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.

Smiles abounded at the 2017 Children’s Free Dental Health Day. This year’s clinic will be held on February 3, 2018.

The Clark College Dental Hygiene Program will hold a free children’s dental clinic on Saturday, February 3, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the main campus of Clark College. The event will take place in the Firstenburg Dental Hygiene Education and Care Center in the Health Sciences Building on Clark’s main campus.

Dental hygiene students from Clark College will provide care under the direct supervision of licensed dental hygienist and dentists. Services will include cleanings, sealants, x-rays, sealants, doctor’s exams, fluoride, and select emergency treatments for children ages 18 and under. Appointments can be scheduled by calling the Dental Hygiene Business Office at (360) 992-2158.

This is the eleventh year that Clark’s Dental Hygiene has offered a free children’s dental health day. In addition to this event, the college’s Dental Hygiene students provide low-cost dental hygiene care to the community as part of their clinic practice.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98663. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013 as soon as possible.

Photo: Clark College/Nick Bremer

Efforts to create ecotourism and protect two monkey species in West Africa are the subject of Dr. Robert Schubert’s STEM Seminar Series lecture.

Clark College is inviting the public to come back to school for a series of free lunchtime seminars that explore the lighter side of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Begun in 2015, the Clark College STEM Seminar Series launches its 2018 Winter season with yet more fun, informative presentations geared toward anyone with an interest in science—no Ph.D. required!

The winter quarter events in this series include:

• January 19: The Aka and Bofi Foragers of the Central African Republic with Dr. Jay Fancher, Clark College anthropology faculty. Join Dr. Fancher as he recounts tales of his doctoral field research with the Aka and Bofi foragers of the Central African Republic. Learn how studying—and sharing—their meals helps researchers better understand archaeological findings from the area.
• February 16: Human Culture and Primate Conservation with Dr. Robert Schubert, Clark College anthropology faculty. When balancing modernization with protecting wild species, creating local control of conservation efforts is crucial to their success. Dr. Schubert shares stories of how local beliefs help preserve two West African primate species and of the challenges posed in developing successful ecotourism initiatives.
• March 9: It’s All About Mud! with David Kluesner, geologist and Florida Gulf Coast University faculty. When oil and other pollutants spill into water, how can scientists predict where they’ll wind up? With more than three decades of experience in the field, this geologist shares his study of pollutants in the mud of a Florida estuary—and what that mud can tell us about how to track and contain future spills.

All events are held on Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. in the STEM Building room 151 on Clark’s main campus. All are open to the public. Light snacks will be available and guests are welcome to bring their own lunches with them.

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, as soon as possible.

This article was contributed by STEM Outreach Program Coordinator Nadia Kluesner.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Robert Schubert.

Ever since the popular art movement Vancouver Rocks! began motivating residents to paint and hide rocks all around their community, Clark College’s main campus has been a popular spot for stashing the hand-painted treasures. Now the college is becoming an active participant by hiding about 100 Clark College rocks in Southwest Washington.

Started about a year ago, Vancouver Rocks! is based on a simple idea: People paint rocks and then hide them in public spaces; other people find the rocks, and then re-hide them for others to find. Often, people post their finds, as well as hints on where to find rocks, on a public Facebook group with more than 35,000 followers. The goal is to build community, encourage creativity, and provide individuals and families with a fun, free activity–all ideas that made it a natural fit for Clark College.

Faculty, staff, students, and alumni were invited to paint a collection of rocks that will be hidden around downtown businesses and local parks. To inspire their rock designs, participants were asked, “What comes to mind when you think of Clark College?”

Beginning on August 4, Vancouver area residents will have the chance to find Clark-themed rocks hidden in parks and other public spaces. In addition to adding a rock to their collection, each community member who finds a Clark rock can redeem it at the Welcome Center for a free cookie from the McClaskey Culinary Institute. One special rock, painted by Clark’s culinary faculty, will earn its finder lunch for two at the institute.

