Though she said all of this training prepared her for the new position, her most beneficial experience came from her visit to Kpalime, Togo, West Africa, where she worked in the Peace Corps. "The skills I gained in those two years were extremely beneficial," she said. "It was great experience working with unfamiliar people in unfamiliar situations." During her time there, Kammerzell worked with a farming cooperative, helping to set up two chicken farms and one fish farm. Kammerzell said she helped the workers develop their organization, apply for grant aid and manage their money.
Togo RPCV Sharyl Kammerzell is new division chief of the Washington State University's Attorney General's Office
WSU gets new representation
Kammerzell will lead the office that represents WSU if litigation is brought against the university.
Alex Schwappach
The Daily Evergreen
Published: 10/28/2009
Two years in Africa with the Peace Corps and degrees in law and politics are a few of the things that prepared attorney Sharyl Kammerzell for her new job.
Last week, Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna named Kammerzell the new division chief of the WSU Attorney General's Office. She will assume her new role on Nov. 16.
Kammerzell specializes in higher education law, a focus suited for the office that represents WSU in litigation brought against the university.
"Our office gives legal counsel to WSU in any item that creates potential legal exposure," she said.
The most recent assistance WSU received from the attorney general's office was in two pending pieces of litigation involving water rights, according to the Washington State Attorney General's Web site. The office has also assisted in research-misconduct proceedings and personnel matters.
The WSU Attorney General's Office handles legal issues on a daily basis, but most of it is not very public, said Janelle Guthrie, communications director for the WSU Attorney General's Office.
"The office helps decide the best legal strategy for the issue that's presented," she said. "But there are not many news releases on those types of things, unless the end result is a positive one." The office – located in the French Administration Building on the WSU Pullman campus – is home to five attorneys, each with their own areas of expertise.
The workload for the attorneys is divided by subject matter, such as real estate and compliance issues, but Kammerzell herself has worked in all areas of higher education law.
"We were blessed with highly qualified candidates who wanted to serve WSU, and Sharyl brings broad experience in higher education and public law to this important position," McKenna said in a news release. "I'm proud to join the WSU Division in welcoming her to our team." Kammerzell worked as an assistant attorney general in the natural resources section at the Department of Justice in Oregon from 1998 to 2003. She spent seven years as senior associate general counsel at the University of Idaho.
Though she said all of this training prepared her for the new position, her most beneficial experience came from her visit to Kpalime, Togo, West Africa, where she worked in the Peace Corps.
"The skills I gained in those two years were extremely beneficial," she said. "It was great experience working with unfamiliar people in unfamiliar situations." During her time there, Kammerzell worked with a farming cooperative, helping to set up two chicken farms and one fish farm. Kammerzell said she helped the workers develop their organization, apply for grant aid and manage their money.
