On Thursday, April 18, Clark College’s 2019 Sakura Festival will honor the historic ties of friendship between the sister-cities of Vancouver, Washington, and Joyo, Japan.

The
festival will begin at 1:00 p.m. with opening remarks near the Royce E. Pollard
Japanese Friendship Garden, which is located next to the Beacock Music Hall on
Clark’s main campus. Dignitaries who are scheduled to speak include Mayor Anne
McEnerny Ogle, Clark College President Bob Knight, Japanese Consul General
Takashi Teraoka, and Clark College Japanese Scholarship recipient Kiho Takedoa.

The
opening ceremony will include a koto performance by Yukiko Vossen and a
performance by the Clark College Women’s Choral Ensemble. The koto, a stringed
musical instrument, is the national instrument of Japan.

From
2:30 to 3:30 p.m., the Sakura celebration will continue in the Gaiser Student
Center, where guests will enjoy family-friendly cultural activities including
performances by the Clark College Japanese Cultural Club, traditional
calligraphy by Sora Shodo, a greeting from the college’s Child & Family
Studies program, and drumming by members of Takohachi TakoQ. Cookies and tea
will be served. Information about the Sakura Ceremony is available at www.clark.edu/cc/sakura.

All
events are free and open to the public. The Sakura Festival is sponsored by
Clark College, the City of Vancouver, and the Vancouver Rotary.

Clark
College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions
and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Individuals who
need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this
event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at
360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP) or visit the Penguin Union Building room 013.

Five women representing
exceptional leadership, philanthropy and community service are the winners of
the 2019 Iris Awards, honoring women of achievement in Southwest Washington.
They will be recognized at an awards reception on Thursday, March 7.

Awards
will be presented to Ann Fischer, founder of the Healthy Equitable Living
Project; Stacey Graham, president of the Humane Society for Southwest
Washington; Rekah Strong, executive director of Educational Opportunities for
Children and Families; and Lynn Valenter, vice chancellor for finance and
operations at Washington State University Vancouver. H-RoC, a non-partisan
political action committee dedicated to the advancement of elected and
appointed female leaders in Southwest Washington, has chosen Columbia Springs Executive
Director Maureen Montague for the Iris Award they sponsor.

The
award ceremony takes place in Gaiser Student Center on Clark College’s main
campus. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m. The event
is open to the public and tickets are on sale through the Greater Vancouver
Chamber of Commerce at https://www.vancouverusa.com/events/details/2019-iris-awards-reception-18904. The cost
is $35 per person. A table sponsorship, which includes eight tickets, can be
purchased for $310. Seating is limited. 

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving
directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Anyone
needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this
event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at
(360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room
013, by February 26.

About the Iris Awards

The
Iris Awards follow in the tradition of the Southwest Washington Women of
Achievement Awards, which began in 1985 at Clark College. In 2012, the event
was reintroduced as the Iris Awards, still celebrated on or around
International Women’s Day (March 8) and with the same core mission: honoring
the lasting and far-reaching contributions of women in Southwest Washington and
beyond.

This
year’s awards are sponsored by Clark College, the Clark College Foundation,
the Vancouver Business Journal, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce,
and H-RoC.

The 2019 Iris Award Honorees

Ann Fischer

Ann Fischer is the founder of
the Healthy Equitable Living Project (HELP), a food pantry located at the First
Presbyterian Church in Vancouver. HELP was launched in 2013, when the Vancouver
Health Department asked if the church could assist local schools in serving
families who were experiencing food insecurity. Fischer began by soliciting
donations from neighborhood grocery stores to help five families. Over the past
six years, HELP has expanded to serve between 50 and 60 families from 14
different schools.

Through the food pantry,
Fischer makes sure people are not only fed, but fed well. Fischer hand-selects
many of the products that the pantry offers, with a focus on high-quality,
nutritious, and organic foods. It is not unusual for Fischer to remember
individual patrons’ specific dietary needs, from vegan to gluten-free. She also
created the pantry’s Breakfast Club, where families are served a hot breakfast
while they wait to shop, giving them a chance to build community and
friendships.

