Retiree Spotlight
Many Chevron retirees live very active lives, embarking on new adventures and sharing their time, skills and knowledge with others. We share some of their stories here, in an effort to recognize them for the example they set and inspiration they bring to others
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Jay Morris
During his impressive, varied career with Chevron, Jay Morris covered the globe, managing projects from the North Sea to Kazakhstan. When he retired in 2020, Jay looked for a way to give back to his local Houston community. He didn't have far to look. His wife Lynn, also a former Chevron employee, had become administrator of Faithful Paws Pet Therapy's Houston-based organization dedicated to providing unconditional love to residents of schools, hospitals, senior living centers and other organizations through pet therapy. When Lynn asked Jay to join him in an administrative role, he was moved by several of her experiences. One involved a Houston high school at which a shooting had occurred earlier in 2018. When Lynn and her dog visited the school, they received a strong emotional response from everyone from the student body to the football coach. "The value her therapy brought was very profound," Jay recalls. Faithful Paws was founded in 1997 with a mission to spread unconditional love through pet therapy. The organization started with six members and by 2020 it had grown to 150 members with their dogs, rabbits and cats. After Jay became the facilities coordinator for Faithful Paws, he had many first-hand opportunities to witness the powerful impact of pet therapy. His main role was to match facilities requesting visits with volunteers and working out the logistics of the visit. In 2023, Jay was named to the Board of Directors and became treasurer while remaining the facilities coordinator. And throughout the years, he has continued to conduct therapy visits with his dog Presto. In 2020, the Covid pandemic forced Faithful Paws to suspend its customary visits to more than 100 facilities. But that did not last long. Toward the end of 2020, facilities started asking Faithful Paws to return. The facilities knew the joy that pet therapy created, and they needed that joy after a difficult year. Since then, Jay and Lynn have completed over 450 visits with their dogs, Presto and Kyrie. By 2022, Faithful Paws had become Houston's premier pet therapy organization, with over 200 members visiting more than 150 facilities. In 2023, Faithful Paws interacted with over 15,000 people in the Houston Area. The Faithful Paws executive director retired in 2023 and asked Lynn and Jay, along with another member, to take over the organization and make it a standalone entity. The parent organization endorsed the change, and in 2023 Faithful Paws became a stand-alone non-profit 501(c)3 organization with Lynn as executive director and Jay as director. While helping run the "back room", Jay continues to go on visits with Presto. And his visits continue to yield moving experiences, which attest to the power of pet therapy. It takes a special dog to excel at pet therapy. "Some kids want to see a very calm dog," Jay says. "And others want to play with Presto's ears. I think I'm getting better at recognizing when my dog is unhappy and dealing with the situation." Jay recalls a recent visit to the memory care unit of a senior facility. "We were in a unit where the patients were no longer verbal, and it was difficult to bring them out of their shells. But I particularly recall one man who sat with Presto on his lap and broke into the biggest smile. For him and other residents of that facility, our visit had a powerful impact for the rest of the day." Jay relates similar experiences with autistic children, where the therapy visits helped to spark behavioral improvements over the course of time. "I recall parents saying, 'All my child did was to talk about that visit with the dog.'" Faithful Paws is also proving successful in helping corporate employees cope with stressful environments. "A lot of wellness issues have surfaced in many companies, especially since Covid," says Jay. "The companies are looking for ways to relieve this stress, and our visits have led to smiles, laughter and overall happiness in many organizations." Faithful Paws now has its own training program and handbook on Pet Therapy. The training now includes a researcher who provides insights into ways of avoiding mistakes with one's pet. Each training class meets once a week in two-hour sessions. Over the five-week program, dogs learn not to bark or sniff each other and to walk calmly on a loose leash. They also practice not reacting to distractions such as may be provided by a walker, food cart or unexpected sounds. Cats and rabbits are temperament assessed. And all trainees receive in-depth coaching in a class titled "Visit 101," covering approaching a wheelchair, getting on and off an elevator, and appropriate behavior for both human and pet members. The organization continues to grow will have 57 new members trained by the end of 2024. In his expanded role, Jay is responsible for organizational governance and developing the documentation to obtain approvals from the IRS and State of Texas to form a new corporation and become an approved non-profit entity. As treasurer, Jay oversees all bank accounts and accounting processes for Faithful Paws. This includes developing cash flow forecasts and future budgets. Jay is also working on the Five-Year Strategic Plan. As a retired Chevron project manager, these activities are right up his alley.
