Upcoming CEPS Alumni Day to welcome four successful Wildcats

The College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS) will be hosting an Alumni Day on Thursday, April 10, welcoming four accomplished CWU graduates to the Ellensburg campus for a series of classroom visits and a networking opportunity.

The free networking session will be held from 4-5 p.m. in the Hogue Technology Building, and online registration is requested. Light refreshments will be provided.

During the networking session, students, faculty, staff, and alumni will have an opportunity to interact with four CEPS alumni, including Dr. Jess Clark, the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Bellevue College; Chelene Potvin-Bird, Complex Director of Sales and Marketing for Hilton Hotels Corporation; John Lockleer, Managing Director for JLock Consulting, LLC; and Kody Ergeson, Superintendent at Whiting-Turner Contracting Company.

Clark (’02) received her BA in secondary education and teaching from CWU and went on to earn a master’s in history and a doctorate in philosophy from North Dakota State University. She also holds a certificate in higher education administration from the University of Wyoming. Clark is a first-generation college graduate who is deeply committed to expanding access to higher education, fostering inclusive learning environments, and ensuring that academic programs align with community and industry needs.

Potvin-Bird (’99) earned her CWU degree is leisure services, with an emphasis on tourism and travel. She went on to earn an MBA in Executive Leadership from University of North Alabama and is in her third year of a doctoral program in organizational leadership and development at Grand Canyon University. She has worked in the travel and tourism industry for more than 30 years, finding success in different leadership and line-level capacities across a variety of industry sectors.

Lockleer (’86) holds a BS in manufacturing engineering and composites manufacturing and worked for The Boeing Company for 33 years. He has operated his own consulting firm in the Seattle area for the past five years, offering a variety of technical services in the aerospace industry, plus other sectors. He has nearly four decades of experience in aerospace, drone manufacturing, supply chain management, and industry leadership.

Ergeson (’18) is the fourth and final guest for the CEPS Alumni Day event. The Selah native earned his degree in construction management and started with Whiting-Turner Contracting Company the summer after graduation. He has worked on seven different projects since, including small tenant improvement projects to large data centers.

If you would like to learn more about the April 10 event, email Madison Thompson at Madison.thompson2@cwu.edu.