Butler County Community College is bidding farewell to 13 employees with a combined 303 years of experience who are taking advantage of early retirement options.

Retiring with more than three decades at BC3 are Natalie Kitzko, records and registration secretary (52 years); Dr. Kathy Wood, professor of humanities and social science (34 years); and Katie Scherder, secretary, Academic Center for Enrichment (33 years).

Retiring after more than two decades of employment are Judy Wadding, professor of humanities and social science (27 years); Joyce Voland, Business Learning Center office support (23 years); and Katie Badura-Duke, hospitality coordinator (20 years).

Others include Amy O’Leary, records and registration secretary (19 years); Larry Stock, BC3 Cultural Center director (18 years); Michelle Jamieson, BC3 Education Foundation associate director (16 years); Jim Spafford, custodian (15 years); Tracy Hack, coordinator of community leadership initiatives (14 years); Pam McCullough, staff accountant (13 years); and Sally Lehnerd, custodian (13 years).

Kitzko, 73, of Butler is the second-longest-serving employee in BC3 history. Her last day was Nov. 13. She was born in Germany to prisoner-of-war native Ukrainians during World War II. She moved to Lyndora, graduated from Butler Area Senior High School, attended the first classes BC3 offered in September 1966 and was among its first graduates on June 9, 1968.

“It went fast,” Kitzko said. “One day it was my first day and now it’s my last day and it doesn’t seem like I’ve been here that long.”

Jamieson, a 1984 BC3 graduate, increased the number of named scholarships from 52 in 2009 to 138 as of November, the annual scholarship payout by 100 percent, and the scholarship endowment fund by more than $3.48 million.

Hired in 2004 as director of alumni programs and annual campaigns, Jamieson retired Nov. 13.

“There are these wonderful people out there that have financial resources, who want to make a difference in the community, in the world,” Jamieson said. “And we’ve been blessed that they have chosen BC3 to do that.”

In the 2020-21 academic year, the foundation will award more than $200,000 in named scholarships, that with BC3’s affordability and financial aid allowed 80 percent of BC3’s Class of 2020 to graduate debt-free.

“Our students directly reaped the benefits of Michelle’s dedication and passion to the college because ultimately it led to more and more friends of the college donating to BC3 and increasing the scholarship opportunities for our students,” said BC3 President Nick Neupauer.