Meet Your Trainers

Catherine Goggia

Catherine Goggia is a Butte College Associate Faculty member  for the Business Education Department and a Training              Specialist for the Office of Contract Education. She has also   worked as a Subject Matter Expert for the Chabot-Las Positas Training and Development Solution Group. Catherine earned degrees in English and Communication Studies from California State University, Chico. She has been teaching at Butte College for 15 years in addition to her work with individual companies.

Catherine brings more than twenty-five years of private sector work experience - from the front line to corporate level sales and marketing - to her trainings. Her sales background ranges from capitol goods to long-term service programs, including face-to-face and telephone sales. In addition, she has worked with county, city and non-profit organizations. Her trainings provide practical skills and tools that can be applied immediately and knowledge based on real-life work experience.

Catherine is consistently rated by training participants as a motivational and involved trainer. Her combination of humor and straight talk creates an enjoyable and valuable training experience. Her work at the Butte College Training Place has led to many individual consultation contracts and private training contracts with various businesses including: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Gatorade Oakland Plant, Cascade Orthopedics, The Upper Crust Bakery, Enloe Hospital, Feather River Hospital, Glenn County Medical, Butte County, Shasta County, Oakland County, and Ferguson & Brewer Property Association.

Catherine was the recipient of the Butte College Academic Excellence Award in 2001. This trainer is frequently requested and guaranteed to deliver a training experience worth your investment of time and money.

George Grams

George has worked in many diverse aspects of vocational services for 25 years. Specific areas of expertise include helping employers control workers compensation costs, disability evaluation, ergonomics, jobsite modification, FEHA/ADA consulting, medical case management, and facilitating a practical approach to good business.

He holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology, certification as a Disability Management Professional, a national Rehabilitation Certification, and is the principal of Grams & Associates in Chico, California. Professional endeavors include developing and implementing Disability Management/Return to work programs for Union Pacific Railroad, California Department of Corrections, Butte County, Department of Veteran Affairs, and a number of smaller employers.

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Peggy Jennings-Severe

Peggy Jennings-Severe has spent the majority of her professional life working at Butte Community College, counseling, advising and teaching students to succeed in college and life. Her personal mission statement reflects this focus. It states, “the purpose of my life is to realize my full potential and assist others in realizing theirs”.

Currently, Peggy serves as the Associate Dean of Recruitment, Outreach and Student Life. She oversees The Welcome Center and supervises a wide spectrum of programs including domestic and international new student recruitment and orientations, School Relations, Reg-to-Go, Student Activities, the Associated Students and the newly opened Culture & Community Center. She has also been instrumental in the creation and facilitation of three leadership development programs at Butte College, specifically Leadership Butte, Butte College Leader Development Institute and the Leadership Academy.

Peggy received her Associate degree from Modesto Junior College, her Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Social Sciences as well as her Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from CSU, Chico.

Margi Johnston has been a Butte College Associate Faculty member for the Business Department for approximately nine years. She currently teaches Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, and Access), WordPerfect, Computers for Beginners, Center for Academic Success Critical Skills workshops, and Personal Computer Use Classes for The Training Place.

Prior to teaching for Butte College, Margi established and was the director for a Vocational Training School and the owner of a hardware and software retail/repair establishment.

Margi holds a Master's Degree in Education, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Marketing from Indiana University, a Paralegal Credential and a Certificate in Online Education.

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Margaret Schmidt

Margaret Schmidt holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Santa Clara University with a focus in Marketing and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing, with a minor in Sociology, from California State University, Chico.

Margaret spent her early career years working in the electronic semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley. After moving to Butte County in 1989, she focused her career on direct sales and marketing in Northern California. She spent four years at a local economic development consulting firm marketing Butte County. She currently specializes in grant writing, fundraising and developing marketing and public relations programs and managing projects that positively impact economic development in the surrounding communities.

Margaret brings over 30 years of business experience to the classroom to provide unique, customized onsite training programs.

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Jes Vargas

Jes Vargas has over 24 years of experience in the fields of Engineering, Quality, Project Management, Business Development, Manufacturing and Executive Management at such companies as GCS Inc, Bombardier, Advance Technical Systems, Siemens and Rabbit Semiconductor. Throughout his career Mr. Vargas has serviced as a prime change agent within organizations. Mr. Vargas holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering, a MBA in Operations and certifications in TQM, Material Management, and Lean Manufacturing.