DECEMBER 2016/

JANUARY 2017

FOR BUSINESS
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 6
USA $3.95
CANADA $6.95

Melissa Koke
Vice President, QSL Printing

Hayley Lyons
Senior Manager, Kernutt Stokes

Aimee Butler
Managing Principal, Waddell & Reed

Women in business
More women are serving in leadership positions
at companies, organizations and in politics

The Eugene Area Chamber Of Commerce: LEADERSHIP. COMMUNITY. RESULTS.

$PAC-091_EugeneChamber_OpenBiz_7.375x4.8126_AugSept2015.indd 1

Talent. Expertise. Dedication.

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Publisher
David Hauser, CCE

THIS ISSUE

Director of
Communications
Katherine Movalson
Eugene Chamber
Executive Committee

Cover story

Nigel Francisco
Chair
CFO, Ninkasi Brewing
Company LLC

12

Though the number of women

in business leadership roles
nationally remains small, their
ranks are growing including in
the Eugene area.
Photo by David Loveall.

6
18
20

Mandy Jones
Chair-elect
CEO, Oregon Community
Credit Union

The Bold Steps Award recognizes

businesses operating with a triple bottom
line - taking care of people, the planet, and
also being financially viable.

s Four Questions, page 9

The path to the top in the business world

be it a partner position in a finance firm
or owning a restaurant doesnt have to
be a solitary climb.

5
9

A look at Kitty Piercys

accomplishments during her
term as Eugenes second-longest
serving mayor.

Columns/Departments
Chamber@Work
What the Eugene Chamber is doing to support
and promote businesses in the Eugene area.

Cathy Worthington
Treasurer
Licensed Tax
Consultant,
Worthington Business
Services
Craig Wanichek
Past Chair
President & CEO,
Summit Bank
Advertising
Eugene Area
Chamber of Commerce
541.484.1314

Four Questions
The Chamber asked KeyBanks Jeannie
Erickson and ElderHealth & Livings Liz von
Wellsheim about their businesses and the value of
Chamber membership.

Design

22

TechnaPrint
541.344.4062

Business News
Promotions, new hires and new Eugene
Area Chamber of Commerce members.

Asbury Design
541.344.1633
www.asburydesign.net
Printing

Eugene Area Chamber

of Commerce
1401 Willamette St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541.484.1314

CHAMBER CONTACTS
David Hauser, CCE

Elizabeth Coleman

President & CEO

(541) 242-2350
daveh@eugenechamber.com

Director of Membership Development

(541) 242-2352
elizabethc@eugenechamber.com

Beth Tassan

Jeannine Erving

Administrative Assistant
(541) 242-2356
betht@eugenechamber.com

Membership Services Manager

(541) 242-2355
jeanninee@eugenechamber.com

Barb Brunton

Katherine Movalson

Business Manager
(541) 242-2358
barbb@eugenechamber.com

Director of Communications
(541) 242-2360
katherinem@eugenechamber.com

Ashley Barrington
Administrative Support
(541) 242-2351
ashleyb@eugenechamber.com

Sarah Delp
Economic Development Program
Specialist
(541) 242-2357
sarahd@eugenechamber.com

Brittany Quick-Warner
Director of Business Advocacy
(541) 242-2354
brittanyw@eugenechamber.com

Amanda Yankovich
Events Manager
(541) 242-2353
amanday@eugenechamber.com

Leigh Anne Hogue

Director of Economic Development
(541) 242-2359
leighanneh@eugenechamber.com

Open for Business:

A publication of the
Eugene Area Chamber of
Commerce
(USPS-978-480).
Open for Business is
published bimonthly
by the Eugene Area
Chamber of Commerce
in February, April, June,
August, October and
December. Circulation:
3,800.
Open For Business
2016
The subscription price
is $25, included in
membership. Periodicals
Postage Paid at Eugene,
OR.
POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to
Eugene Area Chamber of
Commerce, P.O. Box 1107,
Eugene, OR 97440-1107

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CHAMBER@WORK
Ribbon cuttings celebrate
new Eugene businesses openings

Celeste Edman, Bev Smith

and Gretchen Dubie were
honored by the Chamber

Bev Smith named

Woman Business
Leader of the Year

The Chamber hosts ribbon cuttings year round to celebrate local business
growth, including this event at Whole Foods.
Weve been busy youve been busier! Congratulation to the new and newly
expanded businesses celebrating ribbon cuttings recently including Whole Foods
Market, Heritage Distilling Co., Ashley Home Furniture, Mod Pizza, Banner Bank,
Fairfield Inn and Suites, Fred Meyer (Santa Clara), and Home2 Suites by Hilton.

Congratulations to Bev
Smith, who washonored at
the Eugene Area Chambers
Woman Business Leader of
the Year ceremony. Bev has
revolutionized KIDSPORTS as
its Executive Director and she is
revolutionizing amateur sports in
our region with her work on the
Eugene Civic Alliance.
Also honored were Gretchen
Dubie, Executive Director,
Oregon Supported Living
Program and Celeste Edman,
CEO, Lunar Logic.

Business-to-Business Expo bigger, better than ever

The theme
of the Expo
was Emerald
City, and
the staff
of Oregon
Networking
Exchange
dressed up as
the cast from
The Wizard
of Oz to
celebrate.

Business exposure and connections were

in full swing at the 2016 Business-to-Business
EXPO. Nearly 1,500 people explored over
150 booths, learning about local services and
product offerings while enjoying nibbles and
sips from a range of local companies.
Special thanks to our Aisle Sponsors:
Blue Bus Creatives, QSL Print
Communications, Mckenzie Sew On,
Ambient I.T. Solutions, Umpqua Dairy
Products, Co., Comcast Spotlight, SAIF
Corporation, XS Media, Home2 Suites
by Hilton, Oregonian Media Group, My
Accounting Team, KMTR NBC 16, KVAL
News and KEZI 9 News.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 /J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

BOLD STEPS Award

Mayor Kitty Pierce, Connie Rolfe, Jon Texter and Jodi Sommers from Essex Construction celebrate the 2015 Bold Steps win.