Tom Rush
More than 6 million Americans currently live with Alzheimer's and over 11 million family and friends provide their unpaid care. The Walk to End Alzheimer's, held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, is the Alzheimer Association's® largest event to raise funds and awareness for the organization's care, support and research programs. Chevron retiree Tom Rush (in his signature purple pant and shoes) has been volunteering for the Sacramento Walk to End Alzheimer's for the past eight years – shortly after he learned that his wife Linda suffered from the disease. After Linda died, Tom felt an increased sense of urgency about combating Alzheimer's and recognized the need for an attention-getting way to attract contributions. His solution was to paint his truck purple and add the Walk to End Alzheimer's® logo in bright letters on the side of the vehicle. Tom knew he'd found a winning sales pitch. When his Purple Sacramento Walk to End Alzheimer's truck hit the roads, the public responded. "Now people notice me and my devotion to the Alzheimer's Association, and what we're doing to eliminate this horrendous disease," says Tom. "When I drive around the surrounding neighborhoods, people give me a thumbs up, honk their horn, or take pictures. The truck gives us some much-needed exposure." Often, that exposure turns into contributions or volunteer support to combat the fatal disease. The contributions have helped Tom's Team Snail become the Alzheimer Association's® largest fundraiser in the Northern California area. For the 2024 walk, Team Snail raised almost $24,000, far exceeding the second fundraising team. The team's name was one that Tom, Linda and their friends had used nearly 30 years earlier when they participated in the Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco. "We walked in the Bay to Breakers and we were slow," says Tom. "We decided to call ourselves Team Snail I have one of the best teams I could ever get together. I have family members nationwide who all sign up for Team Snail. I encourage them to start their own team, but they always come back to Team Snail." Team Snail isn't just made up of family members. Tom also recruits people he meets in the community. "I have 20 neighbors who are Team Snail members," said Tom. "I started pulling members from my barbershop. I went to a restaurant and introduced myself. Now I'm a regular and they, in turn, support us. I'm trying to get them to start their own team." Tom is also proud of the support he receives from many fellow Chevron retirees who have joined Team Snail. They include former Chevron employees whom Tom has recruited via Facebook. "I worked for Chevron for 25 years," said Tom. "I have a lot of friends on Facebook from Chevron. Once you put your story out there it's amazing what people will do for you." He proudly mentions that Chevron has been a sponsor of the East Bay Alzheimer's Walk for the Cure for many years. In addition to the attention-getting truck, Team Snail maintains an Alzheimer's information table in Sacramento, where members give out pamphlets on Alzheimer's disease. Tom says "We also hand out 'almost free' balloons because most parents will make a donation for the balloons. I personally match all donations made during the Table Drives, which usually range between $400 and $700. I'm proud to be the biggest contributor to Team Snails efforts. I donate at least 50% of each year's team total to our cause -- anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000, and I personally pay for all of Team Snail T-shirts, baseball hats, coasters, and paperweights the team sells to raise money, Team Snail sells paperweights, Alzheimer's coasters, baseball hats and Team Snail T-shirts. Anyone who joins Team Snail and donates $60 to the Alzheimer's Association® receives a Team Snail t-shirt. For a $100 donation, the contributor also receives the official Sacramento Walk to End Alzheimer's t-shirt. During Team Snail's peak recruiting and fundraising period from May through September, Tom spends more than 40 hours a week working on social media, calling or texting past team captains, selling tickets for scheduled events, organizing his neighborhood's fundraising efforts, and successfully meeting the team's goals for the year. During the rest of the year, Tom keeps things going smoothly with team members, "I spend a lot of time working on finding the cure, and it will pay off when we do," Tom says. "I appreciate all the support, as Alzheimer's and all other forms of dementia are relentless diseases that will not be stopped unless we stop them."
