User:Mark A Fulmer

Mark A Fulmer

Born August 29th, 1948 in Exeter, California to William A Fulmer and Hilda Hartig Fulmer. Both parents were from farming families. Raised in Visalia, California. Joined the Presbyterian Church at age 13. Married Anne Wilder in 1980. Two children and three grandchildren. Ordained as as Elder in the Presbyterian Church. My wife and I joined the Lutheran Church in 2019.

Anne, my wife was a highly skilled elementary school teacher and was very active in developing literacy programs for children and led in the development and implementation of a “Books for Babies” program that served hundreds of children and families.

I prepared for college at Mt Whitney High School in Visalia, California. Graduated from MWHS in 1966. Began college at College of the Sequoias, a California Junior College. Graduated from COS in 1968. While at COS took a summer term in Paris, France at the Alliance Francais and attending classes the University of Paris. Transferred to the University of California - “Cal”, in Berkeley. Took an AB in Psychology in 1970. In both high school and college, I benefited from brilliant close friends who were taking their degrees in engineering and the hard sciences.

At Cal I also benefited from the tutelage of Professors Mark Rosenzweig and David Kresch, two pioneers in the understanding of the neurobiochemical basis of learning.

I joined the Army/Army National Guard in 1970, serving at Fort Sam Houston Texas followed by eight years with the California Army National Guard. I was prepared as a 91A10 - Combat Army Medic though my actual service was in administrative areas.

My graduate work was at the University of the Pacific. I took a Masters in General Psychology from their Graduate School and then an EdD in Counseling and Educational Psychology in 1980. In 1974, while still in graduate school, I began work, first at Stockton State Hospital and then in the public schools. Under the mentorship of professors Preston Gleason and Madeline Bunning, I trained for both hospital/clinical psychology and school psychology.

I became a full time school psychologist in 1975 with the Kings Canyon Unified School District. My success in the move from graduate school and hospital work to schools was made possible by the friendship and training provided by Dr Darel Sorensen and the outstanding, highly trained team of specialists he put together for the school district’s Diagnostic Learning Center. From Kings Canyon I was recruited to be the Pupil Services and Special Education Director for Sanger Unified. While with Sanger, the board drafted me into the position of Assistant Superintendent for Business Services.I was then offered the post of Director of Special Education for the Office of Kelly F Blanton, Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS).

KCSOS is a leader in developing and providing outstanding services to school districts. While with KCSOS I was given the opportunity to improve my knowledge of school business, finance, and law.

Saugus Union School District recruited me to become their Assistant Superintendent for Business. I was with SUSD for three years. During that time I developed a knowledge of school facilities finance, school construction, and public debt management. I also built a close working relationship with staff from the US EPA, Region 9, Indoor Air Quality office.

I moved from SUSD to Visalia Unified School District as Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services. While with VUSD I oversaw the development of an aggressive school construction program. I was responsible for a school district budget of about $350,000,000.

KCSOS invited me to return in the role of a assistant superintendent for business services. While with KCSOS, I supported the financial, personnel, legal, and instructional operations of more than 40 school districts and education agencies.

I learned a great deal from working at KCSOS. Schools in Kern County and across the state have benefited from the creative, high energy, service oriented leadership provide by the elected County superintendents of schools. I worked for Dr. Kelly Blanton, Dr Larry Reiner, and Dr Christine Frazier. Under these leaders, KCSOS developed and managed Joint Powers Authorities providing legal and health insurance serviced for districts across the state. KCSOS also created the Fiscal Cries Management Assistance Team (FCMAT). Under contracts with the State of California, FCMAT provided analysis of school districts operations and, when needed, assumes control of the financial operations of school districts. I retired as Deputy Superintendent from KCSOS.

While working full time for the schools I taught as adjunct for the University of San Francisco, Fresno Pacific College and College of the Sequoias.