It’s the end of an era at the Tobacco Control Evaluation Center. Long-time evaluation associate and former TCEC project director Jeanette Treiber has retired from her post to head for greener pastures! She won’t have to go far either—just right outside her door to the seven-acre Rio Linda farm she and her partner Deno have created.

Originally from Radevormwald, Germany, Jeanette emigrated to the United States to pursue a graduate education in Comparative Literature. She earned a PhD from UC Davis in that field and taught as a lecturer for several years.

Jeanette was recruited to TCEC in 2007. Within less than a year, she became its project director after past American Evaluation Association president Leslie Cooksy left UCD for the University of Delaware.

Since that time, TCEC has evolved quite a bit, both in what it offers as well as technologically. Jeanette described, “In those early days, we handled technical assistance requests primarily by phone and sent sample instruments via fax as there was no way to share our instrument database!” But as technology improved, TCEC expanded its tools and evaluation capacity-building efforts to include teleconference calls and then webinars, a newsletter, and a searchable website full of helpful content.

The center’s work has continually been prompted by trends in the evaluation field. “We always tried to keep up with evaluation developments by attending AEA conferences and other professional development opportunities to learn what was new.”

Jeanette spoke proudly about the fact that early on TCEC highlighted the importance of culture in evaluation. “TCEC has worked on that aspect a lot—trying to get projects to use evaluation to help address socio-economic and racial disparities.”

In the last 5 years at UCD, Jeanette used her evaluation skills in additional statewide programs of disease prevention such as cancer control and fighting hypertension and diabetes, but she always kept a foot in TCEC.

She voiced admiration for the work of tobacco control projects all over the state. “We have read their reports, talked on the phone, heard their stories and because of this I have come to greatly appreciate what they do. In spite of the challenges, they always come through!”

Looking back over her career, she expressed a sense of satisfaction. She summed it up this way: “No matter how difficult it got, you always knew you were working toward an important goal. Helping to improve the health and well-being of others is satisfying.”

Even though she has also retired from her other job as Director of the Sacramento Turn Verein German Language School, Jeanette reports that she is now busier than ever— collecting eggs each day from her farm’s 200 chickens, trail riding and camping with her beloved horses, volunteering for the American River Trail Patrol, and traveling in California and abroad.

“At this point, I don’t want to make too many plans,” Jeanette stated. “Although I am open to new opportunities that may arise, I want to give myself time to think about what comes next.” With the wide range of skills and experiences Jeanette has to offer, there is no doubt she will soon embark on yet another exciting adventure to advance her eclectic interests!

Happy trails to you indeed, Jeanette!