Award focuses on the business journey

Bold Steps recognizes companies
taking care of people and the planet
while also being financially viable
The Bold Steps Award is the kind of business award you would
expect the City of Eugene to give. One where applicants describe
company camping trips and boast about their chef-prepared
organic lunches for employees, reimbursement for employee massages and their bike-powered distribution system. Unlike other
awards that recognize a milestone or quantitative measure, this
one focuses on the journeythe bold steps taken and our drive
to do business differently here. Welcome to business in Eugene.
Bold Steps recognizes businesses operating with a triple bottom line: taking care of people and the planet while also being
financially viable. Three annual finalists for the award get free
marketing support and opportunities to educate other businesses
on their sustainable practices. This includes a video about their
company highlighting their bold steps, ads in this publication as
well as the Register Guards Blue Chip and the Eugene Weekly,
at no charge. The winner gets even more ads run on their behalf.
The finalists for the 2017 award are PIVOT Architecture, Luna
& Larrys Coconut Bliss, and Hummingbird Wholesale. The Bold
Steps finalists are introduced and the winner is announced by the
6 OP EN FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

mayor of Eugene at the State of the City address held in January

each year. This years address will be on January 4, 2017.
The winner walks away with the Bold Steps Trophy to keep
for a year. The trophy itself is perfectly Eugene. Its made from
recycled materials and was constructed by local artist Jud Turner.
Past winners of the award include GloryBee, Essex General Construction, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
The Bold Steps Award inspires us to continually seek out
next steps. What else can we do to help our community and our
environment? Fortunately there is a growing community of Bold
Steps winners we can reach out to, to share ideas about improving
our processes. We encourage all Eugene firms to get RE:think
certified and apply for the Bold Steps Award. We will all be better
off when more of us seek out those next steps, said Jodi Sommers, Marketing and Business Development Manager for Essex
General Construction, the 2016 Bold Steps winner.
To apply for the 2018 Bold Steps award, businesses must be
Eugene-based and be RE:think certified by BRING Recycling.
To learn more or apply, go to eugene-or.gov/BoldSteps. Applications are due by August 31, 2017.
We know there are a lot of businesses in Eugene embracing
the triple bottom line in really innovative ways. This program is
a way for sustainable businesses to be recognized and tell their
stories, said Stephanie Scafa, Waste Prevention &Green Building Analyst for the City of Eugene.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

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8 OP EN FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

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Four questions
We ask local businesses to respond to questions that give insight into their
companies and the value of their Eugene Chamber membership.

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

KeyBanks Jeannie Erickson says a banker should be part of every business support network.

Personal Banker,
KeyBank
KeyBank entered the Oregon market in
1985 by acquiring Bank of Oregon and Beaver State Bank, and soon thereafter acquired
Pacific Western Bank in 1986. Currently
the bank has six branches in the EugeneSpringfield area.
What do you wish other people knew
about your company?

Our goal at KeyBank is to help every

client attain financial wellness. Every con-

versation we have with clients is guided

by insight gleaned from clients financial
activity so we can make informed recommendations.
Relationship reviews are conducted
with wellness at the core following a
consistent guided process.
The reviews lead to clients seeing
a complete picture of their financial
situation spending, investments, debt,
mortgages, retirement plans, insurance,
etc. That picture can guide clients and
their bankers to identify goals and develop
a plan to achieve those goals.
Weve recently established a relationship with HelloWallet, a leading personal
finance software provider, which further
enables our online banking clients to
understand their entire financial situation
and obtain personalized financial advice.

What about your business is uniquely

Eugene?

We are focused on being Eugenes best

regional bank. This calls on each of our
branches and teams in Eugene to demonstrate leadership in bringing financial ease,
value and expertise to our community.
Our actions make a difference for our
clients and small business community and
underscore our commitment to helping
our community thrive.
What would you tell someone who is
thinking about opening a business in
Eugene?

Know that youre not alone.

Eugene is home to many knowledgeable and helpful business resources that are
equipped and ready to become part of a

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 /J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

PHOTO BY DAVID LOVEALL

Jeannie
Erickson

Continued on page 11

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Four questions
Liz von Wellsheim
GNP/Medical Director
ElderHealth & Living
ElderHealth & Living (EHL) incorporates a social
model of aging in a familiar home environment with
medical oversight from onsite nurse practitioners to address subtle changes in health before they become significant
problems, resulting in ER or hospital admissions.
How did your company get started and land in
Eugene? How did you get into this business?

EHL just celebrated its 10 year anniversary! Nancy

Koll, CFO & Administrator, has been in the field of
dementia since 1978 and myself since 1988. The EHL
campus was initially built by a developer with Nancy
being the first administrator and nurse and me being
the first geriatric nurse practitioner consultant. Fast
forward to 2006 when we decided to purchase and own
EHL, a five acre campus with ten care homes, one hundred residents and over 125 employees. We are both
passionate about care for persons with memory loss and
have developed a unique social and medical model of
care for persons with memory loss diseases.
We provide care to persons with moderate to advanced types of memory loss disease in our homes.
Our homes look, feel and smell like real homes. EHLs
concept allows persons with memory impairment to feel
safe and comfortable in a familiar home environment as
opposed to being anxious and frustrated in a large facility with 50-100 residents, isolated in private apartments.
An example of our houses being true homes is our open
kitchen to dining room space. Meals are prepared for
10-11 residents with resident involvement whenever
possible. This home model is significantly different than
the large institutional care facilities with 50-100 people
being served meals in a big dining room.
What about your business is uniquely Eugene?

EHL is locally owned and operated by two women

who believe in utilizing local resources whenever possible, such as, serving food from regional vendors. We
create a sense of uniqueness on our five acre, ten-home
campus with a large park and onsite Adult Day-Health
Program: The CLUB.
What might (someone) be surprised to know
about your company?

We were the first care community in Lane County

to start and continue a compost program. We have

commercial composting as part of our culture! Folks

would also be surprised to know that we have 4 chickens in a beautiful coop, 9 dogs with almost one per
home, an aquarium of fish, several cats and 4-5 finches
and tweety birds! Pets and animals are part of most of
our lives and we strive to adopt from area shelters as
well as allowing residents to bring their pet with them
when possible. We feel that it is important to keep a
connection with our residents and pets. In addition, we
have real outdoor living space with huge patios, paths,
gardens galore and a large central park!
What Trends Are Facing Your Industry?

The Baby Boomers are aging and the percentage

of Oregonians diagnosed with Alzheimers or other
types of dementia will increase by 40% in the next 10
years. The United States has not adequately prepared
for this tsunami of dementia care in our families, in
traditional care communities and in existing memory
care communities. The current child/caregiver to parent
is a sophisticated consumer with clearer ideas of what
they do and do not want as they grow older and as their
parents are currently aging.
Creating spaces for care that reflect a true home
Continued on page 11

1 0 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

Liz von
Wellsheim says
ElderHealth
& Livings
concept allows
persons with
memory
impairment to
feel safe and
comfortable in
a familiar home
environment.

Four questions
Continued from page 10

Continued from page 9

environment allowing for person-centered care is changing into big elder businesses with large corporations targeting the guilt children are faced with when
placing their parent into a memory care facility. Often times they lean toward
fancy facilities with big lobbies and chandeliers which resemble vacation hotels
that they themselves would like to live in, but these settings are not ideal for
persons with memory loss. The vast space is confusing and there are few familiar
areas that look, feel and smell like a house. Providing a home-like environment can help with retrieving memories of being at their own home and reduce
frustration and anxiety.
Another trend facing memory care communities is our workforce. Finding and grooming care staff to work with elders and have a career in caring
for persons with memory loss will continue to be a struggle for all of us. We
must begin in schools to expose students to older people and have vocational
tracks for students who want to be competent caregivers when they enter the
workforce.

new businesses support network.

