2024 Hall of Fame Inductees
Kirk Brettschneider - Distinguished Confidential
Kirk Brettschneider, 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Director of Management Information Systems, served the College from 1978 until his passing in 2005. He played an essential
early role, overseeing the College鈥檚 PDP-11 computer system and working with the College鈥檚 student data. He supervised the integration of student data from WESTEC to 蜜桃影视 and provided support to the Superintendent/ President for reporting to the State.
After receiving his B.S. in Biology from Cal State Fullerton in 1975 and working as Crew Leader in the California Conservation Corps, Kirk was hired at 蜜桃影视 in 1978 as Manager of one of 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Campus Farms. In 1980, the farm folded despite Kirk鈥檚 12-hour days. Before the decision was made to cease farming operations, Kirk visited the new college president, Dr. David Cothrun. Throughout the years, Dr. Cothrun enjoyed sharing that Kirk said to him, 鈥淚 understand you know something about computers, Mr. President? I have taught myself BASIC, and what do you think of the new Atari?鈥� With that conversation, Dr. Cothrun knew he had found his new Director of Management Information Systems.
Kirk sought collaboration and consensus from colleagues, making sure that 蜜桃影视 was focused upon common goals. Within three years, the company that developed the administrative software used by 蜜桃影视 considered Kirk amongst their premier resources. Over the years, the consortium of 300 colleges using POISE software elected Kirk to the executive board of the user group and to the Digital DECUS EDUSIG board. He al
so worked on the College鈥檚 bond issue in 2003, contacting and talking with community members.
Kirk was a founding member and president of the Carrizo Plains National Monument Advisory Com
mittee, the driving spirit of Salvation Army Bell Ringing in the community for many years, and a member of Kiwanis.
Jeff Chudy - Outstanding Coach
Jeff Chudy, a 1981 alumnus of 蜜桃影视 and member of the 1979 蜜桃影视 State Championship Football Team, coached 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Cougar Football and Track and Field teams from 1985 to 1991 with stellar results before continuing at Bakersfield College.
Jeff attended Fresno State from 1982 to 1985; was a member of the Fresno State Football Team from 1982; and was a Fresno State Graduate Assistant Football Coach 1983-85. He became Defensive Backs Coach for the 蜜桃影视 Cougars in 1985; advanced to Head Track Coach in 1989; and became Football Head Coach/Defense in 1990, coaching both teams to extraordinary winning seasons.
From 1991 to 2002, he served Bakersfield College as Defensive Backs Football Coach and Professor. He became Physical Education Department Chair in 1994 and Head Football Coach 2004 continuing his winning legacy and serving until 2019. He currently is a Professor at Bakersfield.
Jeff is married to Katy. They have three children and four grandchildren.
Jeff鈥檚 team achievements and professional recognition include: 1989 Coast Valley Conference Track and Field Champions 鈥� Men; 1989 State Track and Field Championship 鈥� Men 5th National Record - Track and Field Sprint Medley 3:14.44; 1990 Coast Valley Conference Track and Field Champions 鈥� Men; 1990 Northern California Track and Field Champions 鈥� Men; 1990 California State Track and Field Champions 鈥� Men; 1990 California CC Track and Field Coach of the Year 鈥� Men; 1990 California State Football Champions 鈥� Taft College; 1990 California State Football Coach of the Year with Tom Harrell; 1991 Coast Valley Conference Track and Field Champions 鈥� Women; 1991 Northern California Track and Field Champions 鈥� Women; 1991 State Track and Field Championships- Women 2nd, Men 5th; 2007 AFCA National Community College Football Coach of the Year; 2012 California State Football Champions 鈥� Bakersfield College; and 2012 California Community College Football Coach of the Year.
Ray Hatch - Distinguished Faculty
Ray Hatch, a 1961 graduate of 蜜桃影视, was a member of the Board of Trustees and also a faculty member from 1978 until 2004. He served as Professor of Chemistry from 1978 until 1980, when he re-entered industry. His history includes Manager of Engineering and Vice President Corporate Development at Berry Holding/Berry Petroleum. Ray served the 蜜桃影视 Board of Trustees for 13 years before returning to the classroom. He was elected as Mayor of Taft while a Board Member. The Dental Hygiene and Transition to Independent Living programs were approved during his Board tenure.
