Retiring Employees

RETIRING EMPLOYEES

Zerita Coleman Angel Dela O

It’s probably fair to say that nobody has held more jobs at Crossroads than Zerita Coleman. In her 25 years at the School, she has held no fewer than 20 positions! She began in 1995 as a part-time crossing guard on the 21st Street Campus, but word soon got around that she was willing and able to handle a variety of roles. Zerita quickly established herself as the go-to person for all divisions and departments of the School.

Since then, Zerita has served as a clerical assistant, Upper School registrar, Elementary School Hang Out assistant, Middle/Upper School library clerk, ACT/ SAT proctor, volleyball box office staffer, Upper School substitute receptionist, test center coordinator—and the list goes on!

While she’s loved every position she’s held, her favorite was that of sixth grade assistant teacher for five years. Not only did she adore working with the children, but she was thrilled to have the responsibility of teaching Black history to her sixth grade students.

Zerita loved her work, but as she says, “It’s the people who make Crossroads what it is. Crossroads allows each person to be themselves.” The embrace of every person, regardless of status or title in the School, creates a community that Zerita cherishes. She says, “Whatever was going on, I loved being a part of it.” And so she was—fully! In fact, the thing that Zerita is most proud of is shining a light into the lives of others, explaining, “If I can add to your life, you are adding to mine and making it better.”

In retirement, Zerita plans to continue the baking that she has enjoyed while at home during the pandemic, including strawberry cheesecake and pound cake from scratch. She’s retiring, but far from finished making and maintaining connections. She looks forward to seeing everyone the next time she comes to the Alley for a visit. We have Norton Campus Security Supervisor Guillermo Lopez to thank for bringing Angel Dela O to Crossroads 14 years ago. Having worked as a bakery machine operator for 29 years, Angel decided he needed a change. His cousin “Memo” told him about an opening as a part-time security guard at Crossroads, and the rest is history.

Angel was stationed at the Norton Campus gate for five years. In 2007, he became a full-time employee. In 2011, he moved to the 21st Street campus, rotating through many different locations to ensure that the campus was secure and our community was safe.

From the start, Angel felt welcomed at the School by his colleagues, supervisors and families. While he was initially intimidated by some of the famous faces among the parent body, he was pleased to discover that they were all genuinely nice, down-to-earth folks. He also appreciated the friendliness and thoughtfulness of the students.

When Angel was on a break, you always knew where to find him: indulging his sweet tooth at the Middle School, where there were snacks for the adults.

Angel doesn’t have any specific plans for his next chapter, but he looks forward to seeing what will show up in his life. One thing is certain: He’s ready to sit down. After 29 years of standing in the bakery and 14 years of standing in security, his feet are telling him it’s time to stop. He’s happy to spend more time with his wife, Lupe, and enjoy visits from their four adult children. One of his goals is to attend Crossroads events like the Alley Party as a guest and not a worker.

We can’t wait to welcome you back to Crossroads, Angel. Thank you for your years of service and your dedication to the safety and well-being of our School community.

RETIRING EMPLOYEES

Lilian Mejia

Known for her sweet demeanor and earnest work ethic, Lilian Mejia has been a custodian at the Elementary School for 35 years. Her responsibilities have grown enormously since that division moved from the tiny campus on the grounds of Saint Augustine-by-theSea Episcopal Church to the current campus on Olympic Boulevard. But Lilian’s energy and enthusiasm for her job never wavered. Quiet and efficient, Lilian arrives at the School just as the children are getting ready to depart for the day. She takes special care to water the plants, feed the class pets and leave the classroom spaces sparkling.

Lilian goes the extra mile for her colleagues. Assistant Head of Elementary School Cat Ramos laughs when she recalls Lilian’s insistence on thoroughly washing Cat’s tea mug, because she didn’t think that Cat’s “swish” of hot water was sufficient. She also marvels at Lilian’s ability to bring life back to even the most neglected or over-watered plant.

What has kept Lilian at Crossroads for all these years is being treated like family by everyone she encounters. She says she will miss the daily hugs, laughter and love that were the staples of her workdays at Crossroads, but we’ve promised her that these will always be in ample supply whenever she chooses to stop by.

In retirement, Lilian is looking forward to visiting family in El Salvador and spending time with her adult children and three grandchildren.

