Gale Lebsock, Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, retired at the end of September. Lebsock's understanding of the district's accounting and budgeting processes have proven invaluable to Cerro Coso over the year.

Known to have one of the best memories on campus, she has served in many positions during her distinguished career at the college including: Clerk Typist, Payroll Clerk, Accounting Technician, Business/Personnel Assistant, Accounting Supervisor, Assistant Director of Business Services, Director of Business Services, Director of Administrative Services, Director of Finance and Administrative Services, before being promoted to Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services. In addition to budgeting and financial analysis, food service, mail room, maintenance and operations, and college facilities united under her leadership.

She joined Cerro Coso in 1979 and saw many changes in her 37 year career working under seven college presidents. While the core of her work remained the same, other things have changed. Lebsock remembers a time when there were no computers on the desks, entries were made manually with calculators, paper ledgers, and pencils, and calculation errors meant long hours of tedious work. Today's new technologies have lowered the margin for errors, mistakes are often easier to find and correct, and the job gets done much faster. The campus, too, has changed immensely in that time, from a single building on the hill to what now serves as a comprehensive campus including Occupational Labs, East Classroom Wing, Child Development Center, Gymnasium, Athletic Fields, Learning Resource Center, and the facilities in Bishop and Mammoth Lakes. Lebsock worked through the infamous asbestos closure of the main building in January of 1988 to its current closure for remodel. She watched the college expand its services into Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, Kern River Valley, and Tehachapi. Named Classified Senate Staff Member of the Year in 2002, Lebsock is also a 1982 alum of college.

“I want to thank President Board and every member of the CCCC community for the support and friendship I have received during my time with the college,” Lebsock expressed. “It has been so rewarding to help grow this institution to the powerhouse it is today. I also want to thank the devoted staff from the Business and Administrative Services. They are the silent heroes that make this institution run so seamlessly.”

To mark her retirement, Lebsock spent her last day hosting the College Star Party alongside fellow administrators, faculty, and staff for more than 300 community members.

Retirement will bring many changes for Lebsock, moving from office to home, from keeping hours to keeping busy having fun. No more Mondays, weekdays are the new weekends, and she is now free to spend as much time as she wants with her family, three grandchildren, and husband Hank.

Cerro Coso thanks Gale for her many years of dedicated service. We will miss her and wish her all the best in retirement.