Twenty-nine area residents have been accepted into Leadership Corvallis, a 10-month program focusing on leadership and volunteer opportunities in the Corvallis area. Presentations, site tours and panel discussions educate participants about the institutions, agencies and processes that make Corvallis work.

The second Thursday of each month, participants gather for a day-long session covering one segment of community life in Corvallis in a curriculum keyed to Vision 2020, the city’s governing planning document.
With a new theme, “The Most Beautiful College Town,” this year’s Leadership Corvallis class will also explore the myriad benefits and challenges of Corvallis’ “town and gown” atmosphere.

In addition to Corvallis/Oregon State University dynamics, the curriculum will cover a wide range of topics, including land-use planning, human services, health care, government and public services, education, economic vitality, natural resources, Corvallis culture and community leadership.

Tuition for the program, often paid by a sponsoring employer, is $550. For information on applying for the 2012-2013 Leadership Corvallis class, visit www.leadershipcorvallis.com.

The Leadership Corvallis Class of 2012 includes:

Mohamed Alyajouri, The Corvallis Clinic
Barbara Bessey, Linn Benton Community College Small Business Development Center
Megan Cadwell, Citizens Bank
Jenn Casey, OSU 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
Laurie Holst, OSU College of Forestry
Karen Hooker, OSU, Department of Human Development and Family Science
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 Naff, Heartland Humane Society
Lisa Namba, City of Corvallis, Transportation Department
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
Micky Shields, Benton Hospice Service
Kate Sundstrom, Samaritan Health Services
Ron Thiesen, Community Outreach, Inc.
Paul Yager, OSU Academics for Student Athletes

For additional information, please contact Todd Washington, Leadership Corvallis president of the board, at (541) 760-7632, or Jennifer Nitson, public relations committee chair, at 541-768-5090.

Participants are enjoying the current Leadership Corvallis class, which began in September and runs through June 2012.

Applications for the 2012-2013 class will be accepted Jan. 1 through June 1, 2012.

Oregon State University Professor David M. Hamby has been honored by Leadership Corvallis as the eighth Hans Neukomm Award winner.

A 2006 graduate of Leadership Corvallis, Hamby is a professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics in OSU’s College of Engineering, as well as a clinical professor for the Department of Radiation Oncology in Oregon Health Sciences University’s School of Medicine.

Known for his dedication and service to the Corvallis community, Hamby has served on the Airport Advisory Commission, the Watershed Management Advisory Commission, the City Planning Commission, the Budget Commission, as a reserve deputy with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and as the city councilor for Ward 8 from 2007 to 2010.

“All of these activities exemplify David’s commitment to Corvallis and service to the community,” said Kavinda Arthenayake, a 2004 graduate of Leadership Corvallis and 2010 Hans Nuekomm Leadership Award recipient. “David’s calm and thoughtful approach is greatly appreciated by those he works with and serves.”

Established in 2004, the Hans Neukomm Award is named for the founder of Leadership Corvallis. Neukomm, who passed away this year following a long battle with cancer, 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 and Penny York.

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.

Twenty-two Leadership Corvallis class members 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, these 22 men and women 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.

Graduates of the Leadership Corvallis class of 2010-2011 are:

Emily Betts, Heartland Humane Society
Maria Chavez-Haroldson, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Douglas Cochran, Oregon State University
John Croy, Edward Jones
Michelle Davis, Davis Enterprises/Corvallis-Benton Chamber Coalition
Joan Demarest, Oregon State University and private practice
Dave Henderer, Design & Build/Rebath
Aileen Hood, Oregon State University
Jessica Kneisel, Second Glance/Annex
Roger Lizut, retired
Kennith Ray Lowe Jr., Community Outreach, Inc.
Dan Mattson, ATS Oregon
Denise McCoy, The Little Gym
Jessica McDonald, Greenbelt Land Trust
Lauri Morris, Strands
Jennifer Nitson, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center
Dennis Pearson, CH2M Hill, Inc.
Shawn Steiner, Corvallis Sport & Spine
Pam Hood Szivek, Corvallis Children’s Therapy
Elizabeth Westland, Van Buren Court
Charlene Yager, The Corvallis Clinic
Kriste York, Invale Community Partners

Leadership Corvallis has elected new board members to serve the non-profit agency and promote its mission during the 2011-2012 class year.

Leadership Corvallis offers area residents a chance to learn about a variety of government and non-profit agencies and businesses in Corvallis and Benton County. Upon graduation, class participants are equipped with knowledge, insight and inspiration to assume volunteer and leadership roles in the community.

Leadership Corvallis welcomes the following new and continuing board members in the following positions:

President Todd Washington
President-Elect Curtis Wright
Secretary Stacy Mellem
Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair Kristen Gose
Past President Deb Rose
Class Host Anne Schuster
Curriculum Chair Penny York
Vision Committee Chair Kavinda Arthenayake
Recruitment Chair Mark Kalmar
Public Relations Committee Chair Jennifer Nitson
Graduation Committee Chair Lacey McNeely
Community Service Project Chair Scott Jackson
Board Member At-Large Patrice O’Brien
Board Member At-Large Biff Traber

The board of directors serves as the policy setting and managing body for Leadership Corvallis, with the responsibility to direct and oversee activities of committees for candidate recruiting, curriculum development, finance and public relations. The board consists of graduates of Leadership Corvallis and recognized leaders in the community.