Ricardo (Rick) DeBellis, student services manager at Oregon State University, has been honored by Leadership Corvallis as the 10th Hans Neukomm Award winner.

A 2007 graduate of Leadership Corvallis, DeBellis is well known for volunteer work. He has served in various capacities with the Downtown Corvallis Association (2002 to 2007), Leadership Corvallis (2008 to 2011), the Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (2004 to present), the OSU Motorcycle Visibility Day Planning Committee (2006 to present) and the Doc Wong Motorcycle Clinics of Albany and Eugene (2011 to present).

“He is a creative problem solver and crushes town versus gown barriers everywhere he goes,” said 2012 Hans Neukomm award winner Ben Danley, who nominated DeBellis. “Rick, like Hans and the previous Hans Neukomm Award recipients, is a great example of what can be done by someone who cares to get involved in their community.”

Established in 2004, the Hans Neukomm Award is named for the founder of Leadership Corvallis. Neukomm, who passed away in 2011, envisioned Leadership Corvallis as a way to give participants a better understanding of how our community functions so they can be more effective in the workplace and community.

The award is given each year to a past class member who has made a significant impact through service to the community. In addition to DeBellis, prior recipients include: Julie Manning, the late Scott Zimbrick, Pete Bober, Susan Poole, Biff Traber, Penny York, Kavinda Arthenayake, David Hamby and Ben Danley.

Members of the Leadership Corvallis class of 2013 have completed a 10-month program focused on leadership and volunteer opportunities in the Corvallis area. Their introduction to the people and places that impact our community was designed to encourage participation on boards of non-profits, local government committees, volunteer task forces and other areas where citizen involvement can make a difference.

Throughout the year, Leadership Corvallis participants visited dozens of venues in Corvallis and Benton County and heard from leaders in the fields of education, government, health care, economic vitality, land-use planning and human services, to name just a few. The following graduates were honored at a dinner and celebration on June 7:

Marlys Amundson, OSU Foundation
Joseph Bailey, Linn-Benton Community College
Emily Bowling, Oregon State University
Kaci Buhl, Oregon State University
Brad Canfield, Samaritan Health Services
Dani Davis, Anderson Group CPAs, LLC
Catherine Fisher, Town & Country Realty
Wendell Henershott, Grace Lutheran Church
Janelle Iverson, Samaritan Health Services
Jeff Jimerson, Madison Ave. Collective
Bre Kerkvliet, Corvallis Knights
Jim Luebke, Linn County Sheriff’s Office
Selina Marshall, Citizens Bank
Alexis McQuillan, Wilson Elementary School PTA Board
Heather Morrison, Benco
Theresa Novak, Corvallis Gazette-Times
Nicole Real, Oregon State University
Greg Ridler, Benton County Sheriff’s Office
Laura Shields, Oregon State University
Kathryn Stroppel, Oregon State University
Carol Patten Triebes, Bikram Yoga of Corvallis
Erin Wiedeman
Patrick Wylie, The Corvallis Clinic

Ben Danley, the director of marketing for the Oregon State University Alumni Association, has been honored by Leadership Corvallis as the ninth Hans Neukomm Award winner.

A 2002 graduate of Leadership Corvallis, Danley has been involved in the community and has been recognized for his work both as Corvallis’ 2006 Junior First Citizen and Corvallis’ Top Volunteer Under 40. Ben has served on the Community Outreach board of directors (2009-10); as a Benton County Historical Society trustee (2006-present) and vice president (2009); Rotary Club of Greater Corvallis member (2001-present), board member (2003-06, 2007-10), and secretary (2005-06); Benton County Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse member (2000-06) and board president (2002-03); and Benton Furniture Share board member (2001-06) and president (2002-05). Danley also served on the Leadership Corvallis board of directors for six years following completion of the class, holding the positions of president and alumni chair, among others.

Established in 2004, the Hans Neukomm Award is named for the founder of Leadership Corvallis. Neukomm, who passed away in 2011, envisioned Leadership Corvallis as a way to give participants a better understanding of how our community functions so they can be more effective in the workplace and community.

The Hans Neukomm Award is given each year to a past class member who has made a significant impact through service to the community. In addition to Arthenayake, prior recipients include: Julie Manning, the late Scott Zimbrick, Pete Bober, Susan Poole, Biff Traber, Penny York, Kavinda Arthenayake and David Hamby.

