…professional development opportunities, managers' rights and needs, curriculum and faculty development, and whatever it took to keep the programs in Science, Math, Nursing, Allied Health, and Physical Education strong. We could always rely on her to be part of the team to solve a problem, strengthen a program, or improve the college. I, along with all the faculty and staff she led and supported, will dearly miss Ann's knowledgeable, caring, strong, and wise leadership. Please join me in giving her our deep gratitude and best wishes for a great retirement filled with much joy, learning, and continued interaction with the "Cuesta family."

Terry Bowen has done what is rare in coaching--completed 25 years as a coach of not just one or two varsity sports but at times three and even occasionally four--men's and women's water polo, men's and women's swimming and diving, life guard and rescue, a whole host of physical education theory and activity courses, and whatever was needed to make the Cuesta College Aquatics program the highest quality. This is the first college at which I've worked that has a beautiful swimming pool, great weather, and exciting swimming and water polo programs. I have spent many enjoyable moments watching our well-coached young men and women push themselves just a little faster, smoother and stronger as Coach Bowen and their teammates cheered them on from the edge of the pool. As I watched Terry's current water polo team take on several of the alumni swimmers and polo players who returned to celebrate their beloved coach's retirement, I felt the love and admiration they had for Terry and saw his joy and pride in his students and their successes. I will miss Terry at the pool as the consummate coach, in the division meetings as the levelheaded thinker, and on the faculty as a solid member of a great group who have helped make Cuesta College excellent. Please join me in thanking Terry, wishing him well in all he wants to pursue in retirement, and letting him know we need him back among us--at the pool, in the classroom, enjoying a party or event, and just letting us know how he is. His students won't let him get away and neither will we.

While not with us for as long, Mary Carpenter also retires this month. Who among us has not learned how to make e-mail really work for--instead of against--us, how to do PowerPoint presentations or learn some other vital software to make our work in the classroom or office more effective and efficient. I am grateful to Mary for always learning new software, finding ways to teach us in groups or individually, having the patience to retrain and encourage even when she had just done the training, and maintaining her "yes, we can" attitude. Mary has worked at Cuesta for the past decade, and aren't we lucky? She was instrumental in helping create the computer training program for employees, the Employee Learning and Innovation Centers (ELIC) on both the SLO and NC Campuses, and helping us learn how to connect our office and home computer e-mail and Internet connections so we could be even more effective teachers, support staff and administrators. I will personally miss Mary's cheerful willingness to help us conquer a software problem, whether individually or in a class. I know you join me in giving her grateful hugs and wishing her well in her new home near some of her family in Nevada.

In November, I complimented the four faculty who presented sabbatical reports at the October and November Board of Trustees meetings. This month, I want you and the History team of Mark Weber, Dennis Judd, and Anthony Koeninger to know that they were awesome in their History Report to the Board on December 3. These three faculty and Harry Schade gave an excellent report about creating an AA degree program in History, keeping the core history curriculum strong while re-instituting African American and Mexican-American history courses, doing oral history and engaging the community in history, and authoring books. Articulate, prepared, interesting faculty talking about what they do and love at Cuesta--a wonderful part of the Board meeting.

As you will see elsewhere in this issue, the Board's other business last week included re-electing Angela Mitchell as President and electing Per Mathiesen as Vice-President and considering the Proposed Preliminary District Goals and Priorities for 2004-2005. The Planning and Budget Committee and Shared Governance Council have also discussed and revised the goals. Once adopted by the Board in January, the goals will be incorporated into the templates for the unit and cluster plans, which everyone will develop in January and February. You are welcome to attend a joint Shared Governance/Planning and Budget Committee workshop about the 2004-2005 planning and budget development process on January 27.

Fall semester has seen so much good work--students in their classes; staff keeping the College running; faculty in their classrooms, labs, offices, concerts, plays, shows, the pool, gym and athletic fields; and all of us in shared governance meetings. I commend the Shared Governance Council, Academic Senate, and the committees of Planning and Budget, Benefits, Matriculation and Research, Cultural Diversity and Student Equity, and the Diversity Taskforce for dedicated and thoughtful participation and staying focused on institutional needs, solving problems collaboratively, and strengthening the College as a community of learners.

The semester ends with a full display of the generosity of the "Cuesta College family" as baskets of clothes, food, toys and gifts are prepared by all of us for more than 50 low-income Cuesta student families. Opportunities abound this season to share food, give gifts to those who can't afford to buy them, and contribute time and money. As we help those who have less, we become richer in what matters most--our own humanity and the community.

Thank you for all you did for Cuesta College in 2003. Be happy, be well and be safe until we gather for Spring Semester Opening Day on January 16, 2004.