The rocks are hidden throughout the college’s service district–meaning not just Vancouver, but also all of Clark and Skamania counties as well as part of Klickitat County. Each rock has a label on the back that explains how the rocks can be redeemed. Rocks may be redeemed between September 25 and December 31, 2017.

Oswald greets visitors to the 2016 Clark County Fair.

Clark College will again be participating in the Clark County Fair, which runs August 4-13.

Faculty, staff, and students from across the college will lead family-friendly activities and competitions that highlight Clark’s educational and extracurricular offerings as a part of this year’s fair theme of “Game On!” Each day of the fair will feature a different department, ranging from Alumni Relations to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

Clark’s activity schedule for the fair is as follows:

• Friday, August 4: Faculty and staff from across Clark College will lead games of Penguin Toss & Trivia with the chance to win prizes.
• Saturday, August 5: Alumni Relations will be offering a range of giveaways with their Prize Wheel, as well as information about upcoming alumni events.
• Sunday, August 6: STEM faculty and the student club N.E.R.D. (Not Even Remotely Dorky) Girls will be helping fairgoers build kinetic butterflies and paper LED circuits and leading a Fruit & Vegetable card game.
• Monday, August 7: The Automotive Technology department is challenging people’s fine motor skills with their Dexterity Boxes.
• Tuesday, August 8: Poetry faculty from the English department will be creating “Poetry on Demand” using unique prompt words provided by fairgoers.
• Wednesday, August 9: Staff from Human Resources and the Office of Diversity and Equity are getting to know fair attendees with a question-and-answer game called “Keep It Real.”
• Thursday, August 10: The Athletics department will be running games of mini-basketball, with prizes available.
• Friday, August 11: Representatives from the Health Occupations programs will be on hand to offer health assessment games and tests.
• Saturday, August 12: Faculty and staff from across Clark College will lead games of Penguin Toss & Trivia.
• Sunday, August 13: Faculty from the new Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute are hosting games of Cuisine and Professional Baking Jeopardy to test visitors’ food knowledge. Their edible prizes include mini cupcakes and savory brittle.

The college also will have staff available during the fair to answer questions about available programs, financial aid, Running Start, and to help students with applying to Clark and registering for classes. Current students, prospective students, and alumni can stop by the booth for special giveaways and prizes—and Oswald the Penguin, Clark’s loveable mascot, will be on hand for photos throughout the fair. Additionally, Human Resources will be present on Wednesday, August 9, with information about job openings and working at Clark.

All activities will take place in the Clark booth on the midway at the fairgrounds. For more information about Clark at the fair, visit www.clark.edu/cc/fair, and follow Clark College on social media. For additional information about the fair including ticketing, maps, and directions, visit www.clarkcofair.com.

Clark College will host its fourth annual native plant sale on May 4 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and May 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Natural Plant Center, the college’s greenhouse. Most plants are priced at $10.00 or less. Students will be available to assist customers with transporting plants to their vehicles.

The event is free and open to the public. Clark College is located at 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA, 98663. The greenhouse is located on the east side of campus off of E. Reserve St., near the Orange 2 parking lot. Directions and maps are available online at www.clark.edu/maps.

All plants were propagated by Clark College biology and environmental science students. In addition to prepping these plants for sale, students have been propagating other plants in the greenhouse for use in restoration projects at various sites in Southwest Washington including the Columbia River Gorge, Trout Lake, and Clark’s future site in Ridgefield, Clark College at Boschma Farms.

This year the sale features a variety of native perennials and shrubs along with one tree species, Western Red Cedar. Shoppers will be able to choose from among 23 different plants, including Red-flowering Currant, Native Rose, Lewis’ Mockorange, Blanket Flower, Showy Milkweed, and Native Strawberry. Limited supplies of Trillium and Native Iris will be available as well. Many of these plants support the region’s pollinators and make for low-intensity gardening.

