A PUBLICATION OF THECOCHISE COLLEGE FOUNDATION

SPRING 2015

Collegeinducts 19 into

Hall of FamePage 4

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BOARD PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

I served on the Cochise College Governing Board for 18 years,long enough to know that solutions to serious facilities com-plications don’t come along every day.

For that reason, I applaud The Legacy Foundation of South-east Arizona for having the vision to donate the former SierraVista Regional Medical Center facility to Cochise College.Next year, the facility will be the new home of the currentlycramped Nursing & Health Sciences, a more visible CulinaryArts Program, numerous college outreach programs, and twoor three local agencies. The arrangement furthers a qualityhealthcare system already underway here in Cochise Countyand puts a good neighbor offering quality opportunities inthe center of town.

I’m no longer an elected board member, but as president of the board of directors ofthe Cochise College Foundation, my work is not done. The foundation seeks toidentify needs associated with renovating and opening the building to students. Forexample, the nursing program will expand from using about 10 beds to about 30.“Buy a Bed” is something you may hear from us in the near future, if you haven’talready. The college recently hired another culinary arts faculty member, andthe foundation hopes to offer scholarships to students where, currently, thereare none.

We are in the process of evaluating the college’s needs and prioritiesand intend to come to you well-prepared. Stay tuned!

Jan GuyBoard PresidentCochise College Foundation

Cover:Dr. J.D. Rottweiler, Cochise College's 11th president,shares the story of Dr. T.C. Johnston, the college's firstpresident, at the Hall of Fame induction.

FROM THE COCHISE COLLEGE PRESIDENT

From The Beatles and Wilford Brimley to a Hall of Fame induction and commencement, it seemed there was a commemorative affair at every turn in 2014-2015.

You might wonder about the necessity of all of that. Stake-holder engagement is important in public relations andfundraising, so I’d say it was both necessary and successful.The Cochise College anniversary provided a hook, a goldenopportunity, to garner attention and advance the institution,because five decades is just a little more special than, say, 47years, and it only happens once.

• Nearly 200 of Cochise College’s earliest staff, students and its biggest supporters, not all from Cochise County or even Arizona, attended a Founder’s Dinner in September. That was just enough to allow people to convey thanks and thoughts on the early years.

• Two Twist & Shout: The Definitive Beatles Experience concerts drew about 500 people each to less intimate, but equally joyous, events.

• About 150 rodeo and western fans bought tickets to see Wilford Brimley in the Douglas Campus Student Union in November. Six months later, an equal, but different, crowd attended the Hall of Fame induction there.

• People who wished to support their academic program attended an aviation open house in March, with 100 also signing up for a dinner. Another 100 attended a nursing reunion a month later.

• About 20 different individuals provided items for a mobile memorabilia display, and countless others absorbed its message - that there’s more to Cochise College than meets the eye.

These statistics, coupled with those from other events, show that we made close to2,000 new friends! The beauty is in their diversity; the crowd that attended therodeo benefit isn’t the same crowd that attended the nursing reunion. And both ofthose events were special in their own ways.

Before the year closed, the college began planning for the new one. Next year, we’lldevelop the Sierra Vista Downtown Center, a gift of a former hospital propertyfrom The Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona. You’ll see a fresh marketingcampaign structured around the word “possible,” and you’ll see new energy aroundspecific programs.

Even though it’s our 51st year, I hope that we have your attention.

J.D. Rottweiler, Ph.D.PresidentCochise Collegejdr@cochise.edu

Board OfficersJan Guy, PresidentGail Zamar, Vice PresidentBob Strain, SecretaryMark Battaglia, J.D., Treasurer

Board MembersYolanda AndersonChuck ChambersJean GiuffridaKaren L. JusticeGene ManringDan Rehurek, Ph.D.Ruben Teran, J.D.

Board Member EmeritusShirley GregoryLinda Staneart

Ex-Officio MemberJ.D. Rottweiler, Ph.D. (ex-officio)

Honorary MemberMarsha Arzberger

Cochise College Foundation StaffDenise Hoyos, Executive DirectorSheila Selby, Foundation CoordinatorRose Berumen, Administrative Assistant

“Accolade” is published by the CochiseCollege Foundation, 4190 W. Highway 80,Douglas, AZ 85607. (520) 417-4100

ContributorsRose BerumenDenise HoyosLiz ManringKeith RingeyRick Whipple

“Accolade” inspires charitable contributions insupport of Cochise College by raising awarenessabout competitive advantages of the collegeand the activities of the Cochise College Foun-dation, which promotes student successthrough scholarships, facilities development,and program support. By supporting CochiseCollege, the Foundation endeavors to increasethe college's accessibility to our diverse andchanging communities.

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Cochise College welcomed its inaugural Hall of Fame classduring a special induction ceremony Saturday, May 9, in theDouglas Campus Student Union. The college honored 19

former students, faculty, staff and community leaders who havemade major contributions to the mission and goals of the college.

“We sit in the shade of trees that were planted long ago, andtonight, we will recognize many of those who planted those trees,”said Cochise College president Dr. J.D. Rottweiler in his openingremarks. “From bus drivers to board members, from presidents tothe secretary that actually ran the college, from faculty tobenefactors, you’ll see a wide range of individuals who impactedthe college. Cochise College is the people, and we’re proud torecognize some of those people and thank them for the shade thateach of us sit in today.”

The Cochise College Hall of Fame’s first 19 inductees werenominated last fall through letters of recommendation thatexplained the ways in which each individual holds a deepconnection to the college or has made a substantial contributionto the institution through personal time, effort and interest.

