Left to right: Health Information Management Professor Olga Lyubar, Medical Assisting Outreach and Program Navigation Recruiter Lisa Barsotti, and Business And Health Sciences Dean Dr. Scot Headley.
Clark College’s Allied Health programs have been recognized as the 2025 Partner of the Year by ESD 112’s Career Connect Southwest! The Allied Health team – represented by Dean Dr. Scot Headley, Olga Lyubar, and Lisa Barsotti – was honored at the STEM Rising Star and Regional Partner Awards Ceremony at ESD 112 on June 9. The event served as a celebration of meaningful and strategic collaboration across southwest Washington.
“This partnership has helped bring greater alignment between education and workforce systems, opening doors for students to explore and pursue careers in high-demand healthcare fields,” said Chad Mullen, Network Manager for Career Connect Southwest. “Their commitment to innovation and student-centered programming makes them a standout example of what’s possible when education and industry work together.”
Clark’s Allied Health team has partnered with ESD 112 on multiple projects this year, including the Healthcare Pathways Education and Industry Summit on March 7 and a CTE Dual Credit workshop for local high school teachers on February 27.
Education Meets Workforce
This summer, Clark is hosting AH 104, a rural healthcare camp that serves as an introduction to the healthcare field and the many professions available as career choices.
Five high school students from Kalama and one from White Salmon will visit campus for two weeks to learn from Allied Health instructor Miranda Devault, in collaboration with multiple healthcare professionals from The Vancouver Clinic. Through this partnership, students will have the opportunity to shadow different healthcare professionals, an invaluable experience as each student is planning to go into the healthcare field when they graduate. This event is graciously being funded by the Clark College Foundation and Entry Services. Upon completion, the six students will also receive three college credits.
Our partnership with ESD 112 also benefits teachers! A STEM teacher’s experience – which kicked off June 16 at the ESD 112 Conference Center – allows four high school teachers from Vancouver Public Schools to earn 30 clock hours – 15 of them STEM clock hours – and a $1500 stipend for participating in the Learning from and in the Healthcare Field workshop. They will gain firsthand exposure to healthcare careers and the skills needed in the field by working alongside local healthcare professionals and technical staff at The Vancouver Clinic. Dr. Headley’s former colleague, Dr. Maranda Turner from George Fox University, will provide specialized facilitation on how to integrate healthcare themes into their curriculum, and participants will have the opportunity to share their insights with fellow educators at a professional symposium happening this fall.
Learn More
Learn more about the impactful work from this partnership:
Left to right: Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vanessa Neal, MarcusAntonio Gunn, Syliva Welch, and Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards.
This year’s Juneteenth celebration had us “Feelin’ Some Kinda Way” as Poet Sylvia Welch would say! Held on June 9, Clark employees, students, and community members came together to honor our history as we celebrated a collective journey towards freedom and equality through food, music, and poetry.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth (“June” plus “nineteenth”) is more than a day off or having cookouts. It’s a day to reflect on the struggles, the resistance, and the unwavering determination of those who came before us. On June 19, 1865, the news of freedom finally reached more than 250,000 enslaved people of Texas, the last to be officially recognized as free.
As stated in an article from The New York Times’s archives: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.” (General Orders, Number 3; Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865.)
On June 17, 2021, former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States and marking a pivotal moment in American history. Juneteenth signifies the end of a brutal system and the beginning of a long journey towards racial equality. It reminds us of the resilience and hope within our community.
Soulful Flavors
Chef Earl Frederick, pictured above center, from Culinary Arts prepared a feast of soul food for the event, the mouth-watering scents of Jamaican jerk chicken and Taino roasted pork wafting through the air as attendees joined the line that wrapped around the Student Center.
Plates were piled high with servings of various foods that reflect Black history and culture:
Taino Roasted Pork
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Creole Shrimp Gumbo
Coconut-Ginger Rice
Arroz con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas)
Tomato-Avocado Salad with Pikliz (Haitian Pickled Vegetable Relish)
Freedom Punch (Hibiscus Drink)
Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes
Storytelling through Performance
The theme of this year’s performance was “Feelin’ Some Kinda Way.” It was a powerful collaboration between MarcusAntonio Gunn and Syliva Welch as they intertwined their songs and poems into one impactful performance.
