Tech center celebrates retirees
Two women recently retired from Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center.
Doris King
For 19 years, Doris King has worked at Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center’s Academic Center as the student testing adviser.
Even through the busy, day-to-day routine with students and administering tests, King recognized the importance of fun, laughter and, of course, food. Through her efforts to entertain faculty and staff with holiday parties, she built camaraderie between employees that surely will be remembered and carried on after her retirement.
CareerTech is important to King, as well as her family, Her husband also will enter retirement after 36 years at Francis Tuttle Technology Center, and one of her sons also works at Francis Tuttle as the industrial coordinator. As for King, aside from the first few years working at an insurance company, she spent her entire working career in education. “We’re just a family of CareerTech people,” she said. “There was a time even my dogs went to CareerTech — I took them to the obedience training classes held here.”
King’s first job in education was at Crutcho Elementary School. “I spent 14 years at Crutcho Elementary School,” she said. “I worked seven years as a teaching assistant and the last seven years as a librarian.”
King made the transition to EOC Tech in August 1999 and was eager to get started. She realized early in her career at EOC Tech how important the knowledge of technology and growth was.
Pat Jordan
Pat Jordan has spent her career simply following her passion, whether it be walking on to the basketball and softball teams at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, taking over a classroom as a student teacher, working with students of all ages, including those with disabilities, or coaching several different sports school year after school year.
Jordan spent 37 years in education, investing in students and co-workers’ lives and leaving an impact, one that will last long after her retirement from Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center.
Jordan double majored in special education and physical education while at SWOSU and experienced running the classroom while student teaching. After Jordan graduated from SWOSU, she started her first job at Longdale, where she taught several classes, coached and drove a bus.
Jordan said she received some training concerning those with special needs but not in the way of physical therapy. “Working with students with special needs, that all fell together,” she said.
After working at Longdale for a year, Jordan decided to continue her teaching and coaching career in Choctaw, where she coached basketball, softball and tennis, and also helped with track, in addition to teaching civics, physical education and adaptive physical education.
After 15 years teaching and coaching at Choctaw High School, she began her career at Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center as the special needs coordinator. “I wanted to see the finished product — I wanted to see students have the opportunities to be employable,” she said. And, as time passed by and EOC Tech grew and developed, so did Jordan’s role. “I became more involved in recruitment and with the high schools as a whole. In 2010, this position opened up, I interviewed and they offered it to me.”
Jordan began working as the director of educational services. Jordan said from college, to teaching, to different career changes, her life has just kind of fallen together. As for retirement, she’s not exactly sure how she most wants to spend her time, but she is certain she wants to focus more on giving back.