Leadership Eugene Springfield 2021-22 Cohort
Leadership Eugene Springfield (LES) is a longstanding civic leadership development program led by the Springfield and Eugene Chambers of Commerce. For 35 years, leaders passionate about serving their community have taken this opportunity to develop their leadership skills, expand their awareness of issues and opportunities facing our community, and to foster a network of fellow community leaders. This October, we welcome 26 community leaders into the 2021-22 Leadership Eugene Springfield class.
To learn more about Leadership Eugene-Springfield, visit www.springfield-chamber.org/leadership
or contact Paige Sharpe at paige@springfield-chamber.org or call 541-746-1651.
Jenny Brooks
Roaring Lion Public Relations
Jenny Brooks is an entrepreneur and founder of Roaring Lion Public Relations. She created her public relations agency in 2005 to try her hand at running her own business and offer her expertise in her own style. Client demand and need, along with the evolving media landscape, influenced her to become a masters level communications practitioner offering a wide range of communications services. These days businesses of all types and sizes count on Jenny for strategic counsel and implementation of marketing services, internal and external communications support, and public relations. She lives in Eugene with her husband, three kids and three dogs.
Cory Burket
Sparrow Clubs, USA
Formerly a corporate team member and franchise owner of Black Rock Coffee Bar, Cory was introduced to Sparrow Clubs USA as Black Rock’s business sponsor representative. Cory quickly found alignment with the mission and message of Sparrow Clubs and joined their Board of Directors in early 2019 and then served as the Board President. In June of 2021, Cory joined the Sparrow staff directing Donor Relations and engagements. Cory has a diverse background of operational business management, non-profit board engagement/involvement and business ownership. Being a highly relational person, building intentional and genuine relationships and developing community partnerships is at the core of who he is.
Trever Campbell
Kernutt Stokes, LLP
Trever works for the local accounting firm Kernutt Stokes as a senior manager (CPA/CFE) in the firm’s audit and attestation department. He works in a variety of industries including manufacturing, brewing, insurance, and higher education.
Trever has a master’s degree in accounting from University of Oregon. Trever believes understanding finances is essential to being a better business owner, manager, employee, or consultant. In work and life he believes in taking chances, being willing to change, and finding what your passionate about in every project.
Trever enjoys fishing, traveling, cooking, gardening, and visiting wineries/breweries. He also admits to being a bit of a foodie and once worked as a cheesemaker. He resides in west Eugene with his wife, Anna, and their two children, Daylon and Fletcher.
Alejandro Carrillo
Lane Transit District
Alejandro Carrillo, MBA, PHR. Alejandro joined LTD’s Human Resources Team in August and serves as the District’s Director of HR & Risk Management.
Alex was born and raised in Southern California and has family in and around Eugene and Salem. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles) and CSU Dominguez Hills with an MBA and undergraduate degree in business.
Alex has served as an HR professional in multiple industries including Aerospace/Defense, Education, Logistics, Bio-tech (cancer diagnostics and prognostics), Cosmetics Manufacturing. Alex has a son and enjoys hunting, fishing, loving every day.
Justin Chin
Lane Community College
Justin Chin is the Director of High School Connections at Lane Community College. Prior to his service with Lane Community College, Chin was the Director of Career Services at Eastern Oregon University (2015 – 2021), Retention and Success Specialist at Linn-Benton Community College (2013 – 2015), and a High English/Language at Dallas High School (2001 – 2013).
Outside of his professional services for Lane Community College, Chin is dedicated to closing the opportunity and achievement gap for students and communities through education and workforce development. Chin is the Vice Chair for Oregon Humanities’ Board of Directors. Membership and Governance Chair for the Oregon Career Development Association, and was a Governor’s Appointee for the Eastern Oregon Regional Economic Recovery Council.
Chin is the second son of immigrants who settled in rural western Oregon. He graduated from Western Oregon University with a Bachelors of Arts in English (2000), and completed his Masters of Arts in Education in 2001. Justin is happily married to his wife and they have recently moved to Eugene from La Grande, OR.
Stephanie Coats
Keller Williams Realty
Stephanie Coats is a lifelong Eugene resident who began a successful career in real estate at age 18! Since 2006 she has helped countless buyers and sellers achieve their goals of homeownership in our community. Stephanie was one of the recipients of the 2018 “20 Under 40 Rising Business Star” Awards. In addition to her work in real estate, she serves on the board of Pacific Cascade Federal Credit Union, Ballet Fantastique and The McKenzie Business Association.
Martin Gaiter
USBS Cloud Consulting LLC
Marti is a Digital Accessibility Advocate. And Tech Nerd Whisperer His passion is building and growing and connecting long-term business and personal relationships. Those relationships come from C Level down to whoever answers the phone. He loves nothing more than getting to know you and your business. Through his professional experience, he can find an uncommon sense solution to what is slowing you down.
Superpowers – Conflict Management, Interpersonal Communication, Team Building, Stand up Comedy Organizational Structure and Management, DJ/MC/Fun Director, Emmy Award Winner, and DAD.