Proceeds from the plant sale go to support the college’s Science Consortium Fund, which helps cover the costs of a greenhouse coordinator and field studies classes. Students who participate in field studies visit places such as Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon and the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California. Students pay $210 to $255 for four-day and ten-day trips to these locations, which would normally cost more than $1000 if not for the help of the consortium fund.

For more information about the sale or plants available, visit www.clark.edu/cc/plantsale or contact Erin Harwood, Clark College STEM Coordinator, at eharwood@clark.edu. Individuals who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services (DSS) Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP) or visit room PUB 013.

Honorees with their nominators, left to right: Jody Campbell, Rhona Sen Hoss, Temple Lentz, Jim Mains, Deena Pierott, Paul Speer, Carolyn N. Long, Lisa Schauer, Judie Stanton, and Jane Johnson.

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 five women’s contributions to Southwest Washington at the 2017 Iris Awards.

Guests enjoyed refreshments and light fare provided by Beaches Restaurant as they celebrated the honorees. Ceremonies began with greetings from Clark College Chief Information Officer Chato Hazelbaker and President Bob Knight, after which the evening was turned over to emcee Renee Newman, who introduced speeches by both the honorees and their nominators.

Emcee Renee Newman, welcoming Iris Award attendees

This year’s Iris Award recipients were:

• Jody Campbell of The Columbian
• Temple Lentz of Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty and High Five Media
• Deena Pierott of iUrban Teen and Mosaic Blueprint
• Carolyn N. Long of Washington State University Vancouver
• Judie Stanton of the League of Women Voters of Clark County

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, and philanthropic service.

The 2017 Iris Award Recipients

Jody Campbell

The first honoree to take the stage was Jody Campbell, who joined The Columbian at 21 years old and is now the newspaper’s co-owner, editorial board member, and director of community partnerships. As director, Campbell supports hundreds of nonprofit organizations in Southwest Washington by providing a platform for promotion and exposure of their important work in the community.

“In my role as The Columbian’s Community Partnerships Director, I’m able to give back on a different level,” said Campbell, as she was presented with her award. “This includes having the unique opportunity to give away money every year to local nonprofits through advertising partnerships. The programs we offer provide the support necessary for them to thrive in Southwest Washington.”

Campbell’s generous spirit extends beyond her work at The Columbian. Along with her friend, Rhona Sen Hoss—a previous Iris Award honoree who presented Campbell with her award at the ceremony—Campbell co-founded Pink Power, an annual fundraising event that helped build the Kearney Breast Care Center at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.

Temple Lentz

Next, an award was presented to community advocate and marketing professional Temple Lentz. In her decade-plus of living in Southwest Washington, Lentz has made a sizeable impact on the region.

Lentz is a business director for Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty, as well as a partner and director of content and communications for High Five Media, a political and marketing consulting firm. High Five Media produces the popular live talk show, “Hello Vancouver!” which Lentz co-created and hosts on a regular basis.

From her former days as the anonymous blogger behind the satirical website The Daily ‘Couve to the current host of “Hello Vancouver!” Lentz has long shown herself to be a champion—and sometimes good-humored critic—of all things Vancouver, said High Five Media partner Jim Mains, who presented Lentz with her award.

In her previous role as executive director of the Parks Foundation of Clark County, Lentz facilitated close to $1 million in grants and donations for local parks and recreation programs over a year and a half period, according to Mains.

Lentz’s love of Vancouver shone through as she received her award.

“When I got here [to Vancouver], I finally felt like I was home. … There are good people here who work together to make a difference,” Lentz said. “I am endlessly impressed by our community, and I am impressed by the dedication of the people here to make their home a better place. Not just for now, but for generations to come.”

Deena Pierott

Deena Pierott delivered a special message to her granddaughter Leila

Next on stage was Deena Pierott, the founder and executive director of iUrban Teen, a nationally recognized program providing career-focused education and mentoring to underrepresented teens. Pierott is also the president and CEO of Mosaic Blueprint, a boutique consulting firm specializing in recruiting, multicultural communications, and equity and inclusion training.

