By Terra Avilla
Ohh… he probably he is not going to like being in the spotlight, but it’s time gang, I introduce you to… David Corley.
Officially, David is our IT Manager at Lassen College, which, let’s be honest, already makes him essential.
If something breaks, glitches or refuses to cooperate (which, in education, or a day in my life, is basically always), David is the one who somehow fixes it without making you feel like you should’ve known the answer all along. Truly a gift.
But in my world, David became more than “the IT guy” when he got pulled into accreditation with me. And listen… if you know, you know. Accreditation is not for the faint of heart. Yet somehow, David shows up with this calm, steady presence, a dry sense of humor, and just enough sarcasm to keep me laughing, even when we’re buried in standards and reports.
And the fact that he still laughs at my dumb jokes? Elite quality.
David is wildly smart. Like, the kind of smart where you start explaining something and then halfway through realize… oh, he already knows. Not just about tech, but about Lassen College as a whole. It genuinely feels like there is nothing he doesn’t know. And yet, he never leads with that. He’s humble, approachable, and always willing to help.
What’s funny is David wasn’t new to me when we started working closely together. I had seen him at church for years, sitting with his beautiful family. And if there’s one thing that stands out just as much as his professional brilliance, it’s who he is at home.
David is a devoted, loving father. And not just any father a bonafide ‘girl dad.’ And if you know, you know that’s a special title. I’ve had the chance to get to know one of his daughters, and let me tell you, she is just as kind, thoughtful, and wonderful as you’d expect. That doesn’t happen by accident. That’s the result of a dad who shows up, leads with love and sets the tone.
And maybe that’s what makes David so easy to appreciate, he’s just a genuinely good person. The kind that makes a workplace better without trying to. He gets along with everyone, but he’s not a pushover. He’s respected, trusted, and liked and that combination is rarer than it should be.
At the end of the day, places like Lassen run on people like David. The steady ones. The kind ones. The ones who don’t need the spotlight to make a difference.
Kindhearted people really do make the world go around – and we’re lucky David is one of ours.