Intertwining their artistry, Sylvia and MarcusAntionio shared the strengths, vulnerabilities, and observations of the Black experience. Whether it be through MarcusAntionio’s rendition of Go Down, Moses – his operatic voice filling the room with images of resilience – or by exploring how closely lived experiences are tied to identity through Sylvia’s poem, “Still Here,” from her latest collection, Feelin’ Some Kinda Way. Each act captivated the audience with their themes of hope and perseverance. With flawless transitions between each song and poem, the artists highlighted how, no matter what your craft may be, we are all on this journey together.
As we honor Juneteenth, we recognize that our stories weren’t just recorded in books – they were painted in murals, woven into songs, and whispered across generations. Art has served as a powerful form of nourishment and empowerment, which has always been at the core of our survival, healing, and liberation. It carried our truths, and it held our joy when Black joy and identity were criminalized. We are reminded that Juneteenth is not a day to mourn – it’s a day to reclaim.
About the Artists
MarcusAntonio hails from a family steeped in tradition—ministers, storytellers, musicians, and vocalists. Though surrounded by talented instrumentalists, he found his true calling as a vocalist. His journey led him to Albany State University, an HBCU, where he was admitted through a presidential selection recognizing his vocal talent. There, he became the first in his family to receive formal vocal training, studying under Dr. Leroy Bynum and Dr. Deanna Weber with a concentration in Classical Technique.
Inspired by Georgia’s Civil Rights legacy, MarcusAntonio focused on Negro Spirituals—music that speaks to resilience, identity, and hope. He draws from icons like Jessye Norman and William Warfield, and his repertoire includes works by Burleigh, Hogan, and Moore. At ASU, he performed with the Jazz Band, Theater Troupe, and Advanced Choral Ensemble, and is a proud charter member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia’s Rho Delta Chapter.
Sylvia Welch lives in Woodland, Washington, and is a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, great-grandmother, a world traveler, adventurer, a fabric artist, and last but hardly least, an author. She began writing poetry at the age of 73, published her first book at the age of 75, and is working on her next poetry book.
Sylvia grew up in the 50s, during a time of obvious racial inequities and attended college in the mid-60s when racial, social, and political injustices were prevalent and the times were only slightly better for most African Americans. Those times produced lessons and experiences that have led to emotions, feelings, and actions that have helped her age into understanding. Her hope is to continue to do so because she has learned that understanding, like the light of day and darkness, doesn’t come all at once.
Celebrate Juneteenth in the Community
We encourage Clark employees and community members to get involved with organizations and community events to celebrate Juneteenth, including the 4th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration in Vancouver on June 14, where Clark’s ODEI will be tabling. For questions or more information, reach out to diversity@clark.edu.
Wearing a Clark Pride t-shirt and standing beneath a rainbow balloon arch, Dean of Student Engagement Cath Busha, above, stepped up to the mic. With warmth, honesty, and humor, they reflect on the winding journey of embracing their identity.
Cath was speaking to a room full of teens at the YWCA’s Queer Couve Youth Summit, an event designed for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-18 to connect, build community, and explore their cultural identities together. It was, Cath noted, the kind of supportive space not readily available when they were navigating their own identity in the 1980s and 90s.
Their keynote, titled “Queer History and Resilience,” wove together powerful threads: a timeline of queer history, moments from their own life, and the unspoken pressures many queer people have carried across generations. They shared with listeners the stories from their tomboy childhood to being a first-generation college graduate, to fulfilling their childhood dream of becoming a teacher.
But the reality of that dream proved more complicated.
After coming out in the 1990s, Cath discovered that living openly as their authentic self in the workplace was not without consequence. Subtle yet persistent acts of hostility—like a women’s clothing catalog appearing anonymously in their school mailbox week after week—served as chilling reminders of just how precarious visibility could be.
Cath ultimately made the decision to step away from K-12 education; they couldn’t imagine spending an entire career hiding such a fundamental part of who they are. They pursued graduate school and non-profit work, seeking spaces where authenticity didn’t come at the cost of belonging.
Years later, they found their way back to education – this time, in higher ed. Now at Clark, Cath shared, things are different. Today, they’re not just allowed to be visible; they’re celebrated. They described the joy of working in a place where their identity is welcomed and where they can be open, proud, and fully present.
To close their keynote, Cath invited participants to reflect on a personal question: what do you love about being who you are? Amid the realities of pain and struggle, Cath encouraged them to make space for joy. Their words perfectly embodied the theme of the event: My Joy, My Pride.
