Phoenix started working for the college as an assistant in the Computer Camp program during the summer of 2003. After that summer she joined the US Navy Submarine fleet and served for nearly 15 years as a Reactor Operator, eventually leaving the military as a Chief Electronics Technician. From there she spent a couple of years working as a maintenance technician in a Muskegon foundry. She rejoined the GRCC Family on 5/13/2019 as a Technical Operations Technician and was invited to lead the Technical Operations department on 10/22/2022.