Meet Our Staff

Debra Abbitt Schaefer - Department Head of Family and Consumer Studies and Program director for Fashion Merchandising
	Debra Abbitt Schaefer was the former fashion merchandiser for a large apparel manufacturer. She worked directly with the president and co-owners for overall planning: style direction, coloration, fabrication and product development. She interacted with all departments: design, production and sales. Debra traveled world-wide for research, production and quality control. Currently Debra Co-sponsors the fashion club on campus – The Fashion Network. She is one of the tour leaders for the student fashion excursions. Debra is the contact and instructor for the Industry Internship/Work Experience Program. At Long Beach City College Debra is the Chair for the Associate Degree/General Education Curriculum subcommittee. The Committee is responsible for curriculum development and implementation for entire
college.She oversees, develops, writes and implements curriculum for FACS including Fashion, Floral Design and Life Management. Debra is actively involved with: the Statewide Community College Fashion Consortium which presents a yearly Fashion Symposium for approximately 1000 fashion students from across the state of California and the California Career Pathways Program Plan which works on guidelines for student pathways connecting high schools, community colleges and universities. Debra has been a member of The Fashion Group International for 22 years.

Pamela Knights - Program Director

Pamela Knights earned a BS in Fashion Design at the University of Cincinnati in the College of Design, Art and Architecture. While in college she had the opportunity to work for several fashion businesses in Los Angeles, Chicago and NYC through the professional practice program offered at UC. After moving to Long Beach with her husband, she worked as a designer for swimwear and Juniors sportswear companies such as Ocean Pacific and Barely Legal for 10 years in the active wear market.

In 1995, she began teaching fashion illustration and design classes for LBCC and Santa Ana Community College as a part- time instructor and freelanced for apparel manufacturers for 5 years while raising her two children. She became the fashion program director for Long Beach City College in 2000. Pamela is passionate about teaching fashion classes and loves the culturally diverse backgrounds and enthusiastic personalities of the students at Long Beach City College.