After I graduated, I worked at The Paulo Drive in, State Farm Ins when it was on 17th St. in Santa Ana. Also attended Orange Coast JC. During this time I met my future husband. He was in Marines. We relocated to Petaluma for a couple of years while he attended Santa Rosa JC. I worked part time for Petaluma Realty handling rentals. The other part of the day I had short, temp jobs. One was as a “chicken sexer” at on hatchery. Yes. It’s a job. Someone has to determine the male from the female just after they are a few hours old.
In 1972, we moved on to Humboldt County. In particular Arcata CA and Humboldt State University. He continued school and I worked for ten years at HSU in the Theatre and Film Department as the Department Secretary. I got involved in plays and was a major. Somewhere in there we divorced.
I decided to take a leave of absence for a year to see what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I travelled for two months across Europe with a girlfriend.
Upon my return I met up with my brother at the Houston Astrodome as he was Marvin Gaye’s Tour Manager for awhile. That experience was the change in my career direction. I knew I wanted to work in the entertainment business somehow.
I quit HSU. I worked for the Marvin Gaye production company for awhile. Then I found a job on a television game show that was just starting: Face The Music with Ron Ely (one of the Tarzans!). Within that production company, I was a production assistant, script supervisor then Assistant Director supervising post production with the Director. I met tons of people and it is all about who you know and if you are good they refer you. I was referred to work the 1983 US Festival in Devore CA, there I met an HBO Tech Manager who hired me to work in his company- NEP. I moved to Pittsburg and worked for a television mobile unit (TV trucks that do sports, concerts, etc). I was loaned out to MTV to work on their 1st Annual MTV VMA’s at Radio City. This because of my experience with the US Festival…. lots of cameras, editing, etc. I worked the 2nd and 3rd MTV Video Music Awards as well.
I was referred to the NBC Olympic unit to be a Broadcast Manager in Seoul 1988 Summer Games. I handled the broadcast studio in Olympic Park working with Bryant Gumbel and Bob Costas.
After that experience I went on to do four more Olympics: Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and one Winter Olympics: 1992 Salt Lake City. In between the Olympics, I worked at a corporate travel company, Maritz. I was the Director of Production Operations for 10 years. I took leaves of absence to do the Olympics.
My boss finally told me I had to choose because it was a hardship for him to lose me for two months. So I became a corporate manager. I loved my job. And the Olympics has me on the substitute list to be called if someone gets sick or has to bail for whatever reason. I chose the corporate career doing business meetings, events, videos, car launches for clients like Nissan, Toyota, and other automotive companys. Also Taco Bell, Oracle, Apple, etc. Supervising about 150 production and creative people on tons of projects.
In 2008, the financial crash brought the demise of my production business unit at Maritz. 150 of us were let go. I now am a freelance contractor still producing events, meetings, training for mostly automotive clients. I work a little less because I want more down time…semi-retired?! I now work golf tournaments. Such a life!! As I write this summary of my career which I’ve not done before, I realize how lucky I have been to have had these jobs. I am very thankful.
I never remarried nor did I have children. Pets have come and gone. I have a cat right now. I live in downtown Fullerton and love it. I owned a home in Anaheim for 12 years. Sold it 2 years ago, made lots of $$ and downsized. I am enjoying “less stuff.”
I loved my time at SAHS. I hung out with Patty Davis and Susan Eagloski. We have lost touch. I am hoping they might go to the reunion.
I look forward to seeing the other 1965ers that I know and, of course, who may remember me.
Sharon Condon Curry