2019 Leadership Summit

Chamber News, Coming Events, Events and Programs

August 30, 2019

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The following was originally published on June 30th, but has been updated on August 20th to include additional speaker bios.

On September 19, 2019, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its first ever Leadership Summit. This event will bring together business leaders in our community, and provide opportunities for professional development in the areas of organizational management and civic leadership. Here’s a sneak peek at our speakers!

Reserve your seat HERE
Check out available sponsor options HERE
Download Summit flyer with schedule HERE

Keynote Speakers

Aaron Linsdau is only the second American to ski alone from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole, setting a world record for surviving the longest expedition ever for that trip. He has walked across Yellowstone National Park in winter, crossed the Greenland tundra alone, has trekked through the Sahara desert, and successfully climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Mt. Elbrus in Russia. Aaron holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in computational science. He wrote the book & produced the film Antarctic Tears as well as Lost at Windy Corner. He is an expert at building resilience to overcoming adversity, and will speak about building individuals into powerful contributors.

Check out his website and watch his reel on his website HERE.

Dr. Terry Joseph Busch has over thirty years of broad professional experience as a teacher, foreign policy analyst, manager, leader at the executive level of the Federal Government, and management consultant. His early work experience included stints as an Army Medical Services Corps Officer in Germany and Vietnam, and an Assistant Professorship in the Political Science Department at Denison University. His distinguished career with the Central Intelligence Agency included senior assignments as Director of Leadership Analysis, Deputy Inspector General, and Director Human Resource Management. He is now President and CEO of his own consulting practice and author of several books on managing and leading including “What the Best Managers Know and Do”.

Read more about Dr. Terry Joseph Busch on his website HERE.

Beverly “Bev” Smith is currently the Executive Director of Emerald KIDSPORTS in Eugene, Oregon. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Performance from the University of Oregon (1988) and her level 4/5 National Coaching Certificate from the National Institute of Coaching in Victoria, British Columbia. She helped write the draft for Canada Basketball’s Long Term Athlete Development Plan (LTAD) and has done skill and coaching clinics in Canada, Italy, Jordan, and the US. Bev was elected to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (2003), the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame (2003), the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2004), and the University of Oregon Hall of Fame (1992).

Some of Bev’s achievements include being Head Women’s Basketball Coach at UO, playing professional basketball in Italy and coaching there for two years, coaching the Canadian Women’s Olympic Basketball team from 1997-2001, being Assistant Coach for Canadian Women’s Olympic Basketball Team (Competed in 2016 Rio Olympic Games), was a two time Kodak All – America selection (1981 – 1982) playing for UO, played for 12 years with the Canadian Women’s National Basketball Team, and is also a two time Olympian, competing in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics (4^th) and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games (11^th)!

Read more about Bev Smith on this news article HERE and a longer bio HERE.

Breakout Speakers

Rachel Ulrich, founder of RU Talking Consultants, is an HR and business advisor from the Pacific NW. With a focus on people, planning and communication, Rachel has helped to build engaged workforces for small non-profits as well as mid-size and large family farms and financial institutions. Prior to working with companies throughout the US, Rachel served as EVP, Chief Administrative Officer for Pacific Continental Bank (PCB), a $2.6 billion regional commercial bank based in the pacific northwest. At PCB, she led 70+ members of the administrative and support teams, oversaw internal communications and managed mergers and acquisitions, focused primarily on cultural integration and establishment of customer service milestones. Rachel was considered a key accelerator of highly successful corporate growth strategies, including special projects and efficiency improvement designs. Known as a highly skilled communicator, Rachel focused on building collaborative teams and a thriving company culture.

To facilitate outstanding culture, Rachel worked with internal culture teams supported PCB’s legacy in earning a spot as in 100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon for more than ten consecutive years. Rachel’s focus on successful integration of cultures was critical in the success of three acquisitions during her tenure with the bank.

In 2015, Rachel was honored to receive the Portland Business Journal’s HR Leadership Award. She is a SHRM-SCP (Society for Human Resources Management – Senior Certified Professional). Rachel holds an Executive MBA from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Bluffton College.

Kathleen Gage has owned and operated her business for over 25 years. With a focus on leading by example, Kathleen is known as the “no-nonsense, common sense” marketing strategist and visibility expert. Her clients are driven by making a difference through their own unique voice.

