State Senator Sara Gelser

What positive qualities make our Region unique? How can we best preserve those qualities?
Our Region has great people that work in a variety of fields. From agriculture to health care, technology to education, and many sectors in between; we are a community of diverse interests and talents. Our community is also filled with a strong spirit of collaboration and generosity, with non-profit and volunteer organizations that regularly look for ways to fill the gaps in our social service, education and environmental systems. Our Region is caring, engaged, and approaches life with a can-do, all-in-it-together attitude.

What are your top three priorities right now?
I am committed to improving the quality and accessibility of our mental health system for all ages, strengthening the safety and responsiveness of our Child Welfare system, and shoring up the safety net for all Oregonians who need support to thrive safely and happily in the community.
 
What are your top values as an effective leader?
The most important thing is to stay connected with actual people. As a policy maker, it is easy to focus on theoretical discussions. However, even the best-intended policies aren’t worthwhile if they don’t actually work for the people they are intended to serve. It is important to have citizens, consumers, students, and individuals typically considered “vulnerable” in key leadership roles as policies are developed and decisions are made. This requires intentional outreach, and restructuring of meetings and avenues of discussion.
 
How do you gain the cooperation of others?
It’s important to really listen to everyone’s perspective and understand the needs they are trying to meet. When people work toward a common goal while considering different perspectives and interests, conflict can often be pushed aside.
 
What do you consider your best or most outstanding accomplishment?
The oversight that the Legislature (through my [Human Services] Committee) has provided for Child Welfare over the last several years has led to improvements in safety for kids, and put the organization in a spotlight. This led to increased investment and critically needed attention for the agency, including a comprehensive audit by the Secretary of State, a new Foster Care Commission, the Unified Safety Plan, commitment to a centralized child abuse hotline, and new leadership at the [Child Welfare] Department. This will lead to a stronger system overall for families, protect kids from maltreatment, and hopefully help more families stay together in safe and healthy ways.

What is your favorite book? Is there a book that has impacted your leadership style most?
I love the book How to Find Your Mission in Life by Richard Nelson Bolles, which talks about combining vocation and passion. I was also deeply influenced by the book Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed, which is about how to look critically and constructively at negative outcomes in human services and health care to plan for systemic change.

State Representative Andy Olson

What positive qualities make our Region unique? How can we best preserve those qualities?

The communities within our Region are fortunate to have leaders who work well together. As a result, the diverse communities have a common thread entwined between them…synergism. Good leaders know to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects; they must bring vision that leads to one path, tying everyone together.

Only good leaders understand the need and value of working together. Our Region will best be served through leadership that has compassion, consistency, and possesses character.

What are your top priorities right now?

• As I finish out my seventh term serving not only the greater Albany area, but the entire State, I want a transition of representation that is seamless.
• To ensure the Millersburg intermodal hub project becomes a reality for our community.
• To see completion of an additional building for Trillium Family Services’ Farm Home, through a $3 million capital grant in the 2017-2019 Lottery Bond bill. The grant is a vital component of the funding needed to construct the second of three state-of-the-art buildings that house the State’s Secure Adolescent Inpatient Program (SAIP).

What are your top values as an effective leader?

• To be a stepping stone and not a stumbling block.
• President Lincoln once said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” It is important to truly care about people…they will sense it.
• Maintain an open-door policy and listen!
• Accountability is essential for an effective leader, without it effectiveness is lost.
• In the middle of the word lies a little four-letter word…grit. A good leader understands the merging of grit into integrity to be effective.

How do you gain the cooperation of others?

Several years back, John Maxwell wrote the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Law #10 is the Law of Connection. The premise behind Law #10 is simple…Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.

Law #4…the Law of Navigation. A good leader understands the need for vision and to constantly share that vision with the crew! The premise: Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.

A good leader understands the value of reverse gossip. To affirm and applaud others behind their backs. It’s an effective way to energize a person and an organization.

What do you consider your best or most outstanding accomplishment?

I married up. My wife Pam and I are approaching 46 years together. We have three incredible daughters who are all married to good men, and we have five great grandchildren.

What is your favorite book? Is there a book that has impacted your leadership style most?

The Bible. God uses a variety of characters…common, ordinary people to accomplish His goal through leadership.

Oregon State University President Ed Ray

What positive qualities make our Region unique? How can we best preserve those qualities?

People in Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties are positive, engaging, and willing to try new things to make a positive impact. The Region is really beautiful. We need economic vitality to maintain the progressive quality of our communities, and the Region. This requires thoughtful economic development to also preserve the natural beauty of our environment.

