Becky Owens and Cyndi Spear - 2020 Citizen Recipient
Over the past ten years, Becky Owens and Cyndi Spear have both served as chair and vice-chair of SSPAC, the Student Services Parent Advisory Committee. SSPAC connects special needs families in Lake Oswego with resources, events, and each other to benefit students. Becky and Cyndi have been instrumental in identifying and prioritizing initiatives, then taking the steps necessary to bring these initiatives to life. Some of their projects include Welcome to My World, a hands-on, multi-sensory program that gives fourth graders an opportunity to experience life with different disabilities. Another of their initiatives, Smart Start, provides students an early opportunity to meet oneon-one with their new teachers, allowing them to begin to build relationships, and find classroom strategies that work best for them. In each of these initiatives (as well as many others), Becky and Cyndi have worked with SSPAC parent members to proactively identify needs within our district and to develop solutions to meet those needs. Their leadership has also led them to advocate to and collaborate with district staff, fund-raise where necessary, and organize volunteers to bring solutions to life. They’ve been in the news lately, as the city of Lake Oswego recently named them as recipients of the Unsung Hero Award.
Ted Ricks - 2020 Citizen Recipient
Ted Ricks has had a lifelong interest in education, beginning with a twenty-five year career in educational book publishing with industry leaders like Prentice-Hall, Harper & Row, and others. When he retired, Ted found an outlet for his interest in education as a member of the Youth Services Committee of the Rotary Club of Lake Oswego. It was in this role that Ted took the initiative to create an Interact Club for students at the high schools and Waluga Junior High. In short, the Interact Club teaches teenagers the joy of performing community service. In addition to this success, Ted also initiated local involvement with the World Affairs Seminar, an international gathering of teenage young people from around the world. Each year, the Rotary Club provides all-expense paid scholarships to the Seminar for a week-long conference, discussing global issues that affect their lives now and in the years to come.
Elizabeth Welsh - 2020 Citizen Recipient
Elizabeth Welsh has spent 20 years volunteering for education in Science, the Arts, and Sustainability. From 2008–2016, Elizabeth revitalized the science enrichment programs at Oak Creek Elementary School and developed a monthly evening Science Program for all elementary students. While serving as the VP of Sustainability at Oak Creek, she renewed Premier Oregon Green School status at Oak Creek. During this same time, Elizabeth held leadership roles in Elementary and High School Parent Clubs, advocating for art and science enrichments for students. She has served on School Advisory Committees at both LOJ and LOHS, and worked on campaigns to pass the School Levy and Bond measures. More recently, working with the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network (LOSN), she has mentored a group of students who obtained Oregon Green School certification for LOHS. Now she is also working with a group of Lakeridge High School students to obtain Oregon Green School certification this year for LHS.