With more than thirty years of experience in sales, marketing, management, public relations, and promotions, Kathleen Gage has consulted with and trained organizations such as the U.S. Marine Corps, Novus Corporation, and AT&T. She has acted in leadership and advisory capacities for many organizations, including being past president of the National Speakers Association Utah Chapter, past vice-chair and marketing chair for the Central Region Council for the Department of Workforce Services of Utah, and a member of the legislative council for the American Cancer Society of Utah.

Kathleen has authored several books including Power Up for Profits, The Smart Woman’s Guide to Online Marketing.

J.L. Wilson comes with a 20-year history in public affairs and lobbying as past Executive Director of NFIB/Oregon and past Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at Associated Oregon Industries. Wilson has been a full-time lobbyist representing primarily business interests since 2000. Prior to that, he served as Legislative Director for two Speakers of the Oregon House.

Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) Panel

Laura Henton is currently the HR Associate at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management and an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Laura is a key contributor to the diversity and inclusion efforts for Royal Caribbean – Springfield location. She engages employees to participate in the company’s Employee Resource Groups program which focuses on impacting the employees, business, and community by promoting diversity and inclusion.

Mo Young has been the Equity and Access Coordinator for Lane County since 2016. Prior to that position, she worked as a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist. While titles give clues to the kind of work that Mo does, her professional and personal experiences create a clearer picture. She has been a fierce and dedicated advocate for equity and justice throughout her career. She is an advocate, an educator, a co-conspirator, and a thought partner to so many and has lent her helping hands to movements for social justice in Lane County for more than 20 years.

Read more about Mo HERE.

Remie Calalang is currently the HR Director at Bethel School District. Previous to moving to HR, Remie was the District’s Equity Coordinator for 13 years. Remie earned an M.Ed in Education Leadership from the University of Oregon in 2017. She is a guest instructor with the UO College of Education Preliminary Administrator Licensure program and teaches classes about hiring, recruitment and retention; staff evaluations; and contracts.

Leaders in Innovation Showcase

Kiki Prottsman is a computer science educator and a former CS instructor at the University of Oregon. As a champion for responsible computing and equity in both CS employment and education, Kiki works with many organizations to improve the experience of girls and women in STEM. She is also the author of several books, including Computational Thinking and Coding for Every Student, My First Coding Book, and Disney’s Coding with Anna and Elsa. In her spare time, Kiki runs an educational YouTube channel called KIKIvsIT, which helped her win silver for Stevie’s coveted 2017 Female Innovator of the Year Award. She currently sits on the Advisory Board for Wonder Workshop Robotics while also playing an advisory role in many STEM grant projects, including SciGirls Code!

Learn more about Kiki and watch her Youtube videos on her website HERE.

Robert Guldberg, Vice President and Robert and Leona DeArmond Executive Director of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. Bob joined the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact in August 2018. Guldberg studies muscle and bone growth and development, focusing on potential regenerative therapies following traumatic injuries and in degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering as well as a master’s degree in bioengineering, all from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the Knight Campus, Guldberg was at Georgia Tech, where he served as executive director of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, and was a professor at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Biomedical Engineering. His primary research funding comes from the National Institutes of Health, US Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and several biotechnology companies.

Learn more about Robert in an article by University of Oregon HERE.

Robert Freres Jr. is President of Freres Lumber Co., Inc. and partner in Evergreen Biopower LLC. He has held executive positions with the company since 1979. He is a board member of the Freres Foundation which contributes over $160,000 annually to nearby timber dependent communities’ charitable causes.

Evergreen Biopower produces wood fired steam for Freres plant operations and sells up to 10 megawatts onto the electrical grid. Freres Lumber Co., Inc. has manufactured softwood lumber since 1922 in the North Santiam Canyon in Oregon. Freres Lumber has received patents on a new softwood structural composite lumber product from five countries and was named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company magazine this year.

Robert Freres Jr. has served on industry association boards for over forty years. He served on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) for 8 years, has been elected as President of Northwest Timber Association, Chair of the American Forest Resources Council and the Small Business Timber Council. In the past he has served as staff member to US Senator, Mark Hatfield, Chairman Appropriations Committee in Washington DC. Presently, Mr. Freres is an active member of the Board of Visitors of the College of Forestry at Oregon State University.