To accomplish these things, we need a regional approach to economic development, and to the preservation of the natural beauty all around us. We also need to be welcoming and inclusive to every member of our increasingly diverse community.

What are your top priorities right now?

My top three priorities are:

• Increase and equalize retention and four-year and six-year graduation rates for all students attending Oregon State University (OSU); to do so with special emphasis on students who are Pell-eligible, as they come from lower-income circumstances and families; [and to also focus on] first-generation college students, historically under-represented students, and students from rural communities.
• Keep tuition increases as low as possible for resident undergraduate students, and maintain a minimum enrollment of 67% Oregonians in our undergraduate [programs] at our Corvallis campus.
• Facilitate the expansion of academic programs and growth of enrollments at OSU-Cascades, and on line through Ecampus.

What are your top values as an effective leader?

• To be authentic and focused on the success of others;
  
• To always demonstrate integrity; and
• To always be accountable for successes and failures.

How do you gain the cooperation of others?

Cooperation is the product of a common agenda. I only lead groups whose goals and objectives – and whose underlying values that drive them – are mine, as well.

What do you consider your best or most outstanding accomplishment?

I have never accomplished anything of much consequence on my own. At OSU, I am particularly proud of the success we have had with strategic planning and distributed budgeting; the success of The Campaign for OSU (the University's fundraising campaign); and the emergence of OSU-Cascades as a four-year regional campus of OSU.

What is your favorite book? Is there a book that has impacted your leadership style most?

I love to read, especially about American and world history. Three books I have read recently, and recommend, are: Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond; The People's School: A History of Oregon State University by William Robbins; and Commander in Chief: FDR's Battle with Churchill, 1943 by Nigel Hamilton.

Representative Sherrie Sprenger, District 17

What positive qualities make our Region unique? How can we best preserve those qualities?

The Willamette Valley is rich in opportunities! Within an hour or so drive, we can be on the gorgeous Oregon Coast; snow covered mountains; too many hikes to count; and my favorite, abundant fishing opportunities. If that were not enough, we have wineries and specialty shops featuring everything from antiques, locally produced gourmet food items, and just about anything else you can think of.

This region is very dependent on small businesses and natural resources. We are known for being the grass seed capital of the world for good reason. I work very hard to keep in mind how every decision in Salem has the capacity to significantly impact these small businesses and our natural resource based economy. I trust the folks in this area to manage their lives and wallets without excess government regulation.

What are your top priorities right now?

Oregon is struggling to give our kids the best possible education. On any national scale you look at, Oregon is at the bottom or near the bottom. I have been appointed by the Speaker of the House to a special committee to take a deep dive, across this state, to find what works and what doesn’t work so our kids have the best opportunity to be successful in whatever they choose to do.

The vast majority of people in this area are employed by small businesses. I work to make decisions that allow these businesses the opportunity to grow and employ more people.

What are your top values as an effective leader?

I work hard to be worthy of people’s trust. That doesn’t mean we will always agree. I want to be a person whose word is good and trustworthy. I remind myself constantly that the decisions I make impact people’s lives. The only way I can know what is important to people is to be available and listen to them. That’s probably why my cell phone rings off the hook.

How do you gain the cooperation of others?

I spend a great deal of my time building relationships in the Capitol. To do that I have to listen more than I talk; I find listening is harder than talking. I work to educate those from more urban areas in our way of life. Governing resources in Portland is very different than governing resources in rural Oregon.

What do you consider your best or most outstanding accomplishment?

My accomplishments are not as much about what I’ve done, but rather how I’ve partnered with others to accomplish positive things for the state. The majority of the legislation I work on comes from constituents. It’s a great thrill to help somebody else make a difference.

What is your favorite book? Is there a book that has impacted your leadership style most?

I’m not sure if it is my absolute favorite but I recently read IF by Mark Batterson. I find myself frequently asking myself, “What if...” questions. This question forces me to think about things without focusing on the roadblocks and looking more toward a path to the outcome.

Senator Arnie Roblan, District 5

What positive qualities make our Region unique? How can we best preserve those qualities?

Our region is unique, and particularly the coastal areas that I represent in the Oregon Senate, in that we have a diverse reliance on natural resources. Senate District 5, which I represent, includes portions of Coos, Douglas, Lane Lincoln, Tillamook, Polk and Yamhill counties. They all are unique in that they depend significantly on traditional natural resource industries like fishing, logging and farming, but they also are depending more and more on tourism to drive their economies. This dependence on natural resources for production as well as for enjoyment requires us to live in harmony with our environment and cherish the rich natural resources that flourish on the coast and in the Coast Range.