Fischer has a long record of service in the community, ranging from supporting her local church to organizing fundraisers for children’s organizations. For 25 years, she ran an antique shop called Turnabout that offered assistance to people who were transitioning their living situations.

Stacey Graham

Stacey Graham has served as president
of the Humane Society for Southwest Washington (HSSW) since 2013. Graham’s
career spans 40 years leading for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Her
wide-ranging work experience includes positions in the Oregon Legislature
and Oregon Governor’s Office, as well as key roles in public
relations and advertising agencies, the United Way of the
Columbia-Willamette, and the Vancouver-based First Independent Bank. 

Graham joined the HSSW team
charged with creating a sustainable and effective business model; raising the
level of awareness and visibility of the Humane Society in the local community
and animal welfare industry; and dramatically increasing the save rate of the
animals in care. Under her leadership, HSSW launched
a five-year, $6 million capital campaign. In 2018, HSSW was named the Best
Nonprofit in Clark County. 

Graham’s community service
includes serving as city council president in her hometown of Stayton,
Oregon; on the boards of the Clark County YWCA, The Historic Trust, the
Lighthouse Community Credit Union, Nonprofit Network of Southwest
Washington, Metropolitan Family Service, Northwest Pilot Project, Portland
Radio Project and H-RoC; and on the Empower Women + Girls steering committee. Graham
has helped develop strategic plans for many local nonprofits, including North
County Community Food Bank, Vancouver Symphony, Partners in Careers, Clark
County Arts Commission and Pink Lemonade.

Rekah Strong

Rekah Strong is a highly
accomplished public and non-profit executive. She currently serves as the executive
director for Educational Opportunities for Children and Families (EOCF), the
largest early learning organization in Southwest Washington.

Prior to this position,
Strong served as chief of operations and equity officer for the United Way of
the Columbia-Willamette and chief diversity and inclusion officer for Clark County.
Earlier in her career, Strong spent more than a decade working for the State of
Oregon to improve outcomes for children and families in Oregon’s child welfare
system. 

Strong has a long record of public service and community involvement in Southwest Washington. During her tenure with Clark County, she helped lay the initial framework and push for the Clark County Freeholder process and expansion of the Clark County Council. More recently, she was reappointed by Governor Jay Inslee to serve as a Clark College trustee and actively advocates for education. She was also recently selected as the newest board member of Clark County’s Developmental Disability Advisory Board, and has served on the boards of We Reign Youth Foundation and Southwest Washington Chapter Red Cross.

A Clark College alumna,
Strong earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and master’s degree in
Social Work from Portland State University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D.
in Social Work Research. 

Lynn Valenter

As the vice chancellor for finance
and operations at Washington State University Vancouver, Lynn Valenter leads a
range of functions including budget and accounting, capital planning, dining
services, facilities operations, human resources and public safety. She began her
career at WSU Vancouver more than 20 years ago, holding roles as facilities and
auxiliary services manager and director of finance and operations before being
named as vice chancellor in 2015. Valenter has been instrumental in increasing
WSU Vancouver’s public engagement and service during an important period in the
campus’s growth.

Valenter’s engaged,
enthusiastic, and equitable leadership style has been of service to both the
university and the local community. As an active member of Empower, she
supports initiatives that help local girls and women, and she is a frequent
volunteer with Winter Hospitality Overflow, an organization that helps people
in need during the winter months. Her board service includes Camas Civil
Service, Institute for Metropolitan Studies at Portland State University,
Columbia Credit Union, H-RoC, Greater Portland Inc., and the Columbia River
Economic Development Council. In 2016, Valenter was honored by the Portland Business Journal as a part of
their Women of Influence in the nonprofit category.

Maureen Montague

It is no exaggeration to say
that Maureen Montague has been involved in the Southwest Washington region her
entire life. A graduate of Hudson’s Bay High School, she returned to Vancouver
after earning her bachelor’s degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland
and began working for Janus Youth Programs, serving at-risk youth in a shelter
setting.

