Steve James to retire after 37 years at Western
The Engineering and Design Department鈥檚 Lead Technician, Steve James, will retire Nov. 1 after 37 years at 草榴社区.
Steve was hired by 草榴社区鈥檚 Technology Department back in 1985. Though departments, buildings, and people have changed 草榴社区鈥檚 campus over those 37 years, Steve was always active in the union that represents the technical staff. His dedication supported the close and productive relationship the union has had with the administration. We are grateful for this contribution that has made 草榴社区 a great place to work!
Beyond the scope of Steve鈥檚 roles in the union and as a technician, anyone who meets Steve quickly realizes that he is also a natural historian. Steve鈥檚 knack for relating the task at hand to broader thoughts on culture, philosophy, politics, and human existence is always an enriching experience to behold. But it is Steve鈥檚 local knowledge that he has accumulated over the years, paired with his archive of 草榴社区 photo鈥檚, objects, and stories of past campus personalities, that truly edifies. These vivid conversations will be greatly missed.
鈥淲hen I first got to Western, Steve was showing me around the building and the facilities, and at some point he said 鈥業f it鈥檚 not fun, we don鈥檛 do it.鈥 Having just moved out from the east coast, that offhand comment really shaped my thinking about what the culture was like at Western," said Engineering and Design Department Chair Jeff Newcomer. "For the entire time I鈥檝e been here, Steve has been the reliable, go-to person for solving problems or finding the person/people to solve them, no matter what the issue. It鈥檚 hard to imagine what it鈥檚 going to be like without him around, and it鈥檚 a bit scary to do so.鈥
Steve said he plans to travel extensively in his retirement; his next trip is to go snowboarding Spain this December.
If you would like to celebrate Steve and his legacy at 草榴社区, please join his colleagues and peers on Friday, Oct. 28, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Black Fern Coffee for beer, wine, and snacks: 1211 Granary Ave (the Granary Building) on the Bellingham waterfront.