Christian Chamber - Newberg "Coffee Chat" at Windrose Conference Center
Name:
Christian Chamber - Newberg "Coffee Chat" at Windrose Conference Center
Date:
November 24, 2015
Time:
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM PST
Registration:
Sorry, public registration for this event has been closed.
Event Description:
How can people of faith respond to a culture that is, in the words of Dick Withnell, “screaming for authenticity”?
Our special guest speaker for September is Dick Withnell, owner of Withnell Motor Company for 22 years, a community leader and philanthropist. After graduating from Linfield College, along with his wife Gayle, Dick purchased his first car dealership in 1980 (interest prime rate 23%) and led the company to local, regional and national recognition for success.
Recently, Oregon Governors Kulongoski and Kitzhaber, respectively, appointed him to serve as the public member of the current statewide Governor’s Re-entry Council, Oregon Education Investment Board, Early Learning Council, and the former Public Safety Commission for Sentencing Reform. Before the change in the Oregon Commission on Children and Families, Dick served as chair for two years.
Locally, he currently acts as convener for the Marion County Casey Partnership Team, which focuses on foster care and family preservation. He helped co-found Salem’s Relief Nursery, Family Building Blocks, and “No Meth – Not in MY Neighborhood”, as well as serving as a member of the Marion County Children and Families Commission (including its Executive Committee),
Honored for his hands-on “sweat equity” and philanthropy, Dick was most recently the recipient of the “Al and Pat Reser Civic Leadership Award,” one of the 2011 Governors’ Gold Awards (conferred by the four living Oregon Governors). A member of the United Way of America’s national Alexis de Tocqueville Society “Million Dollar Round Table”, he has also been twice-named “Philanthropist of the Year” by the United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley. Corban University conferred to him an honorary “Doctor of Humane Letters”, and he received the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce’s “First Citizen Award”.
Dick and Gayle continue to be involved with their alma mater, Linfield College. In 1992, in honor of his late father (also a Linfield alum), Dick and Gayle established the “Harold J. Withnell Endowed Scholarship Fund” for students, beginning in their sophomore year, who were accepted to Linfield on a scholastic probationary basis as freshmen and then “turned themselves around academically.” This scholarship is renewable each of their remaining years at Linfield, providing they remain in good academic standing. Dick also serves as a member of Linfield’s Board of Trustees.
Dick and Gayle Withnell recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have two children—son David, President of Withnell Motor Company, and daughter Gina Ochsner, international award-winning author and “Writer-In-Residence” at Corban University—and five grandchildren.
This meeting is designed to help you build your network, wherein you will be invited to introduce yourself & your organization during the meeting, as well as meet with other guests & members before & after the meeting. There will also be a short presentation regarding the Chamber, as well as a special guest speaker or engaging discussion in regards to a topic designed to help you Connect, Learn, Grow, Save &/or Engage with your community.
Don't forget to check out your Christian Chamber Northwest Members' latest Hot Deals, Job Postings, Events & your Need Help? Community Resource Directory - the most exhaustive database of Churches, Ministries & Christian Businesses in the greater Portland/Vancouver metro area, as well as for Salem, the Mid-Willamette Valley & Eugene.
