I congratulate all CR students who have accomplished so much during this past challenging year.  If we had conducted an in-person graduation ceremony I would have said to the members of the CR class of 2021 that, by the powers vested in me by the State of California, the CR Board of Trustees, and upon the recommendation of the faculty, I confer upon you the Associate Degrees and certificates you have earned with all appropriate rights, privileges, and responsibilities. I look forward to saying this again when we return to our usual, in-person ceremony next year. All or our 2021 graduates are invited to return next year to participate in the formal ceremony and to celebrate their accomplishment with friends and family.

I also want to recognize and celebrate the outstanding careers of several faculty and staff members who have retired from CR this year. Faculty and staff who are about to retire consistently articulate that the one thing they’ll miss about the College is the students and their colleagues.  The following faculty and staff have been valuable members of our college community and have contributed to student success in innumerable ways for a combined 278 years.

• Tim Baker: Tim led our Forestry and Natural Resource Program for many years and loved walking around in the woods with students, explaining the complexities and wonders of forest ecosystems and how important it is to manage them sustainably.
• Trish Blair: Trish served as a Learning Specialist and Disability Services and Programs for Students (DSPS) Director and expanded the Adaptive Physical Education program to the community senior centers.  
• David Holper: During his tenure, David was the Visiting Writers Series Coordinator, Book of the Year Chair, and was selected to be Eureka’s first Poet Laureate in 2019.
• Ken Letko: Ken joined the faculty at the Del Norte campus in fall 1991, was the driving force behind the literary magazine the Kerf, and is a prolific poet who has published works in dozens of literary magazines and anthologies.
• Mark Renner: Mark came to the CR Del Norte campus from an impressive career where he spent six years working as a consulting geologist and computer scientist and then founded and ran a small consulting firm for five years.
• Franz Rulofson: Franz started teaching part-time at CR in 2004 and full-time in 2010. He was dedicated to working with students every day, teaching production agriculture processes and ideas, and sharing culturally relevant information.
• Katie Schoenfield: During her tenure in CR’s nursing department Katie has instructed over 500 pre-licensure students and inspired many of them to follow in her footsteps as a Nurse Practitioner.
• Danny Walker: Danny was an instructional assistant/classroom aide and later a part-time instructor in the Manufacturing Program before he became a fulltime faculty member in our Welding Program.
• Cindy Anderson: Cindy was a staff member in our EOPS Program and Math & Science division. Cindy was the first person students and faculty would greet upon entry into the office, and her kindness encouraged many conversations. 
• Cathy Cox: Cathy served as the Library Director for six years and implemented library reference services for our Pelican Bay Scholars Program and negotiated a reciprocal borrowing agreement with HSU that allows CR students and staff to check out materials from the HSU library.
• Lorraine Pedrotti: Lorraine has been a valuable member of the college community for 34 years and her absence will be sorely felt around the District.
• Mark “Radar” Sigsworth: Radar was a Public Safety Officer for 15 years, an instructor for our EMT and Paramedic programs, and provided assistance with training at the Police Academy.
• Tina Vaughan: Tina worked at College of the Redwoods for 23 years and built relationships with students, staff, and faculty that shaped CR and enriched everyone who worked with her.
• Ron Waters: Under Ron’s leadership, CR’s police academy educated numerous police cadets who have gone on to serve in local and regional law enforcement departments.
• Susan Wiegman: Susan has served in several positions over her 18-year career at CR most recently in Human Resources.
• John Walsh: John held multiple jobs from 2015 to 2018 and most recently served as a valuable member of wastewater maintenance staff.
• James Carr: James served in various positions including working with John Walsh as a member of the wastewater maintenance staff for the past seven years.
• Debbie Topping: Debbie has been the backbone of the Police Academy Program as an administrative office coordinator for 18 years.

To our graduates and retirees, I want to say thank you and good luck as you move on to the next phase of your lives.