Updates
New President of SRJC Retirees and Friends
Thank you again to our previous President, Alan Wintermeyer who carried the responsibility for our group for such a long time. And aren't we lucky to have a great President followed by another? We are very pleased to announce that Curt Groninga will be stepping into the role. Thank you, Curt, for saying yes to the job! Curt started at SRJC in July 1982 as an Associate Dean and retired in July 2009 as Vice President/Assistant Superintendent. His primary responsibilities were campus planning and development of the Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Public Safety Training Center sites. His favorite facility was Bertolini Hall, and the most difficult project he undertook was the Zumwalt Parking Pavilion. Curt states that the best part of being at SRJC was the opportunity to be a supportive colleague and friend to all with whom he worked. "I spent 27 years at SRJC in the best job ever."
Also joining the SRJC Retirees and Friends team is Andre Siedentopf, who will be handling our Social Media and technology needs. Andre started at SRJC in July 2006, retiring in December 2025. He initially started working for Richie Abrahams in what was originally Academic Computing, but became Instructional Computing within the IT department. Andre was the primary support for most classroom and lab instructor station computers as well as computers in Dental, Nursing, Radiology, and testing centers and a few labs. In addition he took care of all the computers at the Shone Farm, PSTC, and Roseland sites. Andre states that his proudest moment was when one of his former student employees (Jacob Nichols) went into the Coast Guard then came back and became a full time employee, working his way up to the same position as him. Andre, thanks for joining our team and bringing your expertise along to help out!
Curt and Andre are joining a team of folks including Maria Gaitan as Treasurer, Linda Close as Secretary, and Michelle Poggi handling Communications.
Thank you, SRJC Foundation!
We are happy to report that the SRJC Retirees & Friends group is now formally under the SRJC Foundation. We are so happy to have our relationship with the college strengthened and affirmed in this way. This collaboration will be instrumental in supporting our group in an effort to keep SRJC retirees connected to the college and with each other.
Fun Tour!
A great group of folks were in attendance at the tour of Lindley Center for STEM Education and Polly Hall on July 30th. We were warmly welcomed by Noah (SRJC Foundation) who did much of the behind the scenes work for the event. (Thank you, Noah and the Foundation team!) The food was delicious, and tours were very informative. It was wonderful to see the newest buildings on the Santa Rosa campus and feel that vibe of student-centered work being done. Enjoy the photos and hope you can join us at upcoming events as you are able.
Back in the Day
One of my favorite parts of sending out the newsletter is that I get some replies that really fill my cup. It warms my heart to hear from you and especially to hear your stories. One such story came to me after the June newsletter and with permission I am able to share it with you all. If you have a story to tell (keep it positive, people!) I would be more than happy to share it as well...memories from back in the day are made to share! Keep reading to see if you recognize any familiar names.
From Carol Underhill:
"Hello, my sister, Arlene Greenamyre worked as secretary of Physical Education at SRJC for many years under Bob Mastin and other AD’s after he retired. She passed away in late March 2026. She was 91. I taught as an adjunct professor at SRJC in late 1960’s and early 1970’s. I taught under Bob Mastin in the Physical Education Department." "I moved later to Fresno where I taught PE at Fresno City College for 25 years. I am 88 and wish I could be in your group." "We were so much a part of SRJC (especially sports) and loved teaching there." "I don’t recall the year my sister retired but think she was PE secretary for 35 years. Was fun when I was a teacher there and she was my secretary and I got to dash into her office and visit for a moment."
Thank you for reaching out, Carol! It is wonderful to hear from you and welcome you into our SRJC Retirees and Friends group. I can certainly relate to the fun of working with your sister as I did the same with mine. May peace be with you in the loss of your sister, Arlene.
Life Happenings
Remember "We Tip Our Hats" from the employee newsletter back in the 90's? We'll use this space to offer voluntary life updates within our retiree community so we can share your news! New grandbabies, a fun adventure, a book you've written during retirement, a milestone birthday, all the things...even if times are hard, please share if you feel comfortable doing so. This is a simple way to strengthen our bonds, community spirit and to support each other. Please send your news for the Retirees & Friends version of "We Tip Our Hats" to Michelle Poggi at mpoggi1661@gmail.com and we'll add it to the next newsletter.
Warmly Remembering...
It is with sadness that we share the news of fellow SRJC retirees:
Sally Heath was a faculty member in the Physics department from 1967 until her retirement in 2002; she passed away on August 2, 2026. In addition to giving her students an excellent foundation in physics, Sally was also instrumental in getting middle school girls interested in math and science by helping develop the Expanding Your Horizons program. Below is the link to the full obituary in the Press Democrat: Sally Heath Obituary
Arlene Greenamyre worked as secretary of Physical Education at SRJC for 35 years. She passed away in March 2026 at the age of 91.
