Inducted in 2023

Mary ann (Snyder) MCClellan - class of 1954

Mary Ann Snyder McClellan began her school career at St. Mary’s School in Taft, California, and concluded the graduation requirements for her degree at Eastern Oregon State University some thirty-eight years later. The time between St. Mary’s and Eastern Oregon University included extraordinary emotional hills and valleys, including an arranged marriage that kept her from Berkeley, the challenge of raising six children in her second marriage, an encounter with gender discrimination in employment, the terror of assault while working in the field a construction project manager, and the joy of success on graduation from college with a GPA of 3.94.

While still in parenting mode, Mary Ann entered Civil Service, training in basic engineering, which led to her advancement to Construction Project Inspector in the state of Washington. From there she became the first woman in the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), District 4 (Vancouver) to be assigned construction responsibility and to have her own project as a Construction Project Manager. After Mt. St. Helens erupted, Mary Ann became the first woman to be a Design Team Leader for WSDOT. Her teams put out five of the contracts to rebuild the road to the Observatory overlooking Mt. St. Helens.

Family commitments, professional development, and leadership qualities were also accompanied by personal pursuits. Early in life, Mary Ann earned a commercial pilot’s license with an instrument rating and flew in the Powder Puff Derby. After the children were raised, Mary Ann took up dancing, and her interest in this new ‘hobby” led her to many other adventures—learning the intricacies of the tango and traveling to many countries to enjoy dance partners from around the world (she once danced on the banks of the Moscow River next to Gorky Park with a man who hailed from Argentina, was working for an American firm, and was assigned to Russia!).

In 2006, Mary Ann and her long-time friend Jim McClellan, married, both having cared for critically ill spouses for many years. The stipulation to their marriage “contract” was that Jim learn to dance. And apparently, he has. The couple has won several awards for their dancing skills, including five Gold Medals in the Senior Olympics in Washington state. The couple also enjoys flying long distances in their airplane—an RV4, built by Jim.

Mary Ann and Jim will continue both their travel aboard their newly-completed plane (one they built together) and their success in dance competitions across the United States.

Ron pierce - class of 1970

Ron Pierce was born in Amarillo, Texas. His father died when he was seven. He attended Amarillo schools until his family moved from Texas to Salem, Oregon and on to Napa, California, where he finished the eighth grade. His mother moved the family to Taft, where he attended high school, graduating in 1970. A friend had introduced him to the teachings of martial arts after the death of his father, and Ron remained very active in martial arts training, earning his first black belt in Kenpo as he entered his freshman year. During high school, he began to study Karate.

After graduation from Taft High in 1970, Ron continued his education at Taft College, continuing to pursue his martial arts training and teaching. After graduation from TC in 1972, he went to a Denver, Colorado trade school that specialized in business, hoping to become a teacher, but his aspirations of becoming a school teacher were overshadowed when he met his wife and lifelong partner, Deborah.

While in Denver, Ron continued to train in martial arts, to teach in his studio, and he began to work with the Denver Police Department in their Crime Victims Program. Ron and Deborah eventually settled in San Diego, California. After several years in San Diego, Ron moved his family to Murrieta, California, where he was able to open his own tire business while continuing his personal martial arts training and teaching aspiring students.

From 1992 to 2013, Ron taught seminars geared toward combative tactics to the US Capitol Police and the FBI and Secret Service personnel in Washington, DC, while continuing to run his tire business on the west coast. In 2002, he obtained the level of Grand Master, and in 2009, he received the level of Judon (10th Degree Black Belt and Great Grandmaster title).

From 2003 to 2021, Ron worked for the Sergeant of Arms of the US Capitol. After retirement, he continued teaching the US Capitol Police, the Washington, DC police, and other law enforcement personnel—all the while organizing and conducting his own training seminars on two coasts. He retired from the government in 2021.

Over the course of his life, Ron has obtained numerous Black Belts, including several Master and Grand Master titles in Martial Arts Disciplines: Kajukenbo, Black Lotus Style, Black Dragon System, Ninjutsu, Hapkido, Goju-Ryu, Taekwondo, Arnis-Escrima-Kali, and Tai Chi Chuan Arts. He has taught over 160 seminars and participated in over 120 Martial Arts Tournaments where he finished in the top three. As of today, he has over 21,000 students worldwide who he has assisted in obtaining black belts. Of those 21,000 students, 2,000 are currently under his leadership. Ron has been nominated and inducted into many Black Belt Halls of Fame, including the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Kenneth C. Twisselman II - Class of 1970

Kenneth C. Twisselman II was born in California in 1952. He attended local school systems and graduated from Taft Union High School in 1970. He continued his education at Taft College and received an Associate of Arts degree in 1972. He transferred to University of California, Davis, where he completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 1974. In 1977, he received a Juris Doctorate from the University of California Hastings College of Law, having served during his final year of law school, as Clerk for Associate Justice William P. Clark, Jr. of the California State Supreme Court.

After relocating to Bakersfield after law school, Kenneth accepted a position as associate with Digiorgio, Davis, and Klein where he handled both civil and criminal cases. After relocating with his family to Shafter in 1978, Kenneth spent the next two years as an associate for Williams C Kuhs and Associates before opening his own private practice in 1980.

At this time, Kenneth is better known as the Hon. Kenneth C. Twisselman II, Judge of the Superior Court of Kern County of California. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor of California, George Deukmejian in 1988, filling a vacancy created by the elevation of the Hon. William A. Stone to the Fifth District Court of Appeals.

Kenneth also fulfills civic duties away from the bench. He has served as Director of the Shafter Rotary Club, and he has been involved with the Kern County Cattlemen’s Association and the Shafter High School Mock Trial Team.

roger louis Miller - class of 1971

Roger Louis Miller was the son of John and Betty Miller and the grandson of Leo and Charlotte Miller and Flint and Mattie Hackelroad—making him a third generation Westsider. He attended Taft Union High School from 1967 to graduation in 1971, and Taft College from 1971 to 1973. In high school he played football and swam on the swim team. Amazingly, he also was editor of both the Taft High newspaper, The Gusher, and the Taft High yearbook, The Derrick. At Taft College he continued playing football and was editor of the College’s newspaper, the Cougar Echo.

After receiving his AA from TC, Roger transferred to Cal State Northridge, where he edited the Sundial and the CSUN Magazine. For most of his college years, Roger worked for CWOD during the summer to make money for college. He graduated from CSU Northridge in 1975, having earned a BA in Mass Communications, which prepared him for a part-time public relations job for ARCO--the goal of which was to promote a new concept of “self-service gas and convenience store” which became AM-PM Mini Marts.

After college, Roger was hired as the journalism instructor and Public Information Officer (PIO) for the West Kern Community College District (Taft College) and he served as the advisor for the College’s award-winning yearbook, Black Gold. He also was the reporter for news and events at TC, and he created curriculum brochures and the media guide for the Taft College football team.

In 1980, Roger began working in the family business, Pacific Perforating, Inc., and was a guiding force, directing the growth of the business ten-fold, until his untimely death in February of this year. PPI’s down-hole oil filtration systems are not only used in California and in other states in the United States, but are also used by international oil producers.

Roger’s accomplishments reflect the diversity of his interests: he is a published author, he was a successful photographer, salesperson, and private pilot. He was popular as a speaker and mentor for the American Association of Driller Engineers (A.A.D.E.)-- mentoring candidates in USC’s Petroleum Engineering Master’s Program and students in Taft High’s Oil Tech Academy.