At nearby vendor tables, participants could take home a reminder of Cath’s story with Clark College Pride stickers and mugs, provided by the Clark College Foundation – a small but colorful reminder of the affirming community cheering them on.
Celebrate Pride in the Community
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be representing Clark at Vancouver’s Pride Block Party, Saturday, June 14, 12-7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Learn more on the event’s Facebook page.
Photos: Clark College/Malena Goerl
The Power of Community Colleges
Dr. Karin Edwards stands beside the “Penguin Talks” poster at the Fort Vancouver Library.
At the final installment of this year’s Penguin Talks: Clark College Lunch and Learn series, Dr. Karin Edwards delivered a heartfelt and insightful presentation on the “Role and Future of Community Colleges.” Drawing from nearly forty years of experience in higher education, she spoke candidly about the deep and lasting impact community colleges have on the lives they touch—and the communities they serve.
“We have the power to transform lives,” she acknowledged. “And we don’t take it lightly.”
With that statement, she set the tone for a heartfelt and thought-provoking session that underscored the mission-driven work of community colleges across the country. Throughout her talk, Dr. Edwards shared stories that illustrated these powerful transformations. One student, a recovering drug addict, enrolled in a community college as part of his journey to rebuild his life. He eventually earned a master’s degree and opened a drug rehabilitation center in Portland. Another student started college at age 62 and graduated at age 70, choosing to pursue her personal growth after a lifetime of raising a family.
Beyond individual stories, Dr. Edwards emphasized the broader impact of community colleges in advancing social equity, driving economic development, and fostering civic engagement. She noted how closely income and opportunity are tied to education, and that community colleges are often a lifeline for students who might otherwise be left behind.
“Community colleges foster both personal and communal growth,” said Dr. Edwards. “I believe that this is our role and the important work we do, and I’m proud to be part of it.”
Community colleges like Clark don’t just educate students, but they actively engage the wider community. From hosting arts and cultural events to facilitating voter registration and addressing pressing issues like affordable housing, food insecurity, and transportation, the college has an active role in shaping community conversation, and solution-building process.
She also spoke of the challenges that lie ahead: fluctuating funding, questions around the availability of financial student aid, international policies for students, and the evolving workforce needs. But regardless of what the future holds, her talk was a timely reminder that, in a world of uncertainty, the work we do matters deeply.
As she concluded her talk, Dr. Edwards reminded the audience of Clark’s mission statement and the importance of keeping those words at the heart of our work.
“One of the things that I know to be true, as we’re going through this storm, not knowing what’s to come, is to stay true to what you’re doing,” she said. “If you change who you are, you’ll get lost in the storm. But if you stay true to the mission, you’re bound to still be standing after the storm is over.”
About Penguin Talks: Clark College Lunch & Learn
Hosted by Clark Community and Continuing Education, this free lecture series invites the public and college community to explore impactful local topics and engage with inspiring speakers. Penguin Talks will return for another series in October 2025.
Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley
Reimagining Safe Zone
Alyssa Montminy, Director of Employee Equity and Engagement, front right, gives a thumbs up at her presentation at the 2025 NCORE Conference.
Alyssa Montminy, Director of Employee Equity and Engagement, proudly represented the Penguin Nation at the 2025 NCORE Conference in New York on May 29. Her three-hour session, “Reimagining Safe Zone: Providing Queer Identity Trainings with an Intersectional Lens,” was well attended and kept participants engaged with fresh ideas on how to implement or transform this type of training on their own campuses.
Alyssa’s presentation drew from her work and experience leading the “Power, Privilege, and Inequity – Safe Zone” training at Clark. With captivating storytelling and well-timed comedic relief, Alyssa traced the evolution of Safe Zone curriculum at Clark—from a two-hour workshop into a four-part, eight-hour series embedded into the college’s broader PPI (Power, Privilege, and Inequity) training initiative.
The expanded training series explores the complexities of queer identity through a variety of lenses: community, gender identity development, queer history, and intersectionality. By intentionally designing the content through an intersectional framework, the series also creates space for deeper conversations about race, sexuality, disability, and systemic inequities.
“Bringing an intersectional approach allows for updated and expanded elements,” Alyssa shared. “Including the ever-evolving language surrounding the queer community,” The curriculum also explores the whitewashing of queer history, the significance of the Black Trans Lives Matter movement, and the broader cultural forces that continue to shape the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals.