After leaving her job to
become a stay-at-home mother, Montague remained deeply involved in her
community. A visual artist and a published writer, she volunteered at local
arts nonprofits and was a founding member of North Bank Artists. These
activities gave her experience with grant-writing and collaborating with
partner organizations on events, skills that would become useful in her
developing career. Additionally, her writing skills led her to be recruited to
serve on the digital team for President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election
campaign.

In 2013, Montague was hired
as the executive director of North Bank Artists, where she organized the
Vancouver Arts District with community partners. In 2016, she was named the
executive director of Columbia Springs, an environmental education nonprofit
and protected urban natural area on the Old Evergreen Highway in Vancouver. Her
work is focused on financial sustainability, program development, and
improvement of all community services.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2019 Iris Awards, which honor outstanding women in Southwest Washington. The winners will be announced at the end of January, and the recipients will be honored at a reception and ceremony on Wednesday, March 7, 2019, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in Clark College’s Gaiser Student Center. Tickets will go on sale in January.

Award criteria and nominations forms are available at www.clark.edu/cc/irisawards. Nominations must be received by January 11, 2019. A list of past award recipients can be found at http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/iris/iris-award-honorees.php.

The Iris Awards follow in the tradition of the Southwest Washington Women of Achievement Awards, which began in 1985 at Clark College. In 2012, the event was reintroduced as the Iris Awards, still celebrated on or around International Women’s Day (March 8) and with the same core mission: honoring the lasting and far-reaching contributions of women in Southwest Washington and beyond.

One Iris Award recipient may be selected in each of four areas: service in the public sector; service in the private sector; philanthropic leadership; and leadership in the promotion of civil discourse, teamwork, collaboration and cooperation. This last category is a new addition to the Iris Awards, sponsored by H-RoC, a non-partisan political action committee dedicated to the advancement of elected and appointed women leaders in Southwest Washington.

Anyone may submit a nomination, and more than one person can fill out a nomination form or provide letters of recommendation for the same nominee.

This year’s awards are sponsored by Clark College, the Clark College Foundation, the Vancouver Business Journal, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, and H-RoC.

For many Southwest Washington families, the beginning of this school year was particularly challenging, featuring teacher strikes and last-minute scrambles for child care. But one thing remained unchanged: Dozens of Clark College students could depend on Clark employees to purchase and fill backpacks so that their children could start the school year off prepared.

The Clark College Backpack Project is a long-standing tradition at the college. Names of the children are gathered and referred by Workforce Education Services, Financial Aid, Veterans Affairs, Transitional Studies, Child & Family Services, and the Penguin Pantry. Volunteers gather information about each child–grade level, supply list, color preferences, etc.–and send a shopping list to an employee who has agreed to sponsor a backpack. Children receive their backpacks about two weeks before school starts in the fall.

This year, donors provided backpacks to 65 children. All told, the Backpack Project has delivered almost 900 backpacks to children of Clark students over the last 15 years.

“This year has been rough, and without this help my children wouldn’t feel as secure with their schooling,” wrote one student whose children received backpacks. “I appreciate my Clark Family.”

Other parents expressed their appreciation for what the college community has done:

• “Your kindness and generosity will never be forgotten.”
• “Thank you so much for thinking of our family and providing such a meaningful thing for my kids to have. It makes my heart fill with love knowing they are starting the school year off right.”

The children were also very excited about their backpacks, sending messages like:

• “Thank you for my backpack, you did good job.”
• “Thank you I really like the backpack, when I saw it I said it was sooooooooooooooo cool!”

The annual backpack project is coordinated by Cindy Heck, Susan Maxwell, and the Office of Planning & Effectiveness. Thank you to all of the employees who sponsored a backpack this year! These backpacks make a positive start to the school year for our students and their children. Thank you!

This article and photos were contributed by the Office of Planning & Effectiveness.

Clark College welcomes the community to its third annual Healthy Penguin Walkabout on Saturday, June 2, on its main campus. This free, family-friendly event offers a wide range of opportunities for personal health assessments, wellness-related education, and healthy activities.

