Jennifer Butcher, 35
Health and Physical Education Instructor
Washington State School for the Blind
Nominated by: Barbara Sheldon, Washington School for the Blind Foundation
When listing Jennifer Butcher’s accomplishments, it’s often an afterthought to mention that she’s legally blind. Butcher is a health and physical education instructor at the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver. Butcher set a world record and five U.S. records for swimming. She won bronze medals with the U.S. Paralympics swim teams in 2000 and 2004 and received 25 All American swimming honors. She is a co-creator of and advisor for the West Coast Blind Sports Association. Butcher holds a Master of Science degree in special education and vision impairment from Portland State University. She and her husband have a son and another child on the way.
John Cameron, 37
Vice President and Investment Services Senior Relationship Manager
First Independent
Nominated by: Tammi Olund, First Independent
Shortly after John Cameron came to First Independent Bank, his coworkers found his zest for community service “catching” and many joined in his efforts. Cameron is founding director and treasurer for Janus of Southwest Washington. He is on the boards for March of Dimes Greater Oregon and the Alexa Dyer Life Challenge Award Foundation, and is active with the Vancouver Rotary Club. Cameron was principal for Harvest Capital Advisors Inc. until it merged with First Independent. He is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Clark County and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and Japanese studies from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa.
Chrissy Cole, 32
Director of Finance
New Tradition Homes/Helmes Inc.
Nominated by: David Commeree, New Tradition Homes
Chrissy Cole keeps her balance by giving to the community. She manages finances and human resources for the Helmes companies. She is board treasurer for Community Housing Resource Center and volunteers with Ducks Unlimited, both in Vancouver. Cole has been director of the Columbia River Association of Professional Mortgage Women and was on the membership committee for the Building Industry Association of Clark County. She volunteers with Clark County’s Beautiful Backyards, United Way and Community Active Neighbors and recently volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Armenia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in business administration and finance from Washington State University Vancouver. She is married with three children.
Tiffany R. Couch, 32
Partner, Accountant and Fraud Examiner
Acuity Group LLP
Nominated by: Laura Preston, Acuity Group LLP
In a field often dominated by men, Tiffany Couch is a financial force to be reckoned with. After quickly rising through the ranks as an accountant, fraud examiner, litigation consultant and business analyst, Couch co-founded Acuity Group in May 2007 and saw profits in the first quarter. She is board president of the Washington State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Southwest Chapter, immersed in event planning, fundraising and outreach. She is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Couch holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting cum laude from Central Washington University in Ellensburg. She is married with two sons.
Marta Dragomir, 25
Executive Assistant, Communications and Marketing
Clark College
Nominated by: Barbara Kerr, Clark College
Employed since age 13, Marta Dragomir’s the first in her family to finish high school and attend college on a traditional path. At DeVry University in Long Beach, Calif., she studied and worked year-round, graduating summa cum laude at age 20 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. With Clark College since 2005, she is now executive assistant of communications and marketing. She co-chaired the school’s 2006 commencement with Gov. Chris Gregoire as keynote speaker. She coordinates other major college events and helped reinstate the student Latino Club. She mentors with the I Have a Dream program of Southwest Washington, has taught Sunday school and lives in Vancouver with her husband.
VaNessa Duplessie, 36
Manager, Analyst and Public Relations
Bocada Inc.
Nominated by: Elson Strahan, Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust
VaNessa Duplessie is a leader who is “impassioned about children’s issues.” Before coming to Bocada, she was a senior manager with several mortgage and marketing organizations. Duplessie received the 2006 Marshall Leadership Award. She completed the Leadership Clark County program and is on its curriculum and graduation committees. She is treasurer of Toastmasters International, Battle Ground chapter. A wife and mother of two, she is a class representative for her son’s parent-teacher organization. She served on the Vancouver Youth Theatre board, mentored with Committed Partners for Youth and volunteered for Phi Sigma Sigma. Duplessie has a Bachelor of Science degree in entrepreneurship and small business management from San Francisco State University.
