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Miller retires after 24 years with Board of Regents by Kati Walker, Staff Writer After nearly a quarter of a decade, Charlie Miller recently left mouths agape when he made the announcement that he will not be returning to South Plains College’s Board of Regents. Miller was appointed to the Board in February 1988. He was elected secretary of the Board in May 1990. He graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering. He worked as an engineer for Amoco for 32 years before being elected to the Board of Regents at SPC. While serving as the district manager of Amoco’s Levelland and Slaughter fields from 1977 through 1987, he worked with SPC in developing oilfield training programs. These programs led to the establishment of the college’s petroleum technology program. “I feel the class served its job, especially at the time,” Miller said. “The companies would just take anybody off the street and expect them to learn on site. But instead, now these young people had some sort of idea what they were getting into.” Within the oil field industry, he served as chairman of the West Texas Oil Information Committee with the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association and the chairman of the South Plains chapter of the American Institute of Mining, Meallurgy and Petroleum Engineers. He is a past chairman of the local American Heart Association, past member of the Levelland Chamber of Commerce and is currently the scholarship chairman of the South Plains chapter of the American Petroleum Institute. He has also held numerous leadership roles at First United Methodist Church in Levelland. Miller notes that there are several things that have changed about the college, all for the better, during his tenure on the Board of Regents. “We’ve grown in number, in our locations and in our stature,” Miller said. Miller is especially proud of how the college’s status has risen during the past 24 years. “A student who graduates from SPC is competent to continue on and do well at any four-year university, or in any trades field he or she has trained for,” said Miller. Though Miller is happy with the changes that have taken place at the college during his time on the Board, he is also proud of the things that have stayed the same. “Class sizes are still small, and they will always be small,” Miller said. “At larger schools, there will be some 800 students in an auditorium classroom, and it will be taught by a teaching assistant.” He began his time as a Regent under the direction of SPC President Dr. Marvin Baker, who served the college for 33 years. However, Miller says that he trusts SPC’s current President Dr. Kelvin Sharp. “Dr. Sharp has really had an impact on the college,” Miller said. “He’s interactive, and he sees the needs of the students and faculty. He also does well at keeping good relationships with other colleges and universities.” Dr. Sharp says that the Board is losing a vital member with Miller’s departure, and that Miller will be greatly missed. “Mr. Miller played a vital role on the Board in my seven years. I appreciated his input and his judgment,” Dr. Sharp said. “He was also just a general good representative of the Levelland community.” Miller says that he believes the college will continue to grow and be successful. He hopes that with the new dorm, SPC will continue to see the need and build dorms as necessary. He says that it likely will not be easy for him to get used to not being apart of the Board of Regents, but he will always support the college in any way possible. “I’ll still be in contact,” Miller said. “I hope we have as good of a basketball team next year. But even if we don’t, I plan on making it to all the games.” While he is relaxing by the pool, or playing golf on a sunny afternoon, there will be many memories that cross his mind from his time spent at SPC. “I’m going to miss the camaraderie and the enthusiasm of the students and the staff and the administration,” Miller said. “I’m mostly going to miss the students, though, because that’s what this is really all about.” After serving on half a dozen boards, Miller says that he will also miss the satisfaction of doing something for a greater good. “I’m going to miss the involvement,” Miller said, “the feeling that I’m doing something worthwhile.” Mike Box, chairman of the SPC Board of Regents, said he was actually surprised when Mr. Miller announced his retirement. “He was on the board for a long time, and we have enjoyed him and the wonderful job that he has done for the college,” Box said. “He’s a great supporter of the college, and we couldn’t ask for a better Board member.” As a member of the Board, Miller could always be trusted, according to Box. “He’s always been one of the most dependable members,” Box said. “I don’t even think he’s missed a meeting, and if he has, it might have been one.” Box also noted Miller’s involvement with the American Petroleum Institute as the scholarship chairman. “He’s been a big voice in that area,” Box said. “And just because he’s no longer on the Board, he’s not going to quit us. He’ll still be out there working for us, but we’re going to miss him at our meetings and things.” Miller and his wife, Jean, are moving to Lubbock to live at Carillon. He says that it doesn’t feel like home yet. But, in time, it might come close to his home at SPC. However, Miller is ready for his only responsibility to be relaxing. “All I’m going to be doing is relaxing and taking it easy,” Miller said.
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Grimes looks forward to retirement following lengthy career at SPC by MiReyna Reyes, Staff Writer When most people choose a career field, they rarely get the chance to start over and pursue something new. One man at South Plains College is the exception, having had the opportunity to experience different occupations throughout his lifetime. Darrell Grimes, vice president for academic affairs, announced recently that he will be retiring on June 30. As vice president, Grimes has been responsible for overseeing faculty at all SPC campuses, as well as supervising the creation of curriculum and degrees that students pursue. Grimes says that he believes SPC is a great starting place for students. “We offer smaller classes, and as far as building a foundation, we have the best,” says Grimes. “We have faculty that only have to concentrate on being good teachers.” Born in California, a young Grimes moved to a farm in Eastern New Mexico with his family. Both parents worked for an aircraft company during World War II. Grimes’ mother quickly discovered allergies would not allow her to remain on the farm for very long, and so his father traded their new home for a roller skating rink in Clovis, New Mexico. “I was about 5 years old,” says Grimes, “and had never seen roller skates before. My parents drive us into town to this big building and put skates on my brother, my sister, and me. They let us skate around and asked us how we liked it. Then they said it was ours.” After graduating from Clovis High School, Grimes attended Eastern New Mexico University. He was drafted into the military during the Vietnam War, and instead he chose to join the Navy and did not get deployed overseas. It was during this time period that he met his wife on a Greyhound bus and was soon married. Grimes was stationed in Hawaii during his enlistment in the Navy. After the military, he lived in Los Angeles, where his wife was originally from, before deciding to return to New Mexico. It was there that Grimes began a job at a computer company. Grimes said that he was getting bored with his career, and that he needed a change. “I spoke to the dean from Eastern, and told him I wanted to try something different,” says Grimes, “He told me he thought I would be a good teacher and told me he knew of an opening.” Grimes’ 37-year career at SPC first began in 1975, when he was hired as a business instructor. He taught for three years before becoming the dean of students. Grimes says that he set a school record, having the longest run as dean of students at a total of 16 years. He was in charge of dormitories, campus police, and enforcing disciplinary action. “That was a wild and crazy job,” explains Grimes, “especially because students do crazy things, especially after hours.” After his role as dean of students, Grimes returned to teaching, this time as a computer instructor at SPC. A former campus president took one of his classes and offered Grimes the position of dean of arts and sciences. When Dr. Kelvin Sharp became the president at SPC, he asked Grimes to become the vice president for academic affairs. “Sharp is the perfect last boss,” says Grimes. Grimes graduated from Eastern New Mexico University twice. The first time he received a bachelor’s degree in computers. After he left the Navy, he returned to the university and earned a master’s degree in marketing and management. He has been married for more than 40 years, and says that he plans on spending his time after retirement having fun. “I have lots of hobbies,” says Grimes. “I like to snow ski and go scuba diving.” Also in his free time, Grimes has taken up the electric guitar, and says that he hopes to improve his playing skills. He has also restored several antique cars, and says that he may restore another during retirement. Throughout the years, Grimes has also remained a computer consultant, and will maintain the side job. “In a lot of ways, I don’t feel like I deserve to be where I am,” explains Grimes, “but that’s the way it happened.” He says that SPC is the best last job to finish his career. “My story is a simple one,” Grimes says. “My career has never been planned. It has been like a pinball machine. But they have all been good things, all interesting changes.”
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