“For all of his work for both Leadership Corvallis and the Corvallis community, I believe Ben Danley exemplifies the criteria of the Hans Neukomm Leadership Award,” said Leadership Corvallis Alumni Chair Michelle Davis. “He is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and consistently exemplifies the values of philanthropy and service.”

Leadership Corvallis was created in 1992 to identify Corvallis’ and Benton County’s “best and brightest” citizens and offer a 10-month program that equips them to provide leadership within their community. An advisory board comprising community leaders helps develop topics and interacts with participants as guest speakers and session facilitators.

For more information about Leadership Corvallis, visit leadershipcorvallis.com.

Members of the Leadership Corvallis class of 2012 have completed a 10-month program focused on leadership and volunteer opportunities in the Corvallis area. Their introduction to the people and places that impact our community was designed to encourage participation on boards of non-profits, local government committees, volunteer task forces and other areas where citizen involvement can make a difference.

Throughout the year, Leadership Corvallis participants visited dozens of venues in Corvallis and Benton County and heard from leaders in the fields of education, government, health care, economic vitality, land-use planning and human services, to name just a few. The following graduates were honored at a dinner and celebration on June 7:

Mohamed Alyajouri, The Corvallis Clinic
Barbara Bessey, Linn Benton Community College
Megan Cadwell, Citizens Bank
Jenn Casey, Oregon State University College of Business
Megan Castellano, Corvallis Sports Park
Alyce Chapman, Anderson Group CPAs
Curtis Davis, Citizens Bank
Erick Edtl, Samaritan Health Services
Elizabeth Foster, Town & Country Realty
Carole Hobrock, Corvallis Country Club
Karen Hooker, OSU, Human Development and Family Sciences
David Huff, The Arts Center
Mary King, Benton County Sheriff’s Office
Amy Krahn, Fitness with Amy
Lacie LaRue, OSU Foundation
Boyd Lyon, Synnovation Works
Lauren Garcia, Heartland Humane Society
Lisa Scherf, City of Corvallis
Hans Neukomm Jr., Philomath Auto Parts
Jennifer Nutefall, OSU Libraries
Janet Preller,The Corvallis Clinic
Steve Redman, Town & Country Realty
Wendy Rudeen, Home Life, Inc.
Ron Sessions, Retired – City Planning Committee member.
Micky Shields, Benton Hospice Service
Kate Sundstrom, Samaritan Health Services
Ron Thiesen, Community Outreach, Inc.
Paul Yager, Oregon State University Academic Affairs

“On behalf of the Leadership Corvallis board of directors, I would like to congratulate the 2012 class,” said Board President Todd Washington. “They were engaged, inspired participants and I am proud to include them on the roster of Leadership Corvallis alums.”

The Leadership Corvallis board would also like to thank Corvallis City Manager Jim Patterson, Oregon State University Vice President of University Relations and Marketing Steve Clark, 2012 class graduate and Community Outreach Development Director Ron Thiesen and 2012 class graduate and Philomath Auto Parts and Neukomm Rock and Gem Gallery Owner Hans Neukomm, Jr. for speaking at the graduation, as well as event facilitators Micky Shields, Kate Sundstrom, Charlene Yager and Lacey McNeeley.

The Leadership Corvallis board of directors is pleased to announce new officers. The following directors will serve in these positions for one year, beginning July 1.

President, Curtis Wright, Corvallis enthusiast
President-elect, Mark Kalmar, administrator, Corvallis Radiology
Secretary, Stacy Mellem, policy/accreditation specialist, Benton County Sheriff’s Office
Treasurer, Kristen Gose, partner, Anderson Group CPAs

“This is the twentieth year of Leadership Corvallis. More than 500 people have gone through this program dedicated to preparing community leaders. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to serve, and will do my utmost to honor the commitment of all those who give so generously of their time and knowledge to help educate, engage, and inspire citizens to become involved in making our community a better place.”

Continuing board members also include Past-president Todd Washington, owner, CPR Works; Penny York, board member, Linn Benton Community College; Kavinda Arthenayake, director of university conference services, Oregon State University; Scott Jackson, undersheriff, Benton County; Anne Schuster, board of directors chair, Corvallis School District; Michelle Davis, regional network director, Oregon State University Alumni Association; Lacey McNeely, instructor, Oregon State University; and Jennifer Nitson, public relations coordinator, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center.