In addition to Chemistry, Ray taught Developmental Mathematics and Physics. Observing that beginning math students were not succeeding well, he conducted a study that led to a skills study undertaken by the College, resulting in the hiring of a Basic Skills Math Instructor. Ray worked with a 蜜桃影视 counselor, Patty Brown, to develop a Math Anxiety class, later renamed Math Success. His list of classes taught is Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Astronomy, Developmental Mathematics, Intermediate Mathematics, Intro to Algebra, Math Anxiety, and Physics.
Ray became Director of Distance Learning in 2001. As an early pioneer of the College鈥檚 relationship with the local prison, he taught some of the first distance learning and face-to-face classes.
As a technology leader, Ray was instrumental in bringing Tegrity Cart to 蜜桃影视, a video recording system for faculty to record lectures and demonstrations for online classes. He created a library of mathematical images for the online system. Supporting the Faculty Development Lab 鈥� a technology hub for training, curriculum development, and collaboration 鈥� his leadership with Dean Sheehy resulted in the 蜜桃影视 Professional Development Center for faculty 10 years after he retired.
Ray has been on the Taft disAbilities Partnership Team (TAPT) since its inception.
Dr. Archie Perry, Jr. - Distinguished Alumnus
Dr. Archie Perry is a notable board-certified orthopedic surgeon, a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and attended 蜜桃影视 from 1988-1989. An honor student majoring in business, Archie was a member of the 蜜桃影视 football team that won the 1989 Potato Bowl.
At 蜜桃影视, Archie tutored other students and created lasting friendships. In spring 1990, he transferred to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he played football and earned Dean's List Honors. Due to injury, Archie stopped playing football, switched from business to science, and pursued becoming an orthopedic surgeon. He earned his Bachelor of Science in 1993 and a Doctor of Medicine in 1998.
In medical school, Archie was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and given the Regent Scholar Award by the State of Nevada Board of Regents. He attended the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for his orthopedic surgery residency and was awarded top clinical resident in his class. In Minneapolis, he attended a spine surgery fellowship at Twin Cities Spine Center.
He joined Desert Orthopaedic Center in 2002 and founded the Spine Institute of Nevada. He specializes in adult and pediatric spinal surgery and is clinical faculty at Touro University School of Medicine.
Archie sponsors an internship program for middle school and high school students, and he teaches undergraduate students, medical students, and surgery residents. He contributes to non-profit organizations, including Remnant Ministries, 32nd Street Theater, and YMCA of Southern Nevada. He is a Board Member for the CORE Foundation and YMCA.
A father of five and a grandfather of one, Archie is a sports fan and spine consultant for the Vegas Golden Knights and Las Vegas Raiders. He is a fan of the Las Vegas Aces, and a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and San Francisco 49ers.
Sandra (Sandy) Popejoy - Distinguished Administator
In August 1995, 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Transition for Independent Living Program (TIL) was launched, and Sandra Popejoy began as Assistant to the Program Director. Within a few months she became the Director, and spent 18 years building it into a nationally-recognized 鈥淪tate of the Art鈥� program that received many awards and honors; it became a model for many similar programs. Sandy, the heart of the TIL Program, has always been a fierce advocate, leader, mentor, and friend for our TIL students. She used her passion to influence change in social services, health care, and educational opportunities available to them.
As TIL Director, Sandy supervised a team of 21 employees, most of them paraprofessionals. She not only inspired students and their families, but inspired TIL Program staff to achieve great outcomes.
Sandy kept an open-door policy with the students. She believed it was of the utmost importance to establish a trusting rapport with each student during the first weeks of class to ensure the likelihood of an easier transition for them. She particularly liked working with the parents through difficult situations involving their children. With the common denominator in discussions being their genuinely shared interest in the success of the students, many positive relationships with parents were established.
In addition to directing the Program, she instructed one or two classes each semester at 蜜桃影视, wrote part of the curriculum for TIL classes, and created a Disability Rights Booklet with methods for simulating disabilities. She introduced this information to fourth graders at Roosevelt Elementary School during 蜜桃影视 Disabilities Awareness Week and trained 蜜桃影视 student body leaders to conduct simulations on campus.
Sandy retired in 2013. She volunteers at the local NEEDS Program, is a member of the TIL Advisory Committee, and became a Board Member for ARC-Taft.