Alyson Galloway, 31
Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships
Washington State University Vancouver
Nominated by: Nancy Youlden, WSU Vancouver
When Alyson Galloway starts a job, she doesn’t stop until she exceeds expectations. She is a lead staff member in the financial aid office at WSU Vancouver. She also chairs new student orientation, coordinates events and counsels students. She is the student judicial officer and chairs committees for scholarships and petitions while serving on numerous committees including Cougar Center development. She volunteers with Vancouver Rotary and the Scottish Rites Scholarship Foundation of Washington. Galloway has a Master of Public Affairs degree from WSU Vancouver, and was the first of that program with thesis work published in academic journals. She is a registered counselor in Washington, certified in alcohol studies.
Ryan Jeynes, 36
Engineer II
MacKay and Sposito Inc.
Nominated by: Lisa Schauer, MacKay and Sposito Inc.
Ryan Jeynes is an engineer with enthusiasm and team spirit. He engineered more than 20 local projects including Quarry Senior Living Center, Sunset Oaks and Crown Estates. He is secretary for the American Society of Civil Engineers, Southwest Washington section of the Oregon branch, and the Evergreen Habitat for Humanity board. He is in the Building Industry Association of Clark County and the U.S. Green Building Council, Cascadia Chapter. Jeynes has participated in Hood to Coast, Northwest Passage, Run for the Homeless in Vancouver and other runs. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls. He and his wife have two sons.
Geoff Kane, 30
Mortgage Broker
Riverview Community Bank
Nominated by: Robert T. Gaffney, Gaffney Counseling and Consulting
Geoff Kane was co-owner of Financial Resources Ltd. in Vancouver until he and the business joined Riverview Community Bank. He won All American and other top honors for fencing and is a youth basketball coach. Kane is on boards for Learning Avenues Child Care Centers in Vancouver and Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center, plus the St. James Parish finance committee in Vancouver. He is a member of the Vancouver Dawn Lions, Knights of Columbus, Building Industry Association of Clark County and the National Association of Mortgage Brokers. Kane has a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture and construction management from Ohio State University in Columbus. He is married with two children.
Claire Lider, 27
City Clerk
City of Battle Ground
Nominated by: Gilda and Michael Ciraulo, Lewis River Rotary Club
Claire Lider is advancing through Battle Ground’s city ranks and shows no signs of stopping. For the last four years she was named outstanding wellness coordinator by the Association of Washington Cities and is vice chairman of the organization’s employee wellness advisory committee. She also serves on committees for state and international municipal clerk organizations. She is the Lewis River Rotary club service director, and won its 2006 rookie of the year and 2005 youth leadership awards. She is on Battle Ground’s Rose Float Committee and is working toward her Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Marylhurst University in Oregon. Lider and her husband are expecting a child.
Jessica F. Lightheart, 34
Community Relations Director
Share Vancouver
Nominated by: Amy Reynolds, Share Vancouver
Jessica Lightheart is a communicator for the community. She creates and oversees all communications materials for Share while chairing the community relations committee for its board. She worked in similar positions with Washington State University Vancouver and C-TRAN, and is a Leadership Clark County alumna. She is on the YWCA Clark County board and was secretary for its executive committee. She has served on the Evergreen Community Festival board of trustees, the Evergreen School District Foundation and the Southwest Washington Center for the Arts. Lightheart holds a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in communications from Washington State University in Pullman. She and her husband have a young daughter.
Jennifer McClure, 25
Engineer III
MacKay & Sposito Inc.
Nominated by: Lisa Schauer, MacKay & Sposito Inc.
Jennifer McClure was the first engineer at MacKay and Sposito accredited by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and she assisted in designing the firm’s first LEED-certified office. She was design engineer on five large local projects in three years, including the Nautilus World Headquarters. McClure is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers; U.S. Green Building Council, Cascadia Chapter; Engineers Without Borders and Clark County’s storm water committee. She is board vice president of Southwest Washington Independent Forward Thrust. McClure has a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle and is pursuing a master’s in civil and environmental engineering at Portland State University.
John Nusser, 36
Faculty Physician
Family Medicine of Southwest Washington Residency Program
Nominated by: Shirley Gross, Free Clinic of Southwest Washington
John Nusser is a family and faculty physician committed to serving the uninsured and the poor. Nusser is a board member of Free Clinic of Southwest Washington and a board member of Project Access NOW. He volunteers as physician champion and medical director of Project Access Clark County, a program of the Free Clinic, building a volunteer physician network for the uninsured in Clark County. He was previously the medical director of SeaMar Community Health Center. He received his Medical Doctorate and Master of Science degree in zoology from the University of Washington in Seattle, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. He and his wife Emily have a new daughter, Luz.