The first Hall of Fame class includes college legends withinteresting stories. Each honoree received a commemorative platecrafted by the Cochise College Art Department.

“We’re extremely proud to induct these 19 individuals, our legendsof Cochise College,” Rottweiler said. “They represent our past andour present. It’s appropriate that we celebrate them as we preparefor next week’s 50th commencement, where we’ll celebrate ourfuture. That connection between the past, present and future isreally what Cochise College is all about.”

The Cochise College Hall of Fame is accepting nominations forfuture inductees in four categories: Student/Alumni, Team/Groupof Students, Faculty/Staff, and Community Leader. For moreinformation about the Hall of Fame, including deadlines andrequired materials for making a nomination, visitwww.cochise.edu/alumni/hall-of-fame or call (520) 417-4735.

FIRST HALL-OF-FAMERS LEFT

MARK ON INSTITUTION

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Andrea Cracchiolo(1889-1989)Advised to relocate from De-troit to a warm, dry climate tocombat respiratory illnesses,Andrea Cracchiolo settled inTucson in 1941 and becameinvolved in real estate. Pas-sionate about education, hepurchased his first Tucsonhome within walking dis-tance of a middle school andthe University of Arizona.Cracchiolo acquired 6,000acres in Sierra Vista in themid-1950s and developed1,000 acres for a water com-pany, retail stores and subdi-visions. In addition to donat-ing land for an elementary,high school, and universitysatellite in Sierra Vista, hecontributed 40 acres for theSierra Vista Campus ofCochise College, which hasgrown with the communityand where the library wasnamed for him in 1985.

“My dad never had anyeducation himself, but hewas probably the mostintelligent person I evermet. Here’s a person whohad no formal education,who in some little wayhas been able to help theformal education ofthousands of studentsand will continue to doso in the future.”

- Dr. Andrea CracchioloIII

Dr. George Spikes(1921-2011)Douglas’ 2001 Citizen of theYear served for decades at theforefront of efforts to en-hance local education andhealthcare. Dr. George Spikesworked tirelessly to pass thebond issue to fund CochiseCounty's junior college dis-trict. He also was appointedto the first Governing Board,serving as its chair for the firstfour years, a time when thetasks associated with thatservice – locating a site, es-tablishing budgets with nohistorical frame of reference,selecting a president - re-quired intense board in-volvement. Spikes alsohelped establish many otherArizona community collegesas a member of the ArizonaState Junior College Boardfrom. His own profession as amedical doctor kept himbusy, and he also served as aphysician surveyor for theJoint Commission on Ac-creditation of Healthcare Or-ganizations.

“My dad thought educa-tion was the ticket out ofany situation and themeans to fill one’s dreamsand aspirations. … Theidea of a college inCochise County appealedto him. Its existencewould allow others to doexactly what he did:achieve the life that wasdesired, not the life thatwas just available forpeople here.”

- Mary Barnes

A.R. Spikes (1892-1968)After serving as principal andteacher in charge of a four-room schoolhouse in Bowie,joining the U.S. Army, andbeing cited for bravery in ac-tion at the 1918 battle ofJaulny, France, A.R. Spikesconvinced the Bowie SchoolBoard to build a high school,promoted a bond issue, over-saw construction, and be-came the school’s principal.His 1961 introduction of Sen-ate Bill 43, which created Ari-zona’s junior college system,as well as his continued workon behalf of funding the sys-tem, was a highlight and sig-nificant accomplishment of17 years of service in the Ari-zona Senate.

“He was personally am-bitious and worked forthe good of his commu-nity, whether for Bowieand its schools, CochiseCounty or the state ofArizona, and he knew ed-ucation was the path tosuccess. … My grand-mother wrote about A.R.:‘During his years in thesenate he held many im-portant committee as-signments. Beingchairman of educationfor 14 years, his knowl-edge in school matterswas recognized by hispeers, who bestowedupon him the title of Mr.Education.’”- Evelyn Lathram, Spikes’

granddaughter

Charles Bloomquist(1913-1979)Elected to the Arizona Houseof Representatives in 1951,Charles Bloomquist, a CochiseCounty native, used his 1958appointment as majorityleader to shepherd a bill thatin 1961 created Arizona’s jun-ior college system and sub-sequent bills that funded thesystem. He served as the firstchair of the Arizona StateBoard of Directors for JuniorColleges, helped site CochiseCollege and other junior col-leges, and served on theCochise College GoverningBoard, participating in de-velopment of the Sierra VistaCampus and other projects.

"Cochise College wouldnot be in existence with-out the timeless dedica-tion and vision ofCharles O. Bloomquist.Arizona's education sys-tem and Cochise Countywere forever changed asthe result of his efforts."

— Susan Spikes Bickel

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Hector Leon Sr. (1927-2006)Hector Leon traveled thou-sands of miles during 20years with Cochise College.Following a time of profes-sional instability, he joinedthe college in 1968 as custo-dian, mechanic assistant andbus driver, safely toting hun-dreds of athletes entrusted tothe college to competitionsand back. He had a specialconnection to baseball andwas laid to rest with a CochiseCollege Apache team jerseygiven to him by former headcoach and friend, Dr. James“Bo” Hall (’71).

“Dad was very proud todrive the bus. Courteous,professional and most ofall he cared of the kids.He called the kids hisboys. He made a promiseto take them from pointA to B, to each game allthe time. … He andCoach (Bo) Hall wereclose. Close enough thatdad would tell Bo any-thing. After a loss, he said‘Coach, if you wouldhave done this and thisand this, you would havewon.’ Coach said ‘Hec, Iam the baseball coach,you are the bus driver. Idon’t want to hear it. Justtake us home.’”