A banker should be part of every business support
network. At Key, we strive to be the primary financial
service provider and build an enduring support relationship. With that in place, were well informed of clients
needs and are equipped to help them navigate through
any credit cycle and introduce them to the products and
services that will help achieve their business goals.
What element of the Chamber has been most
beneficial to your company?

The Eugene Chamber of Commerce is the gateway

to engaging and connecting with local businesses and
business owners. Having access to relevant networking
is important to growing any business, ours included.
KeyBank takes a special interest in women entrepreneurs and as a sponsor of the Chambers Women Business Leaders, we help collaboratively provide a forum
where women can come together, gain insight and share
ideas to grow their enterprises.

Why Would I Recommend the Chamber to a Friend?

EHL has attended many Chamber events and been given the opportunity
to network with other businesses & business professionals which keeps us connected to our community. Maintaining a local/community focus is what EHL
& the Chamber are all about.

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

We thank our peers for recognizing our appellate practice.

Mountain

Steringer

Rudnick

Gary

Marmaduke

Landau

Bill Gary is listed in the 2017 Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice, Administrative/Regulatory Law, and Commercial Litigation and in the
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Aaron Landau has been selected to the 2016 Oregon Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for Appellate Practice.
Susan Marmaduke is listed in the 2017 Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation and in the 2016 Oregon Super
Lawyers for Appellate Practice; she has also been selected to the 2016 Oregon Super Lawyers Top 50 list.
Jim Mountain is listed in the 2017 Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice and in the 2016 Oregon Super Lawyers for Appellate Practice; he is
also recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2017 Administrative/Regulatory Lawyer of the Year in Portland.
Sharon Rudnick is listed in the 2017 Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice, Employment Law-Management, Labor Law-Management, and
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Bob Steringer is listed in the 2017 Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation and in the 2016 Oregon Super Lawyers
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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 /J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

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OPEN FOR BUSINESS

11

In the

Company
of Women

Local businesswomen break through barriers

that have historically put leadership roles out of reach

By Cara Roberts Murez | PHOTO BY DAVID LOVEALL

aley Lyons, senior manager and

CPA at Eugene accounting
firm Kernutt Stokes, is energized by a career where she can
help clients at the top of their
fields manage their success.
Melissa Koke is poised to
head QSL Print Communications and its parent
company Koke New Century - nearly 110 years after
her great-grandfather started the familys first printing
business.
Aimee Butler relishes the opportunity to be a field
leader at financial planning firm Waddell & Reed,
working in a profession that has traditionally been
populated mostly by men.
These are just a few of the local businesswomen
who have reached or are within stretching distance
of the tops of their fields, breaking through whatever
barriers have historically put business leadership roles
largely out of reach for women.
Though nationally the number of women in business
leadership roles remains small, their ranks are growing,

1 2 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

according to a Pew Research Center study. An increasing number of women are serving as CEOs at Fortune
500 companies, as well as in top political positions and
in managerial and professional occupations.
Locally, networking groups work to help women
advance their professional careers by providing opportunities for them to share experiences and advice.
For those like Lyons whove chosen a path to the
top in a non-traditional field, the reward is worthwhile.
In business you can be creative and innovative and
make money doing it. Im surrounded by people who
are taking risks and thinking big, which is very exciting, Lyons said.
I spend my day with clients who are just doing
increasingly more interesting and complicated things,
creative strategy, to make money, Lyons added. Getting to work with really smart and ambitious people is
such a big plus. It just really challenges me constantly.
Accounting for success

While a student at Oregon State University, Lyons

considered a career in math before shifting to business.
Lyons, 35, who grew up in Corvallis, has been a

Melissa Koke
Vice President,
QSL Printing

Hayley Lyons
Senior Manager, Kernutt Stokes

Aimee Butler
Managing Principal, Waddell & Reed

COVer STORY
CPA at Kernutt Stokes since 2007. She has
a degree in business, and worked at CH2M
after college.
During her time at Kernutt Stokes, she has
worked her way up to a management position,
and also built her own network of women to
provide mentorship for herself and others.
Stories in national publications have suggested that the biggest barriers women face
to top careers in business include access to
financing, fear of failure, balancing work and
home life, and finding female mentors and
strong networks.
Lyons said she has found some of that to
be true.
The accounting profession as a whole
struggles to retain women in their top positions. More women are exiting out of the
profession before theyve made it all the way
to the top, Lyons said.
About 52 percent of people who work in
accounting nationwide are women, Lyons
said, but only 20 percent of partners in public
accounting firms are women.
It definitely drops off as you get to the top

of the field, Lyons said.

That can mean a lack of mentors who are
women. Lyons has been fortunate to have
director-level female mentors, though her
partner-level mentors are men.
In her personal life, she has strong female
business role models. Her mom navigated a
career at a large corporation, and her motherin-law is an entrepreneur and small business
owner. Lyons can have a strategic career conversation with either of them.
It makes for a really nice breadth of experience to draw from, Lyons said.
To increase mentoring opportunities, Lyons
created her own monthly, invitation-only womens network using Facebook Chief Operating
Officer Sheryl Sandbergs Lean In platform.
We talk about everything from communication styles to dealing with gender bias in
business. Its really been a fulfilling experience
for me to continue to foster those relationships, Lyons said.
Lyons daughter Brynn was born last
winter, which has led her to reflect on how
women can balance career with family and to

CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE 2017 BOLD STEPS
AWARD FINALISTS

Bold Steps Award finalists are

leaders in sustainability.
Winner to be announced in January, 2017.
Learn more and apply at:
www.eugene-or.gov/boldsteps
1 4 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

work with her employer to ensure that she can

do both well.
I want to stay here at Kernutt Stokes, and
I need things that I didnt need a year ago,
Lyons said. Were working together really
well right now trying to figure out a solution
that works best for everybody. Theyre recognizing that its important to try and retain
people that you want to retain.
Lyons thinks there is a strong perception
that if women ask for what they need, it can
be perceived as special treatment or lowering
the bar for their success.
Of the women in business that I know,
nobody wants that. Nobody wants special
treatment. Nobody wants the bar to be lowered. But we do want to be able to navigate this
work-life balance that presents itself, she said.
Changing times