Activities run 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will take place both indoors and outside. Guests will begin their visit in Gaiser Hall, where they can register and receive an event passport as early as 9:30 a.m. Gaiser is most easily accessed from the Green 1 and Red 3 parking lots. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

This year’s event is organized and volunteer-staffed by Clark College faculty and students from the Business and Health Sciences Unit,Clark College Athletics, and Child and Family Studies.

Free health assessments and learning activities include:

• Blood glucose levels
• Oral Health and Wellness
• Body mass index (BMI) and body fat percent
• Grip strength and balance
• Diabetes risk level
• Blood pressure and pulse
• Stress reduction strategies
• Sports skills challenge with Clark College athletes
• Children and families connecting with nature
• Medication safety
• See inside an ambulance

Stations on the walkabout will include children’s activities, fun souvenirs, healthy snacks, a raffle for both adults and children, as well as additional prizes that include an annual membership to the college’s Thompson Fitness Center. Children’s activities include a “ninja warrior” obstacle course in the O’Connell Sports Center gymnasium. Guests are also invited to walk a half-mile “Penguin Pathway” through the college’s beautiful, 90-acre campus and arboretum. Organizers are also collecting donations of non-perishable food and personal-hygiene items for the college’s Penguin Pantry. Guests will receive one extra raffle ticket for every four pantry items they donate.

To learn more about the details of this event, visit www.clark.edu/cc/walkabout.

This event is a part of the college’s focus on inter-professional learning for Clark Business and Health Sciences students. “When healthcare disciplines work together, including business, healthcare is more efficient in terms of cost, resources, and time,” said Dean of Business and Health Sciences Brenda Walstead. “The event also increases engagement and learning among Clark College’s students, and provides the community with access to a wealth of information that can lead to healthier outcomes for all individuals.”

Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP), prior to the event.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Members of the Clark community help plant a Yoshino cherry tree at the 2018 Arbor Day celebration. Left to right: US Forest Service officer Dave Olson; International Programs director Jane Walster; Clark College president Bob Knight; and Clark College trustee Royce Pollard.

On April 11, Clark College celebrated tree planting and care at the annual Arbor Day celebration. Led by Clark College International Programs director Jane Walster, the ceremony took place on the northeast corner of Fort Vancouver Way and McLoughlin Boulevard.

The theme of this year’s event was “The Gift of Friendship.” At the ceremony, Clark trustee and former mayor of Vancouver Royce Pollard announced the gift of 200 new Somei Yoshino flowering cherry trees donated by Tatsuo Ito of SEH America, a Japanese manufacturing company in Vancouver. The new cherry trees—along with the 100 Shirofugen cherry trees donated more than 25 years ago—act as symbols of the college’s enduring friendship with Japan.

President Bob Knight accepts the Tree Campus USA award from U.S. Forest Service officer Dave Olson.

According to Tim Carper, a member of the Campus Tree Advisory Committee, 100 of the donated trees were planted prior to the ceremony, including 20 trees at Clark’s Columbia Tech Center location, and the college is determining where the remaining 100 trees will be planted.

At the ceremony Clark College was also awarded with the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA designation for the eighth consecutive year. Dave Olson of the U.S. Forest Service presented the award to Clark College president Bob Knight.

The Arbor Day celebration concluded with a ceremonial planting of one of the Yoshino cherry trees donated by Ito.

Photos: Clark College/Tim Carper

On Thursday, April 19, Clark College’s 2018 Sakura Festival will honor the historic ties of friendship between the sister-cities of Vancouver, Washington, and Joyo, Japan.

The festival will begin at 1:00 p.m. with opening remarks near the Royce E. Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden, which is located next to the Beacock Music Hall on Clark’s main campus. Dignitaries who are scheduled to speak include Mayor Anne McEnerny Ogle, John Kageyama, and Clark College Japanese Scholarship recipient Suzuka Hitomi.

