#98. Dr. Keith Flamer: College of the Redwoods President, a Community, and the Power Of Service

Scott Hammond: Ladies and gentlemen, friends and neighbors, it's me, Scott Hammond, with the 100% Humboldt Podcast, and my amazing producer, Nick Flores.

Scott Hammond: But more importantly, my new best friend, Dr. Keith Flamer. Hey, Keith.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Hey, Scott. How are you?

Scott Hammond: I'm doing good. I was gonna ask what your, what's your deal, but we already joked

Scott Hammond: about that.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And I would say, I don't know, complex question.

Scott Hammond: Deep-

Dr. Keith Flamer: What, what's your deal for asking me what my deal is?

Scott Hammond: What's your… Yeah, what's the deal behind that deal? Tell- so what's your day job? Tell us, introduce us to your, uh, your career, what y- what you're about.

Scott Hammond: Uh-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh

Scott Hammond: … I noticed that you had the CR, uh-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I'm, I'm sporting my CR softball.

Scott Hammond: Oh, CR, College of the Redwoods.

Dr. Keith Flamer: College of the Redwoods. So what's my day job? Actually, the better question is, what's my day job, my nighttime job, my-

Scott Hammond: Weekend

Dr. Keith Flamer: … my, my, my, my, my weekend job.

Scott Hammond: What- what's all that? What's your, what's that deal?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I have the opportunity of serving as the president CEO of College of the Redwoods.

Scott Hammond: That's awesome.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So it's my 24/7 job.

Scott Hammond: I like it, the opportunity.

Dr. Keith Flamer: That… Hey, you know what? Some- someone asked me, how do I like my job? I said, "I don't."

Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I love my job.

Scott Hammond: Woo-hoo.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Best job that I've ever had in the world.

Scott Hammond: That's good. I like that.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Best job.

Scott Hammond: Best job in the world, that was from a movie line that I'll come back to in a

Scott Hammond: minute. Um, oh, that was from Fury with, um, with, um, uh, Matt, not N- Matt Damon. Who's the good-looking actor that looks like Redford?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Brad Pitt.

Scott Hammond: It's Pitt, yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Brad Pitt.

Scott Hammond: That was-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Great movie

Scott Hammond: … great movie. They-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Great m-

Scott Hammond: They go, "Best job in the world."

Dr. Keith Flamer: Great… Best job in the world.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, they all were tank men.

Dr. Keith Flamer: This was, was, was, was being a tanker.

Scott Hammond: Tough.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I don't know about being a tanker, though.

Scott Hammond: Tough, tough, tough guys. So, uh, tell us the Keith story. So where were you, where are you from? Where do you hail from, and how'd you get to CR?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Long. Wow. I g- I guess I got to CR on a very meandering route, actually. I moved here from Chicago about 20 years ago.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I moved here from, from Chi-Town, but-

Scott Hammond: Chi- like South Side, or?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Actually, it was the west side of, of Chicago.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I w- I worked in higher ed there.

Scott Hammond: How far f- west of the Drake Hotel and Cubs Wrigley Field is

Scott Hammond: that?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Significantly.

Scott Hammond: Is, is that far west f- even of-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah, yeah

Scott Hammond: … of Wrig- of Wrigley?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Very far from Wrigley.

Scott Hammond: But Wrigley is west of downtown-

Dr. Keith Flamer: It is

Scott Hammond: … right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: It is.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: My friend David and I landed there, and, uh, we were at a conference.

Scott Hammond: He goes, "Throw all the crap on the bed." He goes, "You wanna go to a Cubs game?" I go, "Can we do…" He goes, "Yeah."

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, it's, it's terrific.

Scott Hammond: He's from New York. He got on the, we got on the El in Chicago, and we were-

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's a great time

Scott Hammond: … third base line, had a great… What a, what a grubby place it was that day.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It still is.

Scott Hammond: Pretty dirty.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But yes, but I'll tell you what. I was there, and I-

Scott Hammond: What fun

Dr. Keith Flamer: … but I, I took, took my daughter on the train with me.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: She goes, "Oh my God, Dad, this is great. Can we do this every weekend?" I said, "Sure."

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So every weekend, we'd hop the train, and off we'd go.

Scott Hammond: Nice. And just go to a Cubs game?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, actually, she, she just loved going downtown to-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … shop or eat or just see people.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It was terrific.

Scott Hammond: Downtown's terrific.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I enjoy it. I love it.

Scott Hammond: Went to the steakhouse that had those, the big steaks, and then, then the old gentleman waiters. I don't know what the pla- It was- … it's some, some marquee place that's well-known.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. That's great.

Scott Hammond: It was Ma- Magic, Magic Meat.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh.

Scott Hammond: It was so good.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Man.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, they, they really-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Some, some, some days I miss it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Except in winters. I don't miss winters-

Scott Hammond: Forget about it

Dr. Keith Flamer: … and summers.

Scott Hammond: So I'm from Little Chicago, which is Sioux City, Iowa.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I've never heard of that.

Scott Hammond: It got called that because all-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Why is that?

Scott Hammond: … all the gangsters came down in the '20s and '30s when the heat was

Scott Hammond: on.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Sioux City.

Scott Hammond: And they'd come down to Sioux City to the stockyards, and I don't know what they, what they would do in Sioux City, but it was their getaway.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I had never heard that story.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Never have I heard that.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. It may be true.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Or Or maybe it's not.

Scott Hammond: Let- let's check AI. Maybe she'll know.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Mayb- maybe it's not true, but-

Scott Hammond: So did you go to school-

Dr. Keith Flamer: … it's a great story

Scott Hammond: … school in Chicago?

Dr. Keith Flamer: No, I just worked there.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I went to school in Washington State.

Scott Hammond: Oh, cool.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Eastern Washington and then the famous Gonzaga University.

Scott Hammond: Gonzaga's cool, man.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Gonzaga's the best school.

Scott Hammond: The Zags.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, I still give them money.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I think we talked about that briefly maybe. He, uh… Quite a basketball program.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Actually, it started to get very good when I was there, but now-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … it's fantastic.

Scott Hammond: It's D1 all the way, right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: All the way.

Scott Hammond: Will they be, will they be good this y- Well, they're good every year, right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: W- well, actually, they're good ev- everywhere, but the question is, will they make the f- the, the Final Four?

Scott Hammond: Right. Right.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And I bet on them every year.

Scott Hammond: They always, they're always the, somewhere in there.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I… It's a great, great school.

Scott Hammond: Is it a Catholic school?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Jesuit, but yes.

Scott Hammond: Jesuit.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Jesuits are, qualify as Catholics, I think.

Dr. Keith Flamer: They are now, but when I went there, there was a separation.

Scott Hammond: Really?

Dr. Keith Flamer: But now they are very much Catholic.

Scott Hammond: 'Cause they're a little bit ra- more radical Catholics.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Ye- uh, which is why I went there. I love those fathers. Oh my gosh, they were-

Scott Hammond: Are they cool guys?

Dr. Keith Flamer: They were radical guys.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah, very much.

Scott Hammond: It's funny, Nezzy Wade was my last guest.

Scott Hammond: She's a-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I know Nezzy, yeah

Scott Hammond: … Nezzy's a homeless advocate.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yes.

Scott Hammond: And she went to Jesuit school down in Bakersfield.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I didn't know that about her.

Scott Hammond: And, um, just loved, loved what they taught and loved people and, you know, for the least of these, she's went out and taking care of them.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I learned a lot from, from those guys.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. That's cool.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And the nuns, by the way. Um, learned-

Scott Hammond: Nuns there too

Dr. Keith Flamer: … learned a lot from the nuns.

Scott Hammond: How big is Gonzaga?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I don't know anymore, actually.

Scott Hammond: Must be-

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's been almost 30 years since I've been there, 25 years

Scott Hammond: … it's a good size school now, I would guess.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It is, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Huh. Sp- and that's in Spokane, right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Spokane, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. They got a dec- We went to a hockey game there once.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, did you really? I've been, uh, I've been to one of those twice, yeah.

Scott Hammond: That's the joke, eh. We went to a fight, and a hockey game broke out.

Dr. Keith Flamer: You know what? That's the only part of hockey I understand.

Scott Hammond: Oh, that's great.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's the fighting.

