Wednesday, July 23, 2008

My preparation for teaching

I started college at the University of California, and earned my undergraduate degree in Chemistry, with a Math minor, from the University of New Mexico. I worked at Tektronix, Inc. as a process engineer and manufacturing engineering manager making printed circuit boards, and designing and starting up a new factory using the hottest manufacturing and management methods: just in time, self-managed work teams, supply chain partnerships, and statistical process control. I studied business in post-baccalaureate courses at Portland State University.



As production manager at Spectra-Physics Laser Systems Division, I led the implementation of just-in-time and lean manufaturing practices in the assembly of laser bar code scanners for supermarkets. I went to work for their largest customer, Point of Sale Data Systems, Inc. and led their operations in growing from 15 employees to 76 as we provided service and new scanners to Kmart.

I started my MBA studies at Pacific Lutheran University while serving as POSdata's Director of Engineering and earned my degree while leading the operations of the Bremerton Electronic Commerce Resource Center as an employee of the Economic Development Council of Kitsap County. The ECRC provided training and technical support to small businesses who were being required by the Department of Defense to move their bidding and billing activities off of paper and onto electronic commerce.

I led the Bremerton operations of Concurrent Technologies Corporation and eventually transitioned to an assignment as deputy program manager for Supply Chain management. Most recently, I managed projects and contracts supporting the United States Marine Corps, providing them with a rapid-development, globally deployed ground equipment readiness reporting tool.

I completed Western Governors University's teacher preparation program and am continuing toward a Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary Mathematics (5-12). Bremerton High School hosted me for demonstration teaching in the Fall of 2007 , and hired me to teach struggling freshmen and seniors in January 2008.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Abigail: WOW you are quite the blogger! This is my first introduction (I must be quite the dinosaur) so thanks!

On my initial read of the first section, I wonder if you might want to lead the blog with the first paragraph from section 2? This introduces the move from private sector to teaching..just a thought...?