Linn-Benton Community College

The 47th annual Linn-Benton Community College Commencement Ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 11 at the Linn County Fair and Expo Center in the Willamette Event Center in Albany. LBCC will award 1,065 degrees and certificates to 824 students this year. In addition, approximately 25 students completed LBCC’s General Educational Development program and will receive their certificates at commencement. Graduates should plan to arrive no later than 5:45 p.m. at the Santiam Building behind the Expo Center. Doors open for seating at 6 p.m. No tickets are needed to attend the ceremony. A traditional bagpipe processional will be lead by the Portland Metro Pipe Band, with posting of the colors by the American Legion Travis Moothart Post 184 of Brownsville. LBCC President Dr. Greg Hamann will give the welcome and present several awards including Phi Theta Kappa and Distinguished Alumni awards. Jeff Lehn, LBCC student body vice president, will give the student address. Degree...

Community members Bob Lowry and Doris Johnston will be honored with Linn-Benton Community College Distinguished Citizens awards at the college's commencement ceremony June 11.  Established in 1971, the award honors community members who have provided leadership and service to the college and their communities. A retired Albany businessman, Lowry is philanthropist and veteran who has given generously to the LBCC Foundation over the years, and has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation since 2006. Lowry also serves as a member of the Albany General Hospital Foundation, and helped bring the Evergreen Hospice House to completion. He is past board member of the Mennonite Village Foundation and Oregonians for Food and Shelter, past president of the Oregon Seed Trade Association and Pacific Seedsmen Association; and past chairman of the Oregon Seed Council. Johnston, of Albany, is the Regional Community Manager for Pacific Power. She serves as the current presid...

A Real Estate Pre-License Exam course will be offered through Linn-Benton Community College starting June 24. Designed to prepare you for the Oregon Real Estate Brokers License Exam, this 150-hour course is the fastest way to qualify to take the state exam. The local real estate market is beginning to turn around. Now is the time to position your self for the up-turn.  This 11-week course will meet on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. beginning June 24 at the LBCC Albany campus, 6500 Pacific Blvd SW. The course content will be mostly Internet based. Students are expected to have on-line capability, to self-study and attend all class sessions. A mandatory study session will be held on Saturday, last day of the class, TBA. Cost for this non-credit course is $695. For more information, contact Barbie DuBois at 541-917-4927 or by email at barbie.dubois@linnbenton.edu.

The LBCC Benton Center Pottery Show and Sale will be held Friday, June 5 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the center’s ceramics studio, 757 NW Polk Avenue, Corvallis. LBCC ceramic instructors and students will sell their raku, high fire, salt fire and wood fire pieces. A portion of all sales supports the ceramics studio. For more information, contact the LBCC Benton Center at 541-757-8944.

LBCC Dance Club LBCC Dance Club will present their spring dance performance “Expressions” May 29 at 7 p.m. and May 30 at 2 p.m. at Linn-Benton Community College’s Russell Tripp Performance Center, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, Albany. LBCC dance club students will perform a variety of choreographed dances with special guests Corvallis East Dream Chinese Dance Group, Albany Legacy Ballet Studio, and Ramya Raman performing India dance. Tickets are $8 general admission, $6 for students and seniors. Kids four and under are free. Purchase tickets at the door one hour prior to performance. For more information, contact the LBCC Box Office at 541-917-4531. For special needs and accommodations, call 541‑917‑4690 or Oregon Relay TDD at 1‑800‑735‑2900 at least 72 hours in advance of this event.

Dr. James Reddan The Linn-Benton Community College award-winning choirs will perform their spring concert “Singing From the Heart” Thursday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the LBCC Russell Tripp Performance Center, Takena Hall, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, Albany. This will be the final concert conducted by LBCC Director of Choral Activities, Dr. James Reddan, who has taken a position at Frostburg State University in Maryland. This “farewell” performance includes the Concert Choir, Re-Choired Element Chamber Choir, and the vocal a cappella ensembles Blue Light Special and The Sirens. Penny Bazanele will accompany on piano in addition to many others on various instruments!  The concert will feature an eclectic array of works spanning the choral repertoire including: How Can I Keep from Singing (Walker), J’entends le Moulin (Patriquin), It Takes a Village (Szymko), Alleluia from Songs of Faith (Basler), Wade in the Water (Hogan), In the Gloaming (Oswald), and Earth Song (Ticheli) among several...

There’s still time to register for free Summer Career Academies for high school students at Linn-Benton Community College, which run during the week of June 22. Students age 15 and up get hands-on experience in careers including drafting and engineering 3D modeling, machine tool computer numerical control and design, mechatronics robotics and microcontrollers, and welding. Sessions run during the week of June 22 at the LBCC Albany campus, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW. For more information and registration form is available online at www.linnbenton.edu/summeracademies or call 541-917-4236.

A seminar on subcontracting with the government and post-award debriefing will be held Wednesday, May 27 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Linn-Benton Community College’s Luckiamute Center, room 130, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, Albany. Learn what a debriefing is including what you can learn from it, and what you can learn from a “failed” bid. Information includes how to find prime contractors and market your business to them as a subcontractor, and how to team with other small businesses to make a stronger subcontractor bid. Cost is $19. For more information or to reserve your seat, contact Anne Green at 541-917-4929.  Sponsored by LBCC’s Small Business Development Center.

