Alumni Snapshots

1970s

Gloria G. Chávez ('72, BA history; '75, MA education) has written a book titled "The Perils of Education," which she expects to be published soon. "After 41 years in education, I feel I know the subject well," she said.

Kimberly M. Logan ('74, BA English; '79, MA educational administration), along with her husband, Roderick, has been named the 2006 "Charter School Leaders of the Year." Kim, who earned her doctorate from University of Laverne in 1994, and her husband helped create the Charter Academy of the Redwoods, a nonprofit organization based in Ukiah. Before founding Charter Academy of the Redwoods, Kim was superintendent for the Ukiah Unified School District.

Garrett Michael Hayes ('78, BA religious studies) is the Libertarian Party candidate for governor in Georgia. He has spent his career in the information technology field, and currently has a consulting firm, Verbal Imaging Co. Ltd. He is the parent of a son.

Edward E. Miller ('78, BA earth science) lives in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where he works for GTB, a pipeline company that sends natural gas to Brazil.

1980s

William Flower ('80, BA history; '83, MA history) is second in command of a garrison of Russian militia from St. Petersburg in Bailey, Colo. He retired from the Kern County Sheriff's Department in 2002 after 24 years of service.

Jack A. Hicks ('81, MA education) retired as a childcare facility specialist from the Missouri Department of Health in 2005. He and his wife, Jo, have a 23-acre farm in the Ozark Mountains where they are building a new home. Their first grandchild was born last year, and their son Jason is a psychologist with the Springfield Public School District. "My wife, a longtime banker in Kern County, is senior vice president with Commerce Bank in Springfield. My son John works for Reliable Chevrolet in Springfield. Although we call the Ozarks home now my whole family has nothing but good memories of our 18 years in Kern County."

Erik L. Smith ('84, BA psychology) switched careers from psychology to law in 1993. Currently he is a law clerk in Columbus, Ohio, specializing in adoption, midwifery and personal injury law. He reports that he is widely published in adoption law, and his own website, www.eriksmith.org. He has one son, 13. "I have great memories of CSUB," he said. "I also attended the University of South Dakota, and their mascot was the coyote. The only thing better than being a coyote was having been a Roadrunner!"

Johnella Walker ('87, BA mathematics; '91 MPA) recently relocated with her husband and children to Charlotte, N.C. The previous nine years she was the purchasing manger for the City of Palo Alto. In addition to spending more time with her children, 3 and 4, "I'm going to get out of the management game for a bit and probably try my hand at teaching middle-school math," she said.

1990s

Lisa Baldridge ('91, BA English) has joined the law firm of Klein, DeNatale, Goldner, Cooper, Rosenlieb & Kimball, LLP, as firm administrator. Previously she was at the Tehachapi News.

Keith M. Jones ('93, MBA) recently joined Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, Ky., as manager/diversity, and was also promoted to captain in the Navy Reserve.

Iris S. (Lloyd) Korzon ('93, BA economics) is working as a high school math teacher in Fort Worth, Texas, and recently completed her master's degree in education from the University of Texas, Arlington. She has been married 11 years and has three children, ages 10, 7 and 5.

Cynthia M. Lyons ('94, BA psychology) is a correctional officer at North Kern State Prison near Delano. She has been with the state Department of Corrections since 1993.

Renee Massey ('94, BA communications) has been promoted to communications manager for Castle & Cooke in Bakersfield. In her new role she will monitor political contributions and Castle & Cooke's Community Impact Fund, serve on various Homeowner Association boards and work with local non-profit organizations. She previously was the assistant to the vice president of land development for six years.

Shanna Treanor ('94, BS chemistry) recently joined Bakersfield Dermatology & Skin Cancer Medical Group as a pediatric dermatologist.

Deborah Ann Hankins ('95, BS nursing) is vice president of nursing at San Joaquin Community Hospital.

Keenan S. Perkins ('97, BA public administration) graduated from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles in 2004. He has returned to Bakersfield where he works at the law firm of Thomas Anton & Associates.

David Arthur ('99, BS business administration) lives in Brazil, where he is international director for Latin America and the Caribbean for Kofax Image Products. While living abroad, David finished an executive MBA with Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management. "During this program I did my modules in four different countries: the United States, Brazil, France, and the Czech Republic," David said. "My experience at CSUB and living in Bakersfield in general really contributed to what I have accomplished so far in life. CSUB offered a strong foundation that pushed me even further toward higher education. The mix of students from different countries, many of which I spent time with as a CSUB soccer player, also provided me with a great appreciation for people and cultures."

2000s

Maritza Orozco-Robles ('01, BS nursing; '04, MS nursing) and her husband, Tino Robles ('01, BS nursing; '04, MS nursing) are the recent parents of a baby boy, Diego. The couple work as family nurse practitioners, Maritza at Wasco Medical Plaza, and Tino at Valley Medical Group. The couple resides in Bakersfield.

Joseph E. Velasquez ('01, BS nursing) completed his master of science in nursing at CSU Fullerton in 2005, then graduated with honors from the Kaiser Permanente School of Nursing Anesthesia in Pasadena in August '05. After passing his National Certification Board Examination in October '05 he joined Sierra Pacific Anesthesia Medical Associates in Bakersfield and is now in his first year of clinical practice at Kern Medical Center as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).

Andy Glatfelter ('02, MA education) has earned his doctorate in leadership from UCLA. The title of his dissertation was "Substitute Teachers as Effective Classroom Instructors." He now works as an assistant principal at Piute Middle School in Lancaster.

Lesley Kilp ('02, BA political science) works for Operation HOPE in Washington, D.C., as a legislative executive assistant.

Catherine (White-Posadas) McKay ('02, BA child development) earned her multiple-subject credential in 2003 and is working toward masters' degrees in early childhood education and special education. She married Conan McKay ('03, MA multicultural education) in 2005. Catherine teaches at Beardsley Intermediate School, while Conan is a professor at Bakersfield College in the family and consumer education department. Catherine recently gave birth to the couple's first child.

Luz Pena ('02, BA communications) won the bronze award (3rd place) for Outstanding Education Article from the National Association of Hispanic Publications. Luz is a reporter for Vida en el Valle newspaper in Fresno.

Gwen Turner ('03, MA education) is a substance abuse prevention specialist at Edwards Air Force Base, near her home in Lancaster. She began a doctoral program in public health in June.

Kimberly C. Canfield ('05, BA political science) has moved to Los Angeles where she works at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, a non-profit organization. She's also started work on a master's degree at CSU Los Angeles.

Kacie (Whitler) Hathaway ('05, BS mathematics) is teaching at Bakersfield High School. She recently married and is planning on starting a family.