Dennis Walther
Chevron retiree Dennis Walther (one of two 2024 Chevron Retirees Association Public Service Award recipients) spent his early life on a farm in North Dakota, attending a one-room schoolhouse during six and a half years of that time. He had just graduated from high school when the family came to CA for their first family vacation to see their US Navy son before he left for his assignment in Japan. "I had an uncle who worked as a boilermaker for Standard Oil's Richmond Refinery and he said I should apply for a job there," Dennis recalls. What would a country boy do to find work in this new environment? He wasn't intimidated by the prospect. After all, he says, "When you grow up on a farm, you become well-rounded in the different trades." He was hired on as a laborer in 1960 and eventually worked his way up to managing major turnarounds at the refinery – a job at which he was so good that as a contractor he went to Kazakhstan to work at planning and to advise on turnarounds. While at the refinery, he also learned the value of supporting people in need. This was a lesson that would become ever larger as he grew older. During his years at the refinery, he participated in many periodic blood drives, beginning just three months after he joined the company. He expanded his support in 1990 after coming upon a local blood bank in his community. A member of the blood bank told him how the red cells, plasma and platelets were urgently needed for premature babies, cancer sufferers, burn victims and others, and Dennis was quick to volunteer. He has been volunteering ever since, recently marking his 300th time giving blood. "I have been very blessed during my life, and I feel I need to give to those less fortunate." says Dennis. "After all, giving blood saves lives. People who need blood need it now and it's easy for me to do so I do it. By volunteering and donating blood, I continue to be blessed and I am amazed how thankful many of the people are." Dennis received direct thanks from blood recipients and their families after an interview with him on CBS Channel 5 in San Francisco was aired nationally. He was particular touched by an email from a woman in Oklahoma whose son was being sustained for his auto immune disease by periodic injections of plasma pherisis. For her, Dennis became the epitome for all those who regularly give blood to help support human needs. The CBS report noted that Dennis' volunteerism was especially commendable – and vital – because of a continuing shortage of blood donors. Dennis' drive to support human needs also prompted him to become a volunteer for Meals on Wheels almost a decade ago. Initially, he and his wife Gerrie delivered food to 30 to 40 seniors in their community of Fairfield (Calif.) every Monday. "We averaged around 30 stops, so it took 3 to 4 hours, even though it was only about 35 miles." A change in their schedules occurred in 2021, when the pandemic limited the number of available drivers. "Because of the shortage of volunteers, we started delivering food three times a week," he recalls. By that point, they were serving a wide variety of food-dependent people, ranging from people with disabilities to multigenerational families. "In many cases, we were the only people with whom they had personal contact," Dennis says. "And it became natural for us to develop relationships with them. We also became their eyes, taking note of anything that didn't look right – such as a case of starvation – and reporting it to authorities." At the peak of the pandemic, Dennis and Gerrie were driving 100 miles a week. He estimates that over the past decade, they have delivered more than 26,000 meals. And, as with his commitment to blood donations, he has no plans to cut back on his volunteerism. Clearly, he and Gerrie are highly valued by the community. It should therefore be no surprise that Meals on Wheels of Solano County has just named them Volunteers of the Year.
Jerry Jackson
CRA 2024 Public Service Award winner Jerry Jackson often applied his formidable skills at finding better ways to operate, especially during the final years of his 39 ½ year career at the Pascagoula (Miss.) Refinery, ending as Technology and Innovation projects manager. When he retired in 2020, he didn't need to make a transition to retired life. Instead, he put his skills to work in guiding numerous Pascagoula organizations to be more effective. With Chevron, he had already been the company's representative on the Rotary Club of Pascagoula since 2013. After staying on as the club's secretary in 2023, fund raising chair in 2024, he coordinated the Rotary Club drawdown, which helped to provide $20,000 in scholarships for both Pascagoula and Resurrection High Schools. Jerry lives by the Rotary Club Motto: "Service Above Self." He is presently in the Rotary Club Leadership progression and is the Board president elect for year 2024/Board president for 2025. "I'm really proud of the club for what we can do locally, especially through our fundraising efforts," he says. "It's important to have an organization that engages community leaders, like doctors, lawyers." Jerry often combines fundraising acumen with an acute sense of what an organization needs to be successful. One such example is the Pascagoula - Gautier STEM Robotics Booster Club, which he founded and on which he served as president. "We had access to all these local engineers working for Chevron and other companies," says Jerry. "By creating a booster club, we were able to identify engineers to help build robotic equipment, assist with robotics competitions and serve as Booster Club members for fundraising." His strong support for local education prompted him to become president of the Pascagoula Athletic Foundation's Board in 2018. Since then, he has helped raise over $50,000 in support of the organization's mission of improving all athletic programs within Pascagoula High School and Middle School and to provide an organization that promotes excellence in athletics. Jerry has also played an important role in supporting the local schools' athletic programs. Recognizing the need for a booster club in support of track and field, Jerry and a colleague co-founded the Gold Medal Club in December 2013. The