Paul Tannahill Likes a Good Challenge

You know how Clark Kent was reporter by day, and superhero extraordinaire by night? Similarly, this juxtaposition shows through Paul Tannahill's personality, despite the similarity in his passion for hidden challenges and a need for improvement.


Not only is he the E-learning Systems Administrator for LBCC (a name he came up with, to replace the un-thrilling title of "Media Technician 4), but he has several interesting hobbies.


His professional experiences began with an interest in the military, fresh out of high school. He was inspired to instruct, after seeing how Marines do things. After four years of enlistment, he left to work for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He felt compelled to improve the educational method, because of the “procedural style” of training, that he found excessive. Instead of direct lecture, he helped to create more of a visual aid/ graphic approach to gun training.


In 1999, Tannahill endured an ear injury, requiring a tympanoplasty to the right ear drum. After recovery, he began instructing on various computer applications, and noticed a disturbing symptom. After an eight hour day, he was “mumbling in class.” He learned that the surgery on his ear had included permanent manipulation of some nerves, including some for his tongue. He says this was life-altering, “I side-stepped out of the career path I had chosen for myself.” It was a difficult pill to swallow.


He took a three-year position as a land surveyor in Linn and Benton counties, and in this time, Tannahill put much thought into his passion for teaching. He wondered if there might be an option relying less on spoken instruction. “How do I get back into that?” he kept asking himself.


After work as a course-builder at OSU, using the Blackboard platform, he was offered a position at LBCC just over three years ago. It was an easy decision for him, especially because the political environment is much less prevalent at LBCC. He said, “I love what I do. If I could afford to do this job for free, I would.” He is able to implement a respected Marinecorps motto: “Improvise, adapt, and overcome.” He is ultimately responsible for making sure Moodle is constantly transforming, to meet the needs of its customers: teachers and students.

Outside of the workplace, Tannahill has even more unique interests. Among them, two have really gotten major focus. He loves mountain biking, and even said “I could show Bear Grylls how to do it!” He likes the adrenaline and passion involved in the sport. Even lesser-known is the hobby of geocaching. He says he is privy to many secret locations, including where he claims is “the best swimming hole in the world.” His geocaching name is “pablomac,” and he has many followers on youtube and twitter, as well as heading up SWAG (Santiam Willamette Area Geocaching). He even loves combining the hobbies: He takes a bike to find the hidden treasures. 

It is evident that Tannahill thrives on a sense of adventure, whether in the workplace, or teetering on a cliff’s edge. The sense of accomplishment is definitely what keeps this man on his feet, and inspired to always search for ways to improve what he can.