I joined the Sonoma State University (SSU) nursing faculty in 1975; my clinical areas are community health nursing with special interests in rural health, cultural diversity and service learning. I served as department chair from 1989 through 1996 when the department added the basic baccalaureate program. I retired in 2004 after serving as interim Director of Nursing at Santa Rosa Junior College for a year. I continued to teach on an as-needed basis at SSU for several years, primarily in the graduate program for nursing education. I did educational consulting for nursing programs in California and in 2008 became the project director for a two-year grant through the California Community Colleges for a collaborative effort among the five community colleges in Sonoma State’s service area and the department of nursing to provide an ADN-MSN program.
I am a healthcare activist and have served on many boards and committees in Sonoma County, including the Sonoma County Health Alliance in 2000, the North Bay Hospital Council, the Sutter Medical Center board of trustees for 10 years, and the Northern California Center for Well-Being board of directors.
Our family lost our niece Deora Bodley in the crash of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania on 9/11. We have become involved with September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. I am so proud of the work which is being done, particularly those trying to create understanding between Christians and Muslims, knowing that we all want peace. I follow the work of the group that has consistently sought to have Guantanamo closed. It just might happen. I have great respect for all the active members and their faithful remembrance of our loved ones.
