Spring Break
Priority re-evaluation prompts administrators retirement
Rosalynn Garcia
Issue date: 5/7/08 Section: Life
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Dr. Sandra Lindoerfer, director of human resources, served as the dean of human resources at Pasadena City College for seven years before being hired at Citrus College in November 2004. Her last day of service is expected to be June 30.
Lindoerfer said that she moved from PCC to Citrus because she wanted more responsibility, specifically with respect to negotiations of collective bargaining agreements.
She also serves as the district chief negotiator, the principal spokesperson for the Citrus College Board of Trustees in contract negotiations with the unions that represent full-time and adjunct faculty and classified employees.
Lindoerfer earned her bachelor of arts degree in mathematics at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y., and her juris doctor at UCLA.
After graduating from UCLA in 1977, Lindoerfer practiced law intermittently for almost 10 years. She credits her legal background for preparing her for a career in human resources.
As an attorney, she practiced labor and employment law, dealing primarily with public school employers.
"That's been my life's work, public education," she said. "There are many legal issues and concerns that arise in the course of human resources management today."
Lindoerfer grew up in Albany. After graduating from high school, she worked as a data processing clerk at a New York telephone company, a position that she said offered few opportunities for advancement.
In an effort to expand her career opportunities, Lindoerfer enrolled in night classes at the College of Saint Rose, a local women's college.
The daughter of a homemaker and an automobile mechanic for the U.S. postal service, neither of whom graduated high school, Lindoerfer had to work her own way through college.
Lindoerfer said that Sister Catherine Roberta, the director of admissions at the College of Saint Rose, explained her financial options, helped her apply for loans and got her a job on campus.
Sister Catherine Roberta also encouraged her to attend the college full-time, which she did. Lindoerfer became the first member of her immediate family to graduate from college.
In 1968, Lindoerfer moved from New York to California.
"California was a place that was very exciting to a person from a small town," she said.
As the director of human resources at Citrus College, Lindoerfer is responsible for helping to "recruit, hire, train, and retain the best and diverse employees we can have to make sure we are providing each student the best education they could have,""she said.
"I'm a pretty liberal person," Lindoerfer said. "I do believe that a functioning democracy needs a strong middle class of well-educated people, and the way you get that is by having excellent public education available to everybody."
Nicole Diaz, a criminal justice major who has worked in Lindoerfer's office for more than a year, said her boss is always appreciative of her staff and the hard work they do.
Diaz, 21, said that she will miss "her various stories about life, the trips she's taken, places she's been, and the things she's done."
In November 2007, a sudden death in her family prompted Lindoerfer to re-evaluate her life.
"It makes you rethink your priorities," Lindoerfer said. "My No. 1 priority as I retire is to suck all the juice out of life. That is what I intend to do."
Sandra Coon, human resources administrative assistant, said that she will remember Lindoerfer's positive attitude.
"She is always smiling," Coon said.
"I like the people here. The human resources staff in particular is a really great crew of people who work so hard and really put their hearts into what they do," Lindoerfer said. "And I love this campus; it's such a beautiful place to work."
After retirement, Lindoerfer plans to continue working part-time as an attorney in mediation and arbitration. She would also like to travel, do projects and laugh.
Her hobbies include reading mysteries set in historical time periods, gardening and hiking. One of her favorite activities is Geocaching, a treasure hunt-like activity using a GPS system in conjunction with a Web site that gives coordinates for specific hiking locations.
Her husband, Terri Lindoerfer, a respiratory therapist, will be retiring in another year. They plan to travel a lot, she said. The first trips on their list are to England and Italy.
"I'm gonna have a good time in whatever I do," she said.
Rosalynn Garcia can be reached atruntateer@hotmail.com
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