Image
furman hall

The Oregon State University College of Education Alumni and Friends Leadership Circle (AFLC) is a volunteer board of College of Education alumni and friends committed to supporting the long-term success and sustainability of the college and promoting opportunities for the College of Education community. Alumni leaders, and our closest friends, contribute directly to college scholarship and programmatic resources and assist in the development and implementation of alumni, student, and education community engagement strategies.

 

Meet our Alumni and Friends Leadership Circle.

Image
jason dorsette

Jason J. Dorsette

Residence: I am a native of High Point, North Carolina who now resides in Corvallis, Oregon since January of 2014.

Career: I am a PhD student in College of Education Language, Educational Policy, and Equity Program. My research interest includes issues of access and equity in the context of higher education informed by race, gender, and the interconnectedness of other social identities. Having worked in higher education for over a decade and collaborating with others to affect the experiences for underrepresented students and educators has been rewarding. As a current university administrator, I serve as Director for Advancing Academic Equity for Student Success, and serve as Adjunct Faculty in the College Student Service Administration graduate program and the University Exploratory Studies Program (UESP) all at Oregon State University. Receiving my BA degree in History and Education and MS degree in Public Policy and Administration from North Carolina Central University, a historically Black & University (HBCU) has afforded me an opportunity to serve in various educational leadership capacities regionally and nationally in a number of professional associations. Civically, I come from a long family legacy of politically and socially involved family members. I serve as an advisory board member on the City of Corvallis Mayor’s Imagine Corvallis Action Network (CAN), Vice President of the NAACP Corvallis-Albany branch, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant that partners with school districts and institutions of higher learning to co-create curriculum that promotes social change and inclusive excellence. “Our society cannot afford a two-tiered system in which the affluent have access to superior education, while everyone else is subjected to a dull and incoherent classroom experience. Academic excellence, educational equity, and fairness demand a strong foundation of knowledge for all learners.”- E. D. Hirsch, Jr.

What inspires your commitment to the College of Education? Having an opportunity to contribute to the growth of the College of Education programs and to learn from and collaborate with some of the nation’s leading scholars in the field of education is rewarding. As a current PhD student in the college Language, Educational Policy, and Equity program I take great pride in representing our many graduate programs and firmly believe that our college is preparing educators to serve as 21st-century leaders to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our education system.

Image
betty flad

Betty Flad

Residence: Portland, Oregon

Career: I am a retired educator, having worked as a teacher, school administrator and a district administrator  for the Beaverton School District (1968-2005).  Following retirement from public education, I assumed the role of Director of Administrative Licensure for Lewis and Clark College in Portland.  My career also included professional consulting in the areas of long-range planning, meeting facilitation, school improvement and data analysis, building school culture and team building.

What inspires your commitment to the College of Education? I participated in a wide range of leadership opportunities as a student at Oregon State University (1963-67).  My educational training at OSU in the College of Education provided me a firm foundation for my future roles and endeavors. As a school leader I learned quickly how important a well trained teacher, in every classroom, is to student success.  Equipping classrooms with passionate educators who persist and succeed in spite of student and societal challenges is critical to develop high performing schools.

My work with the OSU School of Education - Beaverton School District partnership (Teach 4 Beaverton) has become my retirement endeavor.  This partnership is creating new pathways for teacher licensure through a hybrid model of college instruction and classroom mentoring, producing a cadre of highly trained teachers for local schools.  The partnership supports my passion for developing educators who can connect with kids and ensure a future generation of well educated citizens.

Image
gerald hamilton

Gerald Hamilton

Residence: Olympia, Washington

Career: I am retired after a forty plus year career in Education. I had the rare opportunity to serve in both the Oregon K12 system and with the Oregon Community Colleges. During my K12 tenure, I held the positions of Teacher, Coach, Counselor, Principal, Curriculum Director, and finally as Superintendent. After my K12 retirement, I was asked to return as President of Klamath Community College where I served for five years. Additionally, I was Director of Oregon Community College and Workforce Development, and President of Clatsop Community College.

