New challenges

MOSES LAKE - Gail Hamburg finds her new job exciting and challenging.

Hamburg is the new vice president for financial and administrative services at Big Bend Community College. She replaces Ken Turner, who worked 14 years in his position and nearly 28 years at the college. He retired June 30.

"I'm extremely excited about the challenge and opportunity this position offers," Hamburg said. "I look forward to giving back to the college and the community at this new level."

Before joining Big Bend Community College more than eight years ago, Hamburg worked for Chief Moses Middle School as a teacher, and as a certified public accountant. At Big Bend Community College she was director of purchasing and special projects and most recently director of business services.

Hamburg is a 1967 graduate of Moses Lake High School. She earned two bachelor's degrees from Central Washington University and a master's in education administration from Heritage University.

At Big Bend Community College, Hamburg will budget and supervise the business office, food services, maintenance and operations, the bookstore, the technology department, facilities and security.

She said her biggest challenge in her position will be the college's funding level.

"It's going to be very lean," she said, adding the state provided no new funding for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Hamburg was involved the past year with overseeing the construction of the college's new fine arts building.

"The area I'm most interested in is capital projects," she said.

Hamburg enjoys working on projects from the ground-up, something the new fine arts building entailed.

"She was very involved with the art building, from the first stages," Public Information Officer Catherine Holestine said.

Capital projects require a patient individual like Hamburg, she added.

Hamburg hasn't always been in the role of administrator at Big Bend. She was once a student.

When her sons were 3 years old and 7 years old, Hamburg decided to take an accounting class at Big Bend. She always wanted to try accounting, but "it wasn't a typical path that women took."

After the first class, Hamburg continued on until she earned a transfer degree. Then she commuted to Central for her bachelor of arts degree.

The experience at Big Bend was so valuable to Hamburg, her sons both attended the school when they were older.

Holestine said Hamburg's focus as an employee at Big Bend has always been on students.