- Hector Leon Jr. (’72)

“Most of the time, he wasright.”

- Dr. James “Bo” Hall(’71)

Dr. John EatonAs Cochise College’s foundingdean of instruction, Dr. JohnEaton developed curriculum,academic standards andtransfer agreements, labor-in-tensive projects for some-one starting from scratch. Heleft Cochise in 1967 to serveas the founding president ofMichigan’s West Shore Com-munity College. Eaton re-turned to Sierra Vista to directthe University of Arizonabranch campus, then becameexecutive director of theCochise College Foundation,where he endowed the Dr.John and Mary Eaton Schol-arship. Eaton has served onthe college Governing Boardsince 2004.

“I’ve had the privilege ofserving Cochise Collegein four different capaci-ties: dean of instruction,education consultant,foundation director, onthe governing board, andthere’s one more: the fa-ther of a graduate in1972. Each different rolehas been a satisfying ex-perience and an honor.”

- Dr. John Eaton

Dr. T.C. Johnston(1919-1964)Hired Feb. 1, 1963, as CochiseCollege’s first president, Dr. T.C.Johnston died in a planecrash in the WhetstoneMountains en route to aneducation conference in Col-orado. Previously, Johnstonserved as director of Univer-sity of Arizona Personnel andPlacement Services, head ofthe University of Omaha Sec-ondary Education Depart-ment, and as a K-12 teacherand principal. He never got tosee the personal institutionhe envisioned, and his widowand four children relocated toOklahoma after his death.

“As a typical teenage girl,I ran to the phone eachtime it rang and oneevening in January 1963,I answered to a man’svoice on the other end ofthe phone asking to speakto Dr. Johnston. … Heoffered my dad the presi-dency of Cochise College.In my 15 years, I hadnever seen him so grati-fied and filled with joy.You see, Dad had appliedfor a presidency in Cali-fornia and in Oklahomaand as he said bothtimes, ‘I am the brides-maid, not the bride thistime.’ I am so grateful tothe college for giving myfather the chance to be a‘bride,’ albeit for a shorttime in his much too ab-breviated life.”

- Barb Carter

Jan Guy (’76)Jan Guy found a home atCochise College not just as astudent, but also as a volun-teer. She joined the board ofthe college foundation in1992 and found herself elect-ed to the Governing Board in1995. She chaired that boardfrom 1998 to 2003 and againfrom 2005 to 2012, beforebeing named board memberemeritus in 2013. To honorher commitment, the boardrecommended her as a Life-time Member of the Associ-ation of Community CollegeTrustees. Guy continues toserve on the foundationboard, currently as president,and also organizes therapydog visits to the local hospi-tal.

“As some of you in thisroom have heard me saybefore, sometimes in ourlife, we are blessed to beable to do something welove that we think makesa difference. That definesmy board service. Myheart will always belongto Cochise College. I havetwo degrees after I leftCochise College, but myheart belongs here.”

- Jan Guy

David PettesIn the nearly five decadesDave Pettes has been associ-ated with Cochise College,he’s done everything fromteaching and administrationto writing an accreditation re-port and engaging studentsin community service. Whilehe was hired as a social sci-ences faculty member, hewas often called upon toserve in leadership roles.Through it all, he maintaineda reputation among studentsas an exciting teacher, reliablementor, and inspiring rolemodel who’s always amongthe list of favorites and couldoften be seen hustling fromclass to meeting to officeand back again.

“His years of being an in-structor, friend, coun-selor, administrator andcommunity leader willalways be remembered bythose who have benefitedfrom his presence in theirlives. Dave has the art ofgiving back. It is in-grained in him. It is partof what drives him andhas made him so success-ful as an instructor and ahuman being. I call thisDave’s giving magic, andhe is a model of that giv-ing magic.”

- Ruth Britton

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Albert Velasco (’79)Albert Velasco helped buildthe Douglas Campus whileemployed by W.F. ConnelyConstruction in 1963 and1964. Later, he felt fortunateto be hired by the college towork with the grounds crew;it meant he could work nearhome, pursue an education,and provide opportunitiesfor his family. Velasco was su-perintendent of physicalplant/facilities, overseeing se-curity, switchboard, wa-ter/waste management, andHAZMAT monitoring, from1969 to 1995.

“Cochise College was areal life changer for meand my family. The fac-ulty and staff, adminis-tration, Doris (Dees) …everybody has been amentor, a teacher, liter-ally, because I graduatedfrom Cochise College, mychildren graduated fromCochise College, and mygrandchildren are gradu-ating from Cochise Col-lege, with two morecoming in.”

- Albert Velasco (’79)

Dr. James “Bo” Hall(’71)It would be easy to believe Dr.Bo Hall was inducted intothe Hall of Fame based on hisathletic achievements. Heholds the Cochise Collegehome run record (woodenbats), earned all-confer-ence/region honors as a play-er in 1971, and later coachedthe Apaches to back-to-backWorld Series appearances.He’s earned honors and heldregional and conference lead-ership positions, and he isalready in the Arizona Base-ball Coaches Hall of Fameand the Arizona Fast PitchSoftball Hall of Fame. But it’sstarting in “dumbbell Eng-lish,” going on to earn a doc-toral degree, and serving indual roles as athletic directorand dean of student servicesthat makes his story special.

