The Green Awards acknowledges Mid-Willamette Valley individuals, businesses and organizations for their outstanding efforts towards sustainability, and to support the educational efforts of the Friends of Straub Environmental Learning Center.

Event Tickets

Tickets are $50 and include dinner and wine. When purchasing tickets, please indicate your meal choice. Dinner options include Wild Mushroom Lasagna, Grilled Salmon and Prime Rib. You may purchase tickets below, or contact Alexandra at (503) 391-4145, or [email].

Twenty-two nominations throughout Marion, Polk, and Lane Counties have been submitted for the 2012 Mid-Valley Green Awards. This event honors local businesses, organizations, and individuals who have made significant efforts in sustainability and environmental education.

Both winners and nominees will be acknowledged at an awards dinner at the Salem Conference Center. Music, dinner and an oral and silent auction will also be part of the event, with all proceeds supporting the non-profit Straub Environmental Learning Center.

“The Green Awards has become a phenomenal event that brings folks together from all parts of the environmental spectrum,” said Jon Yoder, President of the Friends of Straub Environmental Learning Center. Green Award categories include:

• Recycler Of The Year:  Separate awards for an individual/family and a business.
• Sustainable Organization of the Year:  Small and large business categories.
• EarthWISE Certified Business of the Year:  Must have EarthWISE certification by January 1, 2012.
• Green Building of the Year:  New or retrofitted.
• Green Apple Award:  An educator who leads in teaching environmental/sustainable curricula.

The selection committee will choose the nominee that they feel most deserves to receive the award within the category for which they were nominated. The jury is composed of representatives from the Friends of Straub Environmental Learning Center, Marion County Public Works Environmental Services, Garten Services, Inc., and the public.

“The Green Awards really fits our message of reducing waste and striving for sustainability,” said Jeff Bickford, Marion County Environmental Services Division Manager. “The fact that it helps the educational efforts by the Straub Center is a real bonus,” Bickford said.

Oregon 2012 Economic Update

Presented by:
Tim Duy
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Director Oregon Economic Forum
Department of Economics, University of Oregon

Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill
1313 Mill Street SE - Salem, OR
12:00 – 1:30 pm

Sponsored by:

This year is starting out much like last, with incoming data indicating the US economy is on a steady, upward path. But again like last year, rising energy costs raise questions about the sustainability of the recovery. Will the US economy once again hit a soft patch in the middle of the year, or will this finally be the period of smooth sailing we have been looking for?

Aside of oil prices, what other risks are lurking in the shadows? Is Europe a non-event, or is this just the calm before the storm? And, closer to home, what does all this mean for Oregon and its regional economies? Tim Duy will answer these questions and he reviews recent data and events with an eye toward the rest of 2012.

Tim Duy Bio

Professor Duy received his B.A. in Economics in 1991 from the University of Puget Sound, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Economics in 1998 from the University of Oregon. Following graduate school, Tim worked in Washington, D.C. for the United States Department of Treasury as an economist in the International Affairs division and later with the G7 Group, a political and economic consultancy for clients in the financial industry. In the latter position, he was responsible for monitoring the activities of the Federal Reserve and currency markets. Tim returned to the University of Oregon in 2002. He is the Director of the Oregon Economic Forum and the author of the University of Oregon Index of Economic Indicators, the Central Oregon Business Index, and the Oregon Regional Economic Indexes. Tim has published in the Journal of Economics and Business and is currently a member of the Oregon Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors.

About Oregon Economic Forum

The Oregon Economic Forum is a series of initiatives presented by the U of O College of Arts and Sciences and its Department of Economics. With the state continuing to face significant economic challenges, the Oregon Economic Forum adds a new voice to the ongoing political and business economic dialogue and affords business, finance, government, and university leaders the opportunity to explore relevant economic issues together. The Forum also produces the U of O Index of Economic Indicators and other publications. Duy, Forum Director, also engages the community directly via presentations throughout the state and media contact. Visit http://econforum.uoregon.edu.

Is it possible to . . .

Reduce My Investment Expenses?
Improve My Investment Performance?
Reduce My Investment Risk?

Presented by:

Andrew E. Jones, AAMS – Branch Manager
Donald E. Shiarla, CFP – Vice President/Investments
David M. Willams – Financial Advisor

RSVP
Call 503-315-4993 or email jonesra@stifel.com
(Please provide name, contact information and number attending).

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company Incorporated
1174 Cornucopia Street NW, Suite 230, Salem, OR 97304

Member SIPC and NYSE 

The Willamette University MBA for Professionals is hosting an Executive Reception featuring Willamette University President, Stephen E. Thorsett. President Thorsett will share thoughts on the role and impact of business education with ample time to network with fellow professionals and learn more about the Willamette University MBA for Professionals program.

Please register to join fellow Mid-Willamette Valley executives and professionals attending. There is no cost to attend however, registration is required. You are welcome to forward this invitation to executives and professionals within your organization.

To Register [click here]

For additional information contact:
Tina Alexander, MBA, SPHR, GPHR
Director, MBA for Professionals
[email]
cl: 503-367-9094

Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Written by Justin Much, Statesman Journal

Link to article …read more>>

There is a new resource available for area small-business owners: the Mid-Willamette Valley Guide to Small Business Financial Resources.