Linda West - Extraordinary Service
Linda West, a 1983 蜜桃影视 graduate, was keenly focused on elevating 蜜桃影视 and its service to students, and that mission became a guiding vision throughout almost 30-year career at the College, which began in 1984. In 1987, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges awarded her a Lifetime Instructor Credential in Computer and Related Technologies. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, Bakersfield in 1994.
At 蜜桃影视, Linda served as an Instructional Assistant while still taking classes for her Associate Degree. Following her graduation from 蜜桃影视, she became a Computer Systems Technician, while also stepping into the classroom as a 蜜桃影视 Computer Applications Instructor from 1984 until 1991. She served during an exciting period of dramatic expansion of computer use both for administration and in the classroom. Her overlapping roles supported the advancement of the College and students in technology, as well as serving in the role of Student Services Advisor and Matriculation/Articulation Specialist in 1989. She took the helm as Director of Financial Aid/Admissions in 1984 and served in that capacity for about five years. Following that, she became a fulltime faculty member.
Linda continued as Computer Science Instructor and Distance Learning Mentor, assisting many students to achieve their educational dreams through the successful use of Taft College鈥檚 online courses and live distance learning. She retired at the end of 2014 after providing extraordinary service to the College and its students.
1990 California State Championship Football Team - Outstanding Team Achievement
蜜桃影视 Cougar Football proved it was among the best community college programs in California. The outstanding 1990 California State Championship Football Team won the NorCal Football League, the Potato Bowl, and the California State Championship. Many players went on to play for NCAA Division I schools.
According to Jeff Evans, The Bakersfield Californian, November 1, 2014: 1990 Co-Head Coach Jeff Chudy credits Al Baldock for building a powerhouse program during 17 years with quality coaches and players recruited for speed and athleticism.
1990 Staff: Head Coach/Offense 鈥� Tom Harrell; Head Coach/Defense 鈥� Jeff Chudy; Offensive Line 鈥� Don Bandy; Inside Linebackers 鈥� Dan Meyer; Wide Receivers 鈥� Noah Curti; Defensive Line 鈥� Deryl Henderson; Outside Linebackers 鈥� Ken Van Sickel; Athletic Director 鈥� Al Baldock; Trainer 鈥� George Taussig; Equipment Technician 鈥� Jess Jimenez; Team Physician 鈥� Dr. John Bitzer; Sports Information Director 鈥� Dennis McCall.
1990 Roster: Chad Bell 鈥� LB, #46. David Boyle 鈥� LB, #51; Thomas Cale 鈥� DL, #55; Stanley Carmichael 鈥� QB, #12; Johnny Carter 鈥揇B, #21; Manson Clark 鈥� OL, #79; Dwayne Crenshaw 鈥� RB, #33; Arthur N. Davis 鈥� RB, #32; Arthur L. Davis 鈥� RB, #6; Montrell Degree 鈥� RB, #4; Aaron Durgin 鈥� LB, #45; Brian Durkan 鈥� OL, #64; Deatrick Forbes 鈥� DB, #20; Marcus Frazier 鈥� QB, #10; Sonny Gucake 鈥� DL, #77; Ryan Hopkins 鈥� WR, #22; Robert Jackson 鈥� DB, #14; Trotsky Johnson 鈥� DB, #28; Chad Jones 鈥� LB, #30; Orlando Jones 鈥� WR, #16; Terrance Lacount 鈥� OL, #74; Joe Laulu 鈥� DL, #92; Oliver London 鈥� LB, #44; Frank Mallia 鈥� DL, #96; Erskin Mason 鈥� LB, #53; Ricky Massey 鈥� DL, #91; Octavio Matamoros 鈥� OL, #50; Scott McLeod 鈥� WR, #82; John McNeil 鈥� LB, #81; Greg Mitchell 鈥� DL, #97; Richard Montgomery 鈥� OL, #67; Javan Paige 鈥� OL, #60; Sean Patterson 鈥� RB, #9; Fred Pemberton 鈥� OL, #52; Joe Randolph 鈥� WR, #25; Chad Stolp 鈥� DB, #26; Jeff Thomas 鈥� OL, #75; Todd Trevillian 鈥� DB, #18; Curtis White 鈥� DB, #17; Ron Williams 鈥� WR, #2; Andrew Willix 鈥� OL, #62.