Air Force veteran. Computer genius. Corgi breeder. 

Many know Jeffrey Woffinden to be the computer science teacher at Liberty, but one thing all students can agree on is that they don’t know much about his life outside of school. While Woffinden is considered by many to be an impressive teacher with eclectic music taste, he has also had a multitude of valuable life experiences, starting with his 25-year involvement in the military.

Woffinden started out as a mainframe computer operator in the Air Force and subsequently got noticed as being specialized in computer programming. 

“I was an attachment commander in Iraq twice during the Iraqi Freedom War,” Woffinden said. “While it wasn’t easy, that kind of stress brings people together. It was fantastic; I wouldn’t change a thing.”

An attachment commander is the type of AirForce leader, that is specialized in one area, of a subsection of people that report to a higher team who work with a larger unit of people. This meant that Woffinden had to also fast and furiously develop a relationship with his team, which is not a skill many civilians have. This was only possible because there were people willing to show him the ropes involved in every particular section of the military base so that he could get an initial familiarization of his location. 

“Within the next 18 months, either you’re going to be leaving for a new assignment or your teammates are. Regardless, upon getting to a base, you are confident that there will be somebody ready to show you around and get you involved in the community,” Woffinden said.

While on active duty, he finished his bachelor’s degree  before becoming an officer in communications, working with satellite, aircraft, and intel systems. 

“I retired from the Air Force in 2008 and immediately went to work for Lockheed Martin, a big government contractor at the Hanford Site in eastern Washington,” Woffinden said. “I worked there for eight years, but my business unit got purchased by another company. I got offered a retirement compensation, so I took it.”

Eventually, the break left him with a unique hobby to fill his time: dog breeding.

“My wife grew up breeding her family’s dogs, so we just fell into it. We’ve mainly bred corgis, but we’ve also bred Golden Retrievers. Golden Retrievers are a lot of work, even though they’re my favorite breed. The corgis I love too. They have a big dog personality in a little dog body, which is nice,” Woffinden said. 

Initially a side hobby, dog breeding grew on him, and he and his wife created a business.

“I do all the grunt work whereas my wife runs the business. She’s done an amazing job,” Wolfinden said. “She runs the website, and handles talking to all the customers. My job is to wash puppies, give them their shots, clean up their messes, get the dog food, and feed them all.”

Woffinden, already an Air Force veteran and established breeder, started becoming curious about pursuing other professions. Previously acquiring ample wisdom and knowledge for programming  the man couldn’t handle not sharing that knowledge with the youth. Along the lines of sharing knowledge, Woffinden also felt inspired by his family.

“My wife is in education. My daughter is a teacher as well; she actually did her internship with Dr. Butterworth here at Liberty, so I’ve always wanted to teach because of them,” Woffinden said.

Woffinden is seen by some students as the definition of a cat– those that have nine lives in particular. At times, as busy and stressful as his day was, Woffinden still reserved part of his day for his beloved Goldens and Corgis. 

Next time you are in 5123 or loitering nearby in the hallway, make sure to stop by his desk, carry a quick conversation and enjoy his great taste in music. 

Timeline:

-became a mainframe computer operator 

-became a computer programmer

-finished his bachelor’s on active duty

-went to work for Lockheed Martin

-retired once again

-dog breeding

-became a teacher at Liberty