To meet our future, College of the Redwoods must be ready for complex and foundational shifts that will require us to be more agile, more relevant, and more responsive to the needs of the communities we serve and the students who trust us with their education. Our commitment to this strategic focus, rebuilding enrollment, and ensuring students are given every chance to be successful, guides our employee hiring decisions.  

Following a highly competitive national search, we are extremely fortunate to announce the appointment of Dr. Lisa Gaetje as the college’s next Vice President of Instruction. Dr. Gaetje, who will come on board on February 1, 2023, most recently served as the Dean of Social Sciences and Guided Pathways at Cypress College. Not only will she bring dynamic academic leadership, she also has extensive experience in hiring and evaluating faculty, student conduct issues, dual enrollment, curriculum development, increasing course offerings in partnership with surrounding area high schools, and developing clear pathways for students.

Dr. Gaetje earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, a Master of Sociology from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Counseling from California State University, Long Beach

As the Dean of Social Sciences, in 2020, she participated with a cohort of 20 Cypress College campus leaders in an eight-week intensive training course through USC’s Race & Equity Center to support the further development of a college framework of equity and social justice. Dr. Gaetje served as co-chair for the campus Guided Pathways Steering Committee and was the Interim Project Director for the college’s Title V grant that supports Guided Pathways through its focus on equity. Her service as the Dean increased her exposure to shared governance constituencies and increased her knowledge and advocacy around policy and budget issues.

Joining Dr. Gaetje as a new member of the instructional leadership team is Jessica Howard, who will serve as our Interim Director of Nursing. Jessica’s background perfectly matches what we were looking for in a director. She’s been a faculty member in our department since 2011, served as a Staff Nurse, Nurse Navigator, and Manager of Emergency Services with St. Joseph Hospital and a worked as a Case Manager with ResolutionCare in Eureka. Furthermore, Jessica is knowledgeable about the Board of Registered Nursing and Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians regulations and has assisted with site visits and self-studies for nursing program accreditation.

Besides the several new faculty hired last fall, two tenure-track faculty members were added for this Spring Semester. They are Assistant Professor Heather Payne in Nursing on the Del Norte campus and Assistant Professor Jasmine Iniquez in our newest program, Aquaculture.

Heather Payne has a Master’s in Nursing-Education from Aspen University, a Bachelor’s in Nursing from Simpson University, and earned her Associate’s Degree in Nursing with us at CR. Her past experience includes working as a RN-Pediatrics for Open Door Community Health Center and as a RN with United Indian Health Services.

Jasmine Iniquez has a Master’s in Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences from Kentucky State University and a Bachelor’s in Fisheries Biology from Cal Poly Humboldt. Most recently Jasmine was a research assistant at Kentucky State University where she was involved in data collection, analysis, and reporting in aquaculture research. She maintained a variety of recirculating aquaculture systems of various sizes, supervised, mentored, and trained student interns on basic aquaculture husbandry, assisted with laboratory exercises, instructed students on the use of ultrasonography and ultrasound equipment for selected laboratory exercises, and assisted with assembly and improvement of recirculating aquaculture systems.

All four of these new instructional colleagues bring rich and varied backgrounds to their new roles, combining experience in both academics and leadership and I’m happy to welcome them to the team.