Eureka (April 17, 2025) – Former and current staff members gathered at the Sequoia Conference Center at the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) for the dedication and renaming of Room A as the Dr. Garry T. Eagles Conference Room.
Dr. Eagles was the Superintendent of Humboldt County Schools from 2003-2017 and he had the vision of creating the Sequoia Conference Center for Educational and Business Professional Development for our county. It is estimated that more than 2000 events have taken place since it first opened in 2015.
Left: Dr. Eagles and guests check out the new plaque hanging on the wall dedicating the Dr. Garry T. Eagles Conference Room. Right: Superintendent Michael Davies-Hughes, left, and Dr. Eagles pose with the plaque.
Michael Davies-Hughes, current Superintendent of Humboldt County Schools, welcomed everyone and spoke of Garry’s unwavering commitment to the support of educators, schools, districts, and charters at the local and state level.
“Dr. Eagles served Humboldt County’s educational community with grace and distinction for over four decades,” Davies-Hughes said. “Dr. Eagles’ 45-year career expanded across many roles such as an instructional aide, teacher, coach, Adult Education administrator, and Director of Personnel. He was influential at the state level, serving on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Leadership Team for Vocational Education, and Governor Jerry Brown’s Kitchen Cabinet on School Finance.”
Davies-Hughes spoke about the wide-ranging impact the Sequoia Conference Center has had on the Humboldt County community. Sequoia Conference Center has hosted everything from student and educational functions like the Doris Niles Science Fair and the Excellence in Teaching Awards, to community events for service clubs and law enforcement, to the Redwood Coast Music Festival. It even served as the Office of Emergency Services’ Joint Information Center during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Current and former boardmembers pose with Dr. Eagles. Left to right: Marc Rowley, Dena McCullough, Sheila Rocker Heppe, Dr. Garry Eagles, Mary Scott, Loretta Eckenrode.
Dr. Jon Sapper, former Deputy Superintendent of Humboldt County Schools, spoke via video message about Garry’s ability to not only have a vision but the all of the skills needed to bring the project to fruition.
“It really is a rare individual who has the skills and abilities to create a vision, to provide the leadership to get it off the ground … and also possess the project management skills that are imperative for a successful project execution,” Sapper said. “Usually those three different types of tasks are divided between three different individuals. But Garry did it all, flawlessly.”
Dr. Eagles spoke about the incredible support from HCOE staff, the Architect Guy Fryer, and Construction Manager Dirk Dinsmore. He delighted attendees with an anecdote about being grateful to the Del Norte CHP for assistance in getting the center’s large main beam to Eureka from Washington state, standing up because it was too wide for two lanes. After concluding remarks, guests enjoyed mingling and regaling each other with memories of Dr. Eagles’ expansive career.
For more information, please visit https://sequoiacenter.net/ or contact Stacy Young, Community Outreach and Engagement Director, HCOE outreach@hcoe.org or 707-445-7024.