Gold Medal Club raised an average of $3,000 - $4,000 per year for supplemental support of the teams' traveling expenses/supplies. In 2014, Jerry led in the development of a video of track and field athletes for entry in the Walmart/Coca Cola grant competition. The Pascagoula Track and Field Team won the competition and was awarded $5,000, which was used for new uniforms and supplies. Jerry's skills in photography and videography were a major factor in the win. "One of my goals in volunteerism is to find the holes in a system and devise ways to fill those holes," Jerry says. "At the time, my son was running track, but the sport wasn't getting enough attention – unlike sports like football and baseball that had their own booster clubs. Through the Gold Medal Club, we helped support kids who eventually got track scholarships to top universities." Jerry recently became involved in the Pascagoula Gautier Foundation for Educational Excellence, a new startup. "Having two sons who are graduates of the Pascagoula Gautier School District, I truly understand the benefits and value of community engagement for enhancement of educational programs," Jerry says. "My goal is to work toward enhancements for the school district to ensure it is top tier and to maintain that status for our students and student athletes." He anticipates that this effort will be in conjunction with the involvement of area businesses, and is interested in their fundraising and marketing. In addition to providing fundraising and organizational acumen, Jerry occasionally relies on the technical skills that he perfected while at the Pascagoula Refinery. Other organizations with which Jerry played an active volunteer role include the Chevron Federal Credit Union Pascagoula Advisory Council, the Bacot Foundation of South Mississippi, the Pascagoula Planning Board, Pascagoula Men's Club/Foundation, and LifeWise (another startup).In his heavy slate of volunteer activities, he has often taken on short-time roles, where he can help guide the organization to develop the skills it needs to be successful. Whatever his role, he says, "I truly believe in giving back. And I believe in community. It's my job to help people get where they need to. That's what I live for."
Jose Ayala
Chevron retiree Jose Ayala is passionate about his many roles as player, coach and administrator in supporting youth soccer in his hometown of Vacaville, California. “I love my town and I have great memories of when I first played youth soccer there almost 50 years ago,” says Jose. He revived his connection with the town’s soccer program in 2004 when he became coach of a team on which his son played. He subsequently switched to coaching his daughter’s team until 2012 – and a decade later he began coaching his grandson’s team. Jose smiles when he reflects on his wife’s occasional criticism for being too much the disciplinarian with their children. “I learned everything from my dad and I guess, like him, I expected more from my kids,” Jose says. “But they all ended up being good players who got a lot from the experience. For all of the kids, my own and others, the skills they learned will help them be successful.” Over the years, he has adapted his coaching style, becoming more patient while retaining his satisfaction at “getting along and enjoying the camaraderie and team bonding.” As a coach, he supported the young players in their studies, ensured that they had a way to and from the practices and games, and helped them develop their character. If financial support was needed so that a child could play, he found a way to make that happen using Chevron volunteer grants, personal donations, and Chevron matching funds. And he encouraged other Chevron employees to do the same. Jose helped gather between $8,000 and $10,000 a year to support the soccer league and soccer players. During his coaching years, he became treasurer of the Vacaville United Soccer Club and was named its president in 2013. Jose estimates he volunteered more than 4,000 hours, promoting all aspects of youth soccer in Vacaville. Outside all his regular presidential duties, he helped stripe the fields, repair nets, inspect the area to ensure a safe family experience, plan for opening day, and encourage efficient team movements to ensure that the games stayed on schedule. Realizing the impact the pandemic had on children, Jose led development of a compliant program that provided an outlet for all their pent-up energy (much to the relief of beleaguered parents). Jose brought a vision of the future as president of the soccer club. He saw many elements of his vision implemented, including a comprehensive referee program involving a referee assignor and a field assignor. He led the re-negotiation of the 20-year contract with the city that allowed the league to continue to develop and maintain the five-field soccer complex. He is especially proud of his efforts in reorganizing the town’s soccer administration. There had previously been two leagues, one for recreation, the other for competition. With the pandemic straining the town’s efforts to keep the sport alive, Jose helped negotiate a new structure, consisting of one club with a single board of directors. “They even adopted my theme: one club, one family, one vision.” With the merger, he became responsible for the competitive and recreational programs for more than 1,100 soccer players ranging in age from 5 to 19. Aside from his involvement in soccer, Jose occasionally supports friends who operate as guides to caribou and moose hunters in Alaska. “When the hunters arrive, we give them orientation, which involves a lot of flying around the area,” says Jose. “It’s beautiful to fly over the mountains and glaciers and see the northern lights every night.” Jose’s professional career spans 18 years in the grocery business and 20 years with Chevron’s Richmond Refinery, where he rose from apprentice mechanic to planner in the facility’s turnaround group. Since he retired in 2021, he has periodically returned to advise the refinery on upcoming turnarounds. “The first time, they needed me because I was the only available subject matter expert who could help coordinate the event. And I’m currently doing it for the third time."
