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The ��ɫ��Ƶ Foundation Board recently welcomed two new members, Annette Cole, a 1986 graduate of Nursing, and Daniel Withers, a 1970 Electrical Engineering graduate.
The ��ɫ��Ƶ Foundation Board of Directors is comprised of alumni, community members, and business and industry professionals. The Board counsels the Foundation in supporting ��ɫ��Ƶ’s educational, cultural, charitable, and service activities.

Cole was Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer at Sky Lakes for 12 years and is currently Director of Performance Excellence. As Director of Performance Excellence, Cole is responsible for facilitation and management of performance improvement projects throughout the organization and assists department leaders with department-specific projects and the application of Lean Six Sigma tools.

Cole has a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from ��ɫ��Ƶ and a dual master’s degree in Nursing and Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix.

“As a 1986 graduate of ��ɫ��Ƶ’s first baccalaureate of Nursing, I have a special interest in the university,” Cole said. “The majority of my career has been at Sky Lakes so I have had the privilege of remaining a ‘neighbor’ of ��ɫ��Ƶ and watching the impressive growth of the campus. In my various leadership roles, I have also been a beneficiary of the well-prepared graduates of the various health sciences programs. The caliber of education provided has been reinforced throughout the years and I am excited to be part of ��ɫ��Ƶ again.”

After serving in the U.S. Navy for three years, Withers graduated from ��ɫ��Ƶ with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and associate degrees in Radiology Electronics and Electronics Engineering. He had a career as an executive in the wired and wireless communications industry, including owning a business specializing in minicomputer installation and maintenance.

“The mission of the Foundation is consistent with the needs of the future for ��ɫ��Ƶ,” Withers said. “Especially with state funds dwindling with their cost-cutting actions. A ‘can do’ organization like the Foundation can make up some of the difference, resulting in putting students on good career paths.”

As a Navy veteran, Withers will add helpful insight to veteran issues as well.

Withers and Cole were selected to the Board of Directors Sept. 6 and will begin their four-year terms immediately. They were each selected to serve on the Board’s Development Committee.

The ��ɫ��Ƶ Foundation raises funds and solicits many other forms of support for the endowment, scholarships, capital projects, and much more. Committed to excellence in science, technology and health professions education, the Foundation works not simply to help ��ɫ��Ƶ grow, but to grow with intention and in ways that foster a better education and experience for students and a brighter future for Oregon and beyond.

The ��ɫ��Ƶ Foundation awarded over 300 scholarships, totaling more than $875,000, in the 2021-2022 academic year.

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��ɫ��Ƶ the ��ɫ��Ƶ Foundation

The ��ɫ��Ƶ Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes and funds the educational, cultural, charitable, and service functions of the ��ɫ��Ƶ.