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Clifford Allenby

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A high-ranking state gubernatorial appointee across eight California administrations, Cliff Allenby (’59 Economics, Psychology) has also been a community activist for more than 20 years, including service to the Elk Grove Unified School District Governing Board. Allenby served a 23-year tenure with the California Department of Finance, where he rose to the position of deputy director and became the department’s top economic and tax advisor. He went on to work for then-Governor Jerry Brown in the same post, to which Gov. George Deukmejian named him again in 1983. Four years later, Deukmejian shifted Allenby to his Cabinet as Secretary of the Health and Welfare Agency, responsible for 11 departments and offices with more than 40,000 employees and budgets exceeding $28 million. Allenby took a break from state government in the early 1990s to work for the California Building Industry Association as senior staff vice president for governmental affairs. Late in 1997, Gov. Pete Wilson summoned him back to civic service to head the Department of Developmental Services, which he led for eight years. In succeeding years, Allenby became Gov. Gray Davis’s interim director of the Department of General Services and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s interim director of the Department of Social Services. Allenby stepped down in 2007 to chair the state’s Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board and helped to create the Health Insurance Plan of California and Aid to Infants and Mothers. An attempt at retirement didn’t last long: early in 2011, Allenby was named to his present post, acting director of the California Department of Mental Health, where he oversees 12,000 employees and an annual budget of $6.4 billion. The recipient of many awards over the years, including “Outstanding Public Administrator” from the American Society of Public Administrators, Allenby was honored again in mid-2012 by the society’s Sacramento chapter with the Ross Clayton Lifetime Distinguished Public Service Award for a career that has spanned half a century. Allenby and his late wife Sandy were both graduates of Eureka High School and high school sweethearts and they were married for 50 years. At the end of 2010, they set up the Cliff and Sandy Allenby Endowment to benefit Humboldt State University.

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Kaitlin Yarnall

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Gaining prominence in her field in a very short time, Kaitlin Yarnall has worked as Deputy Creative Director for National Geographic magazine since 2011. Her role includes managing a staff of 25 editors, production designers and specialists, and researchers for one of the world’s most prestigious publications. A summer internship with the magazine following her senior year at HSU opened the door for Yarnall’s career at National Geographic, which has included stints as Senior Research Editor for maps and Deputy Art Director. Yarnall has earned multiple awards, among them honors from the Society of News Design, the American Society of Magazine Editors and Society of Publications Design. She is a frequently sought after speaker on topics of cartographic and infographics design.In her current role, one of Yarnall’s most prominent projects is serving as editorial lead and National Geographic project manager for the 2014 series, “The Future of Food,” produced in partnership with the United Nations. In 2012, Yarnall was part of a team that profiled HSUForestry Professor Steve Sillett’s research on the world’s tallest trees. For a recent issue on the Titanic, she worked with film director James Cameron and engineers from the U.S. Navy to create an interactive map of the ship’s remains. Also in 2012, she combed through world population data to create a profile of the world’s most typical person.Kaitlin earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Geography and Spanish at Humboldt State, graduating summa cum laude in 2005. She continued her education at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., earning a Master of Arts in Geography in 2008. While at HSU, Yarnall studied abroad in Quito, Equador while pursuing her Spanish degree. “This time and program, which included working in a hospital, prepared me to travel and operate within the developing world,” Yarnall said. “This prepared me for field research in graduate school and also for much of the travel I’ve had to do with National Geographic.”

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Bruce Jackson

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Helping bring the private sector into the business of space travel, Bruce Jackson’s work as Vice President of Trade Controls and Export Strategy is critical to the future of Virgin Galactic, the world’s first space tourism company. Jackson’s primary responsibility is to work in unison with federal agencies to protect the use of sensitive technology developed in the private sector while still encouraging development and innovation. Known as an expert in international trade, Jackson previously served as Vice President of JP Morgan’s Trade Management Consulting Group. According to Jackson, his experiences at Humboldt State set his intended path in motion. “I knew going into college that I wanted to pursue a career with an international focus, and the opportunity to study abroad during my third year, and my time involved with Model UN while at Humboldt helped me prepare for that future,” Jackson said. Jackson has more than 29 years in the export compliance field, having worked both in the government and private sectors. He was also recently appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the department’s Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee (RPTAC) and is also the current chair of the Export Controls Subcommittee of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF). Prior to joining Virgin Galactic, Jackson was the Exports Practice Leader for J.P. Morgan’s Trade Management Consulting group in North America. J.P. Morgan acquired the software and consulting start-up Vastera Inc in 2005 where Jackson was also the Exports Practice Leader of the Trade Management Consulting Group. His clients included companies cutting across a wide range of industries, from Silicon Valley startups and “mom and pop” manufacturers of specialized industrial and aerospace components, to global 100 corporations. Earlier in his career, Jackson worked for ABB Asea Brown Boveri, the Swiss-Swedish electrical engineering giant. He was based in Mannheim, Germany, for 10 years, arriving three weeks after the Berlin Wall came down. He also worked as a consultant in the international trade practice group of a major Wall Street law firm. He began his career at the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Export Administration. Jackson graduated from HSU in 1984, earning a bachelor’s in Political Science. He has also studied at the Institute for East European Studies and the University of Uppsala, Sweden. Jackson resides in Las Cruces, N.M., with his wife and three children.