Peter Schmidt
Chevron retiree Peter Schmidt describes his volunteer activities as “a quiet time in which to recharge my batteries.” This perspective has served him well, even when a multi-taloned, potentially dangerous raptor from the Lindsay Wildlife Experience is perched on his wrist. (Photo credit Paul Hara). The care of raptors has been Peter’s specialty ever since he began working as a volunteer at the center’s sanctuary for birds and animals in Walnut Creek, California, in 1997. Peter stresses that “these birds aren’t pets – and yet it’s possible to build a relationship with them.” His work with raptors includes cleaning up their area, feeding them and taking them for exercise. “They seem to recognize that I’m not someone who wants to clip their talons or other things they don’t like.” Peter originally joined the facility to replace his son, who had cared for raptors during his high school years and was leaving to attend college. Peter quickly found himself fitting into his role at the Lindsay Wildlife Experience, which provides the community with a mechanism to connect with wildlife that have been injured or are otherwise unable to be released to the wild. Today, he no longer works exclusively with raptors. “The administration wanted volunteers to extend their efforts to a wider group of birds, which meant that I had to develop a greater spectrum of skill sets.” He became particularly attached to Shadow, a great gray owl who often startled easily but relaxed in Peter’s presence. At Lindsay, he has also become involved in special projects, such as building an enclosure for an aquarium tank to house hermit crabs. “It was a good project for me since I like making things,” Peter says. Over 70 years of existence, the Lindsay Wildlife Experience had various names and locations, but the same purpose. It is the country’s first wildlife hospital, a zoological organization, and an educational museum specializing in native California wildlife. Since 1993, it has occupied a 28,000-square-foot space in Walnut Creek’s Larkey Park. There, each year, its veterinarians, husbandry experts, biologists, and teachers treat more than 5,000 wild animals; care for the 70 animal ambassadors who call Lindsay home; and educate approximately 100,000 people. Peter’s fascination with building things was one of the reasons he became a volunteer at Burning Man roughly 10 years ago. Burning Man Project, headquartered in San Francisco, is a network of people inspired by the values which include radical self-reliance, communal effort, civic responsibility, and “leaving no trace.” Each summer, the organization creates a temporary city in Nevada’s Black Rock high desert, where scores of individuals create colorful, transient sculptures and other art. As volunteers, Peter and his wife devote roughly 10 days each summer to helping to build the city. “My biggest interest in Burning Man is the community of people,” says Peter. “And the process of building the city each year involves uplifting vibes and a camaraderie to get the job done.” Peter and his wife design large flags and portable 6 furniture that contribute both artistic and practical qualities to the 10-day event. “The flags are our most dramatic contribution,” says Peter. “They’re designed to fit in with the event’s annual theme and they fly over Burning Man’s Center Camp Café.” The practical contributions include plywood benches for the café, which interlock and can be taken down and stored flat to minimize storage requirements in trailers. Peter also made a “Price Is Right” wheel for the emcee to use on the café’s performing stage - It lights up and rotates, then can be broken down for storage each year. He has also contributed used paint from the county hazardous waste recycling center, which the artists can reuse. A picture of the large group of volunteers who build the temporary city each year shows Peter in the center, in red. Working at the Black Rock plateau site posed early problems for the Schmidts. “It took us the first year to get used to the quiet and the hot, dry, dusty climate. Whenever we returned to the ‘real world,’ we had to wipe ourselves down with a vinegar solution to remove the limestone dust from our skin. But we adapted.” He also expanded his responsibilities, feeding some of the visitors and becoming involved with the local Rangers to patrol the city and provide help where needed. Peter’s enduring impressions of Burning Man include an appreciation for its art, its spectacle, its thematic creativity (such as one year’s event devoted to DaVinci’s Workshop) and its communal spirit. Peter’s earliest volunteer activity occurred during the years when he was working for Chevron Research Company. At that time, he served with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts while his sons were involved with the organizations. He remembers the “high adventure” of taking the boys camping in the Florida Keys. And he praises Chevron Humankind for its financial contributions to organizations for which Peter has volunteered for more than 35 years.