Bill Kindler, 2011 WWU Distinguished Alumnus of the Year
Chemistry, 1965
Bill Kindler is a 1965 Western Chemistry graduate and is the 2011 College of Sciences and Technology Distinguished Alumnus of the Year recipient. Bill married his wife Trudy, a 1964 Home Economics graduate of Western, in August of 1964, after meeting in their first year English class. Bill is a member of the CST Leadership Board and serves as the Chair of the Board’s Development Committee.
After graduating from Western in 1965 with a B.S. in Chemistry, Bill attended The Institute of Paper Chemistry at Lawrence University, receiving a PhD in 1970. Bill joined Crown Zellerbach's central research division in Camas, WA working on various research and development projects. In 1980 he transferred to CZ's St. Francisville, LA mill as technical manager and later became production manager. He returned to Camas in 1985 as corporate director of research and engineering. Bill held various positions with James River Corporation from 1987 to 1997: vice president of sales, vice president of printing paper business and vice president of manufacturing. In 1997, he joined Rayonier as senior vice president of specialty pulp before retiring from that position in 2001.
Bill’s current interests include wooden boat building, fly fishing and backpacking. He and his wife Trudy now live in Port Angeles. They have two children and six grandchildren who visit them every summer in Port Angeles. Bill and Trudy have also funded the Eddy Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship which honors the professor who turned him on to chemistry and provides funding for a Western chemistry student faculty supervised research experience each summer.
Kelsey Heikoop & Paul Van Metre (Paul 1996 BS/VRI; Kelsey 1997 BS/VRI)
CST alumni Kelsey Heikoop and Paul Van Metre are the WWU Alumni Association’s 2011 Young Alumnus of the Year Award Winners. This award identifies high achieving young alumni (age 39 or younger) who have distinguished themselves in an exceptional way at an early age and confirms that it does not necessarily take a lifetime to make a mark on society.
Kelsey and Paul are two of the three co-founders of one of the top manufacturing companies in Whatcom County, and one of the top CNC manufacturing companies in the region: Pro CNC, Inc. The accolades speak for themselves as Pro CNC continues to receive award after award year after year. These accolades all impact and influence others in their profession as they work effectively to build a rapidly growing powerhouse business in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Aside from employing 55 local people and providing above average wages at their business, they are also working with many businesses and entrepreneurs around the region to create better products that are related to the machining their business does…all to better the lives of people.
When Paul and Kelsey attended Western Washington University in the early 1990's, they joined the university's Vehicle Research Institute (VRI). Associated with the Department of Engineering Technology, the VRI is a research organization performing vehicle design, prototype construction and consulting for government and private industry. The focus of their team was to conceive, design, fabricate and compete Formula SAE style racing cars. Their team’s car won the Goodyear Outstanding Performance award and placed fourth overall out of 87 universities; the VRI's best finish ever in the Formula SAE competition. Through the process, the team gained valuable hands-on experience using advanced CNC machining methods. The bond formed continued as they embarked on a new career as business partners.
Aside from being members of the Western Alumni association, they understand the importance of being good stewards of the community which adds value to their image and the image of those who interact with them. Mentioned below are examples of their dedication to the community, specifically the Western community. Paul and Kelsey have been very supportive of Western over the years, especially the Vehicle Research Institute. Kelsey’s uncle is retired professor and founder of the VRI, Michael Seal.
As owners of Pro CNC, they open their doors frequently to the broader Bellingham community, especially Western, Bellingham Technical College, and Whatcom Community College for students to gain the necessary experience to be successful after graduation. Some examples are: continuous and ongoing donations of materials and tools to VRI for many years, they have offered internships to students and recent grads, they have provided consulting and advising to the VRI and they offer tours to students to see a real manufacturing environment.
Kelsey and Paul have very close ties to Western. They are fond of their Western experience and they believe in giving back to their alma mater and their community.