“God has blessed me inmany ways. My wife, myfamily and Cochise Col-lege. I started here indumbbell English (al-though I still think theyplaced me wrong). And itgave me many opportu-nities. It started my aca-demic career, it startedmy baseball career, and itkickstarted my coachingcareer. Cochise Collegehas meant a whole lot toBo Hall and the Hallfamily. And I will alwaysbe an Apache.”

- Dr. James “Bo” Hall(’71)

Dr. Joe GillilandFew of Cochise College’s firstfaculty and staff can say thatthey are still serving students,but Dr. Joe Gilliland can.Gilliland retired from full-time teaching in 1988. At thattime, he’d taught in the hu-manities, primarily compo-sition, literature and philos-ophy. But his resume includestime as chair of humanities,communications and foreignlanguages; acting director oflibraries; and vice presi-dent/provost for the SierraVista Campus. He was namedCochise College faculty emer-itus in 1990. Though histeaching load is minimal, he’sstill considered an advisor tothe college.

“It’s been the happiestchoice I could have everhave made. This collegewas ‘Tumbleweed Tech.’There was no grass, a fewtrees, a lot of wind, andthere was disbelief that inthe middle of this desertwere some of the mostbeautiful buildings I’dever seen. And they stillare. It’s wonderful to bein a place like this.”

- Dr. Joe Gilliland

George Huncovsky(1925-2013)George Huncovsky may havetaught college mathematicsfor 20 years, earning Nation-al Science Foundation Schol-arships in 1965, 1968 and1969, but his talents extend-ed beyond what one mightexpect. Huncovsky wrote po-ems about his colleaguesthat were often shared at re-tirements and other gather-ings. He also developed mod-els, including one of the cam-pus benches and another ofthe Douglas Campus itself.Huncovsky was named fac-ulty emeritus in 1990 and, asthe last of the original facul-ty to retire, received a bottleof cognac the last of thatgroup provided as a reward.

“I think what made hisactions far reaching inthe formative years ofthis fine institution oflearning were the ways heapplied his own valuesand principles to every-thing he did. He madehis actions exceptional bythe way he conductedhimself. He lived by sim-ple principles: patience,selflessness, humor, hon-esty, commitment, in-tegrity, responsibility,compassion, generosityand fairness, to name afew. He time and timeagain applied those stan-dards to all those actions,and that’s what madehim outstanding.”

- Harvey Huncovsky

Doris DeesWidely regarded as the gluethat held things togetherfrom one administration tothe next and helped smoothtransitions, Doris Dees servedas the secretary to sevenCochise College presidents.She also sang in the collegechoir, participated in theaterproductions, and avidly sup-ported the athletic teams.Dees is an all-around collegeambassador whose name issynonymous with CochiseCollege.

“I’m happy to have beenpart of the early peoplethat were hired to workfor Cochise College andto be a part of the foun-dation of Cochise Collegeas it is today. I want tothank my husband,Doug. He shared me withCochise College for 28years. I’m proud I’m partof this college that hasbuilt this reputation andfor becoming the collegeit is today. I’m glad I waspart of those people.”

- Doris Dees

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Roger WellerPlenty of people achieve 20-plus years in teaching. Butthere aren’t that many whocan also say their website,which happens to be con-nected to Cochise College,has drawn millions of clicksfrom across the globe. In ad-dition to the Virtual GeologyMuseum, whose 2,500 im-ages of minerals, rocks, fossilsand gemstones and othermaterials, serves as a resourcefor educators, scientists, andhobbyists, Weller recently un-veiled Mars Explored, whichoffers quick, easy access tomore than 4,300 views ofMars, plus links to maps,videos and geology.

“It’s a wonderful thing towork at an institutionwhere these things areavailable to you, to be ascreative as you would liketo be. … It’s been a won-derful environment towork in, and the collegehas been a large part ofmy life. Coming into thebuilding tonight, I re-membered I had mywedding reception hereat the Student Unionmany years ago. I’ve beenso thankful to work at awonderful institutionand see it grow from atiny little place to a hugebeautiful thing on bothcampuses.”

- Roger Weller

Dr. Dan RehurekA variety of positions inteaching, career placement,and admissions, and as vicepresident for instruction, ledDr. Dan Rehurek to the col-lege presidency. Named pres-ident emeritus in 1993, Re-hurek also served on theDouglas School Board andArizona School Boards Asso-ciation and was a foundingmember of the Douglas Eco-nomic Development Corp.After retirement, he joinedthe board of the Cochise Col-lege Foundation, where heand his wife Yvette continueto grow the Dr. and Mrs. DanRehurek Scholarship fund.Rehurek’s newest project isservice on the Santa CruzCounty Provisional Commu-nity College Governing Board;the county is currently servedby Cochise College.

“The barriers to highereducation are formidableand, for so many, insur-mountable. We know thestory: finances, familyobligations, distance,work, children and, yes,unpreparedness. But thiscommunity college washere for them and for 50years has offered that ini-tial opportunity for somany. … I’m most grate-ful for this opportunity toserve this great college.”

- Dr. Dan Rehurek

Ken Jones (1957-2008)No less than seven peoplestepped forward to assistwith the nomination of KenJones, founder of the CochiseCollege Center for EconomicResearch. Jones joined thecollege as a faculty memberin business in 1992. He found-ed the CER in 1995 and se-cured CER membership inthe Association for Universi-ty Business and EconomicResearch, making Cochisethe only community collegemember and achievingrecognition as a U.S. CensusBureau State Data Center af-filiate. Jones’ work was rec-ognized by the Sierra VistaEconomic DevelopmentFoundation in 2001, and heearned the University of Ari-zona’s Eller Graduate Schoolof Management AlumniAchievement Award in 2002.