The publication is a comprehensive guide to business financial resources that are available locally. It was researched and developed by Kristen Mozian, a MERIT volunteer who came to the area via the VISTA program.

That program can make a difference for both the volunteers and the beneficiaries.

“The VISTA program was created by President Kennedy; it is the domestic version of the Peace Corps,” said MERIT director Forrest Peck, who also serves on the Independence City Council.

Peck said several local nonprofit organizations have benefited from the VISTA recruits, including A.C. Gilbert House, Salem-Keizer Community Development Corp., and the Independence Downtown Association.

“VISTA members essentially are volunteers. They receive a small stipend to cover living expenses and commit to live at a poverty level for a one-year period,” Peck said.

Curiously, it was the poverty element that finance major Mozian, 24, sought out, bringing her west to the Willamette Valley from the tiny, nationally-ranked Christian school of Messiah.

Mozian spent part of her academic years in St. Louis

“There were some rough and tumble experiences in St. Louis — with gangs,” she said.

She also went to school in Philadelphia, where unemployment reached nearly 50 percent in some sectors.

“Learning about poverty and studying finance — it’s hard to reconcile the two,” she said.

But those urban experiences pale in comparison to the time she spent in Uganda.

“I was studying abroad and taking classes at Uganda Christian University,” she said, “and I did a couple of home stays.”

One of those stays necessitated a daily 40-minute, one-way walk to school; another included a week living in a hut in the African bush. The experience changed her life.

“There is definitely a pre-Uganda life and a post-Uganda life for me,” Mozian said.

The post-Uganda Mozian sought out VISTA, applying for several possible assignments before settling on the one out west in Oregon. She had other offers to entertain: one in Louisville, Ky.; another in Lancaster, Pa. The tasks underscored with the MERIT assignment, such as threading together financial gaps between available resources and businesses that need them, struck her as the most challenging.

There was also no guarantee she could handle them.

“I thought, if I am going to forgo a year of entry-level salary for a college graduate, then I would rather risk big,” she said. “I saw the project description and (it appeared) the riskiest — and the bigger the risk the bigger the reward.”

As she set out through Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties, Mozian said she drew laughs from some of the smaller-town residents: appreciative of her quest, but skeptical. “Resources? What resources?” she heard.

Ultimately, she discovered the resources existed, if time is taken to seek and uncover them. Now they are categorically listed in one guide. For area small businesses, finding resources has never been easier.

“It culminated with this huge list of resources, most of which are very, very underutilized,” she said, attributing the underutilization to lack of awareness.

Mozian, who is now MERIT’s resource development coordinator, finished her year’s obligation, handled the risk and received the reward.

As did the mid-Willamette Valley.

jmuch@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6736 or follow at twitter.com/justinmuch

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
at Chemeketa Center for Business & Industry
in partnership with Chemeketa Community College

Title Sponsor:

Full Workshop Schedule Coming Soon

Agenda:

7:30 – 8:00 am Registration

8:00 – 8:30 am Keynote Presentation

Executive Session – 8:30 – 9:30 am

Morning Sessions
2 Sessions
8:30 – 9:45 am
10:00 – 11:15 am

Lunch

Afternoon Sessions
3 Sessions
12:30 – 1:45 pm
2:00 – 3:15 pm
3:30 – 4: 45 pm

Cost:

Full Day Workshop: $75.00

Workshop Sponsorships: $150. 00 per session

Terry Zink, Bank of the Cascades

Bend, Oregon – February 9, 2012 — Last month, Terry E. Zink assumed the role of president and CEO for Cascade Bancorp and Bank of the Cascades. Today, he announced a $1 Billion commitment to make loans available to business owners and individuals in the Bank’s Oregon and Idaho markets over the next three years.

“We know that business lending creates jobs and strengthens our local ecomonies,” said Zink. “We’re also looking to expand our personal lending to create full banking relationships with our customers. As a community bank, that’s exactly what we do. We invest in our communities and the people who live here.”

According to Zink, he was drawn to Bank of the Cascades by his fundamental belief in community banking and the opportunities that came along with the Bank’s “well capitalized” status following last year’s $177 million capital raise.

Zink acknowledged the long-term leadership of former Bank President and CEO Patricia L. Moss who provided 35 years of service and decades of leadership to the company.

“Patti’s expertise in guiding the Bank through years of success as well as the more recent economic and regulatory challenges has brought us here today,” said Zink. “I am glad to be joining the bank at this pivotal time and looking forward to building a successful future not only for the bank, but for the communities we serve,” Zink added.

Zink explained that the renewed commitment to lending represents a new era for Bank of the Cascades.

“This is our opportunity to deliver on our promise to further enhance the vitality of the markets we serve in Oregon and Idaho,” said Zink. “To do so, we are aggressively working to deliver business and consumer credit, including mortgages,” said Zink.

According to Zink, the Bank expects to offer the government’s expanded HARP program in March. The program will provide refinance opportunities for homeowners whose current home value is less than their existing mortgage.

