21 Years and 21 new local leaders join ranks with Leadership Bend Alumni. With nine months of education, training, and new community connections behind them, a dedicated group of local business and community members have now joined the ranks of the prestigious Leadership Bend Alumni.
The Leadership Bend Class of 2014 graduated June 19, 2014 to the sights of glorious mountain views and a warm, dramatic sunset from the Mountain Room atop Deschutes Brewery, while toasting with fellow classmates and guests to a job well done.
Twenty-one participants graduated this year, which also just happens to be the 21st year since Leadership Bend’s first class graduated in 1993, whom key supporter of this year’s program, Todd Taylor of Taylor Northwest, was one of those first graduates.
In a continual form of encouragement from the start of the 2014 program, Taylor shared not only his experiences since becoming an alum those twenty-one years ago but, even more so, focused his belief in all of them for their commitment and dedication in helping shape the direction of our community by investing in their own local knowledge and leadership. At graduation, he capped off this theme and directed them by saying, “get involved and get started right away, like within the next 30 days!”
It seemed apropos the graduates and Taylor celebrated the evening in the Mountain Room, as Deschutes Brewery founder, Gary Fish, helped launch Leadership Bend that very same year while serving on the Board for the Bend Chamber of Commerce. Leadership Bend is a separate 501(c)3 non-profit from the Chamber and is similar to programs one might find nationwide.
Currently, there are over 300 Leadership Bend Alumni, many of whom have gone on to serve in a myriad of roles positively impacting the region or even now hold prominent positions in business, governance and social services. Alumni are often a resource for exploring how to get involved in the community, and to find out more about the hot topics explored in this year’s program, just ask one of the following graduates of the Class of 2014:
Charles Abasa-Nyarko, COCC
Anne Aurand, City of Bend
Lynn Baker, Ascent Architecture
Justin Barden, Taylor Northwest
Dawn Cofer, Bank of the Cascades
Sonja Donohue, BendBroadband
Jordan Elliott, Mt. Bachelor
Theo Giannioses, COCC
Kelly Hanslovan-Bond, kevmarc
Marc Madron, Umpqua Bank
Ashley Mears, US Bank
Drew Moore, Deschutes County DA’s Office
Gary North, R&H Construction
Toni Ryan, J Bar J Youth Services
Kris Scholl, Deschutes Brewery
Stephanie Senner, BendBroadband
Rick Silbaugh, Deschutes County 9-1-1
Kerri Standerwick, The Garner Group
Jillian Taylor, Jillian Taylor Consulting
Shawn Taylor, OSU-Cascades
Kevin Tucker, Arbor Mortgage
With the Leadership Bend class of 2014 graduated, the opportunity now opens for new participants to submit applications for 2015. Sponsorship opportunities to assist with this development of local emerging leaders are also open.
Find more information and applications online at www.bendchamber.org Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis through August 15, 2014 and will be reviewed for acceptance on an individual basis. The Leadership Bend Alumni Network can be found on Facebook.
