Collectively, Jaimie and Tom Dahl spent more than 49 years at Washington State University.
The married couple retired on January 30 from the School of Economic Sciences (SES), where they have worked next door to each other for the past 11 years.
“We’re a good team,” said Tom Dahl, a former administrative assistant who could be found aiding students, staff, and visitors from the SES front desk at Hulbert Hall. “It made us more connected. It worked.”
Jaimie, principal assistant to the SES director, worked in an office just a few feet away. She has served an impressive 33 and a half years at WSU. Her first day, in July 1992, was in the mathematics department. A stint in the Department of Animal Sciences followed. She began working for SES in 2015, then spent time in the CAHNRS business office before Tom urged her to apply for a graduate coordinator job back in SES.
“It wasn’t a plan or anything — it just worked out that way,” Jaimie said.
“I thought Jaimie would be ideal for the job,” Tom added. “We’ve been here together ever since.”
For Jaimie, working with her husband has been a gift.
“We made a great team,” she said. “We were able to help each other out when the workload was heavy.”
Tom joined SES 16 years ago, coming from a staff role at the University of Idaho.
“I have worn a lot of different hats,” Tom said.
From printing and assembling, and proctoring exams, to maintaining, troubleshooting, and eventually surplussing the school’s copiers and printers, to maintaining the school’s web pages, he had an important but often unseen role in the school’s success.
“As staff, you’re behind the scenes,” Tom said. “We are service-minded — that’s our role. But it’s nice when people show appreciation.”
Both Dahls agree that SES has been their favorite WSU unit.
“It was the first place I’d worked where I always wanted to come to work,” Tom said. He has been deeply impressed by the dedicated, hands-on approach that SES faculty bring to education. “They really care about the students and go the extra mile to make sure they succeed.”
Both Dahls are proud to have been part of graduate students’ years-long academic journeys, befriending many of them.
“You watch them go through this process, and it’s so rewarding to be part of their success,” Tom said.
Jaimie shares the sense of satisfaction when first-year students pass their core exams.
“They are so stressed out, and when they find out they have passed, it’s emotional for them and us,” she said. “It is a wonderful experience, and a memory we will never forget.”
Tom helped set up the computer for many students’ final oral presentations, cheering them past the last hurdle.
“I’d give them a little pep talk,” he said. “I’d say, ‘You’ve got this! You know what this thesis is about because you’ve been working on it for four years!'”
WSU and the School of Economic Sciences have been fortunate to have such a dedicated pair in support of students, says Regents Professor and SES Director Jill McCluskey.
“I deeply appreciate Jaimie and Tom’s care and personal investment in our students and their success, and for our school as a whole,” she said.
As retirement neared, the couple was touched by the emails and family photos they received from former students.
“The hardest part is saying goodbye to the students and faculty we’ve met,” Jaimie said. “Students stay in contact with us. We’re invested in their lives.”
In retirement, the couple plans to focus on spending more time with their daughter and grandchildren, fishing in Idaho trout streams, and spoiling their dachshund dog and four chickens. Having worked together for so long, it only made sense for the Dahls to make the transition to retirement in tandem.
“We’re two for one,” Tom said. “It’s time.”