“The Bank has highly experienced mortgage lenders who are providing home loans for jumbo mortgages, first time home buyers, and refinances,” said Zink.

“We have a goal to help strengthen our communities,” said Zink. “It’s really a two-way street. We’re all investing in each other. That’s the beauty of local banking.”

Zink added that the bank’s team is seeing positive economic signs in Oregon and Idaho and looking forward to expanding lending to local residents and business owners.

“I have quickly learned that this team of dedicated and skilled banking professionals is prepared to be the primary financial services provider in these communities,” said Zink. “It takes an extraordinary group of people to maintain customer loyalty and trust during difficult economic times and the Bank of the Cascades team has done a tremendous job and we are eager to move forward,” he added.

Zink, recently served as president and CEO of Fifth Third Bank Chicago, an affiliate of the Fifth Third Bancorp network. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in business management from Saint Mary’s college of California in Moraga, California. His most recent community appointments include Chairman of the Metro Chicago Heart Walk (American Heart Association), board of Trustees for Adler Planetarium and Advocate Charitable Foundation and the Board of Directors for the Chicago Chamber of Commerce. According to Zink, one of his most fulfilling community projects has been his board position with After School Matters, a non-profit organization founded by Maggie Daley to bring afterschool programs to youth in Chicago. Zink plans to become involved in local causes and activities in the Northwest as well.

Cascade Bancorp is headquartered in Bend, Oregon, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bank of the Cascades, operates in Oregon and Idaho markets. Founded in 1977, Bank of the Cascades offers full-service community banking through 32 branches in Central Oregon, Southern Oregon, Portland/Salem and Boise/Treasure Valley. The Bank’s team members share a fundamental belief in the value of community banking. Together, they work to serve customers and support the community through financial expertise, volunteerism and relationships. For more information, visit www.botc.com.

###

To schedule interviews or editorial meetings with Terry Zink, contact Linda Quon at (541)617-1911 or lquon@quondc.com. Zink also looks forward to establishing direct relationships with local media representatives and welcomes the media to call him directly at (541)617-3527 about this information, or any other banking-related questions.

Valley Credit Union is proud to announce it is now on the social media sites Facebook and Twitter. These channels will serve as additional outlets for news and events at Valley, including community outreach, charitable support and much more.

Jean Wheat-Palm, President and CEO of Valley Credit Union, heralded the jump to social media. “There’s no doubt that more and more, our members are utilizing Facebook and Twitter to interact with their peers, friends and families. Our strongest advocates have always been our members, and these two channels provide a new way for us to engage current and prospective members regarding the great things we are doing in the community.”

In addition, Valley will spotlight and support efforts of local business and community partners. “We always strive to have strong, reciprocal relationships with our friends in local businesses and non-profit organizations,” said Steve Pagenstecher, VP of Member Relations at Valley Credit Union. “Social media gives us another tool to help highlight their efforts and our support, in addition to our own causes. It’s a win-win for all involved.”

Valley Credit Union can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/valleycu. Find Valley on Twitter (@Valley_CU) at www.twitter.com/valley_cu. For more information, call (503) 364-7999 or visit Valley Credit Union online at www.vhpecu.org.

Valley Credit Union is a locally-based financial cooperative serving employees, students and volunteers in the Healthcare and Wellness fields, employees of the Postal Service and courier providers, and their families in the Mid-Willamette Valley.

For questions or additional information, please contact Steve Pagenstecher, VP Member Relations at Valley Credit Union at 503-364-7999 or [email].

Whether you are a small business administrator with newly assigned “HR” duties or a seasoned manager of a large corporation, this program transforms managers into visionary workplace leaders by underscoring the vital role the Human Resource function plays in the success of any organization. This in-depth program consists of 24 hours of required coursework, March 7-9, and 16 hours of elective coursework over the following few months.

Required coursework covers:

• HR Leadership: Reaching the Next Level
• Communicating the Mission
• Managing Risk
• Organization Development
• Linking Individual Jobs with Organization Success
• Managing Performance and Recognizing Success

Visit the HR Leadership Certificate Program page for complete details of this certificate program, including elective coursework topics.

Location: Cascade Employers Association in Salem
Dates: Wednesday-Friday, March 7-9, 2012
Cost: Price – $1150.00*

*Early Bird and multiple registrant discount available.

For complete information and registration [download PDF]

Be a Sponsor or provide an Auction Item. The advertising potential is tremendous! Last year’s event sold out and this year’s event is even bigger and better.

Everything is on a first come – first serve basis. Don’t miss your opportunity!

This year we are proud to have Caroline McGowan, Miss Oregon 2011 along with  Joey Harrington, University Of Oregon Football Quarterback Alumni.

For additional information, please call Byron or Mindy Loosli at 503-362-7998
- To be a player, call Todd Londin at 503-363-4457 or 503-991-7270
- To donate Auction Items, call Brenda Londin at 503-363-4457

All the money collected goes directly to help local Oregon Paralyzed Veterans of America, “OPVA” is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, all contributions are tax deductable to the fullest extent allowed by law.