“His work made CochiseCollege unique among itssister institutions andmore than held its ownagainst the state universi-ties and their own re-search centers. … Hisongoing commitment toexcellence, perseverancein the face of great hard-ship and love of his workserved as an inspirationto all of us who workedwith him.”

- Dr. Karen Nicodemus

Dr. Joanna Michelich(’68)Cochise College faculty mem-bers inspired Dr. JoannaMichelich (’68), an active andpopular student from Dou-glas, to do more than simplyachieve a grade. So she did.Michelich went on to serve ina variety of dean positions atthe University of North Dako-ta, West Shore CommunityCollege, and Central ArizonaCollege (CAC). In 1978, theState Board for CommunityColleges of Arizona, the Ari-zona Mining Association, andCochise College presentedher with the OutstandingCommunity College AlumniAward for 1964-1978. Miche-lich served as vice presidentfor student services at CACand finished her career asvice president for instruc-tion/provost at Cochise Col-lege.

“This college gave mewings. This college pickedme up when I was readyto fall down on variousoccasions, whether as vicepresident or as a student.It was the people herewho always challengedme, who helped me grow.… This is the kind of fac-ulty and staff CochiseCollege has been blessedto have since day one.”

- Dr. Joanna Michelich(’68)

Dr. Karen NicodemusA job as head coach ofwomen’s basketball doesn’toften lead to the presidency,but Dr. Karen Nicodemusachieved that goal, serving ina variety of leadership posi-tions during her 23-year ca-reer with the college. Earlierin her tenure, Nicodemusworked in planning and as-sessment and served as de-partment chair, dean, andvice president for instruction.After she became presidentin 1998, the college em-braced online systems andclasses, obtained a variety ofimportant grants to movekey programs forward, andearned 10-year reaccredita-tion, a personal best for theinstitution. Nicodemus alsoserved on the state board ofeducation and the Gover-nor’s P-20 Council and wasnamed president emeritusshortly after retiring. Togeth-er, she and another inductee,Dr. Joanna Michelich, en-dowed a fund to support in-novative teaching and learn-ing at Cochise College.

“I’ve always felt like thebest job in the world isone where you want towake up and go to workthe next day. That’s a re-sult of the quality of peo-ple, and I’m so fortunateto be part of Cochise Col-lege, and I’m so honoredto be part of this group.… And thank you for thegood work that’s stillhappening at CochiseCollege.”

- Dr. Karen Nicodemus

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Rody Ramirez,seated withCochise CollegeDirector ofNursing &Health SciencesJenniferLakosil, was aveteran and theonly male inthe firstnursing class,which reunited,above, in May.

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The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Develop-ment (NISOD) Excellence Award honors distinction in teaching.Cochise College is one of more than 700 community collegesaround the world that belong to NISOD. Employees at partici-pating institutions recognize their colleagues by nominatingthem for the award.

This year's award recipients from Cochise College are JohnWalsh, Marguerite Conners and Edmund Priddis.

John Walsh is the director of Library Services. He began atCochise College as a student, earning his Associate of Arts de-gree in business administration in 2003. He went on to earnbachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the Universityof Arizona, all while working in the college’s libraries as an aide,in the circulation department and as a librarian before beingpromoted to director in 2014.

“I do what I do because I truly believe in the mission of this col-lege,” he said. “There is no one alive, other than the studentsthemselves, that cares more about their academic success thanI do.”

Walsh has published articles in journals and other publications,and he has presented research at symposiums and confer-ences across Arizona. He is an advocate for implementing ef-fective instruction techniques and literacy initiatives at alleducational levels.

Marguerite Conners was a Career Services and Cooperative Ed-ucation coordinator at Cochise College for 13 years prior to be-coming the Student Success coordinator in 2012. In her currentrole, she creates strategies and initiatives to improve studentsuccess rates, works with teams to identify educationalbarriers, and is an active member of grant committeesthat seek funding for student success initiatives.

“I enjoy what I do because I have the opportunityto work with a wide variety ofindividuals from across thecollege to work on onecommon theme: stu-dent success,” shesaid. “As collegesacross the nationface challengeswith studentretention andpersistence,departmentsat

Cochise College are working together to develop new initia-tives that help our students overcome educational barriers sothey can achieve their academic goals.”

Conners holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from NorthernArizona University. In addition to her work duties, she alsoserves as a Phi Theta Kappa honor society advisor, and sheleads or serves on numerous committees, including StudentSuccess, Adult Basic Education Transition, and Service Learning.

“I am thrilled to be attending the NISOD conference with Ed-mund and John and I admire their devotion to our students'learning and achievement,” Conners said.

Edmund Priddis has been a science instructor at Cochise Col-lege since 2009 and the department chair since 2014. He holdsa bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in inte-grative biology from Brigham Young University.

“I have been working at Cochise College for almost six yearsnow and I have enjoyed my experience working here. One ofthe biggest things for me has been the encouragement to trynew things and always continue growing,” he said. “I also enjoyworking with the students. I love the smaller class sizes and thechance to really get to know students. The students amaze meas they juggle the many demands on their time and many ofthem truly shine as they accomplish their goals. I hope I havehelped students on their path towards a bright future. At theend of the day, I look back and think about how thankful I amto be able to associate with the students and faculty and staffat Cochise College. I have been supported and helped by somany people, I hope I am able to follow that example and give

back to others.”

Priddis is also a Phi ThetaKappa honor society advisorand Honors Program mentorfor the undergraduate re-search team that has spentthe last two years studyingbean beetles and wildlife navi-gation along the San PedroRiver. These studies, con-

ducted by students underthe guidance of in-structors, have beenpresented and rec-ognized at local,regional andnational levels.