“For me to work in diversity, equity, and inclusion work was a natural—that was my calling,” said Pierott as she received her award. “And with iUrban Teen, making sure that these youth, who don’t usually have access to information or jobs, making sure that they are exposed to these opportunities and they are given every opportunity like everyone else, that they’re being included—to me, that’s success.”

While Pierott’s work has been recognized by many organizations, from Ebony Magazine to the White House, she had never received an award in her hometown, and she expressed how meaningful it was to have her family attend the Iris Awards ceremony. As Pierott spoke of her family, she invited her young granddaughter, Leila, to the stage and spoke directly to her.

“In honor of International Women’s Day, Leila, I have a message for you,” she said. “I hope that one day you will recognize what this honor is for your grandmother, and that you will recognize the path that I am laying out in front of you. We are the dream of our ancestors. We’re standing on their shoulders. And it’s our responsibility to honor them by moving forward in life with grace, purpose and integrity.”

Dr. Carolyn N. Long

Dr. Carolyn Long with former Washington Secretary of State, Sam Reed

A new addition to the 2017 ceremony was the Iris H-RoC award, presented to Washington State University Vancouver political science professor Dr. Carolyn N. Long. This award category honors women in the community who have promoted civil discourse, teamwork, collaboration, and cooperation. H-RoC, a non-partisan political action committee dedicated to the advancement of women leaders in Southwest Washington, sponsored this award.

“We’re proud to be recognizing tonight the contributions of a pioneer, a champion, and an advocate for civil discourse,” said H-RoC member and previous Iris Award honoree Lisa Schauer as she introduced Dr. Long.

Recently, Dr. Long was named the Sam Reed Distinguished Professor in Civic Education and Public Civility. In 2015, she helped launch the Initiative for Public Deliberation, a program sponsored by WSUV and the Thomas S. Foley Institute that brings together the community to foster discussions on difficult issues.

“I want to thank you for this award, but I actually think my receiving it is less important than what the award actually represents. And what it represents is a community identifying the issues of incivility in our politics and how damaging that can be to our political culture.”

Dr. Long said she sees a way through political rancor and encouraged attendees to have conversations with and listen to one another, especially when holding differing viewpoints.

Judie Stanton

The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the second annual Iris Legacy Award to Judie Stanton. This award category honors a previous Iris or Women of Achievement award recipient whose continued leadership remains an enduring inspiration for others. Stanton was first honored in in 2002 as a Woman of Achievement for her leadership as a Clark County Commissioner.

Currently, Stanton is the co-chair of the League of Women Voters of Clark County, where she runs board meetings, provides direction and oversight, and represents Clark County at various regional levels within the organization. In 2014, Stanton was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to the state of Washington’s Commission on Judicial Conduct.

“It has been my good fortune to be a member of many boards and organizations over the years,” said Stanton as she spoke about her community service work. “I’ve learned from every experience. [Being a member of the League of Women Voters] provides a great education in civics, civility, and the value of inclusiveness. I would encourage all of you to take advantage of learning experiences available through your involvement with boards and organizations.”

For more information about the Iris Awards, visit clark.edu/cc/irisawards.

View photos from the event on our Flickr page.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Students competing at the 2017 Southwest Washington Regional Science Olympiad.

Burning marshmallows, miniature hovercrafts, robotic arms, and the perennial favorite, bottle rockets, were a just a few of the 48 activities featured at this year’s Southwest Regional Science Olympiad Tournament, which took place at Clark College on Saturday, March 4.

Mid-experiment at the Science Olympiad.

More than 350 young scientists from 20 middle-school and 18 high-school teams competed in the Olympiad, coming from as far north as La Push, Washington, and as far south as Corvallis, Oregon. Winning teams from the regional competition earned spots in the Washington State Science Olympiad, which will take place at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington, on April 15.

Science Olympiad is a national nonprofit organization that encourages a love of science through educational opportunities, hands-on activities, and regional, state, and national tournaments.