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James A. Freeman

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James Freeman has used his remarkable gifts for writing and teaching during a 36-year career that includes publishing 18 books of fiction and poetry, along with authoring several textbooks. In 2006, he earned the prestigious Philadelphia Inquirer Editor’s Choice Award for his book, Ishi’s Journey from the Center to the Edge of the World, a work of historical fiction chronicling the life of Ishi, believed to have been the last living Yahi Indian. In November 2013, Freeman published a book of poems titled Temporary Roses Dipped In Gold. Collaborating with Thomas Gage, HSU professor emeritus in English, he followed up that effort with the recently completed The Hyskos History of Biblical History, a book focused on debunking biblical myths and confirming ancient truths. Freeman’s time at HSU, he says, provided the ideal foundation for his career, offering a “practical bridge from academic learning and learning how to learn for a lifetime, to a sustainable career of meaningful life’s work.” An instructor at Bucks County Community College in Newton, Pa., since 1982, Freeman has taught classes ranging from children’s literature to brain physiology. He began his career in education as a lecturer at HSU, teaching English and serving as an instructor in the Upward Bound program from 1978 to 1981. He also taught at Southern Oregon University and Shasta College before taking the position at BCCC. Along with his teaching responsibilities, Freeman also participates in a variety of conferences and workshops, including the Silomar California Teachers of English annual seminar, the Philadelphia Writing Conference and the Two Year College Northeast Region annual conference. Freeman earned his Master of Arts in English from Humboldt State in 1980, with an emphasis on preparing college and high school teachers of writing.

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Staci Self

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Self earned her degree in Kinesiology in 2007. She was a star soccer player during her time at HSU, and quickly became an excellent handball following graduation. She is a member of the U.S. national women’s handball team, and is currently training with hopes of competing in the 2016 Olympics.After graduating from HSU, Self went on to earn a master’s degree in physical therapy from Cal State Long Beach. Soon thereafter, she took a volunteer position for a non-profit organization called Operation Rainbow. Through that group, she travelled to Ecuador to provide children with free orthopedic care, helping some of them to walk for the very first time.After graduation, Self also played semi-professional soccer for a short time. In late 2012, she was invited to try out for the National Handball Team, earning a spot on the roster a few months later. Her first international competition was the Pan American Championships held in the Dominican Republic.Today, Self is living and training with her teammates in Auburn, Alabama, also working as a physical therapist.

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Don Neubacher

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Neubacher earned his master’s degree in Resource Management from HSU in 1983, and has gone on to a highly successful, three-decade career with the National Park Service. He now holds one of most prestigious positions in the parks, serving as Superintendent of Yosemite National Park, a designated World Heritage site that attracts more than 4 million visitors each year.Neubacher’s first position with the National Parks was at Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. Other roles have included serving as Deputy General Manager and Planning Director for the Presidio of San Francisco transition project from 1992 to 1995.He was appointed Superintendent at Yosemite in 2010. In that role, he provides oversight of 1,100 employees and an $80 million budget. Among other work there, he has led development of a new management plan for hikers at Half Dome, helped finalize a long-studied plan for the Yosemite Valley, and managed multiple fire threats.