Marguerite Conners, EdmundPriddis, and John Walsh.

Three headed to NISOD conference

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Cochise College recognized two new faculty emeriti in2015: art instructor Monte Surratt and Spanish instructorMartha Bordelois.

Faculty emeriti are recognized for their continued value to ed-ucation and as a reward for exemplary past service. Retiredmembers of the full-time faculty, counselors or librarians areeligible for emeriti status if they have retired withinthe last five years or are retiring at the end of thecurrent year, served in that capacity for 10 ormore years anytime during employment atCochise College, consistently made sig-nificant meritorious contributions to theinstructional process during thoseyears, and are in good standing withthe institution at retirement.

Surratt was hired at Cochise College in1989 and continues to teach part timesince retiring in 2012. He attended theUniversity of Arizona throughout his col-lege career, earning his Bachelor of FineArts degree in 1972 and his Master of FineArts degree in 1979. In his 22 years at Cochise, hewas a recipient of the NISOD Excellence Award, whichhonors distinction in teaching, and also served as a depart-ment chair for seven years and an associate dean for eightyears.

“It’s been very rewarding. I couldn’t ask for abetter job — if you have to have a job andwork for someone,” he laughed. “I just re-ally have enjoyed my time here, andthat’s why I’m still doing it.”

He keeps a studio at the CentralSchool Project in Bisbee, and his paint-ings and drawings are regularly exhib-ited at the Subway Gallery on MainStreet. He also lives part time in Tucson,where he worked as a full-time studioartist for 10 years before his friend andformer classmate Al Kogel, a longtimeCochise art instructor, suggested he apply forthe faculty position at the college. While his pri-mary mission was inspiring students in his two-dimen-sional art classes, Surratt also enjoyed his administrative rolesbecause he was proud to be an advocate for the Art Depart-ment and fine arts at the college.

“Everybody can find their creative spirit; it just depends onwhat medium,” he said. “I always kind of had an idea thatteaching would be good because you’re around people whoare creating all the time. The preference would have been a

professional painter, living off my artwork, but that’s rare.Teaching was the next best thing.”

Bordelois holds a bachelor’s degree from the Maxim Gorki For-eign Language Institute and a master’s degree from the Uni-versity of Havana. She was hired at Cochise College as apart-time instructor in 1990 and full time in 1993 before retir-

ing in 2012. Bordelois left Cuba with her husbandand daughters in 1981 and moved to Sierra

Vista, where she learned English by takingclasses at Cochise College. As an instructor,Bordelois represented the college at aconvention of the American Associationof Teachers of Spanish and Portuguesein Puerto Rico in 2000, and she wasalso a recipient of the NISOD Excel-lence Award.

“Teaching is my passion,” she said. “I re-ally enjoyed the whole experience at

Cochise College and don’t have anythingto say but good things about the institu-

tion. I grew up a lot in that institution andlearned a lot, also, from my students and all my

colleagues.”

She began teaching at just 13 years old when Cuba institutedits Literacy Campaign in 1960. Bordelois, an avid reader

since early in her childhood, was technically tooyoung to be an instructor, but she convinced

one of her neighbors to be her mentor andsupervisor in the program. At the end of arigorous six months of classes, many ofher students — fishermen from the Ha-vana coast who previously couldn’twrite their names — were not onlyreading and spelling, but also penningletters to their families. At that mo-ment, Bordelois knew she would teachfor the rest of her life. She continued in-structing language classes and decided

to learn Russian, since the close ties be-tween the two countries led to many Rus-

sians living in Cuba.

“I always say a teacher is born, not made,” she said. “Thatfirst experience was intimidating, but I wanted so much to helpthem that I found the strength. Something just came over meand I said ‘I can do this.’”

After moving to Arizona, learning English and finally gettinghired on at Cochise College, Bordelois primarily taught Spanishas well as a few Russian classes. One of her two daughters,Sandy, took classes at Cochise and later taught Spanish part

Faculty emeriti recognized

13

Donors sponsor second archaeology exhibitAlumni John ('72) and Rosaline Pintek have funded a new exhibit of archae-ological materials unearthed by students or donated decades ago. The firstexhibit opened in the Douglas Campus Administration Building in 2013. Thesecond, constructed by college building construction technology students,can now be seen in the Sierra Vista Campus Library. Both exhibits feature locally relevant materials and are curated by history faculty Rebecca Orozco.

Public invited to submit comments prior to college’s accreditation visit Public invited to submit comments prior to college’s accreditation visit

Cochise College is seeking comments from the public about the college inpreparation for its periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency.

On Oct. 26-27, the college will host a visit with a team representing theHigher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. Cochise College has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1969.The team will review the institution’s ongoing ability to meet the Commission’s Criteria for Accreditation.

The public is invited to submit comments regarding the college to:

Public Comment on Cochise CollegeThe Higher Learning Commission230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500Chicago, IL 60604-1411

The public may also submit comments on the Commission’s website atwww.hlcommission.org/HLC-Institutions/third-party-comment.html. Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. All comments must be in writing andreceived by Sept. 26.

time as an associatefaculty member. Sheearned a master’s de-gree at the Universityof Arizona and cur-rently teaches Englishas a Second Languageat UA. Bordelois’ otherdaughter, Betty, alsograduated from UA andbecame a civil engi-neer. Bordelois’ hus-band, Carlos, worked asa custodian for theSierra Vista UnifiedSchool District for 23years and was a house-keeping supervisor fortwo of the schools be-fore retiring in 2009.

