College News - Week of Jan. 30

The Albany City Council voted to fund a proposal that would provide $2,901,222 in economic development funds to LBCC to develop and enhance training programs to support Albany area businesses. The proposal came from the leaders of several major industries, and was driven in part by Jim Merryman, LBCC Board of Education member and president of Oregon Freeze Dry. The funds will help LBCC develop a skilled workforce that would directly benefit the local industry and business community through expansion of existing Mechatronics, Machine Tool and Welding programs, and development of a new non-destructive testing program.

The LBCC Athletics Advisory Board, comprised of Athletics Director Randy Falk, community supporters, and alumni, recommended to the college that it bring back Women's Basketball as a second women’s sport, citing a good recruiting pool, educational opportunity for young women in our district, a good alumni base, and reasonable start-up costs for the team. The search for a head coach will begin in the coming weeks, with player recruitment to begin this spring and official play to being in the 2015-16 basketball season.

Karin Magnuson, training specialist in the Business and Employer Services department,
recently received the Carolyn DesJardins Leadership Award from the Oregon Chapter of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges. Karin was recognized for her insight and dedication to her college, community and profession, and for her strong but gentle guidance and leadership skills, which she delivers with kindness and humor.

Karin Magnuson, right.

Former art instructor Gary Westford donated six African masks to LBCC’s permanent art collection. The masks will be on display in the glass case in the North Santiam Hall Gallery, east side, first floor.

Insider published by: LBCC Advancement Marketing Office
Writer/Editor: Lori Fluge-Brunker, Communications Specialist, College Advancement

Weekly Update, Feb. 28

Nominations are open for LBCC's Distinguished Alumni Award, accepted through April 1. Awards honor alumni who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in their profession or through service to their community. Nominees must have completed at least 36 LBCC credits. Nomination forms are available at linnbenton.edu/distinguished-alumni. Nominees will be honored at a reception held in their honor May 7. For more information, contact the LBCC College Advancement Office at 541-917-4784.

It was announced at the Feb. 19 Board of Education meeting that Dave Henderson would serve as the interim vice president of finance and operations until a replacement can be found for outgoing VP Jim Huckestein. Henderson, from Bend, comes to the position with 13 years of experience working on major programs with the state legislature, and four years with Marion County working on capital and IT projects. Henderson will work three days a week, mostly on college operations, while Betty Nielsen, director of accounting and budget, will be in charge of finance. The meeting also included discussion on the status of a potential bond measure for capital projects.

The LBCC Chapter of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges is accepting donations to help Annette Easdale’s family with expenses for her grandson, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Feb. 14.  An anonymous donor has offered to match the donations up to $100. Donations will be taken through March 7, at which time a VISA gift card will be purchased for the family to use. If you would like to donate, please give your donation to any AAWCC Executive Board member: Linda Hobson, Vickie Keith, Karin Magnuson, M’Liss Runyon, Gwen Cox, or Jeanine Howell. Checks should be made payable to AAWCC. 

The 5th annual LBCC Unity Celebration was held at the Diversity Achievement Center Wednesday, Feb. 26. The event included presentation of the Analee Fuentes Unity Awards to honor LBCC students, staff and faculty members for their contributions to diversity and social justice. Albany Mayor Sharon Konopa and Chris Equinoa with the Albany Human Relations Committee attended along with a large group of LBCC faculty and staff. This year’s recipients were student Jordan Hagle, Admission staff member Christine Baker, and Welding and Fabrication faculty members Fred Stuewe and Dean Dowless. In addition, a new award was established in honor of former art faculty member Gary Westford. The Gary Westford Community Connection Award was presented in Gary’s name for his many contributions to our community and LBCC. The first recipient will be announced at next year’s Unity Celebration. LBCC communications faculty member Dana Emerson introduced the award, and put it best by saying “When you feel like you're having a museum experience on campus, you’re actually having a Gary Westford experience.”

Former art faculty member Gary Westford was honored with the
first Gary Westford Community Connection Award at the
recent Unity Celebration in the DAC.

Weekly Wrap-Up

LBCC was awarded $1.5 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to help fund renovation and construction of the Advanced Transportation Technology Center in Lebanon. LBCC’s project was one of four projects chosen for funding, part of a $7.2 million investment to support business development and job training in Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah. The ATTC will be the only major training facility for alternative fuel vehicles between Seattle and San Francisco, and will serve as a first step toward creating a base for alternative fuel technology in the Willamette Valley. The grant will be used to renovate an existing 35,000-square-foot building on the Lebanon site to house the automotive technician program, and to construct a new 10,000-square-foot innovation center beginning winter 2014. LBCC is continuing to raise funds to support moving the heavy equipment and diesel program to the center, with plans for an additional 20,000-square-foot building to be built on the site. Future plans include the construction of compressed natural gas and propane fueling stations, and electrical charging stations. The college has raised approximately $6.2 million for the project. In addition to the EDA grant, major funding for the center includes: more than $2 million in private donations; $1.4 million from the City of Lebanon Urban Renewal District; $800,000 from Oregon lottery funds; $100,000 from the Lebanon Industrial Development Corporation; $350,000 from the Meyer Memorial Trust; and $50,000 from Drive Oregon. Industry partners include Snap On, Pacific Power, John and Phil’s Toyota, and CoEnergy Propane of Corvallis.

Former art faculty member Gary Westford recently donated several art pieces from his personal collection to the college. Working with the Art and Aesthetics Committee and the college Foundation, the pieces include original works by Gustavo Martinez, silkscreen prints by Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, Joseph Albers and Keith Haring, along with ceramics, wooden bowls, a Chinese scroll, and replicas of Egyptian sculpture and paintings. The art will be on view throughout the college in the Learning Center, Library, Madrone Hall, North Santiam Hall and the Periwinkle Child Development Center. Gary also made several monetary donations to college scholarship and grant funds in memory of his parents, including: $2,500 to the Department of Fine Art Foundation in memory of his father; six - $250 artistic merit grants to the Department of Music Foundation in memory of his mother; and $1,000 to the Department of English in support of the Valley Writers Series in memory of his step-mother.

The community phone survey will continue through next week to assess the level of taxpayer support for possible future LBCC construction projects. The survey was developed after a series of focus groups and interviews with community leaders designed to assess what the community believes it needs from LBCC, and it also considers needs the college has identified. It’s likely we’ll hear from people who have been contacted to take the survey. Please let them know this is part of the process to determine the needs of our community and to learn at what level the public will support developing the facilities to meet those needs.

Former art faculty member Gary Westford stands next to
an oil painting titled "Bounty" by artist Gustavo Martinez,
which is hanging in the college Learning Center.

Donated oil painting "Watermelon in the Moonlight" by
Gustavo Martinez, hanging in the Learning Center.