“A good run” – Deb Gates retires from HFC
After 35+ years, HFC Counselor Deb Gates is retiring in December.
“A friend told me once, ‘You’ll know when it’s time to retire.’ I get that now. I do believe it’s time. It’s the end of a good run,” said Gates. “I want to focus on my health and working out. I need to practice more self-care. I also plan to volunteer and do some work with my church. In the spring, my husband and I will take our grandkids to Disney World.”
“Deb is a dedicated counselor who goes above and beyond the basics to help students,” said fellow HFC Counselor Dr. Lynn Boza. “She also keeps her colleagues updated about changes and issues that affect the counseling profession. I am glad to have worked with her and will miss her.”
Gates’ last day at HFC will be Friday, December 12.
“I thought it would be hard to push the SEND button and send my retirement paperwork on through,” admitted Gates. “But it wasn’t. I guess that means it is the right time!”
Speaks six languages
The youngest of two, Gates was born in Detroit. She lives in Wayne County with Carmine (pronounced “Carmen”) Palombo, her husband of 43 years. They have two children and two grandchildren.
Gates is a graduate of Rosary High School in Detroit. She earned her bachelor’s degree in French, Spanish, and secondary education with a minor in religious studies from what was then the University of Detroit. She also earned her master’s degree in guidance and counseling from UD as well.
“This is before they had any mercy,” said Gates, laughing, a reference to the current name: University of Detroit Mercy. (The named changed in 1990 when UD consolidated with Mercy College of Detroit.)
Gates has been to Europe 15 times and is a polyglot: she speaks fluent English, French, and Spanish, as well as conversational Italian, German, and Portuguese. She studied abroad at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor.
The right place at the right time
Gates has worked in education since 1973. She spent 16 years in K-12 and nearly 36 years in higher education. She taught for a year at Mercy High School in Farmington Hills. She then worked as a teacher and counselor at Divine Child High School in Dearborn for 15 years. She joined HFC in 1989 and worked in the Registrar’s office for a year before becoming a counselor, a position she has held ever since. Gates also taught a college success course at Schoolcraft College for four years.
“I was never planning to go into counseling. My master’s degree was going to be in higher education and curriculum development, but I had to take an elective,” recalled Gates. “The only one I could take was counseling. It was a matter of being in the right place at the right time, because the instructor was the president of the Michigan Counseling Association. I just fell in love with counseling and the people in the class. I was the only woman among the nine students. I realized this was really what I wanted to do: Help people. It was a good fit for me.”
She learned of an opening at HFC (then Henry Ford Community College) through long-time administrator and later Board of Trustees member Dr. Michael Meade, who served as HFC’s Acting President from June 1, 1989 to June 30, 1990. Gates taught three of Meade’s four kids at Divine Child.
“Again, it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Dr. Meade told me about an opening at the College, and I went for it. I decided to switch to higher ed because I wanted a different challenge. It sounded really good,” explained Gates.
The guiding light to help students find a good life
Gates’ duties as a counselor have changed many times. At one point, she designed transfer guides and articulation agreements.
“Today, counselors focus on wellness and career exploration,” she said.
Fellow HFC Counselors Amy Ducklow and Dr. Gwendolyn Pringle have worked closely with Gates.
“I've worked with Deb for 26 years,” said Ducklow. “She took pride in all she did for students at HFC. I could always depend on her support, no matter what presentation or project came our way. I knew the outcome of our work would be top notch. She was passionate in her work, very detailed-oriented, and gave her best. Our department won't be the same without her!”
Added Pringle: “Deb is a very capable and organized person who has been involved in many activities at the College. She has been a transfer advisor, an articulation coordinator/specialist, and is a past president of the MCA. She has outstanding follow-up skills and takes her assignments very seriously. I have worked with Deb for around 36 years, and one of my greatest memories is when we worked with Career Services and developed a comprehensive Transfer Day for HFC students to review transfer opportunities at all the universities in Michigan. Deb also provided valuable in-service meetings which made sure that the counseling staff was updated on all the issues that impacted students and counselors.”
Gates spoke about her approach to counseling.
“I’ve always given more because the students are so important,” she said. “I want to be the counselor whom I’d want helping my children. I want to be that guiding light to help them have a good life.”
Powerful counseling
As part of the Career Development Team – a collaboration between Counseling, Student Activities, and Career Services – Gates has designed the Tools for Success Tuesdays and Wellness Wednesdays programs, which focus on stress management, career exploration, exam preparation, and grief and loss.
“I enjoyed working with Deb. I found her to be very thorough and had many great new ideas. She’s very caring, supportive, and concerned about students. Like me, she wants them to reach their goals and succeed. I will miss working with her,” said Director of Student Activities Dr. Cassandra Fluker.
Gates also organized the “Meet and Greet with the Counselors in the Café” on the last Monday and Tuesday of every month.
“This is powerful counseling because a lot of students will open up to me as I’d go from table to table. ‘Oh, it’s the end of the month again,’ they’d say,” said Gates. “We’d have some really great discussions.”
She continued: “I enjoy working with students who have personal concerns. They come in upset, but they leave smiling. I’ve always enjoyed seeing the positive side of counseling, where students use tools to make better lives for themselves, learning how to cope with changes, learning how to adapt. Life has its challenges, and a smile can make all the difference in a person’s day.”
As the clock counts down on her time at the College, Gates will miss the people – students and colleagues alike – the most.
“I have really enjoyed my career at HFC,” she said. “There have been a lot of challenges, but it’s also been a lot of fun. The people I have met here have been phenomenal; some even became close friends. I’ve enjoyed going to work daily. I never knew what was on the docket for the day, which always kept me on my toes.”
A note about retiree stories
We value the contributions of all our retirees. When we become aware of a colleague's official intent to retire, we reach out to them to ask if we can write a story about them, to share their contributions and allow others to recognize and appreciate them. Some of our retirees decline to participate in the retiree story series. We respect their wishes and their privacy. If there is a retiree whom you want to see recognized in this series, you can talk to that person or reach out to HFC Communications. We will let you know if the person has declined to have a story published. In some cases, we might not be aware of their plans to retire.
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