2 Trustees Elected to Whittier College Board

Theodore F. Marshburn, an ophthalmologist in private practice in Whittier, and Wesley R. Kewish, a retired oil industry representative, have been elected to three-year terms on the Whittier College Board of Trustees. Marshburn graduated from the college in 1951 and received his medical degree in 1955 from UCLA. His wife, the former Mary Louise Delkin, graduated from Whittier College in 1953, and his parents, Oscar and Olive (Milhous) Marshburn, graduated from the college in 1917.

Kewish worked for Santa Fe Drilling Co. and later Santa Fe International Corp. from 1951 to 1978, beginning as an oil field roustabout and retiring as a business development representative. He has remained active in local organizations including Whittier Elks and Masonic lodges, the Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital Foundation and on the Chairman’s Roundtable of the Whittier YMCA. Kewish’s son Dan graduated from Whittier College in 1966. Both new trustees are members of the Friends Church. Marshburn lives in Whittier and Kewish lives in Newport Beach.

Dean of Student Affairs at L.B. City College

John R. Fylpaa, 42, has been named dean of student affairs at Long Beach City College, replacing Wells Sloniger, who became vice president for student services in September. Fylpaa has been with the community college 10 years as a professor of speech and management classes and as student body adviser overseeing student government and budgets for the associated student body, campus clubs and various student activities. Before joining the college, Fylpaa was director of activities at David Starr Jordan High School in Long Beach for three years. He also was a career guidance counselor at Poly High School and taught office procedures, use of business machines and accounting in the Long Beach Unified School District’s adult program. For two years he worked with the Bureau of Business Education for the state Department of Education as a consultant to youth groups at high schools throughout the state. Fylpaa earned an associate degree in business at Long Beach City College, a bachelor’s in marketing and master’s in administrative services at Cal State Long Beach, and his doctorate in educational management at the University of La Verne. His wife is Sandra Rittman, professor of office technologies at Long Beach City College.

Commerce Hires Human Resources Director

J. Sonny Morkus, an 11-year Whittier employee, will change cities April 24 to take a newly created position as director of human resources for the City of Commerce. His last day as director of personnel and emergency services coordinator for Whittier will be April 21. Morkus started in Whittier in 1978 as a work force planning assistant, and became an administrative assistant in 1981. The following year he was named emergency services coordinator, a job that put him in a leading role directing the city’s recovery activities after the 1987 earthquake. In 1985, he became Whittier’s first director of personnel. Morkus is a resident of Whittier and a graduate of Cal State Long Beach with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in public administration.

Museum Group Honors Departing Officer

Noll Thompson, a retired businessman and major supporter of the Downey Museum of Art, was honored at a farewell dinner. He and his wife, Allice, Downey residents for 36 years, are moving to Las Vegas. Thompson is immediate past president of the museum board of directors and served twice as interim executive director. Helen Boggs is the current board president and Scott Ward is executive director.

La Mirada Historian Given Award of Merit

La Mirada historian C.W. (Bob) Camp has received an award of merit from the California Historical Society for his work in preserving the Neff Mansion in Neff Park, getting it designated as a landmark and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Camp has collected hundreds of artifacts over the past 30 years and donated them to the city as a reminder of La Mirada’s past. He also has written two books and more than 50 research papers and newspaper articles on local history.

Junior Chamber Crowns Miss Long Beach

Michele Marie Francus was chosen as Miss Long Beach in a pageant sponsored by the Long Beach Junior Chamber of Commerce. The lifelong resident of the Belmont Shore district of Long Beach is 22 and employed as an office equipment sales representative. She graduated from Wilson High School, where she was an all-city soccer player; attended Long Beach City College, where her father, Stan Francus, is dean of academic affairs; and graduated from UCLA. Francus was selected from among 35 contestants in the pageant, and will be the Long Beach representative in the Miss California-U.S.A. Pageant later this year. She also will appear at official city events and at retail grand openings. She is 5-foot-7, has brown eyes and dark brown hair.

Red Cross Honors Volunteer Fund-Raiser

The Los Angeles chapter of the American Red Cross has presented a Spotlight Award to Art Redfox of Huntington Park. The award, the chapter’s most prestigious, recognizes longtime volunteer service. As a fund-raiser, Redfox headed more than 70 volunteers in three different campaigns, and personally contacted more than 200 businessmen and raised more than $11,000. He was chairman of the board of the Red Cross Southeast District in South Gate from 1962 to 1964. Redfox began his affiliation with the Red Cross as a youngster.

La Serna Teacher to Be in Science Program

Christopher Heaton, physics teacher at La Serna High School in Whittier, has been selected to participate in the national earth and space science education program at Cal State Fullerton. The program of academic workshops, symposiums, summer institutes and conferences with acclaimed scientists is intended to train educators from throughout Southern California in teaching the contemporary sciences.

Bellflower Church Names Minister of Music

Kevin Leathers has joined the staff at First Southern Baptist Church of Bellflower as minister of music and education. Leathers, 31, graduated from Lakewood High School and California Baptist College in Riverside. He is the son of the late Rev. George Leathers, who pastored in Signal Hill. His mother teaches Sunday school at the Bellflower church.