A Pew Research Center survey published

in 2015 that looked at women and leadership
found that a majority of Americans rated
women as equal to or more skilled than men in
leadership traits such as intelligence, capacity
for innovation, compassion and organization.
Asked what was holding women back from
top executive positions, respondents said they
thought women were held to higher standards
and that people were not ready to hire women
leaders (43 percent each), family responsibilities limited available time (23 percent) and
they lacked connections (20 percent). Smaller
numbers said they were not tough enough or
didnt make good managers.
About 52 percent of managerial and professional occupations in the U.S. were held
by women in 2013, according to the Pew
Research Center, up from 31 percent in 1968,
though only 5 percent of CEOs of Fortune
500 companies were women.
Women are completing college at a higher
rate than men, and have been since the 1990s,
which suggests the number of businesswomen
could continue to rise.
That could be good for the bottom line.
A New York Times story published in February found that companies led by women
were more profitable, citing a study done by
nonprofit Peterson Institute for International
Economics and audit firm EY, which looked
at publicly traded companies in 91 countries.
Fostering family success

In Melissa Kokes family business, its

always been a male relative who has run the
company, from her great-grandfather to her

COVER STORY
grandfather to her uncle and her dad.
Yet, being a woman has never been an issue
for her in her progress up the ladder.
Koke is vice president at commercial printer QSL Print Communications in Springfield
and retail print shops Instaprint under the
umbrella of Koke New Century. Koke also coowns Koke Next Generation, which publishes
books and is developing other products.
She plans to take over the business from
her dad, Doug Koke, within the next couple
of years. Its a true family business with four
other relatives working in a variety of roles
within the company.
Doug is a leader that really looks for input
from everybody. I always felt that I had some
say in what was going on, Melissa Koke said.
The business has evolved since Kokes
grandfather started a local print company in
1907. Doug Koke, who had a business partner,
left IP/Koke Printing in 2007 and purchased
QSL Print Communications. That was prior
to the original company closing in 2008.
Melissa Koke, who was raised in Eugene,
graduated from Churchill High School and
has degrees in psychology and sociology from
the University of Oregon. She worked at local

start-up company Planet Zoo for several years

before rejoining her familys business in 2009.
Kokes role at QSL includes working directly with clients; managing the estimating,
customer service and sales people; and having
a role in purchasing and strategic planning.
I think because of my last name people
expect that I know what Im doing when it
comes to printing and theyre right about
that, Koke said. But I also know that I work
really hard to make sure I take care of customers and make this a good place to work.
Koke does not see any barriers to being
a businesswoman. She does see the value of
having a solid network. She recently finished
a term on the board of Pacific Printing Industries Association, and is a member of the
Eugene Executive Association.
I definitely have strong connections and
networks. I belong to Eugene Executive Association, which is a premiere networking
group, Koke said. It didnt allow women until
the early 80s, but youd never know it now.
The group has evolved since then, and
many women have since served in leadership
roles, she said.
Koke, 40, also is a mom to four-year-old

Ryan. She has peace of mind about being a

working parent because her work is personally
fulfilling, her sons happy at school and she and
her sons father have become good at juggling
work and family life.
Working outside the home is just the best
thing for my family, Koke said. Im really working for them. I like what I do. It fulfills me to
have a role outside being a mom and a partner.
About 50 percent of people in her company
are women, which she thinks is typical for the
industry. Historically those numbers were less,
Doug Koke said.
I tend to read about all the success stories,
Melissa Koke said. It sure doesnt seem like
women are afraid to fail. For me personally,
Im not afraid to because of the people around
me. I look at a lot of self-made women out
there that are a great example.
Hometown help

The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce

is among local organizations providing women business leaders with a network of support.
The Chamber encourages the development
of women entrepreneurs through its Women
Business Leaders group. It also honors the

OFF ON
THE RIGHT FOOT
Summit Bank helped the
Slocum Center for Orthopedics
hit their stride when it came
to meeting their business
banking needs.

96 East Broadway in Eugene

541-684-7500
SummitBankOnline.com

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 /J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

15

COVER STORY
significant contributions of a specific leader
each year with its Women Business Leader of
the Year Award.
More than nine million or 40 percent
of all U.S. businesses are owned by women, according to the Small Business Administration.
Giving a boost to women-owned businesses is
strongly connected to the Chambers overall
mission of promoting a healthy local economy
by influencing business success.
Resource and role model

As managing principal at Waddell & Reed

in Eugene, Aimee Butler strives to foster success in her staff and their clients.
Butler is responsible for compliance oversight in the office, training and development
of new financial advisors, recruiting advisors
and other staff, and many other administrative
tasks.
I love that every single day I get to come
to an office and work with wonderful people
who have high integrity, Butler said. I also
love the fact that when Im helping our financial advisors in this office that theyre helping
hundreds of other families.
Butler, 35, was raised in Connecticut and
has a degree in business management from
Providence College in Rhode Island. She has
worked in the financial industry since 2003
and at Waddell & Reed since 2008. Her networks include membership in the Financial
Planning Association.
Butler also is married and is mom to
6-year-old son Cameron and 3-year-old
daughter Penelope. She maintains the balance
of parenthood and work with complete and
utter planning.
I always knew I wanted to be a mom and
have kids, but I also knew that. I didnt want
to work in a company or in a position where
I felt like I couldnt do both, Butler said. I
think its critical to let women know they can
do this career and they can be successful and
they can have a family.
When she started her professional career at
a firm in Arizona, Butler was one of about six
women in an office of 50 advisors.
She decided to pursue a leadership role because of times when she walked into a meeting
feeling like she was someones assistant due to
her age, gender and peoples perceptions. She
wanted to change that.
Butler said she has role models in her professional and personal life, although her role
models in financial services are often men.

Key dates for Women Business Leaders next year

Women Business Leaders provides women business owners and managers the
opportunity to meet, advise, support and mentor one another to promote success.
Each luncheon offers a training opportunity you wont want to miss.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

January 12

Comfort Zones: Why stretching yourself is critical to your

growth featuring Caroline Cummings, Oregon RAIN Venture
Catalyst Manager

March 16

Unexpected Results: Why theres no such thing as failure

featuring Raj Vable Founder and Co-owner of Young Mountain
Tea

May 11

Leading Change featuring Christine Thompson, Corporate

Trainer for PacifiCorp.

July 13

Leaving with Love - knowing when to stay (wholeheartedly),

and when to go with Sarai Johnson, Principal, Lean Nonprofit,
LLC

September 14

The Confidence Recipe: Align Your Presence & Personal Brand

featuring Katherine Johnson founder and owner of Spark: Ignite
Your Signature Style

November 9

2017 Women Business Leader of the Year Awards Luncheon

About 15 percent of people who work

in financial services are women, Butler said,
citing the national organization Women in
Insurance and Financial Services.
There are certainly some women in this
industry that I respect and that I would say
are role models, Butler added. There are very
few in my position.
Butler works to be a mentor to both
younger women and men who work in the industry. Her firm recently started the Women
of Waddell network to connect female financial advisors. She also started a mentoring
group for women financial advisors in the
local business community.
Its fun to just be with each other and
just be a little bit of a support system without
making it a huge deal that its all women, but
its all women, Butler said.
Having women business leaders in our
community provides role models for the next
generation of women to look up to, Butler said.
Its important for kids to see that they, too,
can be financial advisors, doctors, CPAs or the
president, she said.
She is motivated by a need for achievement
and for doing something greater than herself.