Bordelois said she andher family are gratefulto have spent the last34 years in southernArizona, and she wasproud to give back tothe community byteaching at the college.

“We were very lucky tobe able to leave Cubawhen we did and we’revery blessed to have

had all the opportuni-ties here,” Bordeloissaid. “It was hard at first,at least for me, becauseI couldn’t communicatewith most people inthe community. But itwas interesting andwonderful to see yourdaughters growing upand achieving theirgoals. I can’t believe allthese years havepassed so fast. As animmigrant, we reallydid achieve the Ameri-can dream.”

14

1970sSusan Burnett Husband(’70) is a librarian for PimaCounty.

Tom Daneker (’70) and Liz(Bagwell) Daneker (’71)credit Cochise College withpreparing them for theiruniversity degrees and ca-reers. They visit CochiseCounty about once per yearfrom their home in Texas.

A transplant from Okla-homa City, Richard Bradley(’71) came to Cochise on abaseball scholarship. Heworked in social servicesand is now a retired com-mercial pilot who earned adegree in psychology fromthe University of Kansaswhere, in 1972, he had theninth best batting averagein NCAA Division I baseball.Bradly is a licensed masterin plumbing, heating, airconditioning and electric-ity.

Marian Jo Fischler (’74) is aclerk with the GreenleeCounty Health Department.

Bobbie Heiden HoodWiles (’74) is a nurse practi-tioner with Cardiology As-sociates of Mesa.

Betty Howard (’75) retiredfrom civil service at FortHuachuca and is active inthe National Active and Re-tired Federal Employees.

Karen Smith (’75) is a taxmanager for match.com.

Maryellen Clinkingbeard,who last attended in 1976,has retired as a Federal Avi-ation Administration in-spector.

Al Tomlinson (’76) retiredas a deputy from theCochise County Sheriff’sDepartment in 2006,worked for the CochiseCounty Superior Court forfive years, and is now awildlife specialist for theU.S. Department of Agricul-ture.

Gene Clinkingbeard, wholast attended in 1977, is anAirbus captain for AmericanAirlines.

Debra (Honnas) Wehrman(’78) is a registered nursewith Molina Healthcare ofWashington.

1980sGerry DeVera (’83) workedin civil service and movedto California then Nevadaand is now retired.

Larry Kostroski, who lastattended in 1983, is a pilotand mechanic for Hangar31 Aircraft Services, Tucson.

Cesar Chavez (’85) is anelectronics technician withRaytheon Missile Systems,where he has worked for 16years.

Mentoring first and secondlieutenants on specificnursing techniques in-spired Cyndy Port-Dean(’86) to become a certifiedsurgical nurse/instructor.She works at Brown MackieCollege in Tucson.

Benita Fisher (’88) is a reg-istered nurse consultantwith Mid-Atlantic Health-care.

worked for Microsoft, Wa-chovia Bank, Perot SystemsCorporation, and MantechInternational.

Robert Barraza (’94) hashis own private investiga-tion business in thePhoenix area.

John Richardson (’94)studied aviation mainte-nance technology atCochise. Inspired by the airambulance traffic at theTruth or Consequences,N.M., airport, he bought aCessna 414A and openedan air ambulance businessin Las Cruces, N.M. He latersold the business with afleet of 17 aircraft.

Robert Skelton (’94) is aprogram manager for theU.S. Army in Texas.

Raymond Lamoureux (’95)is a Microsoft System Cen-ter Service manager withARMA Group.

Robert “Jeff” Speakman(’95) earned a bachelor’sdegree in anthropology atNorthern Arizona Univer-sity, a master’s in anthropol-ogy at the University ofMissouri, and a doctoratefrom the University ofBarcelona. He is director ofthe Center for Applied Iso-tope Studies at the Univer-sity of Georgia.

Jeff Wnuk (’96) is a FederalAviation Administration re-pair station owner with S3International, a Wisconsinprovider of commercial andmilitary aircraft parts andrepair services.

Brian Blankenship (’98) isa network engineer with L-3 Communications.

Michael Weymer (’88) is apilot with Atlas Air, wherehe flies cargo and passen-gers around the world in aBoeing 747 from his base inMiami, Fla. Previously, heworked for Stateswest Air-lines/USAir Express, ArizonaAirways, Casino Express Air-lines, and DHL Airways.

Lorenzo Dye (’89) is a me-chanic maintenance techni-cian for New Tribes MissionAviation, McNeal.

Sonia Gasho (’89) is arancher and homemakerwhose daughter Emily alsoattended Cochise.

Kenneth Stewart (’89) isgeneral manager of ServiceUniform in Texas.

1990sSince leaving Cochise Col-lege in 1990, David Dun-can has become a pilotwith US Airways/AmericanAirlines.

Barry Imler (’90) earned aUniversity of Arizona de-gree in renewable naturalresources and a master’s inwatershed management.He is a national programmanager for the UnitedStates Department of Agri-culture.

A licensed practical nursefor Lorien Health Care,Christy Imler (’90) hasworked in clinics with un-derserved populations,home health and nursinghomes.

Roy Maines (’92) is a con-sultant with Davisbase Con-sulting, a firm focused ondeveloping teams that de-liver value. He has also

NEWS OF ALUMNI & FRIENDSHarold Sanders (’97)earned two associate de-grees and is a retired fed-eral officer who will sendone of his children toCochise this year.

Wendy Carmichael (’98) isa self-employed pet andhouse sitter in Ohio. Shealso published “A Knight’sSecret: Book One: JourneyBegins,” a book for teens.

