Hedie Schulte has an unconventional name and an unconventional background. So it’s natural that she came to be Vice President of the Linn-Benton Community College Foundation Board in an unconventional way.
Schulte, whose first name is pronounced "EE-dee," was named for a nurse who helped save her father’s life in an Army hospital in Germany. Currently the Director of Human Resources and Safety for Boshart Trucking in Tangent, her career background includes stints as a picture framer, toy store manager, gun shop owner, hotel and restaurant operator, and employee for famed agriculture supplier J.R. Simplot.
"I’m one of those odd ducks. I didn’t just grow up and find a job and stay there," she said. "I truly think that it is what makes me the well-rounded individual I truly am, I have done lots of things."
One of those many things was joining PEO, an international philanthropic education organization that supports the education of women. A PEO friend who also served on the board for the LBCC Foundation announced her retirement, then told the rest of the board they ought to think about inviting Schulte to join.
Schulte accepted, and after just a couple of years’ service, she was appointed Vice President. Then, in January 2025, she was elected President.
"We had a change in leadership, and people needed to step up," she said, referring to the chain of command. "The Vice President stepped up, and so did I."
Through scholarships, the Foundation helps make education possible for more people than might otherwise be able to afford it. That’s important, Schulte said.
"Education makes a difference because when you have it, you are better able to communicate with people around you," she said. "When you’ve had to learn things and look at things from different sides, and answer the question of, ‘What don’t I know?’, you’re better able to handle any situation that comes your way."
Schulte, who grew up in Philomath, received her own education through someone else’s philanthropy: Rex and Ethel Clemens.
The couple, who made their fortune in the timber industry, established the Clemens Foundation in the 1960s to offer the equivalent of four years of tuition at OSU to any Philomath High School graduate. (The board announced earlier this year, according to the Philomath News, that it would discontinue the program next June.)
Schulte started at Portland State University, then transferred to what was then known as Eastern Oregon State College. She worked as a Resident Assistant and in the campus bookstore, had summer jobs and graduated debt-free. Six months out of college, she was able to buy a house.
She counts herself lucky that she had not only the Clemens’ help, but good guidance from parents who taught her to budget, save, set goals and make wise investments. Not everyone has those benefits, she said, which is why she’s glad to be part of the LBCC Foundation.
Unlike the Clemens family, she said, "I couldn't just bestow millions. But by gosh, I can work on things."