STEM Coordinator Erin Harwood, who oversaw the planning and logistics for the tournament, said she was very pleased with the outcome of the event.

“We’ve had a four-year break from hosting any Science Olympiad event this large, and it’s been a very long time since we hosted a regional event, so this was a nice change and a great way to get back to hosting again,” she said. “It was really amazing how many students volunteered, and the faculty and staff–even the Dean!–got in on helping out.”

Clark students volunteered to help make the Olympiad possible.

More than 130 volunteers—most of them Clark College students, employees, and alumni—helped make the event possible.

At the end of the day, the school teams, event volunteers, and others who participated in the tournament gathered in the O’Connell Sports Complex gymnasium for an awards ceremony filled with energy and enthusiasm. Students from the Quileute Tribal School, whose team had traveled the farthest to participate in the Olympiad, shared a song and words of encouragement with the other attendees before the awards were announced. Eleven teams, five from middle schools and six from high schools, will be continuing on to the state tournament. Camas schools will represent a full five of those eleven teams moving on to the state level.

The following teams will be advancing to the Washington state competition:

B DIVISION (MIDDLE SCHOOL)

• 1^ST PLACE: Skyridge (Blue Team)
• 2^ND PLACE: Liberty (Black Team)
• 3^RD PLACE: Skyridge (Green Team)
• 4^TH PLACE: Jason Lee (Red Team)
• 5^TH PLACE: ExCEL

C DIVISION  (HIGH SCHOOL)

• 1^ST PLACE: Camas (Black Team)
• 2^ND PLACE: Camas (Red Team)
• 3^RD PLACE: Woodinville
• 4^TH PLACE: Union (Black Team)
• 5^TH PLACE: Skyline
• 6^TH PLACE: Washougal (Black Team)

For more photos of the event, visit our Flickr album.

Article contributed by Nova Gump

Photos: Clark College/Nova Gump

More than 100 children received care at the 2017 Children’s Free Dental Health Day.

Some days, it’s like the Tooth Fairy is trying to tell you something.

For instance, there’s nothing like losing one of your baby teeth to remind you that you need to visit the dentist. Fortunately for Juliet Shiemke, age 7, students from the Clark College Dental Hygiene program had organized a Free Children’s Dental Health Day just when she needed it most. Within hours of having another one of her front teeth pop out on Saturday, February 4, she was sitting in a dentist chair in the college’s Firstenburg Dental Hygiene Education and Care Center making sure the rest of her teeth were clean and healthy.

“My wife saw a flier for this at Juliet’s school, and it really came at the right time,” said Juliet’s father, Marc Shiemke, as he watched a Clark College Dental Hygiene student clean her teeth. “We moved up from Arizona six months ago and haven’t gotten dental insurance yet.”

Shiemke’s wife, Dallas, was sitting in a nearby bay with their 3-year-old son, Brendan. Like his sister, Brendan left the dentist chair with a clean bill of health and a bag full of goodies.

“Dental hygiene is very important for our kids,” Shiemke said. “I know I didn’t have the greatest care when I was growing up and I kind of suffered for it in my adult life—needing some bridges and teeth pulled. I want to make sure my kids get the best care for their teeth so they don’t have to go through the same stuff that I’ve gone through.”

That’s the idea behind this annual event, said Dr. Peter Lubisich, a pediatric dentist who serves on the college’s Dental Hygiene Advisory Council and organizes the volunteer dentists who help make this day possible. “In a sense, we’re a safety net for those who fall through the cracks” of the state’s dental-insurance coverage, he said. “One of the main reasons kids miss school can be because of tooth decay.”

Casey Hedeen takes notes on a patient at the Children’s Free Dental Health Day.

While Children’s Dental Health Day, now in its 11th year, is the largest free-care event held by the Dental Hygiene program, its students regularly contribute free or low-cost care in their community. Indeed, the two students who led this year’s event originally became inspired to take on the mammoth responsibility after participating last spring in a free dental day for adults through a local nonprofit.