Osbourne Ferguson (’98),is a pilot with the U.S. Army.

William Kimbelton, wholast attended in 1999, is aninformation technology an-alyst at the University ofCincinnati.

2000sKale Kiyabu (’01) workedas a traveling nurse in NewMexico and Texas and as aregistered nurse in SierraVista before retiring.

Michael Schutze (’02) is acorrectional sergeant withthe Arizona Department ofCorrections.

Kerwin Nance (’03), formerCochise College basketballplayer, attended ColoradoState University-Pueblo ona full athletic scholarship,earned a master’s degree,and is a planreviewer/health inspectorwith the City and County ofDenver, Colo. He is also aCertified Basketball Official.

Leslie Taylor (’04) is the di-rector of nursing servicesfor Kindred HaciendaRehab and Care Center.

Bridget Chacon (’05) is aminister for Young Life in ElPaso.

15

A proud first-generationcollege student, LindaMarie Coronado-Arvizo(’06) is an accountant forYouth Development Insti-tute in Albuquerque. Sheholds a master’s in businessadministration.

Kellyanne Hale (’07) is anintelligence analyst/exer-cise controller for NorthrupGrumman who earned herdegree at Cochise while de-ployed to Iraq.

Leonardo Wesley (’08) is asenior intelligence analystwith the U.S. Army who ispursuing a bachelor’s de-gree in social work at Fayet-teville State University.

Currently pursuing a bache-lor’s degree in political sci-ence, Monte White (’08) isan intelligence analyst withIntegral Consulting’s Na-tional Ground IntelligenceCenter.

Alel Stewart (’09) is a pilotwith Southwest Airlines.

2010sArt Barcelo (’10) is enrolledin a doctoral program ingeneral psychology withemphasis in performancepsychology at GrandCanyon University. After at-tending Cochise, where heearned multiple degrees, heearned a bachelor’s inhuman services and a mas-ter’s in public administra-tion at Wayland BaptistUniversity. He is a programdirector for Mary’s Missionand Developmental Center.

Joshua Brown (’10) is dis-trict executive of SequoyahCouncil Boy Scouts ofAmerica in Virginia.

Russell Rowe (’10) is aSpanish teacher for Char-lotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Daniel Chung (’11) is a reg-istered nurse with HealthSouth.

David Wheeler (’11) is ananalyst for Varen Technolo-gies, an intelligence serv-ices provider in Maryland.

Shelby Gonzales (’14) is at-tending Northern ArizonaUniversity.

Charles (Casey) Hoyack(’14) this year earned abachelor’s in history and abachelor’s in philosophy,politics, economics and lawfrom the University of Ari-zona. He plans to pursue amaster’s in history at theuniversity beginning thisfall.

Derek Kas (‘14) earned twodegrees with high honorswhile serving in the military.He is employed by the De-partment of Defense.

IN MEMORIAMMildred Galliher, FacultyEmeritus, Science, Feb. 12,2015

Share your news and updates atwww.cochise.edu/alumni oremail alumni@cochise.edu.

To honor her family’s connection to Cochise College and celebrate the insti-tution’s 50th anniversary, Jerry Harwood, widow of Dr. William Harwood, thecollege’s second president, established the Dr. William and Jerry HarwoodScholarship. Set to award $1,000 annually, the scholarship will benefit full-time social science students who indicate an interest in political science orlaw careers. Dr. Harwood came to Cochise College from Foothill College. Ar-riving before the college opened to fill the shoes of Dr. T.C. Johnston, whoperished in a plane crash, Harwood hired many of the first faculty and staffand provided the energy and experience necessary to guide the collegethrough important decisions related to curriculum, personnel, and construc-tion. Jerry continues to reside in Cochise County and regularly attends col-lege functions.

Sammie Howard Paschal, former director of housing on the Douglas Cam-pus and manager of the once-popular Elderhostel program, has establisheda new scholarship endowment. The first recipients of the scholarship for edu-cation students will be identified for the 2015-2016 school year. Since retire-ment, Paschal has remained friends with many college counterparts. Sheresides in Cochise County.

The children of Kay Bennett, who passed away in 2014 after working formany years as a nurse, established the Kay Bennett Memorial NursingScholarship. After retirement, Bennett volunteered for the Sierra Vista Hos-pice. Her daughter, Karen, previously worked in the President’s Office at thecollege.

Members of the Aviation Flight Club actively participated in a 50th anniver-sary Aviation Open House and Dinner by holding a silent auction that raisedabout $1,000 for club activities, such as educational field trips to aviation mu-seums and employers.

Associate faculty Dr. Khai Quang Phi, formerly a military doctor, has estab-lished a new fund using his Cochise College salary. The Science DepartmentFundwelcomes donations from various sources and is intended to help ad-vance the college’s science programs. Contributions may be used for thingslike equipment, faculty development, facilities and scholarships.

Cochise County native Pamela Sanders dedicated her life to teaching, first atNaco Elementary School, and then at Double Adobe Elementary, from whichshe retired as head teacher. After she passed away in May, family and friendsdonated to the Pamela Sanders Memorial Teaching Scholarship, whichwill provide financial assistance for education majors residing in the DoubleAdobe, McNeal and Elfrida areas.

New funds

NON PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DTUCSON, AZ

PERMIT NO. 3341

4190 W Highway 80Douglas AZ 85607-6190

All we know about this picture is that it wastaken in the early 1970s and "Working onMooney" is written on the back of it. Shareyour images or help with identification byemailing alumni@cochise.edu.

MEMORY PLANE