The opening ceremony will include a koto performance by Yukiko Vossen and a performance by the Clark College Women’s Choral Ensemble. The koto, a stringed musical instrument, is the national instrument of Japan.

From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., the Sakura celebration will continue in the Gaiser Student Center, where guests will enjoy family-friendly cultural activities including performances by the Clark College Japanese Cultural Club, traditional dancing by Takako Hara, a greeting from the college’s Child & Family Studies program, and drumming by members of Portland Taiko. Cookies and tea will be served. Information about the Sakura Ceremony is available at www.clark.edu/cc/sakura.

All events are free and open to the public. The Sakura Festival is sponsored by Clark College, the City of Vancouver, and the Vancouver Rotary.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Individuals who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP) or visit the Penguin Union Building room 013.

Nan Henriksen at the 2018 Iris Awards.

On March 8, while people around the world celebrated International Women’s Day, members of the local community gathered in Gaiser Student Center to honor four women’s contributions to Southwest Washington at the 2018 Iris Awards.

Guests enjoyed refreshments and light fare provided by Beaches Restaurant as they celebrated the honorees. Ceremonies began with a greeting from Clark College President Bob Knight, after which the evening was turned over to emcee Kelly Love, public and community affairs representative at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. Love introduced speeches by both the honorees and their nominators.

This year’s Iris Award recipients were:

• Julie Bocanegra of Columbia Credit Union
• Juliana Marler of the Port of Vancouver
• Nancy Retsinas of the Retsinas Collaborative Law Center
• Nan Henriksen, former Mayor of Camas and chair of the Clark County Board of Freeholders

This annual ceremony has a long tradition in this community. The event began in 1985 as a photography exhibit during Women’s History Week, which later developed into a larger awards program and ceremony known as the Southwest Washington Women of Achievement Awards. In 2012, the event was reintroduced as the Iris Awards with the same core mission: honoring the women of Southwest Washington for their outstanding contributions in the categories of public, private, philanthropic, and civic service.

The 2018 Iris Award Recipients

Julie Bocanegra

Julie Bocanegra accepts her 2018 Iris Award from John Deeder.

The first honoree to take the stage was Julie Bocanegra, Vice President and Branch Manager for Columbia Credit Union, where she began her career as a teller in 1994. Since 2012, she has also served on the Evergreen School District Board of Directors, where she has been instrumental in leading the district’s student equity and technology learning initiatives. She is also the former Board Chair of the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce and is the former Board President for Evergreen Little League, along with many other volunteer commitments.

“She will volunteer till the cows come home because she wants this to be the best community in the world,” said recently retired Evergreen superintendent John Deeder, who nominated Bocanegra for the award and introduced her during the ceremony. “And because of people like Julie, I believe that it is.”

Bocanegra smiled as she took the podium, noting that this night reminded her of her first job as a teenager, sorting and packing flower bulbs and tubers, including those of irises. As a teenager, she said, she would never have imagined that one day she would be receiving an award named after that flower for her contributions to the community.

Bocanegra went on to describe her life’s unexpected trajectory, from a recent high school graduate trying to find her purpose to a bank teller to her current leadership position. Similarly, she recounted how a decision to coach her son’s Little League team led to greater and greater volunteer roles within her community, often focused around youth and education.

“What we want for our own children, we have to want for every child in our community,” she said.

Julianna Marler

Julianna Marler, right accepts her 2018 Iris Award from Lisa Lowe.

Next, an award was presented to Julianna Marler, the CEO of the Port of Vancouver USA. Marler is the first female CEO in the port’s 105-year history and one of just a handful of female port CEOs in the United States. In addition to her leadership role at the port, Marler serves on the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Great Portland Inc. Board of Directors, American Association of Port Authorities Board of Directors, and the Washington State University Vancouver Advisory Council.

“She has given women at the port a sense of pride and let them know that they can rise into position of leadership there,” said Lisa Lowe of the law firm Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt in introducing Marler. (Lowe was herself a 2013 Iris Award honoree.) “She applies a sense of humor to things that is intelligent and not always respectful—which is probably why I like her.”

