Events

Tyler Thompson joined the BC Football coaching staff in 2014 as an assistant coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2019. Prior to BC, he spent the 2013 season as an intern at the University of Maryland.

Thompson played football for BC from 2008-09 before transferring to the University of Nevada where he played from 2010-12.

He holds an A.A. from Bakersfield College (2009), a B.A. from Nevada (2012) and an M.S in Kinesiology from Fresno Pacific University (2016).

The Woolworth’s Building has always been an anchor. Rising unshaken from the 1952 earthquake, it stayed put as the decades swirled around it, the vinyl booths and milkshake mixers long outlasting the chain store’s corporate footprint. And now, in a turn both surprising and inevitable, it’s being brought back to life by two people who never left. 

Emily and Sherod Waite, lifelong Bakersfield residents and co-founders of Moneywise Wealth Management, weren’t looking to make a statement. They needed more room. But when they learned the Woolworth’s Building was for sale, the opportunity was too layered to ignore: a chance to expand their business, to preserve a cornerstone of downtown, and to reinvest in a place they’ve quietly championed for years. 

“For the past 15 years, I’ve been drawn to downtown’s creative energy,” Emily says. “It’s a real ecosystem — generational businesses, artists, entrepreneurs, institutions that have shaped Bakersfield’s identity. When our firm needed to grow, we didn’t look elsewhere. We looked downtown.” 

The building spans 44,000 square feet across four levels, each with its own quirks and complications. Adapting them wasn’t easy. The mechanical systems were outdated, the infrastructure unyielding, the fire codes unrelenting. With their shared business acumen and creative vision, the Waites moved methodically, balancing historical preservation with present-day function. 

“We knew we were inheriting something significant. But we also had to make it work — not just as a monument, but as a living, usable space.” 

John grew up on a farm in the Arvin/Lamont area, where he learned the value of hard work and practical problem-solving—skills that have shaped his entire career. He graduated from Arvin High School then earned a Business degree from CSUB with concentrations in finance, marketing, and economics.
His professional path began in real estate, where he started selling homes when a nice house cost around $30,000 and later moved into investment and development. He then dove into workers’ compensation, becoming an expert in the field and even developing a pioneering legal structure that allowed non-professionals to own and operate professional medical practices in California. John went on to create eMedData, a technology solution that returned claims control to employers, and later acquired and streamlined a light business jet manufacturing company—reducing parts count by 35% and bringing engineers and mechanics together more effectively.
About eight years ago, John made a complete change of direction. He founded the **Epiphany Foundation**, a nonprofit dedicated to helping homeless individuals struggling with addiction and alcoholism. The program provides free room and board in exchange for full participation in a structured recovery program—including mandatory AA/NA meetings, church services, counseling, and work therapy. Participants gain practical skills, often in construction and trades, while rebuilding their lives in a supportive, sober environment. The Foundation’s unique model has earned national media attention and is making a real difference right here in Kern County by addressing both addiction and the need for job-ready skills.

Dr. Anna Marie is the CEO and Founder of Happy Whole You Wellness Center in downtown Bakersfield and a globally recognized leader in mindset, brain health, and whole-person wellness. Known as The Mindset Doctor, she has spent over 20 years helping individuals break through limiting beliefs and create meaningful, lasting transformation.

As a wife, mother, holistic health doctor, certified brain health expert, and mindset coach, Dr. Anna Marie blends natural medicine and neuroscience with practical mindset tools to support mental, emotional, and physical well-being. She is a published author of Stop Bullying Yourself! and is currently working on her second book.

Through Happy Whole You, her coaching, speaking engagements, and wellness programs, Dr. Anna Marie is passionate about destigmatizing mental health and empowering people locally and around the world to align their mind, body, and soul to create a balanced, confident, and empowered life.