Cox, Terry

Terry Cox, Workforce Education Director

Hi!  Welcome to WCC.  My job entails working with our professional/technical programs - helping with program development, assisting with recruiting, writing and administering grants, new program development, and program review.  I also work with local businesses who want to see particular programs developed or changed - for example, we are working with the local hospital, St. Joseph's, to develop a Health Unit Coordinator certificate. 

My background is varied - I worked in restaurants and restaurant management for about 20 years, and I took care of a gift shop - buying, displaying, inventorying. I did a lot of training and development of staff, even writing some training manuals.   I worked for a short time in retail management.  I created and sold a line of greeting cards.   And then I decided I wanted to work in education - because when you teach someone, you give them something that no one can take from them.  I like to think we are in the business of changing lives.  I have been working in community colleges since 2001, starting at Centralia College, both teaching and in administration.   I came to Whatcom in 2005, and have fallen in love with both "the Whatcom Way" and Bellingham.

My educational background is varied as well - I am the product of a community college, earning my AA degree from Centralia in 1986, and a BA in Economics from St Martin's University.  My last semester of undergraduate work was spent in Washington D.C., as part of the Washington Semester Program - a great honor for a girl from Mossyrock High School!  More recently, I earned my MBA from WSU and am currently (in 2008) working toward my Ed.D at UW.  Whew!  That's a lot of initials.