“Lily, you are one of a kind and we’re going to have a difficult time replacing you,” says Paul Larson, Swing Shift Custodial/Facilities Manager. “Your dedication to Crossroads and hard work played an important role in the overall success of our department. Thank you for your support and advice over the years and for your contribution to the team. We wish you a wonderful and welldeserved retirement!” Conocida por su comportamiento dulce y ética seria en el trabajo, Lilian Mejía ha sido conserje en la Escuela Primaria durante 35 años. Sus responsabilidades han crecido enormemente desde que esa división se mudó de los terrenos de la Iglesia Episcopal de Saint Augustineby-the-Sea al campus actual en el Olympic Boulevard. Pero la energía y el entusiasmo de Lilian por su trabajo nunca falto. Tranquila y eficiente, Lilian llega a la Escuela justo cuando los niños se preparan para salir al fin del día. Ella tiene especial cuidado en regar las plantas, alimentar a las mascotas de la clase y dejar los espacios del salón brillantes.

Lilian siempre hizo más de lo debido por sus colegas. Cat Ramos, la subdirectora de la Escuela Primaria, se ríe cuando recuerda la insistencia de Lilian en lavar bien la taza de té de Cat. No creía que el enjuagado de agua caliente de Cat fuera suficiente. También se maravilla de la capacidad de Lilian de resucitar hasta a la planta más ahogada o descuidada.

Lo que ha mantenido a Lilian en Crossroads durante todos estos años es como ha sido tratada como familia por todos los que encuentra. Ella dice que extrañará los abrazos, las risas y el amor diario que fueron elementos básicos de sus días de trabajo en Crossroads. Le hemos prometido que esos siempre estarán en abundancia cuando elija pasar por aquí.

En su jubilación, Lilian espera visitar a su familia en El Salvador y pasar tiempo con sus hijos adultos y sus tres nietos.

“Lily, eres única y vamos a tener dificultades para reemplazarte”, dice Paul Larson, gerente del cambio de turno de servicios y mantenimiento. “Tu dedicación a Crossroads y tu arduo trabajo desempeñaron un papel importante en el éxito general de nuestro departamento. Gracias por tu apoyo y asesoramiento a lo largo de los años y por tu contribución al equipo. ¡Le deseamos una jubilación maravillosa y bien merecida!”

Doug Thompson Jim Untrauer

This marks Doug Thompson’s second retirement from Crossroads! After a varied and colorful 19-year career as a Spanish teacher, soccer coach, dean of students and assistant head of school, Doug left Crossroads in 2002 to become the head of school at Mid-Peninsula High School. He retired in June 2017—and then returned to Crossroads in 2018 to step in as interim assistant head of school and dean of faculty. After 21 combined years at Crossroads and 37 total years in education, Doug retired again in July. He thinks it’s for “real” this time.

When Doug returned to Crossroads, he was impressed with how the School had grown in scale, from new facilities (such as the Science Education & Research Center) to the size of the student body. But he was relieved to find the School’s mission remained strongly intact, including the amplification of student voices.

Doug’s primary responsibilities in his role—later renamed associate head of school—were to support Head of School Bob Riddle and to serve as dean of faculty. Familiar with both roles, Doug approached all issues with a simple question: “How can I help?” All who worked with Doug admired his keen ability to listen and his willingness to do whatever it took to come to an effective resolution.

Doug returned to Crossroads with both fresh eyes and a strong grasp of the unique culture of the School. During his two-year tenure, Doug has helped to create accommodation plans at all three divisions for students with specific learning needs. He also worked with a Board committee to revamp the head of school evaluation process.

In retirement, Doug is looking forward to spending longer periods of time in countries that he and his wife, Barbara, have enjoyed, most notably France, Italy and Spain. Thank you, Doug, for 21 extraordinary years. A Santa Monica native, Jim Untrauer came to Crossroads through his partner, Cheryl Junod; they’d met as students at St. Monica Catholic High School. Cheryl began working in the Upper School in 1987, and Jim—a nature lover—joined on some Environmental and Outdoor Education (EOE) trips. When the Facilities Department needed help during the summer of 1990, they brought Jim on. Less than a year later, Jim was hired as a full-time maintenance engineer.

At the time, there were only three people doing maintenance—Silvino Avila, Rafael Caceres and Jim—and they did it all: assembling furniture, building new rooms, remodeling, painting, replacing plumbing and installing windows. Jim also mastered operating a forklift and honed his welding skills.

Jim loves working alongside colleagues. He also excels at completing projects independently and problem-solving challenging tasks. You can often find him on the roof of the Science Education & Research Facility, checking on plants or photographing the monarch butterflies as they make their annual visit.

Jim, who will retire in September, remained at Crossroads for 30 years because of the deep bonds he developed with co-workers, many of whom have become lifelong friends. Crossroads became a second family to Jim and Cheryl, and they participated fully in School life: attending EOE trips and supporting all Crossroads events, from jazz concerts to athletics. (Jim even designed the original Roadrunner!) Jim and Cheryl traveled all the way to Sacramento for a state championship boys basketball game.

Jim will now get to spend more time with his beloved Cheryl, who retired in 2017 after 30 years at Crossroads. He will be greatly missed.