Scott Hammond: Oh, San Diego Gulls, man. The Gulls used to have a team-

Scott Hammond: … and when I was a kid growing up in San Diego, and they, um, uh, you know, every five minutes there's like, there's equipment and fighting and like a melee, and it's like-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I love it

Scott Hammond: … "This is great. This is better than roller derby."

Dr. Keith Flamer: Actually, I love roller derby too.

Scott Hammond: Roller derby. Do you go to the ones at CR?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I do, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Cool.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. The one at R- Redwood Acres.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. I'm sorry, CR Redwood Acres.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Actually, I have some CR people that actually participate.

Scott Hammond: Oh, is that right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I do. It's wonderful to watch.

Scott Hammond: It, is it all women, or is it-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yep

Scott Hammond: … there's no men team?

Dr. Keith Flamer: No

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Dr. Keith Flamer: I have not seen one, no

Scott Hammond: We used to be the LAT Birds

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, come on

Scott Hammond: Down in San Diego. They'd come and they'd go against the San Francisco Bay Bombers. And who else? There was a Phoenix team maybe and somebody-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I love watching it

Scott Hammond: … else. And it was just, it was, uh, WWF before there was one.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Ah, I love that.

Scott Hammond: On skates.

Dr. Keith Flamer: On skates.

Scott Hammond: Oh, dude. They were-

Dr. Keith Flamer: It was fanta- I love watching them and I take-

Scott Hammond: They got it done, man

Dr. Keith Flamer: … and I, and I take my granddaughters

Scott Hammond: The coach would have-

Dr. Keith Flamer: They love it

Scott Hammond: … the coach would have a, uh, like a briefcase.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And he would just like, "Here it comes." He's just … And there's nothing in it, it's probably air. And he's just like pounding on the opposition team. Just every time they'd go by, he would just get- And then he'd get it and then, and then they'd all get in trouble, and then there'd be another melee.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, my God, I love that.

Scott Hammond: It was funny.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I had no idea it was that bad, but yeah.

Scott Hammond: So funny.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's fun to watch.

Scott Hammond: So what'd you study at Eastern Washington?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I had, um, I had a math degree, but also history.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Both, both degrees were there.

Scott Hammond: How about that? Where in-

Dr. Keith Flamer: History, it's because I couldn't-

Scott Hammond: That's not in Pullman, is it?

Dr. Keith Flamer: 'Cause I couldn't decide what to do.

Scott Hammond: Where's, where's Eastern Washington?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Spokane, in Cheney, Washington.

Scott Hammond: Oh, it is? Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Did you ever go over the border to, um, Coeur d'Alene?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, of course.

Scott Hammond: Pretty cool.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Of course, you know, I was, when I was in college, young man, and the drinking age in Idaho was less.

Scott Hammond: Oh, I see.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So off we went.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Scott Hammond: Pray tell.

Dr. Keith Flamer: No, that, that's about it.

Scott Hammond: The booze was cheap and s-

Dr. Keith Flamer: The booze was cheap and I-

Scott Hammond: And we can buy it

Dr. Keith Flamer: … and I could buy it. Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Send the 18-year-old in there and stock up.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Off we went.

Scott Hammond: That's funny.

Dr. Keith Flamer: We'd carpool.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I think Iowa was that when I was really younger. I was too young to drink, but, um, I think they had a, a really young drinking age, or South Dakota did.

Dr. Keith Flamer: South Dakota probably did.

Scott Hammond: You'd go over South Dakota and get fireworks.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. Yep

Scott Hammond: For, you know, next to free.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, my God.

Scott Hammond: We would just go bring a truckload back.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I miss those days. Carefree, didn't have to, didn't have to worry

Dr. Keith Flamer: about much.

Scott Hammond: You know, booze and fireworks. What, what could possibly go wrong?

Dr. Keith Flamer: A lot.

Scott Hammond: It did.

Dr. Keith Flamer: A lot.

Scott Hammond: Wait, what are you talking about? I mean, that finger I don't have anymore. So what, what'd you study at Gonzaga?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Educational leadership.

Scott Hammond: Huh. Wow. So that … Was that a career path to a college presidency or, or admin of some sort?

Dr. Keith Flamer: It really, really was. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: 'Cause I knew back then that the coin of the realm in higher ed was to get a PhD.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Especially a man of color.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: You really had to do that.

Scott Hammond: You had to do that.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And plus, um, I, I, I followed my father there.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So my father got his PhD at Gonzaga.

Scott Hammond: Oh, that's cool. Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So I said, "Hmm." So I, I made a bet with him.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I said, "What… I, I can beat you on my GPA."

Scott Hammond: Whoa.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And thank God I did, because he would never have let, let me live that

Dr. Keith Flamer: one down.

Scott Hammond: He'd never hear-

Dr. Keith Flamer: So Dad-

Scott Hammond: He'd never stop hearing about it.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I said, "Dad, I beat you again."

Scott Hammond: Got you again. That's-

Dr. Keith Flamer: He's-

Scott Hammond: I bet he was proud that you got him.

Scott Hammond: That's good.

Dr. Keith Flamer: He was very proud and he… Yeah, he's very proud about that.

Scott Hammond: What did he study at?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Same thing.

Scott Hammond: Oh. Was he-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Same thing, yeah.

Scott Hammond: What was his career?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Actually, he was, uh, career Air Force.

Scott Hammond: How about that?

Dr. Keith Flamer: When I, when he got out of the Air Force, then he went into higher education as

Dr. Keith Flamer: well.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So he had two, two deg- two, uh, careers and he

Dr. Keith Flamer: rose-

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow

Dr. Keith Flamer: … in higher ed at Eastern Washington as well as Florida A&M-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Dr. Keith Flamer: … up, up to the vice president level.

Scott Hammond: Wow. That's a good size school.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, that's a g- yeah, it's a great size school and-

Scott Hammond: Yeah. You ever been to Texas A&M and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: No

Scott Hammond: Pretty big school. We used-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Is that where you went?

Scott Hammond: No.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh.

Scott Hammond: I went to Humboldt. Humboldt State. Not Cal Poly, but Humboldt.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, Humboldt State.

Scott Hammond: Humboldt State, for the record. State. Humboldt State.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay.

Scott Hammond: We'll get-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I got it.

Scott Hammond: I wanna make-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I'm, I'm, I'm with you.

Scott Hammond: I gotta make sure that's understood here.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, okay.

Scott Hammond: No, Cal Poly's fine. It's, they're doing a good job, right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah, I, I really love Cal Poly.

Scott Hammond: You like the new guy?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I've not met the new guy yet.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I just know Spagna.

Scott Hammond: He's pretty new, right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: He hasn't even started the job yet.

Scott Hammond: Oh, he hasn't? Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: He starts in January, I think.

Scott Hammond: Okay, so the interim guy's still there.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Still. Michael Spagna.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And his deal w- and it's a-

Dr. Keith Flamer: And I, I love that guy

Scott Hammond: … what's his deal? His deal is that-

Dr. Keith Flamer: His, his deal is temporary

Scott Hammond: … he came into the-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … yeah, he came into the deal knowing it was a temporary assignment.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. Of course I-

Scott Hammond: That's-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Of course I love Tom Jackson.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And, and Mi-

Scott Hammond: Great guy

Dr. Keith Flamer: … and I love Spagna, so.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I'd have been really happy if Spagna stayed.

Scott Hammond: Is Tom still teaching there?

Dr. Keith Flamer: No, he's not.

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: No.

Scott Hammond: I thought he took a job teaching or something.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I think he was supposed to teach there.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But I, I don't think he, I don't know if he's gonna do that.

Scott Hammond: Okay. It's cool that you follow in your dad's footsteps 'cause my father was a, uh, P-51 fighter pilot-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, my gosh

Scott Hammond: … in World War II, Army Air Corps.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And he, um, so you and I have a little similar trajectory. He was an insurance agent on Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I've been there. Of course I was-

Scott Hammond: Oceanside, California.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I was stationed in Oceanside.

Scott Hammond: Ooh-rah, ooh-rah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Ooh-rah.

Scott Hammond: Ooh-rah. He, um, oh, y- were you a Marine?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I was, and that's where I-

Scott Hammond: How about that?

Dr. Keith Flamer: … did depart from, from my father, is he went career Air Force.

Scott Hammond: Is that… And you went to Marine Corps.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Marines.

Scott Hammond: How about that?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I said, "Dad, come on, I can't follow your footsteps all the time." And then I ended u- and I ended up doing it.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Same, same career.

Scott Hammond: How about that? So how long were you at Pendleton?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Uh, four years at Pendleton.

Scott Hammond: Is that right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yep.

Scott Hammond: Huh. Yeah, my dad sold life insurance.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, my God.

Scott Hammond: And I grew up in San Diego. He was, we were, he, we, from a divorced family, so I'd go up-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … and visit in the summer and go surfing and smoke weed, do all the f- hippie feral child-

Dr. Keith Flamer: You didn't do that. Come on.

Scott Hammond: Oh, I sure did.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh.

Scott Hammond: Hippie feral child. You wouldn't …

Scott Hammond: I had r-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I would never have guessed that.

Scott Hammond: I had long hair. At one time-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Me too

Scott Hammond: … really beautiful hair.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Me too, yeah. I had a big 'fro with a pick in it.

Scott Hammond: Didn't we all?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Back, back in the day.

Scott Hammond: So he would, uh, bring me on base and the Marines would all go, "Hey, Bob, who's your daughter?" 'Cause I had really, I, no, I'm talking, I'm talking Nick, I had beautiful hair. It was so long. Flowing and gorgeous with

Scott Hammond: … And in the summer it had blonde streaks 'cause I was-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Flowing and gorgeous hair

Scott Hammond: … and gorgeous. It was lovely.

Dr. Keith Flamer: God, I c- I can't, I can't picture it, but okay.

Scott Hammond: My mom let me grow it out. I just, I was that guy and, um- But he was very proud of me and I was-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Wow

Scott Hammond: … I thought, "What, insurance? Well, that's stupid. That's for chumps like my dad." And then, and then one day-

Dr. Keith Flamer: There you go

Scott Hammond: … then one day, the man drank all the red Kool-Aid and became just like his dad, about, uh, 12 years ago.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So, oh, for tw- 12 years you've been doing this work?

Scott Hammond: I've just had a new career at 53.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Wow.

Scott Hammond: And, um, I just wish he would've been alive to see it. He died in '04, and I became an agent in '13.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh.

Scott Hammond: '14. But, so.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh.

Scott Hammond: Anyway, he, um, um, he modeled a lot of good things. It's good to have a good dad.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It is a wonderful thing to have a good father.

Scott Hammond: I got to share Jesus with my father, which was really unusual, 'cause I came back, uh, you know, you go to, uh, you come to Humboldt for a lot of reasons.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's not usually sobriety.

Scott Hammond: So-

Dr. Keith Flamer: That's a very valid point, yeah

Scott Hammond: … so at 19 I was already burnt out on everything and, uh, came to Humboldt, met Joni, met Jesus, met sobriety, and made a degree at Humboldt, in recreation administration, I'll have you know.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Really?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, B student. Way to go.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's okay. It's good.

Scott Hammond: And it was free, dude. It was, there was-

Dr. Keith Flamer: What do you mean it's free? Seriously?

Scott Hammond: It was free. I was Jimmy Carter years. I, I think I would-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh

Scott Hammond: … I think I came out, 'cause we were broke. My mom had no money from the hood. Um, wait, whose interview is this? This, uh, we're talking about you.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I'm having fun with you. This, this is good.

Scott Hammond: So I came from nothing and, and c- came up-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Is that right

Scott Hammond: … and made something at Humboldt and met Joni, and nine kids later and 11 grandkids, and here we are, sit with you.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So how many kids do you have?

Scott Hammond: Nine.

Dr. Keith Flamer: You have nine children. I n- now I know we've talked about your son once or twice

Dr. Keith Flamer: before.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I think we did.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I think he worked, worked at government, yeah.

Scott Hammond: So, um, yeah, he was, he worked down at, um, Monterey Naval Postgrad Academy.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, he, he really?

Scott Hammond: What do, what do they call that? The one at, the school down at the college.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Monterey Post- Post- Postgrad, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. He liked that. He worked about two years.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Really?

Scott Hammond: And they moved to Netherlands for a couple years, and now they're headed to Seoul,

Scott Hammond: South Korea. She, she worked for Nike, and now she's gonna work for Samsung.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh my gosh.

Scott Hammond: Who actually runs K- South Korea.

Dr. Keith Flamer: What a life. What a travel.

Scott Hammond: He's quite, he's quite a guy.

Scott Hammond: Anyway,

Scott Hammond: so, uh-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Nine ch- nine children. Oh my gosh

Scott Hammond: … yeah, I know. What a, uh, I don't- I don't, who are these people

Scott Hammond: I-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Good for you

Scott Hammond: … where am I?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Good for you.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, no, it's great. Yeah. My dad said, "You married up, Scott." I go, "Yeah." I go, "What about me?" He goes, he got this look on his face, he goes, "You were smart enough to marry Joni." I said, "Thank you."

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, thanks, Dad.

Scott Hammond: Thanks, Father. Thanks, Father.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Thanks, Dad. Okay, I got it.

Scott Hammond: A vote of confidence from Dad. So take me from Gonzaga.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: How would, so where did you work prior to CR?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Wow, I had different careers, actually. Um, I'm gonna go backwards. After I got, got out, out of the

Dr. Keith Flamer: Marines-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … then I worked for Kraft Foods and Mobile Oil.

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Brand management-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … for many years. And then I said, "You know, I wanna get into higher ed." So then I went to Eastern Washington and worked my way up through the ranks

Dr. Keith Flamer: there.

Scott Hammond: How old were you, how old were you then?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh my s-

Scott Hammond: 30s?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yep.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: 30s.

Scott Hammond: That's late, late schooling.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It was late schooling.

Scott Hammond: Good for you.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But of course, I don't think I was ready to get a master's degree.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I was-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … chasing money with business at the time.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And then I just went back to school and worked my way from college to college up to

Dr. Keith Flamer: here.

Scott Hammond: So Kraft Foods is Southern California?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Nope, Kraft Foods in Chicago.

Scott Hammond: Oh, you went back. Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: In Glenview.

Scott Hammond: Wow, okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. I was at the headquarters m- ma- managing the operations of new products.

Scott Hammond: Home of Velveeta cheese.

Scott Hammond: Products.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's the product.

Scott Hammond: It's a product, all right.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's not a cheese, actually.

Scott Hammond: It, it ain't a cheese.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's not a cheese.

Scott Hammond: It's just not-

Dr. Keith Flamer: You have no idea what's in Velveeta.

Scott Hammond: You don't wanna know.

Dr. Keith Flamer: You don't wanna know what's in Velveeta.

Scott Hammond: Same stuff that's in sausage and hot dogs.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Ah, you don't wanna know how it's made, just as long as it tastes good.

Scott Hammond: It tastes great.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It tastes great.

Scott Hammond: I, I was raised on that stuff.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I was, too, and it melts really well.

Dr. Keith Flamer: That's what-

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah

Dr. Keith Flamer: … the claim to fame with Velveeta

Scott Hammond: … with nachos. Yeah. Oh, perfect.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh my God, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Man, I wouldn't mind a little Velveeta right about now. I don't see any. Nick, where's the, where's the Velveeta?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Where's the Vel- Oh, Scott, I don't think you wanna partake in this Velveeta.

Dr. Keith Flamer: This, this-

Scott Hammond: I don't. It'd probably kill me.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It'll, it'll, it'll harden your heart.

Scott Hammond: It'll kill my digestion.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It would.

Scott Hammond: So, uh, then you got the, the doctorate.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yep.

Scott Hammond: And then-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Got a doctorate

Scott Hammond: … got y- got your first job in education somewhere.

Dr. Keith Flamer: In Chicago.

Scott Hammond: So you've been back to Chicago a couple times.

Dr. Keith Flamer: A, a couple times, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So actually I was at Eastern Washington working.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And that's when I got my master's and my doctorate.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Then once I got my doctorate, then I left Spokane-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Dr. Keith Flamer: … to work at Mc- McHenry County College.

Scott Hammond: Where's that?

Dr. Keith Flamer: In Chicago, right just outside Chicago.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Crystal Lake.

Scott Hammond: Is it a JC or just-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yep.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Sure is.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I really wanted to work at a community college system-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Dr. Keith Flamer: … versus the baccalaureate.

Scott Hammond: How many students?

Dr. Keith Flamer: At that time it was probably about 3,000.

Scott Hammond: Great.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Three. It was, it was a nice size. It was perfect.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, that's a great size.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It was a perfect school to learn from.

Scott Hammond: You ever heard of Morningside College in, uh, uh, Sioux City?

Dr. Keith Flamer: No.

Scott Hammond: Father went there. Small Methodist school. Same idea, 2,000 or 3,000 kids.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I, I love that size school.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, Coach, Coach George Allen's, uh, hailed from there.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Really? The old Ra-

Scott Hammond: He coached, he coached there

Dr. Keith Flamer: … Redskins coach.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, yeah, the NFL guy.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, is that right?

Scott Hammond: A little Midwest school. I thought, you know-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, I didn't know that

Scott Hammond: … it would be fun to go back and live in the Midwest to do a year or two of school, just to,

Scott Hammond: and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: You know, I really like the Midwest

Scott Hammond: … study something. Oh, it was great.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I love the people in the Midwest.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. They're amazing. I went back to Sioux City and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: They're, they're honest. They're forthright

Scott Hammond: … I'm walking through the campus and people-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … are, like, greeting me.

Dr. Keith Flamer: They're nice. They're just saying hello.

Scott Hammond: Waving. I'm going-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … like, "Oh, is this what we do here?

Scott Hammond: Hey, hi."

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. It's the, the, I love the people in the Midwest.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Midwest is-

Dr. Keith Flamer: The only thing I didn't like in the Midwest is January.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And part of February.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And part of February and half of March, and then it got into springtime, it was

Dr. Keith Flamer: great.

Scott Hammond: I'll never forget, we buried my mom in 1991 in February in Sioux City, Iowa, and it was-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, Scott

Scott Hammond: … wind chill factor of, you know, negative 10 and, and, but I do remember how kind people were. Just-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Wow

Scott Hammond: … you know, "I haven't seen Wanda in 20 years, Scott, but I want you to know-" I drove out from the farm tw- 200 miles to say, pay my respects.

Scott Hammond: And I go-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh my God, that's-

Scott Hammond: "Geez, I am not in San Diego."

Scott Hammond: This is-

Dr. Keith Flamer: You don't see that here

Scott Hammond: … this is a different quality of person here.

Dr. Keith Flamer: No, it's a different quality of people here.

Scott Hammond: And I loved it. Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely right.

Scott Hammond: So if you're just joining us, lucky for you and for me, I got Dr. Keith Lamoureux here, my new best friend. We're talking about, uh, his life, his background, and we're, we're getting closer to his career at CR here-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … on the timeline.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay, gotcha.

Scott Hammond: We're working up to it.

Dr. Keith Flamer: All right.

Scott Hammond: So, uh-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … you went back to Chicago and then you took the job there.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yep. Took, took the job there. I worked there for several years, teaching as well as administrator.

Scott Hammond: And the name of that college again?

Dr. Keith Flamer: McHenry County College.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And then for some reason, I was driving down from, from Rockford, Illinois-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … to, to Crystal Lake. Dead of winter, I said, "I've gotta find another job."

Dr. Keith Flamer: So-

Scott Hammond: It's too darn cold here

Dr. Keith Flamer: … so I, so I tell you, I went home, applied for some jobs in California, and interviewed here at Cal College of Redwoods as the vice president for student

Dr. Keith Flamer: services.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Ca- came out, interviewed. And of course, in February in Chicago, you know what the hawk is like. It's cold.

Scott Hammond: Phew.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And I came here, walked on campus, the roses were blooming.

Scott Hammond: How about that?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I said, "Offer me the job."

Scott Hammond: Early spring.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And I said, "Sure. I'll be, you bet I'll be there."

Scott Hammond: I'll be h- with bells on. How mu-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Without any question.

Scott Hammond: Is that right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: And, and I only, actually I t- I wanted to only be here for three years.

Scott Hammond: So they offered you on the spot, or?

Dr. Keith Flamer: No, it took, took about a day.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So let's do that.

Scott Hammond: So you were still in town.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And I said, "Hey, I'll be here for three years," and Scott, it's been almost 21.

Scott Hammond: Is that right? Huh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's gone fast.

Scott Hammond: We haven't talked about family. I don't e- I-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … not even clear if you're married or have kids.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I am, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Are you?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: How long you been married?

Dr. Keith Flamer: All told? All of, all the years combined?

Scott Hammond: Sure, absolutely.

Dr. Keith Flamer: All the years combined, about, uh, 35 years probably.

Scott Hammond: Wow, attaboy. Good.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I've been married a couple times.

Scott Hammond: When I get asked how l-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Same person

Scott Hammond: … how long have you been… Yeah. How long have you… Okay, I get it.

Dr. Keith Flamer: You got it?

Scott Hammond: I get the answer.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Uh-huh.

Scott Hammond: When they ask me, "How long have you been married to Joan?" I go, "Not long enough."

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And she cringes, and I know that she likes it.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh-

Scott Hammond: I think

Dr. Keith Flamer: … I think that's a perfect answer.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I think it's a perfect answer.

Scott Hammond: Not quite long enough. We're working on, we'll be 45 years in, uh-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … June.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, congratulations.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Hi, Joni.

Dr. Keith Flamer: That's great.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah, my better half. My w- somebody said my way better half. I think that I like that answer.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I would agree with that, Scott.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. You haven't even met her.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I know, but I know you, so it's okay.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, it's okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And, and then of course, I, I do believe your father said that you married up.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So I'll, I'll take that answer.

Scott Hammond: There's some witnesses to the, the crime here. Well, hey, um-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … lucky for you.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So you, 21 years.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Almost 21 years here.

Scott Hammond: And you made a couple of changes there. What, what are you proud of that you've done with CR in 21 years?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Scott, it is really hard to even talk about all the things that I think have been very good.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, I don't think there's any, I, 'cause I think the list would be way too long.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Um-

Scott Hammond: Tw- 21 years, you're g- a guy that's gonna make a culture shift of some sort

Scott Hammond: there. I mean, the, the-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, I think it's changed a lot.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I think it's changed a lot. Just, just not the physical appearance of the campus-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … but just the people, the culture-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … how we see each other. Really, what I'm most proud of is how close the college is to our community.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I th- I, that's something that I'll probably always

Dr. Keith Flamer: remember.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I really will. And all, and all, all the students that I remember.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: You know, that say, "Hey, thank you."

Scott Hammond: That's cool.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Um-

Scott Hammond: So 21 years, you're seeing kids and grandkids now probably of-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh-

Scott Hammond: … students, yeah

Dr. Keith Flamer: … thank you.

Scott Hammond: That's cool.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But I, I was like-

Dr. Keith Flamer: … I said, "Yeah. I, I was literally-

Scott Hammond: Really

Dr. Keith Flamer: … born when you started work."

Scott Hammond: What are you, like 40, 42?

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's like, you gotta be kidding me. You were born in 2007?

Scott Hammond: That's funny.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I came here in 2006.

Scott Hammond: That's funny.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh-

Scott Hammond: No, it's-

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's amazing

Scott Hammond: … so generational.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It is, and it's really good. There's very little that I can say I did not enjoy. It's been hard at times.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Oh, sure.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But I tell you, it's the best job, best place I've ever been.

Scott Hammond: There's something magic about this community.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I agree, and that, that's why I said, I really, after three years, I fell in love with the place.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: That's why I said I'll never leave.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Well, you're proving your point, your point.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, true, I just, I just love the community.

Scott Hammond: You sh-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I love the college.

Scott Hammond: You showed up for work today. That's 21 plus.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I show up to work every day. Monday through Sunday, I'm always working.

Scott Hammond: Yep. No, I under- as a State Farm agent, I get it. Hey, well, uh-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … we're getting close to, uh, two features of the show that you're really gonna

Scott Hammond: like.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, will I?

Scott Hammond: So let's, uh, we'll do the quiz, and then you can earn a, uh, special prize. Oh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Black fig, Dick Taylor, 100%.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Dick Taylor.

Scott Hammond: Do you like Dick Taylor?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I do.

Scott Hammond: Does your wife like Dick Taylor?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I don't know. It never got home enough for her to try it.

Scott Hammond: She… Oh, uh, now there's witnesses. 72% Tanzania. That's the, uh, dark chocolate, uh, black fig. Um, by the way, this show's brought to you by Dick Taylor Chocolate. And right now, Quality Body Works in our c- in Eureka.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Ah, the Creatures, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Oh, the Creatures. Hey, Ross, what's up?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Hey, Dave.

Scott Hammond: Hey, Dave and Ross.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Dave Creatures, hey.

Scott Hammond: Oh, man. Great, great people.

Dr. Keith Flamer: They are.

Scott Hammond: And, uh, they do great work, and they're just, you know, part-

Dr. Keith Flamer: They are t-

Scott Hammond: … part of the, the fabric

Dr. Keith Flamer: … they're terrific humans.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Great humans.

Scott Hammond: And it's cool, what's cool about Humboldt is it's got so many businesses that are really part of the fabric of the community.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: You know?

Dr. Keith Flamer: They really are.

Scott Hammond: Including these two in, in a big way, so. Hey, let's, let's just do the quiz.

Scott Hammond: You ready?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Maybe.

Scott Hammond: Okay. Question number one. For part of a Dick Taylor chocolate bar.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay. For part of it.

Scott Hammond: You have to earn the-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Who's, who's gonna have the other part? But okay, go for it.

Scott Hammond: Gotta earn the whole one.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay, got it.

Scott Hammond: Um, what's, what's your best day?

Dr. Keith Flamer: What is my best day?

Scott Hammond: What's been your best day in your life?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh my God, I have to choose one day?

Scott Hammond: One, one of them

Dr. Keith Flamer: One, one of the best days?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Wow. I would s- I would say one of the best days I have is when, when, when my grandkids, when I see them, they run up to me and give me hugs and say, "I love you, Pops."

Scott Hammond: Whoa.

Scott Hammond: Love that.

Dr. Keith Flamer: That is the best feeling in the world.

Scott Hammond: Man. Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I tell you, it's just, make, makes my heart just melt every time I think about it.

Scott Hammond: There's some dopamine and endorphins and the whole nine on that one.

Dr. Keith Flamer: They, they, they say, "I love you. How are you doing? I missed you so much."

Scott Hammond: Man.

Dr. Keith Flamer: "And by the way, do you have any cash?"

Scott Hammond: Right. I go up to Boise and m- see the grandkids and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, do you, in Boise? I don't

Scott Hammond: … "Can we go get ice cream?"

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I love it. And I, of course my answer's always, "Yes."

Scott Hammond: "Sure. What ca- what time can we leave?"

Dr. Keith Flamer: Ah, that's right.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I'm ice cream grandpa.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Ooh.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I like it.

Scott Hammond: And we go to the thrift store, and you can buy one item up to a dollar.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Thrift store in Boise?

Scott Hammond: Giant one, too. So the Mormons have the Deser- Deseret Industries, and the, it's a chain of thrift stores.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, okay, yes.

Scott Hammond: And they employ all kinds of special needs and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … you know, people. And so it's the size of a Kmart, and, uh, I think I got this shirt there, in fact.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's a nice shirt. It's, it's a-

Scott Hammond: You know, it's, it's-

Dr. Keith Flamer: … it's a pretty cool fabric

Scott Hammond: … it's a, I, it's a lovely shirt. Let me just show you my shirt. Um-

Dr. Keith Flamer: And it, actually it breathes. I can see that it breathes well.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, it's got some cotton. So, you know-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … I'm there buying my $800 sport coat for eight bucks and loving it. And so it's just a visit. So we take the kid- the grandkids there, and they get to pick out

Scott Hammond: one toy.

Dr. Keith Flamer: One thing.

Scott Hammond: "You'll let us…" Yeah, one. "Okay, Grandpa. Cool."

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, I know Boise, 'cause I bought a horse in Boise once.

Scott Hammond: Oh, is that right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah, an Appaloosa.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Seems like a song coming on.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Big, big time horse person.

Scott Hammond: It's a country song. Oh, so you're, you're a horse guy?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah, whole family is.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: We've had horses for more years I can count.

Scott Hammond: Still?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Still.

Scott Hammond: Wow. That's, that's an expensive hobby.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Right, right now we have nine horses.

Scott Hammond: Man, you're rad.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I love horses.

Scott Hammond: You're a horse guy.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I am.

Scott Hammond: Wouldn't have picked you for a horse guy.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Most certainly am.

Scott Hammond: Wow. You're not horsing around.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, nice job.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Did you hear the one about the horse?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Nice job.

Scott Hammond: You know the-

Dr. Keith Flamer: The horse that goes into the bar?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay.

Scott Hammond: So why the long face?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. Got it.

Scott Hammond: Question, let's get on with this.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay, gotcha. Question.

Scott Hammond: Question number two: worst day.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Worst day?

Scott Hammond: What's one of the worst days you've had?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I would say the worst day I've ever had was probably last January.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Was probably one of the worst days.

Scott Hammond: How so?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, when the Department of Ed started coming down on higher education.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And that is when we had to scramble to figure how we're gonna save the college without-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … getting into trouble with the fed, federal government.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I think that was probably the hardest day. Not the worst, but it was a part of the hardest day to maneuver-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Dr. Keith Flamer: … and take care of people.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. In one day you had to make some decisions?

Dr. Keith Flamer: We really did.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And it w- I had to start planning from day one.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: How do we take care of our employees and our students-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … when higher ed is under attack by the federal government?

Scott Hammond: Wow. Wow. Good for you, man.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Now, but it was, that was probably the hardest.

Scott Hammond: Fight the good fight.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Always.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Every day I wake up thinking-

Scott Hammond: Huh

Dr. Keith Flamer: … "What positive work I'm gonna do today?"

Scott Hammond: That's kind of a Marine Corps thing, huh?

Scott Hammond: That what-

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's a Marine Corps thing, but it-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Dr. Keith Flamer: … it's a Jesuit thing. I learned that from the Jesuits.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Is you care for your people.

Scott Hammond: Good combo.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Actually, I learned a lot from both, from both

Dr. Keith Flamer: places. Being, being a jarhead and being a priest.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay, yeah.

Scott Hammond: I got it. Got it. That's probably a good combo.

Dr. Keith Flamer: A good combo in the Mi- I was thinking, absolutely.

Scott Hammond: That's good. That balances out perfectly.

Scott Hammond: I love it. Uh, here we go.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay, second one.

Scott Hammond: What do you find fulfilling in your life? Or I should say most fulfilling.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Most ful- fulfilling? Ta- taking care of my

Dr. Keith Flamer: family.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Taking care of my family. Actually-

Scott Hammond: Including the horses?

Dr. Keith Flamer: The horses, the dogs, and the chickens.

Scott Hammond: So we have nine kids, and you have nine horses.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Nine horses, and I think we have seven dogs on the place, and-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Dr. Keith Flamer: … chickens. I think making sure that everyone is taken care of-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Dr. Keith Flamer: … that makes me smile.

Scott Hammond: That's cool. So you're a steward over this whole, the zoo ranch.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh my God. But you know what? But, but they give me so much, I'm gonna give back.

Scott Hammond: That's cool. You must have killer feed bills.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Nah.

Scott Hammond: Nielsen Company loves you.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yes, they do.

Scott Hammond: Or somebo- somebody.

Dr. Keith Flamer: The hay and all the dog food and the cat food.

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah. No.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, God. But you know what? I w- I don't, I couldn't imagine life without all of these things in my life.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Our daughters rode horses up at Field of Dreams and a little farm up in West Haven.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Never had to buy a horse. Whew. Whew. All right.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I'm not sure how you got around that one, but-

Scott Hammond: I, I don't wanna wanna talk about it

Scott Hammond: anymore.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Anymore.

Scott Hammond: I just did.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I tell you, you did.

Scott Hammond: They still, they still love horses. Number three, or four, uh, what's crushing to you? What's, what's soul-crushing?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I have nev- I have not… Well, the soul-crushing is when, when, when my son died.

Scott Hammond: Ah, you lost a kid.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I did.

Scott Hammond: Wow, I'm sorry.

Dr. Keith Flamer: A few years ago.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: That was probably the very worst day my soul has ever had.

Scott Hammond: I bet. How old was he?

Dr. Keith Flamer: He was 35.

Scott Hammond: Wow, young man.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Maybe, maybe 38.

Scott Hammond: What was his name? What is his name?

Dr. Keith Flamer: What, what is his name? Uh, Brendan.

Scott Hammond: Brendan.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Brendan Sean.

Scott Hammond: Sorry to hear that. Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. He just died a few years ago here.

Scott Hammond: Wow. Sorry to hear that. Yeah, that would be tough. I, I don't think I'm gonna dig at that one much. I'm just gonna go. That would be soul-snatching and crushing and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: It really was

Scott Hammond: … we've had f- many friends that have lost k- uh, kids, including my good friend Ron, and yeah, just really hard.

Scott Hammond: Um-

Dr. Keith Flamer: That, that, that is not a club I want anyone to join.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah, no.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Really.

Scott Hammond: And I wonder with nine kids if I'm, uh, you know, maybe in line, but I d- I hope, I pray not.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I pray that you don't go next.

Scott Hammond: I pray, pray I go home first.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Um, hey, so here, last question.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Who are you and what do you want?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Who am I? I'm a child of God.

Scott Hammond: Good. Good start.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And really that is it.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And that's what I reach for every day.

Scott Hammond: That's cool. What's that mean for you? I, I'll dig at that one just for a sec.

Dr. Keith Flamer: S- oh, certainly. It's the thing that I bring to my job-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … that is the love of people.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Good.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And the love of the students and my colleagues.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I don't think that I can be a president or any president could do his or her job unless you love people-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Dr. Keith Flamer: … not the institution-

Scott Hammond: Right

Dr. Keith Flamer: … and not the machinations that you go through to be a president.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But, but you don't show up for, for the job for the paycheck, 'cause it's not very

Dr. Keith Flamer: much.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But you show up because you love what you do. You love the people that you serve. It's an, it's a, it's, it's a job of service.

Scott Hammond: That's right.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And I love that part.

Scott Hammond: I think I was say, thinking service, servant leadership while you were-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely

Scott Hammond: … talking and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely true

Scott Hammond: … just that connection with people and, you know, um, my dad was amazing sales guy. He, he came to a sales meeting here at, uh, where I worked at the newspaper and we, we were the ad sales guys and

Scott Hammond: s-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, you worked at a newspaper?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, so pr- proud of my father. It's called the Tri-City Weekly. It was… I don't know if it was still alive when you were here. It was a shopper.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay.

Scott Hammond: Like a penny saver type of deal.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay.

Scott Hammond: Remember San Diego there?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, yeah, I remember those.

Scott Hammond: And so I'm so proud of my dad. Dad's here and he's gonna, he's gonna give the sales seminar today and, and I go, "Take it away, Bob Hammond." And he, and he sat there, kind of a smirk on his face, and I don't think he was on the spot.

Scott Hammond: He goes, "I'll tell you what. If you're in sales or any career for the money, you're only about half paid."

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, abs- he's right on. He's-

Scott Hammond: And I-

Dr. Keith Flamer: That's wise. Yeah

Scott Hammond: … and I thought of that. I, I had to think about it for the last 25 years.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And I said, "Where's the other hour?" You know, "20, give me another 10 minutes, something. Tommy Hopkins, give me some motivation."

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: You know, Tony Robbins.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And he goes, "I'm finished here." He goes, "If you're, if you're in business for the money, you're, you're half paid-"

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … 'cause it's about people."

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's about people.

Scott Hammond: And the love of… You nailed it, the love of people.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And so, uh, wh- that's who you are. What do you want? What would you like to see happen in, in Humboldt?

Scott Hammond: Or at CR?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, that's a great question. Here's what I would love to see at CR and at Humboldt itself. At CR, I would love for the college to remain as stable as it is.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Because I know that I'm not gonna be here forever.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Right. And I don't want the college to repeat past mistakes.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Right. Uh, we have worked really hard to survive and to thrive. We can't afford to go backwards. So that's what I want for CR, for, for the, for the, our community. Remain close.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Remain connected. Uh, the only thing that would hurt us is, is if we remain

Dr. Keith Flamer: divided.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And we have to learn to communicate.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And that we may not agree, and that's okay.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But we have to learn to respect and love each other enough to say, "I understand. And how do we move forward?"

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: We've lost that. We've gotta get that back.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. That's a good word. It's, it's-

Dr. Keith Flamer: We've gotta get that back.

Scott Hammond: So this is 97, 98 episodes of me

Scott Hammond: with others-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Wow

Scott Hammond: … and that's a common theme.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Is that right?

Scott Hammond: The division needing to be repaired.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, it's, it's true.

Scott Hammond: You know?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I l- that is, I believe that sincerely.

Scott Hammond: The rift and the, uh, the schism that needs to, uh, you know, not happen anymore.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And, and the other is it's, it's Cal Poly, Humboldt Scott. I don't wanna bring those guys up. That's Brand X up the highway.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I would never correct you on that one.

Scott Hammond: That's fine. So you probably sent, sent a few kids up that way after… I'm just, you, I, I remember-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, absolutely, yeah

Scott Hammond: … I, uh, as you presented in Rotary, there's a big percentage of kids from Humboldt County that attend CR.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yes.

Scott Hammond: And there's a big chunk-

Dr. Keith Flamer: And it's growing, yes

Scott Hammond: … and there's a chunk that you send north to Cal-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I would say maybe-

Scott Hammond: Cal Poly

Dr. Keith Flamer: … Cal Poly, HSU. I would say probably 35% of our students go there.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And I, and I have been on record by saying I'd want 100% of our students to go to Cal Poly.

Scott Hammond: Love it.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Humboldt, not Cal Poly anywhere else.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah, because we are so close in, as institutions.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: We share students, we share faculty, we share staff.

Scott Hammond: I love it.

Dr. Keith Flamer: There's very little that we don't have in common.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, that reciprocal relationship.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: And in terms of grades and classes and their convertible units and all that.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: I love that. The other thing you guys are really good at is all the trade, the trades and the, the trade programs, right?

Scott Hammond: Or-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Well, not, not o- not just trades, but also healthcare.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: So we're, we're putting-

Scott Hammond: Talk about, talk about that.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Sure. We have, of course, as a, as a college in California, we have to do both. We have to be transfer institution as well as w- uh, career education. I have often said, and I will continue to say, that CR's future is in healthcare pathways and ch- the, and our trades, right? Because that's where the college is gonna grow.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And I think that's where our community needs us the most. You know, it, not, not just nursing. That's big for us.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Uh, but we have to start putting other healthcare programs out there.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And all the trades, welding-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … construction tech, um, aquafarm.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Dr. Keith Flamer: All those things-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Dr. Keith Flamer: … we have to keep pushing.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And anything that, and, and also in climate resilience.

Scott Hammond: That's the jobs-

Dr. Keith Flamer: We have to push all those things

Scott Hammond: … that's where the jobs are, right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: That's where the jobs will continue to be.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Because what we've seen is that students are now questioning whether they really want a bachelor's degree.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm, hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And they would rather have a trade degree, career education, 'cause number one, they get out to work faster-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … and they make more money. If I was to start over, I'd go into welding.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: They make a lot of money.

Scott Hammond: Oh, my son wants to be electrician.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, they… Scott.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, gosh.

Scott Hammond: Bank. It's hard work, but-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yes

Scott Hammond: … you didn't have to go to med school and accrue eight- 800,000 in med-

Dr. Keith Flamer: In debt

Scott Hammond: … debt.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Exactly.

Scott Hammond: I went to school and became in debt forever.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Exactly.

Scott Hammond: So I'm on, uh, uh, my first board ever after nine kids, uh, at Destination Humboldt with, uh, St. Joseph Providence.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, St. Joseph Providence. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And so what we do is we bring doctors here-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, I know that program. Yes

Scott Hammond: … and then pay their med bills-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … in- incrementally. I th- there's a whole agreement and all of them-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … are probably, you know, um, individualized.

Dr. Keith Flamer: That, that, that's an innovative program.

Scott Hammond: It's cool. It's, they-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Innovative program

Scott Hammond: … they brought a lot of people. My primary care before Tuna, Dr. Dan Hayne. Hey, Dan. Shout out to Dan. Um, great guy. And you know, we'd, uh, we were up in Arcata with Chris Lee for 40 years, and he retired, and here's Joni and I,

Scott Hammond: 65.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: No healthcare. What are… You know, no-

Dr. Keith Flamer: What are you gonna do?

Scott Hammond: … no primary.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Man, if I got sick, I don't know what we'd do, but these guys have, uh, put it together. It's pretty cool. So let, let's do the AI portion of the show. I, I should ring a bell for that. By the way, you did-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … you did win the Dick Taylor, and I'll be presenting that shortly.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay. I guess I'll-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Dr. Keith Flamer: … share it now.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. You have to.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I have to share it.

Scott Hammond: You have to. I, I, it's quite good, especially with some red wine. It's, it's becomes a pairing that you'll blow your mind. So let, let's see.

Scott Hammond: The-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … the AI says-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … um, "Assume leadership with a mandate to revitalize the institution amid evolving educational demands and regional

Scott Hammond: challenges." Basically true?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Very true.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Leadership style, I kinda like this 'cause it-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … it speaks to how I think you might

Scott Hammond: be.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay.

Scott Hammond: Or how, how you've implied things.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Uh, a blend of decisiveness and collaboration.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely true.

Scott Hammond: That's a pretty cool… You know, AI, every once in a while she comes through and says something nice about us.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay. I… That's true.

Scott Hammond: Deci-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, I'll go for that one.

Scott Hammond: I like that 'cause collaboration-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I like that one

Scott Hammond: … you know, some to- some guys never make a decision.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And, okay, we collaborated, now we're gonna make a damn decision.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And I, and I think, you know, thank goodness for that.

Scott Hammond: Um, uh, encourages open dialogue with faculty, staff, and students, fostering a culture of transparency and shared purpose.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: That's a good mission.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I don't like to hide anything.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I don't hide anything 'cause then, then, then we can't make a, a decision when you're hiding information.

Scott Hammond: Right. You're holding back and people are going-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Holding back. Not good

Scott Hammond: … "What's the whole story with this guy?"

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Wait, I'm-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I'm, I'm actually, I'm so transparent, Scott. You can ask me-

Scott Hammond: Good

Dr. Keith Flamer: … just about anything.

Scott Hammond: That's good. So the, the, the question is, what's your deal?

Dr. Keith Flamer: My deal is whatever you want that deal to be.

Dr. Keith Flamer: How's that?

Scott Hammond: What deal do you have in mind? So, uh, strategic initiatives, and I'll just go high level on this. Enhancing student success, uh, by improving retention and gradu- graduation rates.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yep.

Scott Hammond: That's cool. Advancing equity and inclusion. Um, importance of an inclusive campus climate. Uh, equity focused policies.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yep.

Scott Hammond: Uh, strengthening community engagement. You guys certainly-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I love it

Scott Hammond: … do that.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely. We do that.

Scott Hammond: Sports programs, trades.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Everything.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Um, yeah, no, that, that, uh, partnerships with local industries, government agencies, and nonprofits. And then promoting-

Dr. Keith Flamer: All true

Scott Hammond: … promoting sustainability.

Dr. Keith Flamer: All true.

Scott Hammond: I like it.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Wow.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I know.

Dr. Keith Flamer: AI, AI got this right.

Scott Hammond: I know, man. I don't know.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Wow.

Scott Hammond: What, what's going on here? Sometimes, you know, it has you born in, you know,

Scott Hammond: England, so.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Actually, I was born in Japan, but okay, close.

Scott Hammond: Were you really? Okay. Military?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Military.

Scott Hammond: Okay. That makes sense. So enrollment and retention.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Campus climate and inclusion.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Sure.

Scott Hammond: Economic and workforce outcomes. Okay, cool. Um, and then the chall- Here's three challenges that were thrown in here that-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … uh, caught my attention. Financial constraints-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … faced budget limitations exacerbated by fluctuating state and federal, uh, funding and enrollment pressures.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely right.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. So that's gotta be the, the dance, right?

Scott Hammond: 'Cause how-

Dr. Keith Flamer: It is

Scott Hammond: … who's gonna fund the program?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah, it's the dance. We have two levers, revenue and expenditures, without suffering, uh, students not having access. So you're right. There, there, there's always that balance you have to do.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Always.

Scott Hammond: So you guys have to ha- have to do the dance on how to navigate government

Scott Hammond: stuff.

Dr. Keith Flamer: We do. State as well as federal.

Scott Hammond: And folks.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And county in some ways, but yes.

Scott Hammond: So you have other advocates that come alongside, I'm sure, whether it's Congressman Huffman or whoever.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, Huffman, McGuire-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Dr. Keith Flamer: … Wood, when he was, when Wood was here.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. So these-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … are guys that you're definitely connected to that-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Very, very much

Scott Hammond: … it's, it's a phone call, "Hey, you gotta help me on this deal."

Dr. Keith Flamer: Phone call, email.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Nora Announce from, from, um, uh, McGuire's office-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Dr. Keith Flamer: … that is here.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, she's really nice.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, my, she's very good.

Scott Hammond: I like her.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. Sharp.

Scott Hammond: Nora, uh, get Mike on the show, man. We're waiting. It's like, I gotta call her. Thank you. I gotta call Nora.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Uh, pandemic, uh, COVID-19 and the pandemic probably created havoc, uh, everywhere, including-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Well, you know what, it created havoc, but it also created opportunity.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Significant opportunity for us.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Dr. Keith Flamer: For, for education itself, huh?

Scott Hammond: Yes. Telemedicine, Zooming, Zoom calls.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Zoom class.

Scott Hammond: All of that.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Online classes.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: You know what I like?

Dr. Keith Flamer: It was a good opportunity.

Scott Hammond: The leftover of COVID that I like-

Dr. Keith Flamer: What's that?

Scott Hammond: … everybody's got outdoor dining now.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Ah, I never thought of that.

Scott Hammond: Out, out into the street. We're in Glendora and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Because, 'cause, you know, I, I never have time to go out.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I'm always working for the college.

Scott Hammond: You're busy. God, you're always-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Don't you feel sorry for me yet, Scott?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Come on.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, not yet. Not really.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Not re- not really?

Scott Hammond: Your choices, man.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, my God.

Scott Hammond: You do you. I, I love it. Yeah, work hard.

Scott Hammond: Um-

Dr. Keith Flamer: So that's my deal

Scott Hammond: … whatever, that's your… Whatever brings you joy, my friend.

Dr. Keith Flamer: There we go.

Scott Hammond: Addressing long-term institutional needs, um, modernization infrastructure. Let's talk about that, because you're doing-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … the remodel up front right now with, um, where, um, Access Humboldt is or was.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yes.

Scott Hammond: Um-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Well, actually, so Access Humboldt has to leave that building.

Scott Hammond: They're go- They're, are they gonna stay at, on campus, or?

Dr. Keith Flamer: You know, we're, uh, I've offered to try to find some space, but-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Dr. Keith Flamer: … they, they have to figure out what they wanna do.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But that building, that old admin, ad- administration forum building, that has to come down this summer.

Scott Hammond: Is that right? Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I have to bring that down, but we're building a new PE complex. We just got done Creative Arts.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: About to break ground on s- new student- Uh, student housing, affordable housing for students

Scott Hammond: Wow, you really got it going.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And al- and also, I can't, can't forget what we're doing on our Del Norte campus.

Scott Hammond: Oh, okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Right? Because we're building a new healthcare center there-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Dr. Keith Flamer: … an education center, and r- renovating that b- that, that building there.

Scott Hammond: Where's that located?

Dr. Keith Flamer: In Crescent City on Washington.

Scott Hammond: Okay, so-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Just off Washington, yeah

Scott Hammond: … is it back up by the high school up that way?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Actually, it's across the street from the high school.

Scott Hammond: Oh, it's okay, yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Okay. That's cool.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah, it's really, really, really cool.

Scott Hammond: And you guys are down to Fort Bragg as well, right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: No.

Scott Hammond: No?

Dr. Keith Flamer: No, we transferred that years ago-

Scott Hammond: Oh, I'm sorry

Dr. Keith Flamer: … to Mendocino College.

Scott Hammond: You s- Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. About five, six-

Scott Hammond: So they take care of Fort Bragg now?

Dr. Keith Flamer: They do.

Scott Hammond: Which makes way more sense.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yes, it makes better sense.

Scott Hammond: Just closer.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It is.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, no. Understood.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Took us, what, five hours to get there and back, so yeah.

Scott Hammond: So th- this is, uh, designed to be-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Is this a gotcha question?

Scott Hammond: No, no this is… I'm just gonna make a statement.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay.

Scott Hammond: I, I think you're gonna love it.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Okay.

Scott Hammond: It's kind of encouraging.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh.

Scott Hammond: Uh, "Keith Flamer's presidency at College of the Redwoods is defined by a steady, purposeful commitment to enhancing educational quality, equity, and community relevance."

Dr. Keith Flamer: And I didn't even write that myself, but thank you.

Scott Hammond: This is cool, man. Yeah, I-

Dr. Keith Flamer: No, I love it. Okay

Scott Hammond: … I'll give this to you. You can have it. "His pragmatic yet visionary leadership has guided the college through complex challenges with resilience and focus." I love this. "By fostering collaboration, championing stud- championing student-centered ac- initiatives, strengthening community ties, Flamer's positioned the institution for sustainable growth and continued impact in the years ahead."

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh my God.

Scott Hammond: My dad would say it like this: not too shabby.

Dr. Keith Flamer: That-

Scott Hammond: That's pretty good

Dr. Keith Flamer: … I'd say that's pretty good. I appreciate that.

Scott Hammond: That's a pretty good little report on you, man.

Dr. Keith Flamer: That's… I don't know what, how to respond.

Scott Hammond: This is my best one so far.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh my God. I don't know how to respond-

Scott Hammond: Na-

Dr. Keith Flamer: … but thank you

Scott Hammond: … nailed it.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Wow. Perfect.

Scott Hammond: Good job. So, uh, usually at the end of the show here,

Scott Hammond: um, I ask about legacy-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … and what you wanna be remembered for. So I'll ask you, um, when it comes to being thought about in the hereafter, well, when we're here and you're after-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: …

Dr. Keith Flamer: I gotcha. Uh-huh

Scott Hammond: … and your, your celebration of life-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … and your tombstone, how do you, how do you s- h- how does that set with you? What are you thinking? What would you like to be remembered for?

Dr. Keith Flamer: I think about this every morning when I wake up, that if this is my last day, I want people to say, "He was a great human-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Dr. Keith Flamer: … and he tried his best every day."

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Dr. Keith Flamer: That's what I want folks to remember.

Scott Hammond: You c- you could actually fit that on a tombstone, I think.

Dr. Keith Flamer: If I… I, I figure if I keep saying it, folks will remember to put that-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Dr. Keith Flamer: … on my tombstone.

Scott Hammond: "And tried his best every day."

Dr. Keith Flamer: "He tried his best and he's… And he was a great human."

Scott Hammond: And, and at the end of the day, that's all you, you and I could ask for from

Scott Hammond: anybody-

Dr. Keith Flamer: It is

Scott Hammond: … including ourselves.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Uh, shout out to you. Uh, any, how do we get ahold of you, the campus? How do we go, what's the website? How do we get a catalog? How do we enroll?

Scott Hammond: Uh, s- spring, spring semester coming right up.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Spring semester, people are enrolling now.

Scott Hammond: How, how do we get ahold of CR?

Dr. Keith Flamer: www.redwoods.edu.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Go to the website. You could reach us anywhere.

Scott Hammond: Is that redwood or redwoods?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Redwoods, plural.

Scott Hammond: Plural, okay. And, uh, just start there.

Dr. Keith Flamer: And if you wanna talk to me, send me an email.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Love talking to people.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. You're a pretty available guy.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I am.

Scott Hammond: So-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I love, I love people.

Scott Hammond: Let's go back to the campus real quick.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Saw the changes there.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: With the botanical gardens just to the north, do you have much to do with that

Scott Hammond: project?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh my God, we, we have a strong partnership with them.

Scott Hammond: Oh, they're great.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I love it. Matter of fact, we're talking about how we can expand them into the land where the old creative arts building used to stand-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Dr. Keith Flamer: … to see if we, we could just-

Scott Hammond: So they could grow a little bit into that area?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. It'd be nice for us to do. I'd like to get that done soon.

Scott Hammond: So they're owned, they're owned by their own trust or whatever?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. And we have a long-term lease with them.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. So that's, that's cordial.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, actually, our faculty use them in classes.

Scott Hammond: Oh, is that right?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: So they go up on, onto the gardens and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Do what they do

Scott Hammond: … do s- do botanical things.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Do what they do. Do their own deals up there. I don't know what the deal-

Scott Hammond: Yeah, they're doing deal-

Dr. Keith Flamer: They're, they're dealing.

Scott Hammond: They're doing, they're doing, uh, school.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Um-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, I have to be careful. They're actually not doing deals there.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, uh, correction. Yeah, they're fine.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I, I love going up there. It's just, like, uh, every time we've been there, it's for fundraisers or just taking a walk. It's very peaceful.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, it's, it's very, very peaceful.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, the, the whole-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … the, that, they have a little trail system and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, yeah

Scott Hammond: … pretty cool.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. Our, our campus is changing.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's wonderful.

Scott Hammond: Let's review that one more time real quick.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Uh, uh, redwoods.edu.

Dr. Keith Flamer: www.redwoods, plural, .edu.

Scott Hammond: Okay. And, uh, one could walk on campus, get a

Scott Hammond: tour?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Absolutely. Any, any time.

Scott Hammond: And your new projects are housing, the PE

Scott Hammond: complex?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Well, PE/field house.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But also our, our field, our football field track, so we're just about done with that project.

Scott Hammond: That's gorgeous. I think I saw that.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, it's gorge- It's wonderful.

Scott Hammond: So as a pickleball player, will I be able to-

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's still, it's, it's-

Scott Hammond: … play in the tur- inside of the field, field house? Or is it all outside the tennis courts still?

Dr. Keith Flamer: Well, right, right now it's all outside.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: But, but you will be able to play indoors.

Scott Hammond: That's been my home court down there.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I did not know that.

Scott Hammond: Bunch of nice people.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Yeah. So, so we're, we're building the field house that will be able to house

Dr. Keith Flamer: indoor.

Scott Hammond: You know how to, you know how to tell the difference between a bunch of tennis players you can't see versus pickleball players you can't see on the other side of

Scott Hammond: the courts?

Dr. Keith Flamer: No, how?

Scott Hammond: Laughter. We're just, we're just in Ojai, California and I go, "Hear that? That's pickleball, Joni."

Dr. Keith Flamer: You know, I, I watch them. They're competitive.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh my-

Scott Hammond: They get pretty rough

Dr. Keith Flamer: … gosh. They do.

Scott Hammond: It gets, it gets pretty out of control.

Dr. Keith Flamer: They do. It's like, oof.

Scott Hammond: Well, hey, Keith, appreciate you coming.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Thanks for the invite.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Dr. Keith Flamer: I loved it.

Scott Hammond: What a delight you are and-

Dr. Keith Flamer: I, I love talking to you. Thank you.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Back at you. Oh, before I forget.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Dick Dick… Oh, Dick Taylor.

Scott Hammond: Oh, don't, no, I gotta get, I gotta award this.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh.

Scott Hammond: This is 72% Tanzania, and you know what they have in this? They only have three ingredients: cacao, cane sugar, and black mission figs. My… Those are actually my favorite. For you, my friend.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Oh, thank you.

Scott Hammond: Enjoy that.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Love it.

Scott Hammond: And thank you, uh, Ross Creech and, uh, Quality Body Works for being part of our, uh, our cadre of, uh, friends here. And, uh, if you'd like to, uh, support us, uh, love us, make comments on us, sus- subscribe. Um, we're all over, uh, YouTube. We're, uh, gonna be on Access Humboldt.

Dr. Keith Flamer: Go ahead.

Scott Hammond: This'll be probably sh- I bet Ja- Jashure will put this up pretty quick. And then, uh, of course, all the podcast platforms. With that, uh, Scott Hammond, 100% Humboldt, saying, uh, thanks for, uh, being here. Keith, thank you for being here.

Dr. Keith Flamer: It's been my pleasure