Time overseas made Dede Cordell appreciate the comforts of home
Dede (Stirnaman) Cordell, 47, of Rocklin, is the communications manager for Yuba Water Agency.
Family: My husband,
Ray, is a retired U.S. Army command sergeant major and we have an 8-year-old son, Ranger (named after the Army Rangers).
Residence: I grew up in Marysville and went to Lindhurst. We currently live in Rocklin.
What’s your walk-up intro music? Either “I Will Survive,” by Gloria Gaynor (my go-to song at karaoke) or “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.
Hobbies, interests: This time of year, I try to spend as much time as possible snow skiing, a love I didn’t even discover until I was in my 30s, but my whole family is hooked. We also have an RV and love camping when the weather allows.
What brought you to the Yuba-sutter area? I was born and raised here but left right after graduating from high school and have lived all over the world, since then. I was working for Placer County when I was introduced to Brent Hastey, who was the chair of the Yuba Water Agency board of directors at the time. When Brent told me about all of the exciting possibilities and the bright future in store for Yuba County because of the hydropower revenue that was finally available to be reinvested back into the county, I just knew I had to be part of it.
What do you like about the Yuba-sutter area? I am always blown away by how much people here give of themselves, their time, their money – to help others.
I’m active in the Marysville Rotary Club and with that, I get to participate in so many great events and projects that are all about giving back, but I see it everywhere – SAYLOVE, the Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, and so much more.
Where would you like to retire to/live for a year? Sometimes I think I’d like to retire in Tahoe, but I suspect that when I’m old enough to retire, the idea of shoveling snow won’t be very popular. In actuality, I’ve lived in some really cool places already, Germany, Washington, D.C., San
Luis Obispo… I even lived in Baghdad, Iraq, for six months. So I’m pretty content in my little slice of suburbia.
Dream vacation: One place I’ve always wanted to go, but haven’t yet is Spain.
What is the closest you’ve been to a famous person? When I lived in Eureka, I was in radio there, and we got backstage meet-andgreet passes for a lot of the concerts, so I got to meet Faith Hill and a few other country stars. When I was a reporter, I interviewed some politicians. But one of the coolest was when I was in D.C., I was a media trainer for the U.S. Army, and we provided media training to all of the soldiers that were featured in the documentary, “Baghdad ER,” in preparation for the film premiere. It was an HBO documentary, and James Gandolfini came to show his support for the troops. I got to meet him and chat a bit, and take a picture with him. I was a huge Sopranos fan, and just loved his work.
Favorite memory to share: There are so many, it’s really hard to choose. Probably one of the best is that my husband and I got married in Las Vegas at a drive-through chapel on the back of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Two of my closest girlfriends came and rented a scooter that was made to look like a chopper and were our “bikers maids.” My dad and stepmom flew in and were able to join us for the festivities. It was a very funny, lighthearted way to tie the knot, with a lot of sweet sentimentality thrown in.
What did you want to be when you were a kid? When I was really little, I wanted to be a veterinarian. But, at some point, I realized that seeing animals in pain just broke my heart. I figured out by the time I was about 15 that I wanted to go into broadcast news, and that’s what I did for the first ten years of life after college.
Favorite places in the area: I LOVE BULLARDS BAR! Seriously, I’m not just saying that because I work for Yuba Water! I had never been there before starting the job. I hadn’t even heard of it. When I discovered it, I felt like I had been robbed for not knowing about it sooner. It is such a beautiful reservoir, and it’s the fifth tallest dam in the United States And once you’re out on the water, even when the parking lot is full of cars, it seems like you’ve got the lake to yourself.
Dream job: I think I might just have it. I want a job where I feel like I’m leaving the world better than I found it, and with the water education center that I am part of planning for, and the fact that 99 percent of the things I get to communicate about are happy, hopeful bits of news about making Yuba County better – it really fills my tank. So, unless someone can figure out a way to pay me enough to survive for skiing or camping or spending time with my son, I think I’m the luckiest girl in the world.
Memberships in local organizations/groups: I am a very proud member of the Marysville Rotary Club and I would encourage anyone who is looking for a fun, energetic, passionate group of people to spend time with and give back to their community to check us out. I didn’t really know what Rotary was about until I walked into their meeting for work one day, and just fell in love with the mission and the people.
Pet peeve: Closedminded people and unkind people. Life is too short for that. I’m a ‘get more bees with honey’ kind of gal. Also - acronyms. I loathe acronyms because everybody thinks you know what they stand for, and most people don’t know, and then they spend the entire time you’re talking trying to translate your acronyms.
How did you get involved with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers? So, I started at the headquarters in
D.C. as the speechwriter for the three-star general in charge of the Corps of Engineers. We had a huge mission in rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan, so I got the opportunity to do a 6-month deployment (as a civilian) to Baghdad and be the director of communications for all of our work there, which was amazing, doing international public affairs in a combat zone was just an incredible experience. When I returned home, my old job seemed a little boring by comparison, so when the opportunity arose to move back to California and be the chief of public affairs for the Sacramento District of the Corps, I grabbed it, so I could come home and be closer to my dad and all my old friends.
What story or memory sticks out from your time deployed in Iraq? There are so many, but the most prominent is when we were touring a water project in southern Iraq – we were putting in a mini water treatment plant in an area that had never had treated water. It was right across the street from a small school, so we visited the school and took the kids snacks and soccer balls and things like that. The kids were crammed into a building made of earth, with no air conditioning, sitting
2-3 kids to a desk, sharing supplies in 115+ degree heat. And those kids were so happy to be there – just thrilled for the opportunity to get an education. I was so struck by that moment, and how spoiled we are in this country, how easily we take things like that for granted. It changed me.
What do you like about yourself? I take the old phrase “walk a mile in their shoes” to heart. I try to see things from other people’s perspectives as best I can, and give them the benefit of the doubt. You never really know what makes people react the way they do or what they’ve gone through, so I think we’d all be better off if we could just cut each other some slack.
What/where is your heaven on earth? Lake Tahoe is my closest heaven on earth. I just always feel the pressures of life lift away when I’m there. But we went to Kauai a couple of years ago, and that may truly be heaven on earth. I just wish it were closer and a lot less expensive to get to.
Favorite book: Oh, wow… that is hard. I really enjoyed “Where the Crawdads
Sing,” by Delia Owens. I also just finished “My Dear Hamilton,” by Stephanie Dray, which is a historical fiction telling the story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton’s wife), which was so interesting. I have a lot of favorites. That could be a long list.
What movie stops you while flipping through the TV channels? “Steel Magnolias” is still one I can watch a million times over, even though I could probably recite it, as is “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Classic!
Favorite musical group/ sports team: My daddy raised me right - to be a 49ers fan. I’m also a big fan of the Sacramento Kings. I could never choose a musical group – I love it all.
Who should play you in a movie? Reese Witherspoon.