EUGENE, Ore. — The national Council for Advancement and Support of Education has named Dr. Mary Spilde, president of Lane Community College, as the 2017 recipient of the CASE District VIII Leadership Award. This award recognizes a CASE District VIII member institution CEO for outstanding efforts to promote the understanding and support of education. Spilde will accept the award at the district conference awards luncheon in Seattle on February 3.
Now in her 16th year as Lane’s president, CASE wrote that she “has been a tireless champion for community colleges throughout her illustrious 37-year career … Unafraid to think innovatively, Dr. Spilde's vision of community college education as a vehicle for transformation and empowerment has been a driving force for her region.”
Lane Board of Education Vice Chair Rosie Pryor wrote in her nomination that “Dr. Spilde has set a standard for development and alumni relations work at Lane that is respected by the college's donors, graduates and community members … I'm proud to say that under her leadership, Lane's accomplishments are recognized as exemplary by higher education institutions across the country."
Spilde was instrumental in leading the college through its first, highly successful fundraising campaign, which raised $29 million for capital projects, students and faculty. She joined forces with the City of Eugene to build a new Downtown Campus, improving the college's accessibility and sparking revitalization in downtown Eugene.
Other awards Spilde has won include the 2016 Oregon Community College Association Howard Cherry Award for Outstanding Administrator; 2014 City of Eugene Human Rights Commission Community Leadership Award; 2013 National Council for Continuing Education and Training National Leadership Award; 2013 U.S. Green Building Council Center for Green Schools President's Award; 2012 American Association for Women in Community Colleges Woman of the Year Award; and 2011 Association of Community College Trustees CEO of the Year Award.
Spilde’s award is the second major honor that Lane has received from CASE in recent months. In October 2016, CASE selected the Lane Community College Foundation as a 2016 recipient of the Education Fundraising Award in recognition of the Foundation’s overall performance in educational fundraising. LCC was the only Oregon community college to win the award, and only one of two higher education recipients of the award in Oregon, along with Oregon Health Sciences University.
For more information about Lane Community College:
Lane is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabilities Employer
###