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R.W. Hicks

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R.W. Hicks arrived at HSU as a student-athlete in 1971, and brought recognition to the University for his prowess as a center on the football team. He was an NCAA All-American, and eventually played professionally for a short time on teams including the Detroit Lions. He was eventually inducted into the HSU Athletic Hall of Fame, and he remains a faithful supporter of the Lumberjacks.Hicks also left a lasting legacy at HSU by opening doors to higher education for students for more than two decades.After his time in the NFL, Hicks returned to HSU and completed his degree in Political Science in 1983. He then took a position as an assistant football coach on campus.A few years later, he assumed the role of director of the Student Academic Services Outreach Program and the federal Talent Search TRIO Program. The goal of the programs – then and now– was to help young people go to college, and to support the success of low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students.Hicks managed the programs for the next 20 years, helping thousands of 6th-grade through 12th-grade students get to college. He also helped HSU increase enrollment of students who were disadvantaged, and then mentored the students once they were on campus.During those years, Hicks saw the need for HSU to help low-income students visit the campus. He created the Preview Plus program, which to this day offers students an affordable opportunity to visit and explore the HSU campus.

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Lonny Grafman

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Along with being a notable alum, Grafman has also served as an instructor in the HSU Environmental Resources Engineering Department for the last decade.Grafman earned dual degrees from HSU in physical science and mathematics in 2004. He is known as an educator who combines strong values about sustainability with experiential learning.As part of his teaching, Grafman is director of Practivistas Dominicana, a Spanish immersion and appropriate technology study abroad program. In it, students work with local community members to identify needs and design solutions. One year, for example, they built a classroom in the Dominican Republic using plastic bottles.Grafman is also founder and president of Appropedia, a collaborative website focusing on sustainable projects. He is the CEO of Propelsion, a technology incubator in Humboldt County, an advisor to numerous design projects, and a board member of multiple nonprofit organizations.

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Burt Nordstrom

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Vice President of Administrative Affairs, HSU (Ret.)Humboldt State has been a part of Burt Nordstrom’s life since he was a kid.He remembers riding his bike to campus to play in the old field house, and occasionally to sneak into the gym for some pick-up basketball. He later chose Humboldt for college.Despite a tough start that included failing his first writing assignment as a freshman, he thrived as a student, got involved in campus life and student government, and earned his degree. He also enjoyed great success in football and baseball at HSU. He went on to play two years of minor league baseball, and in 1998 was inducted into the University’s Athletics Hall of Fame.But all of that was just the beginning. After graduating, he went to work with University Center, and ended up spending four decades in various roles at HSU. At UC, he eventually became executive director. Then in 2004, he was tapped to serve as HSU’s Vice President for Advancement, and he helped create HSU’s Advancement Foundation. After “retiring” he returned to serve as Vice President for Administrative Affairs, providing valuable leadership during the challenges of the recession and budget cuts to higher education.“I received an outstanding education, and had a great experience as a student,” Nordstrom says. “Then I was able to spend my career at HSU doing all the things I enjoyed, and at a place I care about. That is something I will always appreciate.”Nordstrom has had a hand in countless projects across campus – including the Rec Center, the clock tower, the Library Café, Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, College Creek Marketplace, numerous classroom upgrades, and significant expansion of the University Center. His focus, he says, always remained on improving the quality of the student experience. When he retired, the University Senate recognized him with a resolution that read in part: “HSU has been blessed to have a person of Burt’s caliber and dedication.”Always a fan of Lumberjack athletics, Nordstrom continues to volunteer as a radio commentator on the local ESPN affiliate during broadcasts of Lumberjack football games, a role he has relished for more than 25 years. He says he’s proud to give his time to a place that’s been such a big part of his life.

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Phillip C. Humphreys

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Dean of Students, El Camino College Compton CenterPhillip Humphreys is a tireless public servant whose mission is to expand access to education among minority groups that have found the road to college a hard one to travel. Since his first days as a student at HSU, he has been uplifting his peers and fellow students on campus. He served as a peer counselor with the Educational Opportunity Program, and was president of the Black Student Union. Humphreys was instrumental in helping HSU establish the Multi-Cultural Center for students on campus and ensured the University supported the center by having a paid director position.Today, Humphreys is the dean of student services at the El Camino College Compton Center, overseeing a variety of resources and programs to support students. He has more than 15 years of managerial experience in higher education, administering state and federal programs for students. He has devoted his career to developing, implementing, and managing student support programs for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students.Before joining ECC Compton Center, Humphreys was the director of the Upward Bound Program at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and prior to that, he served as director of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) also at CSULB. From 1997-2002, he was the assistant director of the Education Equity Services Program at CSULB. Humphreys also has social work experience with the Los Angeles Department of Children’s Services’ Youth Intervention Program where he served as an In-home Outreach Counselor.Humphreys earned an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne.