Get to Know the Newest Members of the W&L Community – 9/29/22 The following individuals recently joined the Washington and Lee employee workforce
Christine Chittum, General Services – Fieldside
Christine Chittum, General Services,FieldsideQ. Tell us a little about yourself. Education? Family? Any other “basics” you want to share?
I’m originally from Charlottesville, and I have a daughter and a son. My son is in Heaven. I love all animals.
Q. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/hidden talents?
I like to go camping.
Q. Anything you are looking forward to in particular at W&L?
Getting to know the people and the campus.
Zoe Garcia, Academic Administrative Assistant II – Philosophy
Zoe Garcia, Academic Administrative Assistant II, PhilosophyQ. Tell us a little about yourself. Education? Family? Any other “basics” you want to share?
I was born in Florida and raised in Chesterfield, Virginia. I went to Middlebury College in Vermont, so it’s safe to say that I’m an East Coast girl. I’m an only child and I have always wanted siblings!
Q. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/hidden talents?
Learning languages has been the passion that brought me through high school and college. I can speak Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and just a bit of French. I also enjoy yoga and painting.
Q. Anything you are looking forward to in particular at W&L?
Creating and growing a community of friends and colleagues, learning new perspectives, and speaking in various languages with them!
Will Garrett, Assistant Men’s Lacrosse Coach – Athletics
Will Garrett, Assistant Men’s Lacrosse CoachQ. Tell us a little about yourself. Education? Family? Any other “basics” you want to share?
My wife Elyse and I are moving to Lexington from Kansas City. I grew up in Northern Virginia and graduated from Washington and Lee in 2013.
Michael Hill, Electrical Supervisor – University Facilities
Michael Hill, Electrical Supervisor, University FacilitiesQ. Tell us a little about yourself. Education? Family? Any other “basics” you want to share?
I attended Virginia Western and received my electrical wiring certification and I also have a master’s electrical license. I have been married for 22 years and my wife’s family can trace their lineage back to Lexington in 1751. I have foster children, and my wife and I are trying to adopt. I am also a Marine Corps veteran.
Q. Best advice anyone has ever given you?
Never be ashamed to say “I don’t know.” Pretending to possess knowledge you do not have is dangerous for yourself and everyone around you.
Q. Anything else you want to share with the W&L community?
I’ve gone to George Washington’s other house in Barbados, where he lived in his early 20s. I own a bounce house business and a travel agency.
Taylor McCoy, Academic Administrative Assistant II – Mathematics
Taylor McCoy, Academic Administrative Assistant, Mathematics and Data ScienceQ. Tell us a little about yourself. Education? Family? Any other “basics” you want to share?
I am coming to Washington and Lee after a four-year career as a 911 Dispatcher for Rockbridge County. I know every corner of the county and give great directions! My husband and I have two children, a boy and a girl, who are attending the same schools I did as a child. We recently settled into our new home and are loving being so much closer to town and family.
Q. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/hidden talents?
I keep in touch with friends and enjoy getting together for dinner or game nights. I enjoy cooking as well as watching new movies, TV shows and true crime documentaries in my downtime.
Q. Best advice anyone has ever given you?
It may be cliché, but my parents always taught me that if you want something great you have to work hard for it. I put that mindset into everything I do. It’s helped me to be independent and gain more satisfaction from putting my all into any task.
Mike Minnick, Director of Operations and Maintenance – University Facilities
Mike Minnick, Director of Operations and Maintenance, University FacilitiesQ. Tell us a little about yourself. Education? Family? Any other “basics” you want to share?
I received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Old Dominion University and have been a facility manager for nearly 30 years. My wife’s name is Janet and we just celebrated our 30-year wedding anniversary. My daughter Jeanine lives in Cary, North Carolina and is a data analyst for Bandwidth.
Q. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/hidden talents?
I am chasing a challenge by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to catch a trophy fish of all 25 species of freshwater fish. Only one other person in the 50-year program history has completed it. I have 23 of the 25 fish so far. I was a hunter education instructor for 11 years and I am still certified as a bowhunter education instructor. I have been working with the fisheries department for the last two years.
Q. Any favorite Lexington/regional spots/activities (or something you are excited about)?
I am new to Lexington, but looking forward to the outside activities.
Brittany Norwood, Visiting Assistant Professor and Visiting Research Services Librarian – University Library
Brittany Norwood, Visiting Assistant Professor and Visiting Research Services LibrarianQ. Tell us a little about yourself. Education? Family? Any other “basics” you want to share?
I graduated from Washington and Lee in 2016, and then went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to receive my M.S.L.S.
Q. Any favorite Lexington/regional spots/activities (or something you are excited about)?
I’m looking forward to my favorite coffee in the world — Lexington Coffee Shop’s Crème Brûlée Latte.
Q. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/hidden talents?
I craft, which is sometimes relaxing and sometimes stressful. One of my hidden talents: I’ve recently discovered that I have a knack for interior design.
Jacqueline Painter, Associate Director of Gift Planning – Gift Planning
Jacqueline Painter, Associate Director of Gift Planning, University DevelopmentQ. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/hidden talents?
I enjoy working on our boutique farm where we are raising honeybees. I also enjoy riding my Harley Davidson, hiking, gardening, being outdoors in my garden or taking a long bicycle ride.
Q. Best advice anyone has ever given you?
No one can ever take your education away from you.
Q. Anything you are looking forward to in particular at W&L?
Learning about the university’s history.
Emily Perales, Administrative Assistant II – Admissions
Emily Perales, Administrative Assistant II, Admissions and Financial AidQ. Tell us a little about yourself. Education? Family? Any other “basics” you want to share?
I graduated from Cornell University with a major in psychology and a minor in music. After graduating, I did Teach For America in Denver, Colorado, where I taught preschool. I moved to Lexington last year with my husband, who is a law student at W&L.
Q. Any favorite Lexington/regional spots/activities (or something you are excited about)?
I love eating at Napa Thai and Heliotrope, catching a movie at Hull’s Drive-In and taking long walks on the Chessie Trail.
Q. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/hidden talents?
I love listening to and making music, solving crossword puzzles and cooking new recipes!
Jonathan Richardson, Pubic Safety Officer – Public Safety
Jonathan Richardson, Public Safety OfficerQ. Tell us a little about yourself. Education? Family? Any other “basics” you want to share?
I was born in Hartford, Connecticut and grew up in Maryland. I graduated from North County High School and then attended and graduated from the Shenandoah Criminal Justice Academy in 2011. I have been living in Lexington since 2008 with my wife and daughter.
Q. Any favorite Lexington/regional spots/activities (or something you are excited about)?
I like the football and basketball seasons in Lexington. Whether it’s W&L, VMI, or Rockbridge County High School, I definitely like to attend any of those games.
Q. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/ hidden talents?
I love going on vacation with my family, boating, fishing, watching movies, and just spending quality time with my friends and family.
You must be logged in to post a comment.