I just love feeling like I can be a resource

to people, Butler said.
Good for business

In addition to womens business leadership,

womens business ownership appears to be
experiencing marked growth.
Citing a 2012 survey of business owners released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the
National Womens Business Council declared
womens entrepreneurship to be booming.
There were 9.9 million women-owned businesses in 2012, according to the survey, a 27.5
percent increase in five years. According to the
NWBC, those businesses brought in $1.6 trillion in revenue and employed 8.9 million people.
Having women business leaders in our
community is important for many reasons,
Lyons said.
In addition to the need for role models
for youths, as Butler also mentioned, people
approach problem solving and strategy in different ways, she said.
Having a business community where
there is diversity, Lyons continued, in gender, ethnicity and backgrounds gives us such
a strong framework for an innovative and
dynamic environment.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

1 6 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

COVER STORY

Annual Celebration
of Business will
feature key women
When the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce kicks off 2017
with its annual Celebration of Business next month, it will be with a
successful woman business leader as the new board chairperson and a
year of achievements to celebrate.
Its been a really good year for the local business community, said
Dave Hauser, president of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber has been involved with many of those successes,
Hauser said, working closely with community partners to grow key
sectors of the economy, including technology and food and beverage
manufacturing.
The annual Celebration of Business will be an opportunity to highlight plans for the year ahead, as well as introduce the new officers
serving on the board of directors, honor a local businessperson with
the First Citizen Award and recognize an emerging high school leader
with the Future First Citizen Award.
Among those people are new board chair Mandy Jones, who is
chief executive officer of Oregon Community Credit Union.
Jones said she is looking forward to putting into action the many
strategic plans this past years board has made, and to helping ensure
that the area has a flourishing local economy where businesses can
thrive and survive.
I think what the chamber does is theyre really good at bringing the
right people together to forward the goals of the chamber, which is the
goal of the businesses, Jones said. And with that collective group we
can make our community much stronger.
Jones, who has served on the board of directors for two terms, brings
with her three decades of experience in credit unions.
Prior to joining Oregon Community Credit Union about 15 years
ago, Jones worked at Patelco Credit Union in San Francisco. She has
been CEO of Oregon Community Credit Union for 10 years.
Jones was named Executive of the Year twice by the Willamette
Chapter of the Northwest Credit Union Association and was named
one of the 25 Women of Influence in 2011 by the Portland Business
Journal. She also has served as president of the board of directors for
United Way of Lane County.
Oregon Community Credit Union has been a leader in the Chamber, including as a founding partner for A Champion in Education
Awards, a program run cooperatively with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and local school districts that honors outstanding
contributions in public schools by administrators, teachers, classified
staff and volunteers.
Weve been really lucky as an organization to have outstanding volunteer leadership, both in the officer roles and throughout our board,
Hauser said. Mandy as an example follows some really strong women
business leaders who have led the chamber.
Those have included Gretchen Hult Pierce, Liz Cawood, Kathy

[The Chamber is] really good

at bringing the right people together.
... With that collective group
we can make our community
much stronger.
Mandy Jones
Eugene Chamber of Commerce Board Chair
CEO, Oregon Community Credit Union

Wiltz, Jenny Ulum and Sheryl Balthrop.

Many of the leaders on the current board are also successful businesswomen. They are Harriet Cherry, Cathy Worthington, Sarah
Bennett, Jamie Moffitt, Mary Spilde, Cheryl Boyum and Stephanie
Seubert.
It is important to acknowledge women business leaders, Jones said.
It is such a fast-growing group and important to the overall
economy of not only Oregon but also Lane County, Jones said.
Some of these businesswomen will continue to be on the new board
of directors in 2017, along with several businessmen. In 2016, businessmen serving on the board were Nigel Francisco, Chris Boone, Dana
Siebert, Craig Wanichek, Scott Lindstrom, Cale Bruckner, Jason
Lafferty, Ralph Parshall and Thomas Pettus-Czar.
The new board of directors, along with this years First Citizen
Award recipient, will be announced soon. The Celebration of Business
will be held on January 24.
Our organization has been the beneficiary of great leadership from
across the business community but especially from outstanding women
business leaders who really care about this organization and this community, Hauser said, and have been willing to roll up their sleeves and
help make things happen.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 /J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

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17

Business RESOURCES

Helping businesswomen succeed

By Cara Roberts Murez

The path to the top in the business

world be it a partner position in a finance
firm or owning a restaurant doesnt have
to be a solitary climb.
Other people have had similar experiences, faced the same challenges and are
willing to share their knowledge.
A variety of nonprofit organizations
here in Eugene exist to help people succeed in business. Some work specifically
with women entrepreneurs. Others provide
a support system for business owners of
either gender.
They offer networking opportunities,
education, help with business plans and
access to financing.
And they do it at little or no charge.
Building Americas economy one small
business at a time, said Darrell Davis, one
of the volunteer counselors at the local
office of the national nonprofit SCORE.
Thats what we do.
A great SCORE

The local chapter of SCORE, housed

in the same building as the Eugene Area
Chamber of Commerce, is one of more
than 320 across the U.S.
The organization, supported by the
Small Business Administration, uses volunteers with expertise in business, banking,
finance and law, for example, to mentor
existing or potential small business owners.
Our function is to help businesses get
started, from the ground up and also to
help businesses that are basically struggling
a little bit, Davis said.
The program offers one-on-one mentoring, help in creating a business plan and
free classes on subjects such as marketing,
using social media, working with subcontractors vs. employees, using PayPal or
Quicken and avoiding legal problems in
business.
Counselors will work with potential
business owners on securing financing. The
SBA serves as a guarantor for 80 percent of
a loan, which can help secure a loan.

SCORE serves about 350-400 clients

per year locally, and has 34 mentors, all
experts in their fields, Davis said.
You cannot put a value on that expertise at all, Davis said.
Fostering success

The Oregon Small Business Development Center Network, which operates at

19 college sites around the state, also offers
mentoring, seminar-style business education, business plan development and advice
about sources of capital.
The network includes Lane Commu-

1 8 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

nity Colleges Small Business Development Center in downtown Eugene, which

started in the early 1980s in response to
a recession, said Suzanne Penegor, who is
a business advisor and instructor at Lane
Community Colleges SBDC.
Our mission is to assist and support
local business owners and entrepreneurs,
Penegor said. Our ultimate goal is economic development and the creation of
new businesses and jobs in our state.
In Lane County, specialized programs
include those for small business management and restaurant business management.