Marler began her remarks by traveling back in time even farther than Bocanegra did. “Fifty years ago today, on March 8, 1968, my parents—who are here with me tonight—immigrated to the United States,” she noted. “They left Hungary because they wanted a better life and education for their children.”

Marler noted that the port is an important source of jobs and commerce in the region, and expressed pride in its vital place in Southwest Washington’s economy. “Fifty year ago today, my parents came to this country to provide a better future for their children, and today I get to be part of creating a better future for others,” she said.

Nancy Retsinas

Nancy Retsinas at the 2018 Iris Awards.

Nancy Retsinas was also introduced by a former Iris Award recipient, Lisa Schauer of PointNorth Consulting.

“Nancy has transformed the legal profession, aligning her practice to her values,” said Schauer.

Retsinas is a collaborative lawyer and family law mediator in Washington and Oregon, in private practice since 1991. She is co-founder and executive director of the Two River Institute for Dispute Resolution, a nonprofit educational organization. Retsinas currently serves as Northwest regional chair of the Global Collaborative Law Council, board treasurer of the Collaborative Professionals of Washington, board president for Cappella Romana Choral Ensemble, and board director for the Children’s Center.

Retsinas began her remarks by noting that she, like both Bocanegra and Marler, had attended Clark herself, and so “this place has always felt like home to me, so it’s really special to be receiving this award here.”

She went on to describe the arc of her career, which began in courtrooms doing traditional, adversarial law. “To swoop into court to defend the innocent or maligned—that felt pretty good,” Retsinas said, but added that eventually she became uncomfortable with this model of legal practice and “set out to find my superpower, so to speak.”

Through working with nonprofits, Retsinas said, she began to realize her purpose: to change the culture of conflict resolution in Southwest Washington. And, she added, she discovered that “true power lies in finding your purpose and expressing it to the world.”

Retsinas said that her current work at the Retsinas Collaborative Law Center, which she founded in 2015, allows her to do just that. And she offered this advice to young women in the audience: “Trust your gut, discover your own superpowers, harness them for good, and achieve your purpose.”

Nan Henriksen

Nan Henriksen accepts the 2018 Iris Legacy Award from Judie Stanton.

The final honoree of the evening, Nan Henriksen, was no stranger to awards ceremonies. Indeed, she had received a Women of Achievement Award (the original name of the Iris Awards) in 1995, and tonight was receiving the Legacy Award, bestowed on a previous awardee who has continued to make significant contributions to her community. Henriksen certainly qualifies: The former Camas mayor recently came out of retirement to lead the Clark County Freeholder Board formed to create the county’s first home-rule charter.

“She hasn’t slowed down a bit, probably because she gets up every day at 5:15,” said her friend Judie Stanton, herself the 2017 Legacy Award recipient. “She gets a lot done.”

Henriksen received the award with grace and humor, noting that she’d tried to force herself to start writing an inspirational speech for the evening, but instead became intimidated by the task and “ate my weight in popcorn and played solitaire on my phone for two hours.” Henriksen then pointed out the larger moral of that story: “Those of us working out in the community, we do the things we do in spite of these fears of inadequacy, not because we don’t have them.”

Henriksen also noted that people can contribute to the community in many different ways. While Henriksen is probably most known for her work in leading Camas through a difficult economic transition as one of its major employers began to shut down, she said that one of the accomplishments she is most proud of is becoming a foster grandmother to a girl who went on to successfully enter college.

“You can do it on a bigger scale or on a smaller scale,” she said. “What’s important is that you decide, ‘If I care enough and I’m brave enough, I can make a difference.’”

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley. To see more photos from this event, visit our Flickr album. 

This article was updated March 29, 2018, to correct Lisa Schauer’s current position and to include a link for more photos.

King Elementary students enjoy their new books in 2015, donated through the Clark College Bookstore’s annual book drive.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know,” wrote Theodor Geisel (aka “Dr. Seuss”). “The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” It is with this idea in mind that Clark College has chosen Vancouver’s King Elementary School as the beneficiary of its tenth annual book drive, which runs Feb. 12-28.