In her session, Alyssa encouraged participants to create and reimagine Safe Zone trainings for their own institutions, offering clarity, authenticity, and actionable takeaways—an example of how institutions can reimagine identity training to be more inclusive, relevant, and impactful.
Learn More
Explore Clark College’s Power, Privilege, and Inequity (PPI) academic concentration here.
Photo provided by the author.
Building Community the Penguin Way
Calen Ouellette, CEO of the Clark College Foundation, kicked off his Penguin Talk, “Build, Strengthen, and Sustain Community – Together,” by comparing a community with a true Clark College metaphor: Penguins!
“Penguins thrive because of community,” Calen said. “And just like them, we need each other to weather challenges, raise the next generation, and find our way through noise and uncertainty.”
The second installment of this year’s Penguin Talks: Clark College Lunch & Learn series, Calen’s presentation invited the audience to reflect on the idea of community and what it truly means – specifically who supports them, challenges them, and makes space for them to fully be themselves.
To lead by example, Calen encouraged attendees to start building community on the spot by introducing themselves to the people sitting nearby. Friends and strangers alike reached across the aisles, sparking conversations and making new connections.
Calen then walked the audience through the three pillars that hold up every strong community: learning, connection, and leadership. He wove together inspirational quotes and personal stories that brought each pillar to life, including one brief but meaningful conversation with Al Roker that shaped his view on leadership.
For those who appreciate hard data, Calen also shared compelling statistics underscoring the benefits and value of strong communities. From student success and economic strength to better mental and physical health, the numbers made one takeaway clear: community matters.
He closed with a challenge. Distributing notecards and pens, Calen asked everyone to write down one small action they could take in the coming weeks to build community. Some read their answers aloud –like sharing fresh flowers from their gardens or bringing treats to their neighbors. Calen then left everyone with one final call to action:
“Let’s go do something BOLD.”
Learn More
Penguin Talks: Clark College Lunch & Learnis a free, three-week series that invites the public and college community to explore impactful local topics and engage with inspiring speakers. The final session, The Role and Future of Community Colleges with Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards, will be on June 5. Register here.
Penguin Talks will return for another series in October 2025.
The Journey of the Cowlitz Tribe
“We begin at the beginning.”
With those words, Tanna Engdahl, Spiritual Leader of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, opened the first Penguin Talks: Lunch and Learn session of 2025. The event, titled “Tribal Sovereignty, Cultural Preservation, and Honoring Ancestral Traditions,” invited participants to step into the living history of the Cowlitz people.
From the creation story of how the Cowlitz Tribe came to be, to the structure of their daily life – living in plank houses, hunting and preserving food, racing horses, and their own Salish language – Tanna painted a picture that invited participants to experience the Cowlitz tribe’s enduring spirit.
In the middle of her story, she paused. “And then it all changed.”
Just as she had shared this world with participants, Tanna then showed the profound changes that followed the arrival of Lewis and Clark. The expedition to the West marked the beginning of a difficult era where diseases swept through the tribe, and in the time of treaties, they were pressured to abandon their ancestral land.
However, the Cowlitz Tribe are known as the “Forever People” for good reason.
She shared with the audience the deep connection her people have with their ancestors, and how those deep-rooted relationships have supported and carried their people through generations of hardship, injustice, and perseverance.
Her story came full circle with the modern-day fight for recognition—the tribe’s fight to regain their land and become a federally recognized tribe. Tanna left the room with a lasting impression of the Cowlitz Tribe:
“We are a people who never gave up, never retreated…we are strong today because of our ancestors.”
Learn More
Penguin Talks: Clark College Lunch & Learn is a free, three-week series that allows participants to explore impactful local topics and engage with inspiring speakers. Register here.
Upcoming sessions
May 29 – Build, Strengthen, Sustain Community—Together with Calen Ouellette, CEO of Clark College Foundation
June 5 – The Role and Future of Community Colleges with Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards
Photos: Clark College/Malena Goerl
Clark Automotive Hosts Students from France
Led by Clark automotive professor Dannie Nordsiden, the automotive department welcomed nine students from CFA de la Mobilité, a vocational training center in Strasbourg, France.
Over several days, these high school-aged students toured Clark’s 14,000-square-foot automotive facility, met with faculty, staff, and local students, and gained firsthand insight into the college’s innovative “Dealer Ready” apprenticeship programs.
Retired Professor Mike Godson hands the book to Roxane Adler.
