Dear colleagues,

On this sunny end to a stormy February, I wanted to share several updates with you all:

Campus Updates

On February 4, we celebrated one of the last projects funded by the 2022 General Obligation bond, the updated and expanded Learning and Testing Center in the Benton Center. It was fun to see the last three Benton Center Directors together, and to talk with many past employees of the Center. Thank you to Jeff Flesch and Team Corvallis for hosting the ribbon cutting ceremony, and special appreciation to Nicole Schukow who assembled some amazing charcuterie plates.

In mid-February, I visited Washington, D.C. for the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) National Leadership Summit meetings where I got an opportunity to connect with fellow community college presidents and students. LBCC students Garrett Merchant, Will Vellinga, SLC’s Rob Camp joined me along with Linnea Everts where we darted around the numerous Capitol buildings to visit with Senator Merkley, Senator Wyden, Congresswoman Hoyle and Congresswoman Bynum. Issues that are relevant to all our nation's community colleges include extending Pell Grants to short-term programs and for LB, the revision of the Farm Bill would add grants to increase agricultural programs. We also requested substantial additional funding from our delegation and discussed this request with legislative staff during the visit. The new administration’s Executive Orders were another topic in all of our conversations. As I have shared with you all yesterday, we continue to closely monitor the latest developments in the Capitol.

I was unable to attend, but want to recognize Mike LeBlanc and the Auto Tech team for hosting a successful Women in Auto event the evening of February 10. The turnout was great with over 50 people attending, including many local industry representatives. The purpose of the event was to encourage more women to enter into the field. At LB, we have seen more women coming to obtain degrees in Auto Tech and Heavy Equipment/Diesel and it was powerful for these students to share their experiences and encourage others to join. Thanks to the Auto Tech team for hosting this event; I was sad to miss it!

Earlier this week, I hosted two Fireside Chats for employees to have a dialogue about current education trends, state and federal budgets, and other timely topics. We had productive conversations, especially in our discussion of LBCC’s response to federal changes; that strategy can best be summarized as staying calm, remaining mission-focused, and centering on our Education for All approach.

The Albany Chamber’s Leadership cohort visited the college last week for their Education Day where I got time to share our current priorities and elaborate on our commitment to educating our workforce to respond to community needs. The group of 24 local emerging leaders in our community toured our CTE areas, learned about our various health care programs, and looked for ways to collaborate with LBCC in the future. Janet Steele and the Albany Chamber team shared that these visits help remind them about the tremendous value LBCC brings to local industry partners. Thanks, Dale Moon, for leading the efforts in hosting this group.

As a big fan of our culinary offerings on campus, I can now say "there is an app for that" to make ordering food on campus even easier. An initiative led by Lawrence LaJoie and his team, you can now go to your app store and download "lbcc campus dining." Now, all we need is for Chef Josh Green to get cheese curds back onto the menu for the many transplanted Midwesterners at LBCC ;)

Earlier this week, I attended the unveiling of the newly remodeled Equity Center located in Willamette Hall on the Albany campus. I loved hearing firsthand from students who will be able to take advantage of the expanded services in the center. I was pleased to see 50+ in attendance to support the mission-critical work done by this team, helping broaden the access and impact of LBCC’s services. Kudos to the facilities team for the outstanding remodel, especially for the creative (and sustainable) use of some surplus furnishings.

Dr. Dale Moon represented LBCC at the groundbreaking event for TimberLab’s new facility located in Millersburg yesterday.  The event brought the Governor and several other elected officials to celebrate a new employer in our community creating 100+ new jobs. Company representatives came to visit with us in summer 2024 to get a tour of the Mechatronics space and learn more about our workforce training. In the remarks at the event, LBCC was mentioned to be a key factor for the company setting up business in our region; our work in the talent pipeline helps attract new employers in our service area and creates liveable wages.

Yesterday was a busy day and also the launch of Valley Connections, a project spearheaded by Jason Dorsette to collaborate with multiple organizations to unite in a mission to attach and retain diverse talent in the Mid-Willamette Valley. The turn out for the working lunch was great where we got to hear from Samaritan, OSU, Workforce Oregon and our own HR team on efforts at various organizations to create a welcoming work environment through affinity groups and other outreach activities by local employers. It’s always nice to visit with partners and to welcome our friend Mayor Alex Johnson to campus.

Black History Month. Thank you to Dr. Ramycia McGhee for organizing a great slate of events and speakers, centered around the theme of “Labor of Love, Black Cuisine.” I missed yesterday’s event due to Valley Connections, but very much enjoyed talking with the speaker beforehand (and I heard rave reviews on the food). Building and expanding community and social capital is what it’s all about; thank you again, Dr. McGhee for your leadership in this arena.

This morning I was proud to greet a group of 200+ prospective students for LBCC’s first Regional Manufacturing Fair. Over 17 high schools sent students to learn about our manufacturing program options. Keynote speaker (and LBCC alum) Linda Campbell from Entek shared her own journey to a manufacturing career and told students that having LBCC on their resume "jumps their job application to the top of the pile." Great work, Deron Fort and the large team of supporters and speakers!

Looking Ahead

Next week I will be attending OCCA’s Legislative Summit in Salem, an event that is held during each long legislative session bringing together Oregon’s 17 community college’s Presidents, Board members and students for panel discussions and legislative visits. I will be joined by students and our Board of Education Chair, Jeff Davis, to get more updates on the session and focus on advocacy for our critical need of increased funding of the community college support fund. The day following the summit, we will be visiting with our elected officials to again emphasize the importance of our organization’s work for students and community, a needed reminder as the legislature begins to prepare the next biennial budget.

On the home front, my family has been battling the same winter bug that I know many of you have struggled with. Today’s sunshine should help all of us turn the corner! As February ends, with a busy March around the corner, I very much value everything you all do to help LBCC serve our students and our communities.

Thanks,
Lisa