Business RESOURCES
Classes include creating a profit and loss statement and marketing your work.
Statewide, the network counsels about
5,000 small businesses each year, said Mark
Gregory, state director of the Small Business
Development Center network.
Women business owners comprise about 55
percent of the clients they serve, Gregory said.
We do see a lot of women entrepreneurs
coming through our program, and sometimes
the business classes I teach are (attended by)
all women, Penegor said.
The Lane Community College SBDC
program counseled 686 clients last year and
has worked with nearly 500 so far this calendar year, Penegor said.
We say their grades are how well they do
in their business, Penegor said. Were helping them build their business foundation.
Working women

Women are a significant and growing

force in the business world. They own more
than 9 million firms, employing nearly 8 mil-

lion people, according to the National Association of Women Business Owners. They fill
more than half of managerial and professional
occupations. And, though small, their numbers are growing at the top of Fortune 500
companies, too, according to a Pew Research
Center study.
Networking groups specifically designed
for businesswomen to mentor other women
provide a steadying hand on that ladder to
success.
Some local groups are invitation-only and
dont have an official name.
Others include the Womens Business
Network, which began in 1992 and meets
monthly in Springfield to foster success
among women professionals.
The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce
offers another group, Women Business Leaders, which meets on alternate months.
Our goal is to help provide resources, tools
and networking for women business owners
and future women business owners within our
community, said Jeannie Erickson, a personal

banker at KeyBank, which is the corporate

sponsor for the networking group.
The group is meant for women in business
at all levels, Erickson added.
Meetings include a keynote speaker on
topics such as improving business and effective communication. The group provides
opportunities for networking with others,
and encourages making connections to help
people grow their businesses.
Its kind of like a concierge service for
building your business, Erickson said.
As we move forward into 2017, the Chamber Women Business Leaders program aspires
to provide an ambitious series of high quality
programs that:
Inspire through sharing short stories
from women business leaders and other who
have achieved great things.
Educate by providing insights that build
skills and knowledge that will promote businesses and personal success.
Engage by encouraging peer-to-peer
exchanges of knowledge and experience.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

Heres to a
New Year
SERENITY LANE

alcohol & drug treatment

541-687-1110

www.serenitylane.org

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 /J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

19

EUGENE MAYOR

Kitty Piercy wraps up her 12-year term

Twelve years ago, Kitty Piercy was elected
mayor, leading Eugene through a host of challenges and celebrations that have shaped our
community.
She is Eugenes second longest-serving
mayor, with only Elisha Large, mayor from
1932-45, serving longer.
When Mayor Piercy
took office, downtown had
many vacant buildings. Issues around homelessness
were growing. Drivers often encountered potholes.
Today, Eugenes downtown has generated
more than $300 million in private and public
investments. The pits are gone! Remarkably, the
redevelopment gained momentum during the
worst recession since the Great Depression.
Technology businesses have multiplied,
with more than 4,000 employees in 418
companies. As they recruit, our towns environmental focus, transportation options, paid
sick leave policy and coming downtown fiber

optics network makes Eugene attractive for

UO graduates as well as people moving to
town.
Mayor Piercy and Corvallis Mayor Julie
Manning were tapped by the governor to
help lead the creation of RAIN, the Regional
Accelerator and Innovation Network, which
helps entrepreneurs bring their ideas to market.
We have permanent housing for more
than 400 veterans, 634 affordable housing
units, and safe spots for homeless residents. A
2008 road repair bond, renewed in 2012, will
have repaired 160 lane miles on 130 streets
by 2018.
Mayor Piercy will always be remembered
for her focus on sustainability a new term
when she brought it up, but one that has been
adopted by most businesses. City government
uses a triple bottom line matrix when making
policy decisions; and the Sustainability Commission, which came out of her Sustainable
Business Initiative task force, provides leader-

ship to the City Council and city departments.

It is no coincidence that Eugene now has the
nations strongest climate recovery ordinance.
People knew where the mayor stood on
issues. You dont back up for anyone, and
people recognize that, said Sarah Bennett,
chair of Downtown Eugene Inc. and principal
of Bennett Management and Downtown
Athletic Club. And yet, she was always interested in hearing others opinions. Civility is
now the standard for City Council meetings.
She reached out to residents through monthly
grocery store meetings. She responded to
emails. She participated in thousands of
groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings. She
showed up at events and meetings. She represented Eugene statewide, nationally and
internationally.
After the January 2017 swearing in of
Mayor-Elect Lucy Vinis, Mayor Piercy and
her husband, David, plan to travel and spend
more time with their children and grandchildren.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

Less waiting
for emergency care
(and a lot more care, if you need it).

In a medical emergency, every minute matters. So, at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, youll find faster care
in the emergency room. We work diligently to have you initially seen by a medical professional* in 30 minutes or
less. And, with a team of dedicated medical specialists, we can provide a lot more care, if you need it.

The 30-Minutes-Or-Less E.R. Service Pledge

only at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center.
MCKweb.com
*Medical professionals may include physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. If youre experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center is owned in part by physicians.

2 0 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

92859_MWMC_ERpldg_7_735x4_8125c.indd 1

8/12/16 1:17 PM

We believe
a community
is at its best
when everyone
can participate.
Every weekday, LTD connects nearly 38,000 people to school, jobs, commerce and lots
of other activities. This fall, LTD launched one of its biggest service investments in
decades, providing more frequent service on its most-used routes, later hours of
operation, and more Sunday service. Wed like to thank you, the local business
owners and employers, for your support of this investment and for helping us keep
the community on the move. More at LTD.org

Bus EmX RideSource Park & Ride Vanpool School & Employer Programs

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 /J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

21

BUSINESSNEWS
Promotions/
New Hires
Photos appear left to right from top.
Names in bold indicate Eugene Area
Chamber of Commerce members. If you
are interested in joining the Chamber,
please contact us at 541-484-1314 or
info@eugenechamber.com.

Hershner Hunter, LLP, welcomed

Brandon Moore as an Associate. He
graduated from the University of Oregon
School of Law in 2016 and the University
of Southern California in 2004.His
practice will focus on business litigation
and business transactions. Michael
Gelardi joined their Eugene-based
legal team. Michaels practice focuses
on agribusiness, land use and natural
resources law.

Schirmer Satre Group announced

that Kate Tromp van Holst, joined the
company as Landscape Designer. Kate
earned a Masters degree in Landscape
Architecture from the University of
Oregon. She brings experience in rural
and urban agriculture, horticulture and
adaptive re-use of places and materials.
Bree Nicolello joined the company
as Planner. Bree is a graduate of the
Planning, Public Policy and Management
undergraduate program at the University
of Oregon. She brings experience in public
relations and marketing, as well as in
facilitation and public engagement. She
is also the youngest individual to serve on
the Eugene Planning Commission and also
serves on the Board of Directors of Better
Eugene-Springfield Transit. Kayleigh S.
Shuler joined the firm as an Associate.
Kayleigh earned her J.D. from the
University of Oregon School of Law where
she served as the Executive Editor for the
Oregon International Law Review and was
elected to the Order of the Coif National
Honor Society. Her practice focuses on
real property and business law.