“The first patient we had there, we had tears in our eyes from the reaction that she had,” recalled Casey Hedeen, who expects to receive her Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene this spring. “With the free clinic, she got what’s called a ‘partial’ so that she didn’t have a missing front tooth. She was in tears. At that moment, we knew this is what we wanted to do: We wanted to be part of something bringing that kind of change to people’s lives.”

Hedeen and her classmate Stephanie Pfeifer have been working on the event since September. With the help of many other student volunteers, they have publicized the event, organized appointments, and worked out the logistics of getting almost 130 children and their families in and out of the clinic smoothly.

“Even though we do it every year, we really want the students to plan their own event,” said Prof. Kristi Taylor, Interim Program Director of the Dental Hygiene program. “This gives them first-hand knowledge, not only to plan a public event and to actually see what it’s like and what that takes, but also to be one of the clinicians providing that care for the people who are coming here.”

As far as Marc Shiemke and his family are concerned, the students did a great job. “From the moment we walked in the door, the staff’s been super-friendly and super-efficient,” he said. “I thought it would take a long time, but we’ve probably been here half an hour and we’re almost done.”

Indeed, just minutes later, Juliet was sitting up in her chair. The Clark student who had been cleaning her teeth smiled and congratulated her on being a great patient, then held up her hand. And Juliet, flashing the brightest of gap-toothed smiles, returned the student’s high-five and got ready to go home with her family.

Photos and video: Clark College/Nick Bremer

Temple Lentz, Deena Pierott, and Jody Campbell are recipients of the 2017 Iris Awards.

Five women will be honored at the 2017 Iris Awards, honoring women of achievement in Southwest Washington. They will receive the awards at a ceremony held March 8 at Clark College.

Three Iris Awards for exceptional leadership, philanthropy and community service will be presented to Deena Pierott, founder of the nonprofit iUrban Teen and president of Mosaic Blueprint; Temple Lentz, host of the “Hello Vancouver!” talk show and former Parks Foundation executive director; and Jody Campbell, director of community partnerships for The Columbian newspaper.

Dr. Carolyn Long is the recipient of a new award category, sponsored by H-RoC, a non-partisan political action committee dedicated to the advancement of elected and appointed female leaders in Southwest Washington, to honor a woman in the community who has promoted civil discourse, teamwork, collaboration and cooperation. Additionally, the second annual Legacy Award will be presented to Judie Stanton, co-chair of the League of Women Voters of Clark County. Stanton was first honored in 2002 for her service as a county commissioner. The Legacy Award is presented to a former Iris Award or Women of Achievement recipient whose continued leadership remains an enduring inspiration for others.

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/2017-iris-awards-reception-13714. 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 2017 “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

Deena Pierott

Deena Pierott

A passion for inclusion and equal opportunity drives Deena Pierott’s work in both the private and public sectors. As the founder and executive director of iUrban Teen, a nationally recognized program providing career-focused education and mentoring to underrepresented teens, Pierott helps expose science, technology, engineering, arts and math careers to young men of color and aims to create an employment pipeline of diverse talent into technology fields. Since the organization was founded in 2011 in Portland, Oregon, iUrban Teen has served over 4,000 youth and expanded to five states.

Pierott is also the president and CEO of Mosaic Blueprint, a boutique consulting firm located in Vancouver, Washington. The company specializes in recruiting and on-boarding; multi-cultural communications; equity and inclusion training; and event planning. For the past seven years, Pierott has been the chief organizer of the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast at Clark College.

Pierott’s achievements have been widely recognized. In 2013, she was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change for Technology. Her other recognitions include: Washington State African American Achievement Award (2017), AKA Global Impact Award (2016), Ebony Magazine Power 100 List (2013), Business Journal Orchid Award (2013), and MED Week Minority Business of the Year (2010).