The area that I represent also is unique because it includes four federally recognized tribes – the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Our recognized tribes, through their relationship with the state and federal governments, work to preserve the valuable natural and cultural qualities of our region. They bring strong cultural values and use these intergovernmental relationships to enhance our resources for the greater good of all of Oregon’s citizens, whether they are tribal members or not.

What are your top three priorities right now?

In the prevailing state and federal environment, the three important priorities that need our attention right now are:

• Job creation and housing: Creating an environment in our state that results in good jobs for our local communities is vital. We need jobs that will support families and provide promising futures to our young people. We also need more affordable housing to provide for existing coastal residents as well as those who move to this beautiful part of the state. We must align state and federal strategies and resources to prevent homelessness and create affordable housing. The Oregon Legislature recently supported a measure providing funding for organizations offering home ownership programs for low-income Oregonians.
• Education: As a former teacher and high school principal, my core interest is education. I’ve been doing everything in my power to support, strengthen and enhance our schools to continue improving the quality of education we provide to our children. We must do more to ensure our students receive a first-class education by enhancing students’ time in school. We also must remain dedicated to improving our graduation rates. Our economy is dependent upon a well-educated workforce ready and able to fill new jobs that are created in our modern economy.
• Healthcare: Healthcare is essential to healthy people, thriving communities and a successful state. We must continue to fulfill our responsibility to protect the health of our most vulnerable in our rural communities, and especially our children. When children are healthy, they are better able to focus in school and to learn. When they focus on education, those same children grown into productive Oregonians, working hard and raising their children and contributing to our communities.

What are your top values as an effective leader?

I believe one of the top values of an effective leader is listening.  As a former teacher and principal at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay, I spent a lot of time listening to students and teachers. By listening to the thoughts and positions of others, we can build trust that leads to cooperation and collaboration. During my career in education, I would encourage students, parents, teachers and administrators within our school community to provide feedback and incorporate those ideas in finding solutions to the issues that we faced. Listening also helped me build bridges with concerned community members to engage with our school community. I took that principle to the Legislative Assembly. In the 2011 and 2012 legislative sessions, we incorporated a co-governance model of leadership due to the historic split between 30 Republicans and 30 Democrats in the House of Representatives. This allowed us to effectively share power in difficult times. While many expected this scenario to lead to a “do-nothing” Legislature, we defied the political odds. We responded to our challenges by crafting a new way of doing business and moving forward together based on trust. Along with Bruce Hanna, the Republican co-speaker, I presided over two of the most productive legislative sessions in Oregon history. We passed a balanced budget, a sweeping health reform overhaul and a successful education reform package by bridging partisan gap and working together for the betterment of the state.

How do you gain the cooperation of others?

With a focus on listening and collaboration, we can find cooperation and common ground with others to reach solutions to the problems we face. This is especially true for individuals over which you have no authority. It’s never a good idea to simply bully someone into cooperation. I generally assume that people want to do the right thing, even if their preferred methods or philosophies run counter to my own. By understanding where people are coming from, we can find common ground to reach solutions.

What do you consider your best or most outstanding accomplishment?

My most outstanding accomplishment was presiding as Co-Speaker over an evenly split House of Representatives in 2011 and 2012. I built my career on bringing people together. This began when I was a math teacher and principal, and I continued with that endeavor in my leadership role in a rather tricky legislative environment. The political system is designed for majority rule, and having an even number of Republicans and Democrats forced us to re-think the checks and balances within the legislative structure. Again, trust is a key element in cooperation and collaboration, as well as appreciating the importance of relationship-building. I understand those qualities well, and I was able to work with Democratic and Republican colleagues to move Oregon forward in a productive way. We demonstrated a commitment to put Oregonians ahead of political parties and my colleagues placed faith in my leadership to improve the quality of life we all enjoy.

What is your favorite book? Is there a book that has impacted your leadership style most?

It is difficult to pick just one book as my favorite or most impactful on my leadership style, because several books have affected me over the years. Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, brilliantly depicts the duality in the nature of the human character and the spiral of demise that can be triggered in a person’s life simply based on one lie or falsehood. Management By Walking Around, by Tom Peters, discusses the idea of building relationships with colleagues and employees through face-to-face interaction. This method helps provide better supervision and also provides an opportunity to listen and gain insights on different perspectives. Leadership and the New Science, by Margaret J. Wheatley, provides similar insights about developing trust and relationships in the workplace, but this book goes further in illustrating how patterns and abilities of a leader can shape the culture of the organization. In essence a leader’s actions speak much louder than words. Collaboration within organizations develops naturally through developing relationships.