Tarik Ibisevic
Turell Group
Tarik Ibisevic is an Account Coordinator at Turell Group. As a first-generation immigrant from Bosnia, Tarik is passionate about helping people achieve the American Dream and promoting equality in all facets of society. He considers himself a connector and prides himself on solving issues through communication. Though Tarik has always loved sports, his lack of athletic ability prevented him from playing professionally, and he’s settled for being an avid Ducks and Blazers fan. On off days, you can find Tarik either exploring the outdoors with friends or cuddling and playing hide-and-seek with his cat.
Elora Kelsh
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Elora Kelsh is a marketing professional and multimedia artist. Originally from California, Elora moved to Eugene, Oregon and graduated from the University of Oregon with a BFA in Art & Technology and a minor in Business Administration. She spent time in Spain studying international business, and in Guadalajara, Jalisco for a year where she polished her Spanish language and graphic design skills at a local ad agency.
Elora is the Manager of Marketing & Communications for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of Eugene Darkroom Group. She is passionate about visual communication that supports and uplifts programs that promote education, accessibility, and inclusivity for the local community. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, the outdoors, live music, thrifting, and playing softball on a local co-ed team.
Scott Kuvaas
WAFD
My name is Scott Kuvaas and I am a Eugene native who graduated from the University of Oregon’s business school in 2017. I have spent my professional career in Commercial Banking, working with businesses and individuals in Eugene/Springfield and throughout the Willamette Valley. My wife and I welcomed our first child in August of 2021 and outside of work I love to golf, hike, travel, and spend time with friends and family.
Emily Langlois
Oregon Community Credit Union
Emily Langlois is a native of Oregon and was lucky enough to have been raised on the coast, in North Bend. After attending college at Southwestern Oregon Community College and then moving to Eugene to attend the University of Oregon, Emily began working in finance and made her way to a role in management. Emily has also worked as a Financial Wellness educator and enjoyed teaching financial literacy classes all over the state. Emily eventually found her home at Oregon Community Credit Union and thrives in her role as the Coburg Rd branch manager. Emily has an enthusiasm for the community, specifically children’s literacy and those experiencing housing insecurity. In her free time, Emily enjoys all the Pacific Northwest has to offer, including camping with her children and husband, or spending time with her goldendoodles.
Chris Lee
Bruce AI
Chris Lee is an experienced entrepreneur/full stack developer with a demonstrated history of working in the enterprise computer software industry. A few application highlights include one of the first home banking systems for Credit Unions, one of the first hospitality systems allowing hotel guest to access the Internet and recently vinovoyage.com. Chris is also the founder of Local Traffic a professional Digital Assistant integration company. Bruce AI is Chris’ latest creation.
Jeff Malik
Travel Lane County
Jeff Malik is the Destination Development Manager at Travel Lane County, where he helps communities and stakeholders develop new tourism opportunities. Jeff is originally from Tennessee, but also lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio before moving to Oregon. His professional background is mostly from the environmental sector, before moving into the tourism industry a few years ago. Jeff holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and a Master’s degree in Public Administration. He enjoys travel, most outdoor activities, cooking, and board games.
Cat Mathewson
ShelterCare
Cat Mathewson is the Development Director for ShelterCare- a local nonprofit providing housing and behavioral health support for individuals experiencing homelessness. Cat is a midwest transplant, completing her B.A. at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a Graduate Certificate in nonprofit leadership, and moving to Oregon in 2014 to complete a Masters of Nonprofit Management at the University of Oregon. In her free time, she enjoys sipping from local coffee & ciders, her pets (Raji, Lucy & Wanda), volleyball, the Oregon coast, and volunteering with Pro-Bone-O Veterinary Care.
Monique Offet
Junior League of Eugene
Monique is not new to community work. She has been a part of Junior League of Eugene since 2018 and currently in her second year of her board position as VP of Community Enrichment and on the board of Nurturely. She is dedicated to assisting with the needs of at-risk youth and raising awareness for human trafficking. She has her Associates in Criminal Justice with a focus on Juvenile Corrections and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s from OSU for Human Development and Family Services. Monique, above all, is a wife and mother of three beautiful children, who are her biggest motivators.
Ellen Osterkamp
Lane Community College
Ellen Osterkamp currently serves as the Senior Instructional Dean of Arts & Humanities at Lane Community College. She holds a Masters in Art History from the University of Oregon and a BA in Art History from Loyola University Chicago. Prior to becoming Dean, Ellen taught Full-Time and Part-Time in Art History at LCC. Ellen has previously owned a Fine Art Appraisal company, and worked in retail for over 15 years.
Aimee Reichert
Lane Transit District
Aimee Reichert, LPC, LSSBB works with Lane Transit District as an IT Project Manager and Continuous Improvement Specialist. Throughout her career to date, she has been developing her talents as a cognitive scientist, continuous improvement professional, and community services enthusiast. Driven by helping others, she takes pride in her ability to listen and learn. Aimee originally hails from the Northeast where she grew up playing in the woods and eating Boston clam chowder. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biopsychology at the University of Vermont and her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She has also completed advanced studies in statistical applications for the social sciences and her lean six sigma black belt. Aimee enjoys outdoor adventures with her family, discovering new food in new places, and cuddling with her pups Tully and Olive after a long day of work.
