CEO, Chief Academic Director, DE for Surgical Technology, PD, CC

Enrollment Coordinator & Student Services Director who is responsible for overseeing the delivery of all campus programming, as well as operational and administrative functions and services for the campus.  

With over 20 years in Hospitality management and 10+ years in medical administration, Nanette brings her passion for training and education to the enrolling students at SVSTI. Together with her background in business administration and experience managing a surgery center, private medical practice, and her own med spa for over 8 years, she maintains student records, serves as a Board member on the SVSTI Advisory Committee. She ensures an easy enrollment process for incoming students. She is also the Student Success Counselor ensuring ALL students receive assistance in resume building as well as a professionalism class for the Surgical Technology Students.

In her free time, she can be found swinging in a hammock in the sun with a great book … or drinking really good wine.

I earned my BA in English from the University of California, Irvine, and my MA in English from Middle Tennessee State University. I have been an English instructor for over 25 years, teaching middle school through college. What started out as my own love for writing and literature quickly became a passion for helping each student I have come across to be successful in this one area of their education so that they might achieve their overall life and career goals. The last 10 years of my teaching career involved working with adult learners who wanted to earn degrees to better their lives and their families’ lives. However, during COVID, the university for which I worked modified their classes, so I had to find a different job. Thankfully, I was able to continue working with people, which is the heart of who I am, at an independent living retirement community.

Recently, my husband and I moved from Tennessee to southwest Florida to be near family and the beach! I am so happy that I will be part of students’ academic endeavors once again at SVSTI; the overall program sounds amazing, and I hope in some small way to help students strengthen their skills and confidence in written communication as they move forward toward their new careers.  

Paul Golan is a senior executive responsible for the operations and oversight of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). He has been with the United States Department of Energy Office of Science since 2007. He previously served as Acting Director of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (2005 – 2007), Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (2004-2005), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (2001 -2004) as well as Manager of the Rocky Flats Field Office. Prior to joining the Department of Energy in 1995, he worked for EG&G (1990 – 1995) and served as Training and Qualification Manager for nuclear operations at Rocky Flats and six years as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy (1985 – 1990).

Mr. Golan received his BS in Physics from Loyola University of Chicago in 1985, an Executive Management certification Northeastern University in 1994, was commissioned as a Naval Officer in 1985 and qualified as a nuclear engineer by Naval Reactors in 1989.

Paul is the Math & Computer Coordinator/Instructor for General Education. 

Hi, my name is Mikayla Bassett and I’m excited to be working with SVSTI. I started my training back home in Texas in a Sterile Processing department where I became certified and started working as an SPD traveler. I traveled to several hospitals all over the country but fell in love with the Bay Area when I got here and decided to stay. I worked for a total of 5 years in SPD up until the day I graduated the Surgical Technology program at Mt. Diablo Adult Education. I graduated with a certification from NBSTSA and worked as a CST at Stanford’s Outpatient Surgery Center in Redwood City, specializing in orthopedics, sports medicine, hands and podiatry. I have a Sterile Processing certification with HSPA, I am a member of The Association of Surgical Technologists. I’ve loved teaching new coworkers and students at all my past hospitals, and I’m so excited to continue to share what I’ve learned with the students of SVSTI. I am the Associate Director of Academics, Sterile Processing Assistant Director as well as a member of the Program Advisory Committee at SVSTI. 

I truly believe SPD is the heart of the hospital and having great teamwork between SPD and the operating room gives our patients the best possible outcomes. When I’m not working, I like to travel, eat good food with friends, and spend time with my puppy, Maui. 

Sarah graduated from New England Institute of Technology in 2008 and began scrubbing at Rhode Island’s only Level I trauma center, working predominantly in various pediatric specialties. 

From there, she moved to Maryland and joined the ortho/neuro team at a medical halfway between Baltimore and Washington, DC. She became lead tech and remained there until leaving to attend George Washington University, earning her Masters Degree in Health Sciences.

After relocating to California, Sarah worked mostly in ortho spine surgery, and spent a year as a full time Surgical Technology instructor.

Sarah is passionate about all things OR and is so excited to be on the team here at SVSTI! 

Skyler is going to college to pursue Criminal Justice. She missed her senior year of on campus high school due to Covid. She graduated West Valley with 3 associate degrees. AA, associate in liberal arts, and AS in criminal justice. She is attending East Bay for her bachelor's degree in criminal justice and minoring in business. 

She loves to shop in her free time.  

Hi, my name is Tammy Ryan and I have been a surgical technologist for 30 years. I received my training in the USAFR and I have worked at Kaiser Permanente, David Grant Medical Center, various surgery centers, as a registry tech, but the majority of my work in the OR has been at UCSF Medical Center.
I’ve been a surgical technology educator since 2007, working at Mount Diablo Adult Education, Carrington College and now SVSTI.
I currently work at UCSF School of Nursing as the Clinical Placement Supervisor in the Office of Clinical Placement. I also have a BA in Religious Studies, I am a Doctor of Jurisprudence and a Master of Laws focusing on health care compliance.

I love teaching CST prep. It is so rewarding to help bring together all of the information given over the course of the program. I get to witness the final chapter in a student’s surgical technology education and help guide them to other academic endeavors that they will discover in their careers.  

Marijane Valdez is Support Staff as well as performing administrative functions and services for the campus. Marijane is also SVSTI's NBSTSA Certification Proctor.  She has over 10 years of experience in managing business relations and providing executive level administrative support. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and long walks with her dogs.