What inspires your commitment to the College of Education? My commitment to Oregon State and the College of Education is deeply rooted in my attendance. As a first generation college student, their support was critical to my obtaining a degree. Later, Oregon State and the College of Education welcomed me back with open arms to complete graduate work which has propelled me into my career. Throughout my time in Education, the OSU Department of Education has provided me the academics and programs needed to advance my career. Whether it was hours for the next state certification or a counseling certificate, they came through. I am always excited to provide assistance to the College of Education and it’s students.

Image
Camille Preus

Camille Preus

Residence: Salem, Oregon

Career: Chief Executive Officer of the Oregon Community College Association. I serve as the primary voice for Oregon’s 17 community colleges by advocating and coordinating state policy, budget and capital funding.  

I was President of Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC) from 2013 to 2018. BMCC serves over 18,000 square miles of eastern Oregon and over 8,000 students and was recognized as a preferred provider of workforce training for businesses across the district.

I have held leadership roles in Oregon in community colleges & workforce development at both state and local levels. I also have private sector experience as a chemist and quality control manager with United States Steel. I graduated from Cumberland Junior College (TN), Middle Tennessee State University, earned an MSBA from Indiana University and received my doctorate in Community College Leadership from Oregon State University.

What inspires your commitment to the College of Education? What inspires my commitment to the College of Education is to give back a small token of the generous support and exceptional learning experience provided to me when I was a graduate student at OSU. The fidelity of the academic program was enhanced by the cohort model and offered the opportunity to build close relationships with fellow students and faculty.  I am honored to be asked to assist the College of Education moving forward.

Image
joth ricci

Joth Ricci

Residence:  Beaverton, Oregon

Career:  President of Dutch Bros Coffee, the nation's largest privately-held drive-thru beverage company with more than 375 locations in seven western states. I am a consumer product and beverage industry veteran with nearly 30 years of experience that encompasses sales, marketing and executive management over a range of companies. Over the last 20 years, I have had a front seat to the growth of the craft spirits, craft beer, wine, coffee and kombucha brands that have emerged from Portland and the state of Oregon.

I joined Dutch Bros from Adelsheim Vineyard, where I was president and CEO and remain a strategic advisor and director. Previously, I was president of Stumptown Coffee Roasters, where I collaborated with TSG Consumer Partners, which have since partnered with Dutch Bros. Additionally, I am an advisor for Brew Dr. Kombucha and Ninkasi Brewing and the current Chairman of the Oregon Business Plan. My career experience also includes Johnson & Johnson, Columbia Distributing, Jones Soda and First Beverage Group.

What inspires your commitment to the College of Education? I believe that our current education system and future enhancements through research and best practices are as important today as ever in our society. The College of Education at Oregon State has been a part of my family for over 50 years and this is an opportunity for me to honor the past and help to shape the future.

Image
chris stephenson

Chris Stephenson

Residence: Eugene, Oregon

Career: As the Head of Computer Science Education Strategy at Google, I work with internal Google teams and external computer science organizations globally to support rigorous education research and to improve computer science teaching and learning. Prior to joining Google in 2014, I  was the founding Executive Director of the Computer Science Teachers Association, which I launched while I was enrolled in my doctoral program in the College of Education. Previously, I held positions at the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto. I currently serve as the co-chair of the ACM Education Board and on the Editorial Advisory Board for Inroads Magazine and am a Distinguished Member of ACM.

What inspires your commitment to the College of Education? No field is more important or more challenging than education. As professionals and practitioners, teachers and counselors have a tremendous responsibility, not only to their students, but to the community in which they live, and to the world those students inhabit and will eventually shape. My commitment to the College of Education is grounded in my own experience as a doctoral student and the extent to which it prepared me to go into the world determined and equipped to make a positive contribution.