We send our condolences to the families of these cherished colleagues and friends.
Ways to Connect
Coffee Meet-up
Our next monthly coffee meet up will be Friday, September 4th
9-11am (no-host, come anytime, stay as long as you want)
Central Coffee, 1229 N Dutton Avenue, Santa Rosa (plenty of seating and parking)
We had a small turn out for our August meet-up, but were surprised to have Bob and Kim Agrella join us! So glad to see everyone...and no matter the number of folks gathering, it feels so wonderful to be in touch. I left feeling energized and connected! Did you know feeling connected is good for your health? So, get healthier and mark your calendars for the first Friday of each month. You'll be amongst a great group of folks who love this college and the relationships we've curated over decades of working hard and supporting students.
New! SRJC Retirees & Friends would like to organize a monthly coffee get-together in Petaluma. If interested please contact Curt Groninga at 707-481-4209 (cell/text). We'll be sure to announce a Petaluma gathering in upcoming newsletters as well.
Annual President's Address to the Community
Reminder to get your tickets and please join us for Superintendent/President Dr. Angélica Garcia's annual President's Address to the Community. At this event, Dr. Garcia will share important information about our college and community, as well as honor the 2026 President's Medallion Recipient, the Welfare League. The event is different now...no more expensive luncheon tickets; individual tickets are just $30. Based on recent experience, you'll enjoy (delicious) finger foods and beverages on the lawn near Burbank Auditorium, then gather in Burbank Auditorium for Dr. Garcia's remarks. Mark your calendars and get your tickets soon.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
2 pm Reception | 3:30 pm Address
Burbank Auditorium - Santa Rosa campus
Upcoming Opportunities to Gather
Theatre Performances
EMILIA
Emilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm is a passionate, feminist reimagining of the life of 17th-century poet and musician Emilia Bassano. The play, performed by an all-female cast, delves into her journey from a privileged childhood, to becoming a trailblazing poet, and a woman fighting for her say in a male-dominated world.
By Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Directed by Emily Hansen
Evenings at 7:30pm: Oct 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10
Matinees at 2:00pm: Oct 4, 11
Shone Farm Fall Festival - Save the date!
Saturday, October 10th
Athletics
Plan a date with friends and meet up!
Sonoma County Fun
Maury Lapp Art Exhibition
Hurry! Ends August 24th!
An exhibition marking the 101st anniversary of Maury Lapp’s birth, opened recently at Corrick’s Stationery, Gallery and Gifts in downtown Santa Rosa. Maury was an art faculty member at SRJC from 1956 until his retirement in 1991. He continued teaching part time for several years. Maury passed in 2014.
Read more in this Press Democrat article
Summer Nights on the Green
Thursdays 6 – 8pm, through 8/27/2026
Town Green, Windsor
Friday Night Live in Cloverdale
Fridays 7 – 9:30pm, through 9/4/2026
Downtown Cloverdale Plaza, Cloverdale
Peacetown Summer Series
Wednesdays 5 – 8:30PM, through 9/9/2026
Ives Park, Sebastopol
Sonoma Sundays on the Plaza
Sundays 2 – 5pm, through 10/4/2026
Sonoma Plaza Amphitheater, Sonoma
General Info
SRJC News
There are several web pages that provide great updates on what's happening at SRJC year-round. Take a look!
News Center
Keep on Learning
Older Adult classes (now called Lifelong Learning) because we are all a bit older now, right?
SRJC Lifelong Learning | Lifelong Learning
Share this email with other retirees
Did you know that we have over 400 folks on our mailing list? While that seems like a decent number, we know our email contacts continue to need updating. In order to send out information to as many retirees as possible, please share this email with other retirees you know so we can get them on the contact list.
Newsletter input requested
As always, if you have ideas for the updates, feel free to make suggestions. It's tough coming up with content, so we LOVE getting ideas! We'll take your recommendations into consideration whenever possible...keeping in mind that we're all volunteers here. :) Please send your suggestions to Michelle Poggi at mpoggi1661@gmail.com.
As we head into the end of August and beyond, may you enjoy the upcoming autumn season...I'm finally starting to feel like I can enjoy this time of year again. It hasn't always been lovely at this time of year as you all remember, so please continue to be mindful of wildfire threats around us. I imagine that Watch Duty is already used by many/most of you, but if not, it is a helpful (and free) app that provides time sensitive information and updates on wildfire activity locally (and not so local.)
Happy almost autumn!