News

On April 12, 2024, Al Brunkow closed the loop on his 42-year career at Southeast Community College. He started as an instructor in the Electronics Engineering and Servicing Technology program on Dec. 6, 1982, eventually serving as program chair. On April 14, 2008 he transitioned into his final position as Information Services Manager. To say he has seen some changes in the College is an understatement.

“When I started teaching there were no computers or the Internet,” Brunkow said. “Most materials for class were either hand written or typed on a typewriter and taken to the copy center. Getting your mail was what you did by going to the LRC mail room during the 9:45-10:15 a.m. coffee break. You relied on books and magazines for current information and desk phones for communication. By the end of my teaching career in 2008, the use of computers and the Internet was the standard.”

Brunkow felt his experience as an instructor brought a unique perspective to his role as Information Services Manager. When he started in IT, SCC’s computer network was in the early stages and he had a staff of 10 employees. He retires with a strong network and a team of close to 30 employees who keep the College systems running smoothly.

“Many changes and upgrades have happened over the last 16 years,” he said. “The College now has a very robust network, upgraded AV technology in classrooms, many advancements relating to the student information system, two datacenters, and many cloud hosted services to keep the college going. I am proud of the IT team as they are very bright and work together as a team to do great things to support the College.”

There are many things he is going to miss about working at the College and they all include his relationships with the people of SCC.

“While I was teaching, I enjoyed getting to know the students and seeing them become successful upon graduation,” he explained. “It is satisfying seeing them accomplish great things with an SCC education. I will miss helping the faculty, staff and students with their technology needs. SCC has a family atmosphere that works together to benefit students.”

He has big plans for his retirement which includes spending more time with his family, taking some trips, helping others as much as he can, catching up on his to do list, and going fishing.

Jennifer Snyder
Communications Specialist
402-323-3393
jsnyder@southeast.edu