Fernando Rivas
Lane Small Business Development Center
My name is Fernando Rivas, and I am part of the Lane Small Business Development Center team. At my position I help business owners to receive support from our advisers, while at the same time I learn more about small businesses. I graduated as an Economist in 2017 from the Centroamerican University José Simeón Cañas in El Salvador, my home country. Four years ago, I moved to the Eugene area, where I started my professional journey at Lane Community College. My passion for businesses has led me to study my master’s in business administration at Bushnell University. I aspire to become a business adviser myself to provide technical and knowledge support to business owners. I consider myself to be in learning mode all the time.
Jen Youngsun Ryu
Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene
Born in Seoul, South Korea, I emigrated to the U.S. in time to enter the 1st grade in a small town in Ohio. After graduating from college and earning an MBA, I worked in human resources until a midlife awakening called me into ministry. I attended seminary in Berkeley and served churches around the country.
I moved to Eugene this July to serve the Unitarian Universalist Church as their lead minister.
Marisol Salgado
Oregon Pacific Bank
Marisol Salgado is the Branch Manager at Oregon Pacific Bank in Eugene. She began her banking career when she was 16 years old. Over the past 20 years Marisol has spent most of her banking career in customer service, and leadership positions. In 2016, Marisol and her husband embarked in a new chapter in their lives when they decided to relocate their family to Eugene. Marisol is looking forward to getting more involved in the Eugene/Springfield community through the LES program.
Chloe Steger
Oregon Community Credit Union
I am 25 years old and I was born and mostly raised in Eugene and Springfield. I currently am a full-time employee at Oregon Community Credit Union and I have worked there for close to 3 years. I am a full-time student at Bushnell University for business and psychology. When I’m not working on house projects, I’m spending time with my significant other John and our animals. I enjoy the outdoors and traveling when I can. I’m passionate about looking for new growth opportunities and connections to further my career and best self.
Lori Stenshoel
Hybrid Real Estate | Eugene Realtors Association
Lori Stenshoel has run a successful real estate practice in Eugene for the past 28 years and currently serves as President for the Eugene Realtors association.
‘I believe that truly being of service to the people in my life means showing up for them in a way that inspires and supports. My clients and colleagues can expect that I will bring good energy and enthusiasm, integrity, knowledge and communication. Fostering a sense of cooperation and goodwill can bring about the best possible outcome.”
Lori has worked these past many years to actively engage with a variety of businesses and nonprofits through volunteering, mentoring, and governance. We live in an incredibly diverse community and with that comes a variety of needs. Partnering with other community leaders is how we find solutions that move us forward.
Being in the housing industry, she is keenly aware of our affordability issues and our unhoused. She has worked with state and local legislators, sat on committees and partnered with agencies to raise funds and awareness, on those two fronts. She has been highly involved in state and local real estate leadership for more than 20 years and is ready to turn to a more expansive community focus.
Michelle Sunia
Cascade Health
Michelle Sunia grew up in Portland, Oregon, moved to Eugene to attend University of Oregon and settled in Coburg with her husband and two sons. Michelle has been an active and dedicated member of her community, volunteering in many different capacities; including Coburg City Councilor, co-founder of Coburg Community Charter School and graduate of the Ford Institute of Leadership program. In her free time Michelle enjoys traveling with family, walking with friends, cooking for others, reading, and puzzles. She currently works in the Business Development department at Cascade Health.
Loni Waltasti
Old Dominion Collision
Loni Waltasti was born and raised in the small town of Marysville, Calif., but now calls Eugene home. She first moved to the area in 2013 and started working at Old Dominion Collision. With her background in management and operations, Loni ascended into a leadership role with the company and is now the Service Manager. Old Dominion Collision is a family-owned business with a long history of community involvement in Lane County, something Loni is proud to be a part of. A former president of the Eugene Active 20-30 Club, Loni now volunteers with the Relief Nursey Leadership Board and is a member of Lane Leaders. Loni and her husband, Joe, have an energetic three-year-old daughter, Ragan, and an equally energetic black lab, Sammy.
Allison Weber
SELCO Community Credit Union
Allison Weber is the Marketing and Communications Specialist at SELCO Community Credit Union, where she manages SELCO’s social media channels, leads various departmental projects, and co-chairs the Wellness Committee. After graduating from the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business with a bachelor’s in Business Administration, Allison began her professional career in the University of Oregon’s Development Office. There, she helped connect donors and deserving students through various scholarships and discovered her passion for community, marketing, and social media. In her spare time, Allison serves on Relief Nursery’s Auxiliary Board as Vice President and expresses her creativity through sewing, gardening, and baking.
Nelson Zaludek
Oregon Pacific Bank
Nelson Zaludek is a Commercial Loan Officer at Oregon Pacific Bank and has spent the last ten years as a community banker after graduating from the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business. He is originally from Downey, CA, but has spent almost his entire life in the Eugene community and considers it his home. He and his wife Marisa recently celebrated the birth of their daughter and are experiencing the many joys of parenthood. His hobbies include beekeeping, bowling, soccer, and spending time with his two long haired chihuahuas.
