Throughout his years at Cal State Long Beach, Scott Charmack has seen – and been behind- many changes to the CSULB campus.
“I have enjoyed every project I have worked on,” said Charmack.
As a student at CSULB, Charmack was involved in Associated Students Inc. and graduated in the spring of 1972 with a degree in industrial management. After graduation, his first job was in the budget office on campus.
After about five years in the budget office, Charmack went to work in what is now called Physical Planning and Facilities Management. He was the first energy coordinator for the campus and held the position for nearly three years.
Charmack then became the physical planning director at Cal State Dominguez Hills for three years.
“Then I came back home,” Charmack said. It was then, 16 years ago, that Charmack started his current position: associate vice president of Physical Planning and Facilities Management.
“One aspect I like about this job is that when you are finished, you have something to show for it. With other jobs, you don’t necessarily have that kind of gratification,” Charmack said. He also said he enjoys working with the people in his department and said he believes they are the best of the CSUs.
When asked where his favorite spot is on campus, Charmack had to take a moment to decide. “Our campus is so diverse. I don’t think I can choose a single place.”
When Charmack wants to take a moment to breathe, he retreats to the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden.
Charmack said he feels that CSULB is one of the most attractive campuses in the CSU system.
That sentiment is “all because of Ed Killingsworth,” Charmack said. Killingsworth was the consulting architect at CSULB for 42 years, Charmack said. There is a plaza dedicated to him on the first level of Brotman Hall.
Charmack said that he has enjoyed all the projects he has worked on. Although he has worked on various projects, Charmack narrowed them down to the top four.
First on the list was The Walter Pyramid. “It is an icon for the campus and the city,” Charmack said. Concerning The Walter Pyramid, Charmack credits Bill Griffith and his ability to take risks and make the building a reality.
Next on the list were the combined performing arts centers on North Campus, consisting of the Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater and the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. Charmack also placed the new Molecular and Life Sciences Center on the list.
Last on the list was the Central Plant that opened on Oct. 31, 1996. According to a previous article in the Daily Forty-Niner, the power plant was created in hopes of reducing pollution by 400 percent from previous years.
“It has saved the campus lots of money in energy bills,” Charmack said.
CSULB President F. King Alexander has come to campus with many visions for the improvement of CSULB. Of Charmack, Alexander said he has good instincts and wants to improve the campus.
“He has a lot of really good ideas. When we go for a walk around the campus, I always come back with pages of ideas.”
