Florence OR Rotary - - Classification Talks

I was born in Eugene and raised in Mapleton. My Dad was a Contractor/Builder and constructed many homes and some businesses in the Florence/Mapleton area, including the Sportsman.

My Mom worked at the Mapleton School District for many yeas as the Deputy Clerk (which made it tough to get away with anything in school). I attended all 12 years at Mapleton Schools.

I attended LCC in Eugene for a few years and then went to work. I worked at a CPA firm for about 4 months, and then got an opportunity to work in public service at LCC. I worked in various jobs over a 30-year period. While working full time at LCC, I completed my Bachelors degree in Business Management at Northwest Christian College, attending evenings and Saturdays.

My positions at LCC focused on the more non-traditional learning of non-credit and outreach programs to rural communities. In my first job I worked with the Cottage Grove, Oakridge and Junction City communities. I worked in the rural small business program for a few years and worked with small business advisory committees in Florence, Oakridge and Junction City with representation from small businesses and the local chambers.

A major bond was passed for improving the main campus, two outreach centers and development of seven new learning centers that would be connected to high schools in the LCC service district.I was appointed as Director of the Learning Centers along with my job as (Eugene) Downtown Center Director. My work included working with a large campus wide committee and meeting with administrators at potential school sites.

After the sites were selected, I was responsible for hiring the staff and coordinating their training, ordering equipment and furniture, coordinating with the schools, coordinating grand openings and establishing advisory committees at each of the sites.

I worked with the administrators at the schools and because of our partnerships we were the first LCC location to be able to use the V-Tel live interactive conferencing system that belonged to the schools. We conducted college credit classes that brought students in Oakridge and Elmira together using the technology with one instructor. The learning centers were all opened at different times and during a down time for construction when we weren’t opening any centers, I was Interim Director at the Florence Center for 8 to 9 months. I commuted from Eugene two days a week while keeping most of my other job responsibilities.

Two key accomplishments while serving as Interim Director in Florence involved working with the Vice President to get the new construction changed to include state of the art computer labs with new wiring and equipment, and the beginning of the development of a quality dance floor in the old center that would end up saving the center over $10,000 a year in facility rent and making the many dance classes more affordable for residents.

I also worked with the Boys and Girls club Director and arranged for turning over funds that LCC was received from a grant to provide classes for kids. I joined Rotary while I was at the Florence Center.

I applied for but did not get the permanent Florence position. But as fate happens, my husband ended up having emergency surgery for a brain aneurysm that was detected when he went in for an MRI of his shoulder. The surgery for the aneurysm went okay but he suffered a major stroke. He had to retire on a permanent disability from the Eugene Fire Department where he had been a firefighter/medic for over 20 years. He had a lengthy stay in the hospital, then a nursing home, and then back to the hospital for more rehab. He had to learn to walk again, along with many other everyday tasks we take for granted. So during that lengthy time it would have been impossible for me to have been living in Florence and be able to visit him every day. When he came home he was dependent on my care.

During my husband's hospitalization I eventually applied for and got the job of Interim Continuing Education Director in Eugene. I was in the position for about a year and a half. The permanent position required a Masters degree and I just had a Bachelors degree. In October of 2003 I had worked for over 30 years at Lane and was able to retire. I worked part-time for the college until a new Director was hired in February 2004.

In July 2004 we finally were able to move to Florence so I could be close to my family. My Mom, sister and husband, a brother and his family (including two wonderful nieces!) all live in the area and my other brother is hoping to move back here in the near future. I love it here and don’t miss the valley fog. I rejoined Rotary and thoroughly enjoy the socialization and all of the good things Rotarians bring to the community and the world.