Springfield Area Chamber Of Commerce Aims To Empower Community Leaders At The Inaugural Leadership Summit

2019 Summit Leadership Press Release

Springfield, OR — The Springfield Area Chamber’s inaugural Leadership Summit will be held on Thursday, September 19th at the Lane Community College Center for Meeting and Learning. This summit will bring together business and civic leaders in our community and provide extended learning opportunities for professional development, organizational management, and civic leadership.

The Summit will feature three keynote speakers from a range of backgrounds, each focusing on a unique aspect of leadership; two breakout sessions with topics of Conscious Leadership, Oregon’s Political Landscape, Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion; and will close with a Leaders in Innovation Showcase.

Keynote Speaker: Beverly “Bev” Smith

Beverly “Bev” Smith is currently the Executive Director of Emerald KIDSPORTS in Eugene, Oregon. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Performance from the University of Oregon (1988) and her level 4/5 National Coaching Certificate from the National Institute of Coaching in Victoria, British Columbia. She helped write the draft for Canada Basketball’s Long Term Athlete Development Plan (LTAD) and has done skill and coaching clinics in Canada, Italy, Jordan, and the US. Bev was elected to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (2003), the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame (2003), the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2004), and the University of Oregon Hall of Fame (1992).

Keynote Speaker: Aaron Linsdau

Aaron Linsdau is only the second American to ski alone from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole, setting a world record for surviving the longest expedition ever for that trip. He has walked across Yellowstone National Park in winter, crossed the Greenland tundra alone, has trekked through the Sahara Desert, and successfully climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Mt. Elbrus in Russia. Aaron holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in computational science. He wrote the book & produced the film Antarctic

Tears as well as Lost at Windy Corner. He is an expert at building resilience to overcoming adversity, and will speak about building individuals into powerful contributors.

Keynote Speaker: Terry Busch

Dr. Terry Joseph Busch has over thirty years of broad professional experience as a teacher, foreign policy analyst, manager, leader at the executive level of the Federal Government, and management consultant. His early work experience included stints as an Army Medical Services Corps Officer in Germany and Vietnam, and an Assistant Professorship in the Political Science Department at Denison University. His distinguished career with the Central Intelligence Agency included senior assignments as Director of Leadership Analysis, Deputy Inspector General, and Director Human Resource Management. He is now President and CEO of his own consulting practice and author of several books on managing and leading including “What the Best Managers Know and Do”.

Leaders in Innovation Showcase

At the close of the Summit, a Leaders in Innovation Showcase will feature three brief presentations, each focused on innovative projects, processes, and organizations. Kiki Prottsman, recipient of the 2018 RG Game Changer Award, and silver winner of Stevie’s coveted 2017 Female Innovator of the Year Award, will discuss the inextricable link between innovation and “the pivot.”. Rob Freres Jr., President of Freres Lumber Company will discuss his organization’s innovative product that got them named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company magazine this year. Robert Guldberg, Vice President and Robert and Leona DeArmond Executive Director of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact will close out the showcase with a discussion on the new Knight Science Campus, and the impacts of the innovative research that will be coming out of the new state of the art facility.

When: Thursday September 19th; Check in begins at 9:00am and activities adjourn at 4:30pm Where: Lane Community College Center for Meeting and Learning, 4000 East 30th Avenue Presented by: The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Presenting Sponsor: Kaiser Permanente

About the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce

The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce is a 501 (c) 6 membership-based association comprised of private, public, and non-profit organizations in the Springfield, Eugene, and surrounding communities. The Chamber advances economic development and prosperity for our region through business education, legislative advocacy, workforce, professional and leadership development, and provides business resources, programs and services to member organizations.

For more information about the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, visit www.springfield-chamber.org.