The LBCC Benton Center Acoustic Showcase featuring local musicians Mark Weiss and the Acoustic All-Stars will be held Friday, May 15 from Noon to 1 p.m. in the centers’ student lounge, 757 NW Polk Ave., Corvallis. Local musicians Mark Weiss, Pete Kozak, Jeff Hino, and DeLynn Anderson play blues, swing, and bluegrass tunes on guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro, and bass. Take a lunch break and join us for an hour of acoustic feel -good music. For more information, contact LBCC Benton Center at 541-757-8944.

A Memorial Day Vigil is planned for Wednesday, May 20 starting at 12 p.m. at Linn-Benton Community College in the courtyard, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, Albany. The memorial will include speakers from several recent conflicts including Vietnam and the Gulf War. Posters for each conflict will be located around the courtyard along with a field of flags. A courtyard BBQ lunch will be available for purchase for $5. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the LBCC student Veteran’s Club. For more information, contact club advisor Lewis Franklin at 541-917-4542.

"Self" by Sean Carver, Best of Show Twenty-six students received awards at Linn-Benton Community College’s Annual Art Student Juried show at a reception held Wednesday, May 6, in the college’s North Santiam Hall Galleries. Juried by Shelley Curtis, curator and manager for Art About Agriculture, more than $2,000 in prices and certificates was awarded from local businesses and community donors. Sean Carver, of Lebanon, won Best of Show for his painting “Self,” which also received a Studio 262 Award. The Juror's Choice Award went to Rosalie Lingo, Albany, for "Self Portrait;" and the People's Choice Award went to Dani Burgess, Corvallis, for "Notorious.” Carol Schaafsma Merit Awards went to Krystal Drexler, Lebanon, for "Skin Deep," Shane Kohfield, Corvallis, for "Jesus Christ, Man of Judah," and Mindy Hinterling, Lebanon, for "Mindy's Basket of Apples.” The LBCC President’s Purchase Award went to Christoper Trotchie of Cor...

Life in Art, directed by LBCC’s Student Poet Laureate Dari Lawrie, brings together eight trios of local elders, writers, and photographers to create an exhibit on display at Linn-Benton Community College Benton Center through June 12. During April, writers and photographers spent three afternoons listening to the life stories of local elders and taking photographs. The collaborative work resulted in two creative portraits, one written and one visual, of each elder. The elders and artists will be honored at the Life in Art Reception and Presentation on Friday, May 29, at 2 p.m. at the LBCC Benton Center, 757 Polk Ave, Corvallis.  The event is free and open to the public. Life in Art furthers LBCC’s mission to promote meaningful, diverse, and resonant relationships within our community, showing how the arts, particularly poetry, have the power to penetrate to the heart of a matter to unwrap understanding and weave new connections. Participants come from both Linn and Benton counties ...

Ann Buchele Ann Buchele has been named as the next vice president of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development at Linn-Benton Community College, replacing Beth Hogeland, who is retiring June 30. The 53-year-old Buchele, of Corvallis, has been employed full-time at the college since 1991. She served 12 years as a faculty member before moving into various administration roles, including her most recent position as dean of Workforce Development and Program Effectiveness. In addition, Buchele has served as dean of Healthcare, E-Learning and Media from 2013-2014, and as dean of Business, Healthcare, and Workforce from 2008 to 2013. Buchele’s education includes post-doctorate work through Breakthrough Model Academy in Massachusetts, a PhD in Community College Leadership from Oregon State University, and a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Toledo.  She starts in her new position July 1.

A free Estate Planning seminar will be held Tuesday, March 12 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Springhill Golf and Event Center, 155 NW Country Club Lane, Albany. Gain a greater understanding of estate planning including why a will is necessary, the value of trusts, both living and charitable, and health care planning you should include in your will. Discover IRA tools to help you increase your family’s wealth through charitable planning, and become better prepared to discuss estate planning with your professional advisors. Presenters include Jeanne Smith, Estate Planning Attorney, Corvallis, Denise Soto, Estate Planning Attorney, Albany, and Bronwyn Evans, Financial Advisor, Corvallis. Pre-registration required. Call 541-917-4209 to reserve your spot. Seminar sponsored by the Linn-Benton Community College Foundation. 

Javier Cervantes Javier Cervantes, director of the Department of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Linn-Benton Community College, has been selected to participate in the National Community College Hispanic Council Leadership Fellows Program. Established more than 20 years ago through the University of San Diego, the 10-day NCCHC Fellows Program provides training, preparation and support of Hispanic leaders in America's community colleges, providing an opportunity to continue in their professional growth. In his position at LBCC, Cervantes, of Albany, works to prepare students, staff, faculty and local communities to live in an increasingly diverse society and workforce, including working on issues of equity, cultural fluency, capacity and competency, as well as increasing access and retention of underrepresented and diverse populations at the college level. Cervantes serves as the co-chair of the Inclusion and Diversity Consortium of Oregon Community Colleges, and was recently...

The seminar “Responding to Government Solicitations” will be held May 13 from 12 to 2 p.m. at Linn-Benton Community College’s Luckiamute Center, room 130, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, Albany. Learn the steps to the bidding process and how to respond to a government solicitation, as well as how to know what the agency wants from you. Cost is $19.  For more information or to reserve your seat, contact Anne Green at 541-917-4929.  Sponsored by LBCC’s Small Business Development Center.