CCA Exceptional Women Archives

Here are our previous "CCA Exceptional Women" honorees:

Carolyn Inmon

A genuine “California Girl,” Carolyn Inmon was born in Long Beach and  grew up in Torrance. After high school and community college, she continued her studies at UCLA, earning her BA in Speech/English, and following that up with an MA in Speech from  Cal State Northridge.

Carolyn entered the teaching profession as a teacher of speech and English at two private high schools, where she also directed competitive speech programs.    After that, this aptly-named “Committee Woman”  (so called because she served on so many committees) went on to teach in almost every grade in the Irvine Unified School District. In her “spare” time she helped found the Irvine Education Foundation, serving as the first Secretary and chair of the Honors Concert. 

From there, Carolyn migrated into the community college system—specifically, Cerritos and Mt. San Antonio colleges—where she directed forensics coaching students to state and national honors, became one of the most successful Honors directors in California, and was awarded Teacher of the Year at Mt. San Antonio.

Her union career began as the Mt. SAC  Faculty Association President where she also served on the negotiation team that provided faculty over 25 new contract provisions, including part-time office hours and medical benefits, intellectual property rights, domestic partner benefits and academic coaching stipends. 

Carolyn’s CCA activities began as District F Director, then Treasurer, and finally CCA President. During this time, she researched, published and presented special reports on privacy in academe, intellectual property, distance learning, and domestic partnerships. She later served as Election Chair and Conference Chair, and published a weekly newsletter called “CCA Briefly.”

One of Carolyn’s crowning achievements was the creation of the CCA Academy for Building Strong Locals, which provides in-depth training of chapter members across California, and is being used as a model for other associations across the country. She also developed the CCA History Project, which chronicles through personal interviews the colorful history of the organization. Subsequently, Carolyn was elected to the CTA State Council where she served on the Communication and Legislative committees, and was Chair of the Higher Ed Caucus.

While awards tell only part of the story, in Carolyn’s case they aptly exemplify the high regard in which she is held by her professional colleagues. Over the years,  she has won all three W.H.O. Awards:  chapter, CCA State, and CTA State.

After retiring in 2008, Carolyn threw her hat into the political ring with a run for trustee of the South Orange County Community College District, and nearly unseated the long-time incumbent. Today, she is no less active and involved, serving on the board of the Exchange Club of Irvine where she chaired the OCFA Best and Bravest, a dinner to recognize the fire fighters in Orange County. Recently she was appointed to the Irvine Child Care Committee, where she is working to improve the city’s childcare programs.    Carolyn lives in Irvine with her husband John. Her daughter, Michele, son-in-law Douglas and grandson Bodie live nearby. Her travels have taken her all over the world including the former Soviet Union and Africa.

Congratulations on all your contributions and accomplishments, Carolyn!

 

Dián Delores Hasson

Dián earned her BA and MA in Political Science from the University of Southern California.

As a Political Science instructor at Butte College for many years, she served in most of the Faculty Association leadership positions, but always loved doing grievances. Her leadership at Butte resulted in the faculty receiving several 12% raises, anniversary steps, and the hiring of many full time faculty.

During that time, she also served as CCA President. Her presidency was marked by a number of accomplishments, including adding two budget line items to the state budget for contingent faculty: one for office hours and one for equity. In addition, she and the CCA team were able to get STRS to develop a retirement system for contingent faculty. All of these efforts were considered important first steps in our ongoing work to provide equal pay and benefits for all faculty. 

 Equally important to their goals, she and CCA worked with STRS and faculty groups to provide a defined benefit supplement program so that additional pay assignments would be covered. The Defined Benefit Plan allows retiring faculty to receive a lump sum as an annuity for a number of years or for life, which supplements their monthly retirement checks.   

On the state level, Dián led CCA in working to change the traditional 1/3 split among the UC, CSU and community colleges for higher education bonds. With community colleges serving the most students at the most economical rate, she helped CCA convince the legislature to make the split 40% for community colleges and 30% each for the CSU and UC.   

She also led CCA's successful effort to change by initiative the vote necessary to pass bonds from 66% to 55%, making it easier for colleges to pass bonds needed to support local projects on their campuses.   

In her second term as the CTA Director for Higher Education, Dián is a strong advocate for community college faculty, whether they are part or full time, in the classroom or at another site. and working to educate the largely K-12-focused CTA on higher education issues.

Dián has been married for over 35 years, and has two children and one grandchild who delights her. And as much as she loves working for CTA, she is looking forward to returning to her first love, teaching. After the choice she made in a husband and to have their two children, Dián emphasizes that the choice she made to teach at a community college is the single most important choice in her life."Working at a community college is an authentic vocation," she says, "one in which I grow as I help others grow, too."

Congratulations on all your accomplishments, Dián!

 

Heather Ashley Williams

CCA would like you to meet Heather Ashley Williams. 

Heather started her journey by completing her AA degree in Political Science at Victor Valley College.

After her time at VVC, she transferred to California State University, Fullerton, to continue her education. During her time at CSUF she became involved with student government, eventually leading to her election and re-election as the Associated Students, Inc. President and CEO. In June of 2008, she graduated with a BA degree in Political Science.   

Heather's experience in student government as well as her many other activities led her to be chosen as a 2008-09 California Executive Fellow, a  very prestigious program run through the Governor's Office and CSU Sacramento. (Each year, only 18 fellows are selected out of hundreds of applicants from colleges and universities throughout the state.) While working in the Executive Branch full time, fellows are also enrolled in a Masters of Public Policy/Administration program at CSU Sacramento. 

 Initially, Heather was placed at the  Business, Transportation and Housing Agency where she worked on transportation, environment and health policy.

Beginning in April of 2009, she moved to the State Treasurer's Office, where she has spent time working on a variety of bills sponsored by that office, researching the Federal Stimulus package (American Reinvestment and Recovery Act) and other Public Finance areas.  

Heather's fellowship ends on August 31, and she is still looking at options for her next steps.  

This is yet another great example of how women can do anything we set our minds to if we remain persistent and keep our goals before us. It also shows how a California Community College education can be the springboard for both academic and career success.

Congratulations on all your accomplishments, Heather!