Health and safety have been more important than ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our Executive Operations Coordinator Pam Bonner has gone above and beyond as our COVID response’s dedicated leader.
Pam began her role as our executive operations coordinator overseeing our facilities and safety teams in July 2019. Soon after, the world was turned upside down by COVID. Pam courageously took on the unknown and assumed responsibility for keeping our students and staff safe.
“During the early times of the pandemic, she single-handedly made sure we were okay,” recollects Pam’s supervisor, Chief Financial Officer Tim Witcher. “Every morning, she made stops at all the Bi-Marts and other stores to see if they had any of the sanitizers and wipes we needed to prevent the spread of the virus.”
Over the past two and a half years, Pam has stayed up to date on the constantly changing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Education to align our agency’s procedures with the latest information and advise our district partners on best practices. And, when teachers were given priority access to the vaccine when it first rolled out, Pam worked with local school district leaders and two other regional ESDs on the complex effort of vaccinating thousands of Clackamas County’s teachers and other school staff in a matter of weeks.
“The silver linings coming out of the pandemic are the collaborative work and relationships I’ve had the opportunity to build,” avows Pam. “And I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
Pam began working at Clackamas ESD in August 2012 as our board secretary. Clackamas ESD leadership recognized her excellent work and strong aptitude for logistics and promoted her to the newly created executive operations coordinator position in 2019.
Pam points out that operations, especially facilities and safety, is a traditionally male-dominated field, and she sees her career path as one that other women in support roles at Clackamas ESD could emulate.
“I am grateful for the opportunity. It’s completely in line with CESD’s ‘grow your own’ emphasis,” Pam shares. “As I grow into my position and develop the programs I am responsible for, I am helping pave the way for these women and develop other administrative support professionals’ interest in facilities, emergency management, safety and operations as career paths.”
Looking forward, Pam will begin convening a regional school safety advisory group in the 2022-23 school year that will provide another way for our local school districts to connect with each other regularly on safety matters.
“I’m very excited to create that conduit for our local districts to be able to connect with one another,” reports Pam.
Pam’s supervisor Tim describes Pam as a “rock” who has served with distinction in every area she’s worked in since joining the agency as board secretary in August 2012.
“She has found ways to make a difference,” Tim attests. “I’ve not met anybody more invested in where she works.”