Dan Ripplinger joined Oregon

Community Credit Union as President
of Business Services where he will
oversee OCCUs business product
offerings. He has worked in the financial
services industry for more than 12
years, including positions as a branch
manager, market area manager and
business relationship manager, and
he is a graduate of the Pacific Coast
Banking School, a program conducted in
partnership with the Graduate School of
Business at the University of Washington.
Heather Rolle is the new Director of
Card Services, supervising the staff
responsible for OCCUs debit and credit
card portfolio, ATM cards and non-OCCU
ATM transactions. She has worked in
the financial services industry for more
than 23 years, including positions as a
vice president of operations, compliance
officer, loan administration manager and
loan system analyst. She is a graduate of
California State UniversityChico.
Holly Guardino with Trio Property
Management Inc. was promoted to
Licensed Property Manager. Holly has
been with Trio almost a year and works
hand in hand with both owners and
tenants.
The Oeming Group added Laura
Franklin to their client services team
as she completes her BS in Business
Administration with a concentration in
Marketing at the University of Oregon.
Ausland Group announced that Anne
Jenkins joined their staff as Director
of Development and Marketing. Anne
was the Senior Vice President of
Travel Medford and has over 17 years
of experience in development, event
planning, marketing and promotion in
Oregon.

2 2 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

Andrew Hutson joined Windermere

Real Estate/Lane Countys commercial
office. Andrew has twenty years of
experience consulting with individuals and
business principals faced with exciting
and important investment choices.Mary
Cooper joined Windermere after 30 years
of diverse professional experience in Lane
County, including independent design
consulting and work for her familys
business, DC Fine Homes Inc.

Oregon Supported Living Program

hired Troy M Spooner as Director of
Human Resources. He has focused
his career solely on Human Resources
Management working for 10+ years.
OSLP also hired Mija Marie Andrade as
Development Director. Mija has worked in
the non-profit sector of Lane County for
10 years. She is celebrating 3 years with
Oregon Supported Living Program and
one year as their Development Director.
Caf Yumm! hired
Heather Cappel as
the new Marketing
Coordinator to support
their continued growth,
after nearly doubling in
size over the past four years. Expanding
the Marketing Department allows support
expansion in Portland and Washington as
Caf Yumm! identifies new market areas.
The law firm of Gleaves
Swearingen LLP
announced Lauren B.
Bernton joined the firm
as an Associate. Lauren
earned her J.D. (Order
of the Coif) from the University of Oregon
School of Law where she served as Editor
in Chief of the Oregon International Law
Review and on the board of the Moot
Court. Her practice focuses on litigation.

BUSINESSNEWS
Health department. Maggie received her
degree from the University of Texas Health
Science Center as a Psychiatric Mental
Health Nurse Practitioner, with highest
honors.Tiffany Zimmer, NP, joined the
Dermatology department. She received
her Master of Nursing at Washington
State University/Intercollegiate College of
Nursing.

Curtis Restaurant Equipment, an

employee-owned company headquartered
in Springfield, announced that Ryan
McPhail was appointed General Manager.
He will report directly to Dan Curtis
(not pictured), President. Ryan is in
charge of overall operations of the 60
employee company including the branch
offices in Bend, Medford and Beaverton.
Stewart Angco, a 25 year veteran of the
company, was appointed Vice President
of Restaurant Chain Accounts. He has
worked extensively with both regional
and national chains for the majority of
his Curtis career. Susan Simonton was
appointed Vice President of Finance.
Susan has managed the firms sevenperson accounting department for the
past 10 years. She is also responsible
for managing the human resources
department. Daren Webster was
named Vice President of Marketing and
Purchasing. He has been the purchasing
manager for over 25 years and responsible
for the firms marketing efforts for the
past 15 years.
Joshua Plank, MD, joined the Internal
Medicine team at PeaceHealth Sacred
Heart Medical Center at RiverBend as
a Hospitalist. Joshua earned his medical
degree at Saint Georges University
School of Medicine in Grenada, and
completed his residency in Family
Medicine at the University of Kansas
Medical Center. Carol Crocker, NP, joined
the Enterostomal Therapy department.
She received her Master of Nursing from
Oregon Health Sciences University in
Portland. Sara Funatake, Audiologist,
joined PeaceHealth Sacred Heart
Medical Center, University District, in
the Ear, Nose and Throat department. She
received her Doctor of Audiology from
Idaho State University, and received her
Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing
Sciences from Portland State University.
Maggie Drake, NP, joined the Behavioral

The Eugene Family

YMCA promoted
Kari Porter to Senior
Director of Programs
and hired Lisa
MacMaster as the
Senior Director of Philanthropy. Darren
Stone of the Jennings Group also joined
their Board of Directors.

Kudos
Parr Lumber acquired Country Homes
Building Supply in Spokane, Washington,
establishing a second location for
Parr Lumber in that market. Both are
family-owned, Northwest companies
and combined have been serving their
communities for more than 155 years.
The Santa Clara Fred Meyer store
celebrated a reopening after a $9.2 million
upgrade to the store.
Judith Conrad was elected President
of the Board of Directorsfor Next
Step Recycling. The new Board of
Directors also elected Roy Nelson as
their Executive Director. The new board
consists of Frank King, Mike Grudzien,
Jennifer Cooper, Val Stilwell, Ruth
Kuehl, and Tori Thomas.

Eugene Symphony
Board of Directors
welcomed Meg
Mitchell (Liaison
between the State of
Oregon and the US
Forest Service), Trieber Meador (Comfort
Flow Heating) and Joanna Radke (Fiserv,
Inc.,) to its 28-member board. Each will
serve three-year terms.

Oregon Community Credit Union

received a Dora Maxwell Social
Responsibility Community Service Award
for its annual Volunteer Day project by
The Northwest Credit Union Association
(NWCUA). It is the fourth time OCCU has
received such acknowledgement in the
past six years, also placing first in the
state-level awards in 2011, and second in
2010 and 2013.

