, what, and where we teach–Kushlani doesn’t shy away from standing up for her students by emphasizing that their needs are paramount and that changes that impact our ability to serve students from marginalized groups should be made cautiously.” 

Other nominees for the Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award:

• Cath Busha, Dean of Student Engagement
• Connor Cantrell, Amanda Brown and Tasha Robertson, Clark College Libraries Access Services
• Mike Godson, Professor of Automotive Technologies
• Tre Sandlin, Teaching and Learning Center

Learn more about Clark College’s employee awards on our Human Resources web pages.

Rosalba Pitkin was named the recipient of the 2020-2021 Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award, which honors a Cark College employee who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to advancing equity.

“She creates and sustains an inclusive environment for members of the college community in several ways, including advocacy for students and education for colleagues,” said Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion Rashida Willard when she presented the award to Pitkin on Opening Day. “Though she will go above and beyond her role to support any student, her heart lies with immigrants and undocumented students, a particularly vulnerable segment of our student population. Rosalba creates an environment of belonging for these learners by welcoming them to the college, explaining the U.S. education system and how Clark can help them reach their goals, walking them through admission and enrollment processes, and offering consistent academic and personal support throughout their time at the college.”

During her years of working at Clark College, Pitkin has held different job titles, but her work has always centered around serving diverse students, prospective students, and their families. She currently serves as the Diversity Outreach Manager in the Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion. In this role, she also provides employee training on topics that include how to support Dreamer (DACA) students.

Pitkin is a well-known figure for her work around equity and inclusion not just within Clark College, but in the greater Vancouver-Portland metro area. She served two terms on the Washington State Commission for Hispanic Affairs and helped to streamline Mexican Consulate services for Mexicans who live in Southwest Washington. She is also a 2016 graduate of the Social Justice Leadership Institute.

Pitkin often works closely with non-native English speakers. As someone who grew up in Mexico and had to take English as a Second Language classes before earning her bachelor’s degree in international business from New Mexico State University, she can relate to the struggles these students can experience.

Pitkin often refers to some advice given to her by her grandmother, whom she credits with instilling the importance of education in her: “It’s important to plant good seeds wherever you go. Just take care of them, and they will grow.”

“Rosalba Pitkin puts that cherished advice from her grandmother into practice every day,” said Willard during the award presentation.

About the Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award

Created in 2019, the Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award recognizes Clark College employees based on their exceptional work in removing systemic barriers for people with systemically non-dominant identities – people of color, people with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ – in one or more of the following categories:

1. Creating and sustaining an inclusive environment for members of the Clark College community.
2. Improving intercultural competency for members of the Clark College community through diversity, equity and inclusion dialogue and education.
3. Exhibiting leadership in best practices for social equity.
4. Building and sustaining practices that challenge systems of power, privilege and inequity.
5. Making the larger community a more just and equitable place to reside.

Award recipients receive a plaque along with $1,000 funded by Clark College Foundation. This award is presented at Opening Day before the beginning of fall quarter each year. 

Other nominees for the 2020-2021 were DeGundrea “Dee” Harris in the Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Zach Lattin in Disability Support Services.