Over the past nine years, the Clark College Bookstore has helped provide more than 1,100 books to local kindergartners. This year’s book selection is Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham, a favorite among children for six decades. Geisel wrote the book in 1960 after a publisher dared him to write a children’s story using no more than 50 words.

The community is invited to help purchase 85 copies of the Dr. Seuss classic to be given to kindergartners at King Elementary on Read Across America Day (March 2), a celebration to commemorate Geisel’s birthday. Books will be read aloud to students by volunteers from the Clark College Bookstore.

Research has shown that having age-appropriate books in the home promotes literacy in children. But according to the National Center for Children in Poverty, two-thirds of children from low-income families lack access to books. Clark College Bookstore Manager Monica Knowles, who has helped organize the book drive for many years, says that she often hears from her volunteers that this gift was the only book a kindergartner owned.

Copies of the selected Dr. Seuss books are available for purchase and donation Feb. 12-28 for $6.85 each (plus tax). Each book will include a nameplate with the donor’s name. Donors will be able to purchase books at the Bookstore or online via the Bookstore’s website at www.clarkbookstore.com, making it quick and convenient to participate in the book drive.

The Clark College Bookstore is located in Gaiser Hall on the northern end of Clark’s main campus. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Information about the bookstore is available at www.clarkbookstore.com. For additional information, contact Monica Knowles at the Clark College Bookstore at 360-992-2904.

Four women representing exceptional leadership, philanthropy and community service are the winners of the 2018 Iris Awards, honoring women of achievement in Southwest Washington. They will be honored at an awards reception on Thursday, March 8.

Awards will be presented to Julie Bocanegra, Vice President for Columbia Credit Union, and Julianna Marler, CEO of the Port of Vancouver. H-ROC, a non-partisan political action committee dedicated to the advancement of elected and appointed female leaders in Southwest Washington, has chosen Nancy Retsinas of the Retsinas Collaborative Law Center for the Iris Award they sponsor. Last year, the Iris Awards added a new category, the Legacy Award, for previous winners who have continued to be leaders in Southwest Washington. This year’s winner is Nan Henriksen, the former mayor of Camas who also served as the chair of the Board of Freeholders in Clark County that helped write the county’s home-rule charter.

The award ceremony takes place in Gaiser Student Center on Clark College’s main campus. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m. The event is open to the public and tickets are on sale through the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce at http://www.vancouverusa.com/events/details/2018-iris-awards-reception-15961. The cost is $35 per person. A table sponsorship, which includes eight tickets, can be purchased for $310. Seating is limited.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013, by February 26.

About the Iris Awards

The Iris Awards follow in the tradition of the Southwest Washington Women of Achievement Awards, which began in 1985 at Clark College. In 2012, the event was reintroduced as the Iris Awards, still celebrated on or around International Women’s Day (March 8) and with the same core mission: honoring the lasting and far-reaching contributions of women in Southwest Washington and beyond.

This year’s awards are sponsored by Clark College, the Clark College Foundation, the Vancouver Business Journal, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, and H-RoC. The Iris Award winners will be featured in the Vancouver Business Journal’s 2018 “Women in Business” directory, the only Portland/Vancouver metro area directory of businesses that are owned, directed or managed by women.

2017 Iris Award Recipients

Julie Bocanegra

Julie Bocanegra

Beyond her full-time work as a Vice President/Branch Manager for Columbia Credit Union, Bocanegra serves on the Evergreen School District Board of Directors. Professionally, Bocanegra’s passion for teamwork and approachable leadership style have grown in influence since joining Columbia CU as a teller in 1994. Most recently, in addition to managing one of the credit union’s busiest branches, she was tapped to create and teach curriculum for key organization-wide training initiatives for Columbia CU, Washington State’s ninth-largest credit union and Clark County’s largest holder of deposits.