Jerry Nutter, 37
President and Chief Executive Officer
Nutter Corp.
Nominated by: Lisa Schmidt, Nutter Corp.
Jerry Nutter runs the construction company he founded with his father in 1992. Nutter Corp. employs about 200 people, providing excavation, site work and underground utility services. Major projects include IKEA, Home Depot and 162nd Avenue improvements. His company gives significant funding and in-kind services to community groups and causes, including the industry fundraiser for Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation, Dozer Day. He serves on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission. He has been the chairman of the Building Industry Group, Building Industry Association of Clark County’s affiliated Political Action Committee for the past two years and will continue as chair in 2008. He got started in the industry shortly after high school.
Michael Odren, 37
Landscape Architect and Planner
Olson Engineering Inc.
Nominated by: Megan Forell, Olson Engineering
A lifelong Vancouver resident, Michael Odren has been active in some of the city’s most defining projects. He came to Olson Engineering in 2003 after owning Creative Landscape Designs in Vancouver. His projects include Clark County Amphitheater, Hazel Dell Towne Center and Kiggins Bowl. He is on the city of Vancouver’s design review committee, volunteers for Parks Foundation’s Dozer Day and was president of the Botanic Society of Vancouver. He is also in the American Society of Landscape Architects and the American Planning Association. Odren has a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Washington State University Pullman and is married to his junior high school sweetheart. They have one daughter.
Jennifer Rhoads, 38
Vice President and Manager of Financial Advisors
First Independent
Nominated by: Tammi Olund, First Independent
Financial whiz by day, restaurateur and volunteer by night, Jennifer Rhoads has plenty on her plate. She’s a vice president at First Independent and co-owns 1220 Main Restaurant and Bar in Vancouver with her husband. She’s treasurer of the Vancouver School District Foundation board and chaired the Crystal Plum Holiday Bazaar for the last 10 years. Rhoads was president of Hazel Dell Community Association and the Clark County Family YMCA board, citing education as her “main passion.” Rhoads is enrolled at the College of Financial Planning based in Greenwood Village, Colo., and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Washington State University in Pullman. She and her husband have two children.
Stacee Sellers, 34
Mayor
City of Washougal
Nominated by: Jinger Jacobson, Washougal Downtown Revitalization and Implementation Committee
Stacee Sellers has been mayor of Washougal since January 2006, and was a code enforcement officer, dispatcher and clerk with the city of Camas. Sellers was also a Yeoman, E-5, in the U.S. Navy and Reserves from 1992 to 2000, and named Sailor of the Year in 1998. This year she was named one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Clark County by The Columbian and attended Leadership Clark County. She is on the Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce board and has been on the Washougal City Council and C-TRAN board. She was president of the Washougal downtown revitalization committee. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public affairs at Washington State University Vancouver and has one son.
Troy Thomas, 36
Business Analyst, IT Analyst Team Lead and Manager
Pacific Crest Technologies
Nominated by: VaNessa Duplessie, Bocada Inc.
More than a tech guy, Troy Thomas’ colleagues say he’s a visionary. He has worked 18 years in lead roles in the information technology industry. Before his position at Pacific Crest he was at Electric Lightwave, now Integra Telecom, in Vancouver. Thomas is a 2005 alumnus of Leadership Clark County and volunteers with the organization. He is in the Washington State School Board Directors Association and is on the Children’s Center board in the Vancouver and Evergreen School Districts. Thomas is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership with Pennsylvania State University based in University Park. He has two children.
Kelly M. Walsh, 36
Associate Attorney
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt
Nominated by: Lisa Lowe, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt
Kelly M. Walsh works hard to serve her clients and community. Her practice is in commercial and business litigation and construction law, but earlier work as deputy district attorney in Deschutes County, Ore. moved her to advocacy against domestic violence. She helped found a legal clinic at YWCA Clark County, where she is on the board and chairs a public policy committee. Walsh is in the Washington, Clark County and Oregon Bar associations and was a pro tem judge in Stevenson. She was named a rising star in “Washington Law and Politics” and participated in Leadership Clark County. Walsh holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Ore., and a bachelor’s degree from Montana State University in Bozeman.