When Mike Godson, former head of the program, pulled out the textbook he wrote, Hybrid, Electric and Fuel-Cell Vehicles, the visiting students laughed in recognition. They use that textbook, too, all the way in France. They were extra excited that they now got to meet the man behind the words.
The visiting students, all in their final year of study at CFA de la Mobilité, are enrolled in a specialized auto training program. They were accompanied by two instructors: Roxane Adler, who leads the International Apprentice Mobility program and teaches history and literature, and Mikael Osterstock, an automotive maintenance instructor.
Left to right: Mikael Osterstock, CFI automotive maintenance instructor; Clark automotive professor Dannie Nordsiden; and Roxane Adler, who leads the International Apprentice Mobility program and teaches history and literature.
The CFA de la Mobilité group is on a 10-day tour of the Pacific Northwest. “The most valuable element was meeting Dannie, who welcomed us so well,” said Adler. “We sincerely hope to see him again and develop a wonderful partnership with Clark College.”
Exploring Hands-On Learning at Clark
On Wednesday morning, Professor Nordsiden accompanied the group to several local partner dealerships. There, the students had the opportunity to speak with professional technicians about careers in the automotive field and learn more about Clark’s unique approach to hands-on training. The “Dealer Ready” model allows students to earn income and gain work experience through paid internships while completing their degrees.
During their visit, the students also learned that Clark’s automotive programs are structured as apprenticeships, requiring students to work part-time in a professional repair setting while attending three days of in-person instruction in the college’s labs each week. This hybrid model ensures students apply classroom knowledge in real-world environments throughout the Vancouver-Portland metro area.
CFA de la Mobilité also has a similar partnership with Renault preparing students for careers with the international automotive manufacturer.
Here’s what our French students have to share from their visit:
The American diagnostic system is different because “it has more details and provides more detailed instructions.” The visiting students enjoyed practicing on the vehicles and troubleshooting together.
The workshops are “larger and different, especially in terms of equipment like the wheel balancer.”
What they enjoyed most was the human interaction, “both the instructors and the students were very welcoming—with whom we loved talking to and working with.”
“This visit reflects Clark’s ongoing commitment to global collaboration and career-focused education,” said Nordsiden. “This cultural exchange aligns the college’s general education competencies, ‘Civic and Global Consciousness,’ with our classes, by providing a look into our trade from another lens. In short, it allows our world to get a little smaller—and our knowledge a little broader.”
About CFA de la Mobilité
Located in the Parc des Forges in Strasbourg, the CFA de la Mobilité is a training institution with a mission to contribute to the development of vocational professions. Since 2023, this institution has been providing training to adult apprentices and trainees from vocational certificates to advanced technical certificates (BTS) in the automotive sector. CFA also has a Professional Automotive Electromechanical Technician training program with Renault.
About the Clark College Automotive Technology Department With a program history that spans more than 40 years, Clark College’s Automotive Technology department has received community recognition for producing top-tier automotive technicians and for its focus on hands-on learning and partnerships with dealerships that include Toyota, Dick Hannah, and Audi.
Clark Students and Faculty Exhibit at Downtown Gallery
On a sunny spring evening this past Friday, May 2, Clark art students, faculty, and Foundation staff gathered at Art at the Cave for the opening of “The Day After Tomorrow: Art and Mentorship at Clark College”. It’s a benefit exhibition supporting the College via the Foundation through the sales of exhibited works.
The exhibit, organized by the Foundation, the Art Department, and Art at the Cave under the Arts@Clark initiative, explores the relationship between mentors and mentees.
How Faculty and Students Worked Together
Faculty and student artists were paired to work in parallel over the past several weeks. The gallery then displayed the art side by side in the gallery. For most of the students, this was the very first gallery exhibition of their work.
Gabe Parque, one of the faculty members, said, “I like to see what the students are interested in then guide them… Alex is very good at taking my advice or not.”
Alex Frederickson, Gabe’s student mentee, laughed at the observation and said that of all the faculty members they’ve worked with, Gabe’s instructional style works the best for her.
Another faculty mentor, Kendra Larson, shared that her collaboration with student Hana Lowenthal involved ‘a lot of texting.’ She noted that they share a similar creative process—producing a large volume of work, then selecting the best pieces to exhibit.
How Arts@Clark Made it Happen
Left to right: Ruth Wikler and Anne John.