Appointed in 2012, elected the following year, and then re-elected again in 2017, Bocanegra has served as Vice Chair and then Chair of the Evergreen School District Board of Directors, the fifth-largest school district in Washington State. Bocanegra has been instrumental in leading the district’s student equity and technology learning initiatives. Under her leadership, the district eliminated student user fees for athletics, opened elementary school Community Resource Centers, and moved to a 1:1 technology curriculum.

Bocanegra is a former Board Chair of the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce, and has served in a variety of leadership capacities, including Board President, for the Evergreen Little League.

Julianna Marler

Julianna Marler

Julianna Marler is the CEO of the Port of Vancouver USA. She has provided steady leadership during a time of tremendous growth and change at the port. Prior to becoming CEO in January 2017, she was the port’s Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. She is the first female CEO in the port’s history and one of just a handful of female port CEOs in the United States.

The Port of Vancouver USA and its tenants provide 3,200 jobs in the community and generate $2.9 billion in annual economic benefit. Marler has been a key leader at the port as it has partnered with the City of Vancouver and private developers to transform the city’s downtown and waterfront into a destination. She has also partnered with sister ports in Clark County and beyond to spur additional economic development and job growth across the region.

Marler currently serves on the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Greater Portland Inc. Board of Directors, American Association of Port Authorities Board of Directors, and the Washington State University Vancouver Advisory Council.

Nancy Retsinas

Nancy Retsinas

Nancy Retsinas is a collaborative lawyer and family law mediator in Washington and Oregon, in private practice since 1991. In 2015, she established Retsinas Collaborative Law Center to align her values to her legal work. She now commits her practice to non-court dispute resolution, and finds her collaborative approach to problem-solving results in better long-term outcomes for her clients and their families.

Co-founder and executive director of the Two Rivers Institute for Dispute Resolution, Retsinas leads and trains in a non-profit educational organization formed to deliver innovative collaborative law and legal team-building training for family law professionals across disciplines (legal, mental health, financial). The Institute also provides a valuable resource for families looking for well-trained collaborative professionals in the Vancouver/Portland Metropolitan area so the public can find professionals who are committed to peaceful problem-solving. Retsinas has been training legal professionals in client-centered dispute resolution methods since 2008. She is a contributing author to Washington Practice Manual – Family Law, a West Publication (2016), and Building a Successful Collaborative Law Practice, an American Bar Association publication (2018).

Retsinas has always been an active champion and a hands-on volunteer for the Southwest Washington community. When Retsinas joins an organization, her commitment to empowerment, her natural ability to facilitate a dialogue, and her consensus-building approach make her an essential leader.

Her current nonprofit leadership roles include: Regional Chair, Northwest Region, Global Collaborative Law Council; Board Treasurer, Collaborative Professionals of Washington; Board President for Cappella Romana Choral Ensemble; and Board Director for the Children’s Center.

Nan Henriksen

Nan Henriksen

Nan Henriksen has had a profound effect on Southwest Washington. Not only has she improved the community, she has helped shape it—most significantly as the first woman elected mayor of Camas from 1983 to 1992, and later as the chair of the Board of Freeholders, which drafted the county home-rule charter. Henriksen is widely praised in the community for her ability to be calm and thoughtful in her approach to difficult problems.

Recently, National Public Radio interviewed Henriksen about her role in helping Camas prepare for the day when the Georgia Pacific paper mill would no longer be the primary economic driver in the city. Her work is largely credited with Camas becoming a model for other cities as they had to transition away from traditional industries. She had a vision for diversifying the economy and paved the way for high-tech companies like WaferTech, Underwriter Laboratories, and Linear Technology to locate in Camas.

Henriksen came out of retirement to run for and then lead the 15-member Freeholder Board that was charged with writing Clark County’s first home-rule charter. Despite diverse opinions and needs, Henriksen helped the group find common ground and presented a final plan that was approved by voters in 2014.

Along the way, Henriksen has been awarded the Clark County First Citizen Award (2015), Statesman of the Year by Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce (2014), and Camas Political Leader of the Century in 2006. She was first named a Woman of Achievement, which was the original name of the Iris Awards, in 1995.