First-generation CWU alum has built a high-flying career at Boeing

Like many first-generation college students, Kevin Bremer didn’t know exactly what he was getting himself into when he enrolled at Central Washington University in the late 1980s.

He just knew that he wanted to do something different than his father, who owned an auto repair business and gas station in south King County.

“I saw how much my dad worked — seven days a week, 12 hours a day — and I knew I didn’t want to do that,” said Bremer, a 1991 electrical engineering graduate. “I was always interested in technology, and CWU had a pretty good name for itself. Plus, it was close to home, so I figured I would take a chance.”

As a first-gen college student, Bremer didn’t have anyone he could turn to for advice. His parents were supportive, but they simply couldn’t relate to the path he had chosen.

“I know from experience just how hard it is for first-gen students to get to college,” he said. “I had to figure out pretty much everything on my own, and it wasn’t easy. But CWU turned out to be the perfect fit for me.”

Once Bremer arrived in Ellensburg, it didn’t take long for him to develop a passion for electrical engineering. He needed a little longer than some of his classmates, but he eventually found a rhythm.

“I really enjoyed physics and math, so I decided to give electrical engineering a shot,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about it, and I struggled at first. But that made me challenge myself to figure it out. Things eventually clicked and I became a TA in one of the classes I had to retake.”

Bremer experienced what most CWU students and alumni say about their time at Central. He explained that the small class sizes and one-on-one attention from his instructors was exactly what he needed as a young adult.

“I learned so much from the faculty,” he said. “They made all of the difference for me. The small class sizes and personal approach ended up being what I needed to learn. The curriculum showed me I had what it took to be successful, and all of the courses I was exposed to at Central showed me the direction I wanted to go.”

Bremer spent the first five years of his career as a service manager for a field engineering company before moving over to Boeing in 1996. He rose through the ranks before becoming a manager in 2004.

Today, as the Executive Director, Chief Engineer of Electrical Design at Boeing, his team of 900 employees, across four continents, oversees and implements the electrical wiring systems in Boeing-manufactured commercial airplanes.

“We are directly responsible for the functionality of the planes’ electrical systems and applying the processes that go into creating them,” said Bremer, who stepped into his current role after serving as the 767/747 Systems Chief Engineer. “There are a lot of technical challenges in this industry, and our team has to make a lot of major decisions. But in all of my jobs here, I have always felt like I was up to the challenge thanks to the technical foundation I built at CWU. It’s something I have leaned on for my entire career.”

During his time on campus, Bremer added to his repertoire by taking finance and economics classes, helping him become more well-rounded on the business side. Learning how to manage big projects, mentor people, and present his work in a professional environment turned out to be invaluable skills for Bremer as he developed into a team leader at Boeing.

As someone who came up during the pre-internet era, he said he couldn’t have asked for anything more than what he experienced at CWU.

“Back then, before the internet or cellphones, you really had to go the extra mile to make connections,” Bremer said. “You had to build relationships with your professors and your classmates to be successful, and I learned all of that in college. The technical knowledge I gained was the most important thing, but I would say learning to work well with other people has been a close second.”

Even though it’s been more than three decades since Bremer graduated, he still believes in the value of giving back to his alma mater. He has served on the CWU Engineering department’s advisory board for 10 years, and he remains in close contact with Department Chair Greg Lyman and Associate Professor Lad Holden.

Bremer has also been working with the faculty on ways to help raise the program’s profile so more aspiring engineers like him can experience all that CWU has to offer.

“I want to help my old program in any way I can, and I would also like to help get more alumni engaged,” he said. “The more we can get Central’s name out there, the better.”

Last winter, Lyman brought Bremer and a group of other alumni to campus to speak to a group of students about how CWU influenced their careers. He’s hoping that gathering was only the beginning.

“I’m always open to doing things like that,” Bremer said. “It’s important for students to hear from people like us, and I’m willing to do whatever I can to help.”