Temple Lentz

Temple Lentz

Community advocate, fundraising and marketing professional, and political consultant Temple Lentz has made a sizable impact on Southwest Washington during her 10 years of residency. As the former executive director of the Parks Foundation of Clark County, an agency that administers donations and gifts for local parks and recreation programs, Lentz was instrumental in facilitating more than $750,000 in grants and donations to support projects throughout Clark County. Showing her interest in good governance, Lentz was elected as a Clark County Freeholder in 2013; in that position, she helped write and pass a new county charter.

Lentz is also a partner and director of content and communications for High Five Media, a political and marketing consulting firm. High Five Media also produces “Hello Vancouver!” a live talk show about Vancouver and Clark County that Lentz conceived and co-created, and which she hosts regularly in Downtown Vancouver. Through the show, she provides an important spotlight for local causes and organizations.

Early in 2017, Lentz joined Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty as business director.

In addition to her professional efforts, Lentz is an active volunteer, having served as board member for Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, Arts of Clark County, Leadership Clark County, and KXRW Radio.

Jody Campbell

Jody Campbell

Jody Campbell joined The Columbian newspaper at 21 years old. Three decades later, she is now a co-owner, sits on the editorial board, and spearheads The Columbian’s community giving efforts. As the director of community partnerships, Campbell has been instrumental in supporting nonprofit organizations in Southwest Washington through advertising sponsorships and public service announcements. Each year, Campbell manages the advertising portfolios for hundreds of nonprofits that work for diverse causes, including: breast cancer research, hunger and homelessness, affordable housing, social justice, education, and women’s rights. Through community partnerships with The Columbian, nonprofit groups are able to promote their programs and fundraising efforts more effectively.

Campbell is a board member of the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington and the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and a member of Empower Women + Girls, a giving circle of more than 50 local women that uses member donations to award grants to organizations working towards gender equality. She also co-founded Pink Power, an annual fundraising event that helped build the Kearney Breast Care Center at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington, which provides digital mammography and medical care services for breast cancer.

2017 Iris H-ROC Award: Dr. Carolyn Long

Dr. Carolyn Long

Washington State University Vancouver political science professor Dr. Carolyn Long has an extensive history in the field of civics and promoting civil discourse. She received bachelor’s degrees in political science and in rhetoric and communication from the University of Oregon and a Ph.D. in political science from Rutgers University. Dr. Long’s research interests focus on American institutions, public law, and American public policy, and she was recently named as the Sam Reed Distinguished Professor in Civic Education and Public Civility.

In 2015, Dr. Long helped launch the Initiative for Public Deliberation, a program sponsored by WSUV and the Thom

as S. Foley Institute that brings together students, faculty, and community members with different opinions and perspectives for small-group discussions. Participants learn listening skills, practice facilitating conversations, and enhance understanding of complex policy issues. The ultimate goal of the program is to strengthen democratic government by replacing partisanship with collaborative problem-solving.

In addition to her academic work, Dr. Long is a regular speaker and panelist for local organizations such as the Rotary Club, CREDC Clark County, and H-RoC. Dr. Long’s recent topics of discussion have included local economic forecasting, intergovernmental relations, and an examination of incivility in the 2016 elections.

2017 Iris Legacy Award: Judie Stanton

Judie Stanton

Judie Stanton is the co-chair of the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Clark County. Formed in 1920, LWV is a non-partisan civic organization that encourages active participation of all citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. As co-chair, Stanton runs board meetings, provides direction and oversight, and represents Clark County at the local, state, and national levels within the organization. Stanton was instrumental in leading discussions for a Washington state study on climate change and supporting the national LWV “Get Out the Vote” initiative. She is recognized within the Clark County community for providing consistent, thoughtful, and balanced leadership.

Stanton also serves as a member of the state of Washington’s Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC), an appointment she was granted by Governor Jay Inslee in 2014. The CJC oversees the process of all complaints and discipline of judicial officers in the state of Washington.

Stanton received a Women in Achievement award in 2002 for her leadership and commitment to community involvement as a Clark County Commissioner. Through her ongoing contributions to the region, Stanton continues make an invaluable impact on Southwest Washington.