Lane Arts Council announced that

John Park, Senior Instructor of Art &
Technology at the University of Oregon,
and a co-founder of the Eugene-based
interdisciplinary arts collective Harmonic
Laboratory and Eric Braman, University
of Oregon Masters candidate, Nonprofit
Management, joined their board.
WHA Insurance Agency, Inc.s Jennifer
King received the Oregon Trucking
Associations 2016 Allied Member of
the Year award in recognition for her
dedication and perseverance in promoting
the OTA and safety in the trucking
industry.
Real NW Group has a new home at 313
E. 8th Avenue, across from Whole Foods
Market.
Comcast Xfinity store in Eugene is
now open across from Valley River
Shopping Center. Services in the store
include account assistance, retail sales,
equipment returns and product demos.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 /J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

23

BUSINESSNEWS
Summit Bank reported net income
for the third quarter of $840 thousand
or 35 cents per fully diluted share.
Earnings for the comparable period
one year ago were $705 thousand or
30 cents per fully diluted share. The
Banks third quarter earnings were the
highest that the Bank has achieved in
its history. Patricia (Patty) Buehler,
M.D., and Dan Hobin will join the board
of directors of Summit Bank. Dr. Buehler
is a surgeon and small business owner
in Central Oregon. She is a managing
partner at InFocus Eyecare and an
owner of the Bend Surgery Center.
Dan is the Co-Founder and CEO of
G5, the leading data driven marketing
company in the property management
sector. With over 20 years of experience
in building technology companies
with high growth, Dan oversees G5s
strategic direction, execution and
planning. Dan is a co-founder of
the Bend Venture Conference and
participates on the advisory board for
OSU Cascades.

Evans, Elder
& Brown, Inc.
commerical real
estate has changed
their name to Evans,
Elder, Brown &
Seubert, Inc. Stephanie Seubert has
been been a partner of the firm since
2008.
Tyree Oil, Inc. acquired the lubricant
distribution business of Christenson
Oil, based in Portland. Bringing the
two companies together, customers
will have access to expanded product
lines and additional technical services.
Christenson Oil will continue to operate
a separate lubricant blending facility,
also in Portland.

Jennings Group
Inc. announced new
ownership. Long-term
managers Elizabeth
Scott, Principal
Broker, Darren
Stone, Active Principal Broker, and
Sarah Vail, Senior Multi-Family Portfolio
Manager, have purchased the company
from owners Jim Youel and Gail
Louden. Kent Jennings, who founded
the company in 1977 now serves on the
advisory board and remains active in
asset management and development
consulting. Over the past three years the
company has rebranded, restructured,
launched a Construction Division
and acquired a small management
company. Gross revenue is up over 40%
since 2013.

New Members
When you join the Eugene Area
Chamber of Commerce, you become
part of a vibrant and prosperous
community of creative entrepreneurs,
forward-thinking innovators and
visionary business leaders. Were
pleased to welcome these new
members who have chosen to take
advantage of the Chambers tools,
resources and expansive network to
grow their businesses:
Direct Connect Humanitarian Aid
www.directconnectaid.org

Emerald Valley Chem-Dry

www.emeraldvalleychemdry.com

Eugene Family Chiropractic

www.eugenefamilychiro.com

Family Heritage
www.familyheritagelife.com

Farmers Insurance - DeKalb Agency

www.farmersagent.com/jdekalb

FedEx Services
www.fedex.com

2 4 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

BUSINESSNEWS
Freedom Heart Wellness
www.freedomheartwellness.com

Goldworks Jewelry Art Studio

www.goldworksart.com

Grand Realty
www.homesinoregon.com

Were Looking For a

Few Good Vendors

Harmony Dental
www.harmonydentalor.com

Island Park Chiropractic

www.islandparkchiropractic.com

Meet UO and

Jordan Iverson Signature Homes

other state ag

ency purchase

rs

Reverse Vend
or Fair
February 16, 2
017
Register at: pc
s.uoregon.edu

www.iversonsignaturehomes.com

Junk Munkiez
www.junkmunkiez.com

Life Force Connection

www.lifeforceconnection.com

Limitless Physical Therapy

www.limitlessphysicaltherapy.com

Link Source IT, LLC

www.linksourceit.com

MaLerische Galerie
Marist Catholic High School
www.marisths.org

MOD Pizza
www.modpizza.com

Oregons Green Rush

www.oregonsgreenrush.com

Performance Resources, Inc.

www.prol.ws

Renas Next Day Dry Cleaning

www.facebook.com/renasnextday

SSW Engineers Inc.

www.sswengineers.com

SYTE Consulting Group, Inc.

www.sytecg.com

The Bowlin-Johannes Group LLC

www.laneseniorguide.org

Threadbare Print House

www.threadbarepress.com

Hi Fi Music Hall
www.hifimusichall.com

Wendys
www.wendys.com

Whole Foods Market

www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/Eugene
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 /J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

25

LAST CALL BY DAVE HAUSER

Women-led businesses on the rise

ur Chambers mission focuses on

the promotion of a healthy local economy by
influencing business success. Among
the strategies we have advanced in
pursuit of that mission is supporting women
-owned businesses.
Businesses led by women are and will continue to have a
noticeable impact on the local economy. The numbers tell the
story according to the 2016 State of Women-Owned Business
Report commissioned by American Express, women -owned
business are growing and positively impacting the economy.
It is estimated that there are now 11.3 million
women-owned businesses in the United States, employing
nearly 9 million people and generating over $1.6 trillion
($1,622,763,800,000) in revenues.
Between 2007 and 2016, the number of women-owned
firms increased by 45%, compared to just a 9% increase among
all businesses. Therefore, over the past nine years, the number
of women-owned firms has grown at a rate fully five times
faster than the national average.
In Oregon, the number of women-owned firms grew from
80,543 in 1997 to 120,800 in 2013 - a growth of 50 percent.

2 6 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

Women-owned businesses in Oregon provide over 100,000

jobs
In 2006, the Eugene Chamber created Women Business
Leaders (WBL) to provide women business owners and
managers the opportunity to meet, support, celebrate and
mentor one another in order to promote the success of their
businesses. The Chamber believes supporting women-owned
businesses one of the fastest growing categories of small
business - is good economic development strategy.
With the support of sponsor KeyBank, our WBL
luncheons provide knowledge, inspiration and networking
opportunities for women business owners and leaders. In
addition, our Woman Business Leader of the Year Award
honors achievements and contributions to the community. We
believe this annual award helps inspire the next generation of
local women business leaders.
Women are increasingly important players in the prosperity
of our region. Supporting the continued growth of women
business leaders and women-owned businesses therefore
benefits our entire business community. To learn more about
the Chambers Women Business Leaders program, visit our
website at www.eugenechamber.com.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

Now enjoy flying on larger planes with

mainline service to SFO and DEN.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 /J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

27

PO Box 1107
Eugene, OR 97440-1107

SUCCESS STORIES START HERE

What does success mean to you? At Kernutt Stokes, our clients not only look to us as
an advisor, but also as a partner in their success. Our clients value our entrepreneurial
spirit and look to us to help them achieve the next level of financial success.

Great service is the key to any successful business and it is invaluable to the person
receiving it. To that end, I am committed to giving my clients the best service
possible. I am responsive, attentive, and dedicated to helping them reach their goals.
I go out of my way to help my clients, and strive to always exceed expectations.
TERRY NIEGEL, CPA, Partner

Certified Public Accountants & Consultants

1600 Executive Parkway, Suite 110, Eugene, Oregon 97401

541.687.1170 | kernuttstokes.com