Meet Colin Deck – Wellness Program Supervisor

By Christine Hall

Colin Deck was born and raised in Olympia, Washington, and aside from a brief stint living in Tacoma for a year and a half, has spent his entire life living where he grew up. Tried and true when it comes to location longevity, Colin’s first job in high school was at a retirement community; The Firs in east Olympia. This independent living community reminds Colin of the Tobey Jones building, with housekeeping and dining, but no nursing staff. His career path started at a retirement community in a dining room, bussing tables.

Earlier Career

Even after graduating from high school, and in pursuit of his associate’s degree at a local community college, Colin continued to work at The Firs. Initially, the higher education path he pursued was social work, and after a couple of months at UW Tacoma, Colin realized that it was not the right fit for him. As he took a pause on higher education, he knew he needed a full-time job, and the Firs was more than happy to oblige.

Colin worked his way up from bussing tables to the dining room supervisor. Shortly after, he was promoted to office manager, and when the director of the campus transitioned out, Colin became the interim director until someone new was hired. After the new hire did not work out, the position was offered to Colin permanently. Initially, he did not want to take it but decided to trial it for six months. Six months turned into a year, and he did conclude that a role in which he hired and, more importantly, fired people, was not what he wanted.

New Pursuit

His then girlfriend (now wife) could see the impact this job role had on Colin’s health and told him he needed to get out. She asked him what he wanted to do, and he easily said, “exercise”. At that point, she offered to support him as he pursued his dream. Three years into their relationship, and while still in school, Colin knew he had to marry this amazing woman and proposed to her.

Colin applied to Seattle Pacific University, his mother’s Alma Mater, as well as the school his grandfather used to teach at, and got into their exercise science program. Because it had been a couple of years since he was last in school, Colin had to start from scratch, and in three years earned his degree. His exercise career started with an internship that turned into a part-time job at the YMCA, but with a baby on the way, Colin knew he needed to look for something that could better support a family.

Franke Tobey Jones

It came down to a facility in Lacey, or Franke Tobey Jones. FTJ happened to interview Colin first, and he had a feeling he did well in the interview when he was asked to wait in the Bistro, and ten minutes later, was offered the job. Colin thought this was a perfect role considering his prior experience working with seniors, and now, almost ten years later, he is the Wellness Program Supervisor for Franke Tobey Jones.

“This is the perfect job for me in so many ways, what I get to do and the freedom they give me. Just being able to be part of a team; I love it here, I love my team, I love what I do. If I could just Star Trek, ‘beam me up, Scotty,’ right here instead of my commute, it would be perfect.”

A Family Man

In Colin’s spare time, when he isn’t rough-housing with his son, dealing with a nine-year-old daughter going on 16, or exercising; he is helping his wife with their small farm. Colin said to not look to him for any tips, he is there to perform manual labor, and his wife is the mastermind behind their (not quite self-sustaining but close) farm. Because his wife works from home as part of the accreditation team for the Washington Student Achievement Council, it allows her freedom to care for their animals, and tend to the needs of the farm, raising their own meat and growing their own vegetables. Colin is obsessed with his family and enjoys spending as much of his free time as he can with them.

And should there be an apocalypse, we know where to go!