Working as a staff member for 44 years, she has become a family member of the college, known by teachers, students and administrators alike.
As her soft eyes filled with tears, Judith Burgeson, dean of instruction, expressed her sadness that she would not be rejoining the staff of Green River Community College in the Fall of 2009.
Some $3 million in budget cuts and the current economic recession have forced President Rich Rutkowski to layoff six full-time employees, including Burgeson, along with numerous adjunct faculty. The college also eliminated a dozen other positions that were unfilled for budgetary reasons.
Burgeson was on staff at Green River with the very first president, Mel Lindbloom. She has made her way from an English teacher to dean and has shown kindness and love to everyone along the way. Through her experiences at Green River she has helped to form the family that the staff at Green River has created.
"She is amazing, I'm going to miss her a lot," Kris Fuller remarks as she smiles at
Burgeson while they converse about their working together. Fuller is Burgeson's administrative assistant. Both she and Burgeson have worked together for 10 years and don't know what they would have done without each other.
"She knows where everything is," Burgeson says of Fuller.
Fuller teases back, "No, I just know where to find everything."
The near-term departure of Burgeson is already being felt throughout the college community.
"We're a family here," says Tawnya McLavey, assistant to Rutkowski, "it will be sad to see her go."
Burgeson was a member of the first faculty on campus, serving as one of only three English instructors. In addition to teaching English, she has worked in student services, international education and more.
Her favorite place was in the classroom teaching her students. "It was a hard decision to leave teaching," she says, "but I wanted to experience new things."
Burgeson shows her love and delight in the college in everything she does. Even when she speaks of one of her favorite memories at the college, she is thinking about others.
"When I was teaching an English literature class, two of my students fell in love, because they said it was such a romantic class. I don't know if it was necessarily a romantic class, but they are very happily married."
From sad to happy, serious to funny, Burgeson has memories of every kind. Her happy and optimistic spirit is enjoyed by all.
"There have been lots of funny moments," Judy says as she smiles, "I think some of the moments that have been most fun is when the administration would get together for a retreat and we would play a fun game."
Her kind eyes seem to gaze back into the past, "We did videos and Rich Rutkowski and I were together. We pretended that we were at the Presidents' Cabinet meeting, it was just a spoof and it was great fun."
The movie ended in Enumclaw, both shoveling manure. "What I have valued most is the people, my colleagues that I've worked with because they have become absolutely lifelong friends."
Burgeson won‘t come back to work for Green River even if the economy gets back on its feet.
"Because I am eligible to retire -- even though it's not my choice -- I will. But I don't live very far away so I'll visit often, I'll bring my dog. And then I will garden," she says with a laugh.
Burgeson says she will do more traveling and things she used to do, like make her own clothes and cook.
"I absolutely love to cook. I like fixing food for others."
Burgeson is the one who brings the giant-size main dish to all functions, giving whenever she can.
"I won't miss the troublesome students," Judy remarks cheerfully. "But it will be hard to leave everything else."
Sadly, as many memories and great times have passed they will remain at Green River. As Burgeson leaves her school, she will always cherish the times with the family she enjoyed at Green River.
"I'm the history of the college, so I expect people to call me and say, ‘Judy what did we do in 1985 about whatever?' I want to still be a resource for the faculty."
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