Ruth Wikler, Clark College Foundation’s inaugural Director of Arts Programming, Partnerships, & Philanthropy, worked with gallery owner Anne John to design the event. She said, “Through my role at Clark College Foundation, I have the privilege of helping bridge College and Community through the arts in ways that are both innovative and inspiring… This effort has been more than a year in the making, and it has come to fruition through a unique collaboration.”
She added, “The exhibit’s focus on mentorship—pairing faculty with students—beautifully reflects Clark’s mission and the transformational power of arts education. Witnessing the impact of this work come to life at Friday’s opening was an unforgettable moment of shared joy and pride.”
Organizers shared, however, that the show is only “the first of many collaborations between Clark College Arts programs, Clark College Foundation, and the community of Southwest Washington under the new Arts@Clark initiative.”
About Arts@Clark
Arts@Clark is a new initiative that unites Clark College’s arts programs, the Clark College Foundation, and the Southwest Washington community through the arts. Stay tuned for exciting events coming in summer and fall 2025.
About Art at the Cave
Art at the Cave is a gallery owned by artist Anne John. Located in downtown Vancouver just steps from the library, the gallery is community-centered and beyond rotating gallery exhibits, hosts a variety of arts programming, including a poetry open mic, collage nights, meditation sessions, and more.
Art at the Cave partners with a nonprofit each year to put on an exhibition and donate part of the profits. This year, that beneficiary was the Foundation.
Come Visit the Exhibit Through May 31
The exhibit will be on display through the rest of May.
Gallery hours: Tuesday – Thursday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday – Saturday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Photos: Clark College/Carly Rae Zent
Rhianna Johnson Honored with Community Impact Award
Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards, Trustee Marilee Scarbrough, award recipient Rhianna Johnson, Trustee Denise Gideon, Dr. Terry Brown, VP of Instruction.LCC Executive Director Tina Krause, award recipient Rhianna Johnson and her nominator Andrew Gratzer.
Clark College director of Guided Pathways and Partnerships, Rhianna Johnson, was among the community leaders honored during Leadership Clark County’s A Night of Impact event on April 23 in Gaiser Student Center. A 2021 graduate of the program, Johnson continues to make a lasting impact on students and the broader community.
Tina Krause, executive director of Leadership Clark County, said: “Rhianna was nominated and selected by our board of directors to receive the Community Impact Award. This is an award given to someone who is making a difference in our community both in their job and volunteer efforts. Rhianna was chosen because of her infectious positive attitude, her initiative within the community, and her dedication to the students at Clark College. She was the perfect candidate for this award. We are so excited to honor her.”
LCC praised Rhianna on its Facebook page as a “fierce advocate for student success and has dedicated her career to education and workforce development in Clark County… She has an amazing way of understanding people, her positive attitude is infectious, and Clark County is a better place because of Rhianna.”
Johnson’s community service includes:
Rooted School in Vancouver board of directors
Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce education and workforce committee
Clark County Youth Consortium
National Job Corps Association board of directors
Award recipient Rhianna Johnson with her husband, Elijah Johnson.
“Participating in Leadership Clark County was a natural fit for my passion for community development. The program connects current and aspiring leaders in Clark County to learn more about the different agencies and processes that make our community run,” said Rhianna Johnson. “In my career, I have focused on contributing to education and workforce development programs that improve economic mobility for our neighbors, which is a major component of a thriving community. I greatly appreciated working with others who are also trying to improve our small corner of the world.”
Leadership Clark County honored these LCC alumni who have made an impact on the Clark County community:
Community Impact Award: Rhianna Johnson, Clark College
Volunteer Impact Award: Scott Johnson, Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA)
Advancing Equity Award: Clarissa Hightower, Southwest Washington Equity Coalition
The organization also awarded an emerging leader between age 21-30 who demonstrates strong leadership skills and a commitment to service within the Clark County community. The recipient will receive full tuition to participate in the LCC Class of 2026.
Emerging Leader Award: Maggie Bernetich, Council for the Homeless
Founded in 1993 by a group of community leaders, Leadership Clark County (LCC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic leadership program. Our mission is to develop effective leaders to enrich a thriving community.
Leadership Clark County offers a nine-month leadership development program that focuses on topics that impact the community, including education, economics, social services, and more. With over 800 alumni and growing, LCC’s graduates serve our community as nonprofit board members, civic group leaders, business leaders and elected officials.
