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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1982)
Portland Observer, January 14, 1982 Page 3 Observer Annual Citizen Achievement Awards » ’ Corporate Executive Earl Wantland As president and chief executive officer o f Tektronix, Inc., Earl Wantland has seen the Beaverton-based manu facturer o f oscilloscopes grow from a small shop in Port land in 1946 to a Fortune 500 company with annual sales exceeding $1 billion in fiscal 1981. Wantland joined the company in 1955 as an instrument tester and helped set up Tek's first European m anufac turing operation on England’ s Guernsey Island in 1958. He also was instrumental in organizing Tektronix H o l land N .V ., a wholly-owned manufacturing subsidiary. W hile president, Wantland has steered Tektronix to a position o f world leader in computer graphics technology and world's largest supplier o f oscilloscopes. Tektronix now has more than 23,000 employees w orldw ide, with 17,000 in Oregon and southwest Washington. There arc 47 Tek offices in the U .S. and representatives in 71 for eign countries. State Government Gretchen Kafoury State Representative Gretchen Kafoury is serving in her third term in the Oregon House, representing District 13 in inner northeast and southeast Portland. She currently chairs the C o m m itte e on H u m an Resources and is a member o f the Committee on Energy and Environment. E a rlie r assignments included L a b o r, E d u catio n and Aging. Rep. Kafoury’s concerns include domestic violence and women’s issues in general, civil rights, health and mental health care, child care, and gun control. Among the legis lation she successfully sponsored this session was a m ar riage license tax to fund shelter homes for victims o f do mestic violence. She carried unsuccessful bills sponsored by Fair Share that would have included oil users in state weatherization and the Life-Line energy bill. A former Peace Corps volunteer to Iran, Rep. Kafoury was a coordinator for 4-C , worked for the C ivil Rights Division, and taught English as a Second Language. Banking & Finance V.F. Booker Venerable F. Booker is President and Chairman o f the Board o f American State Bank, “ The Bank That Integra tion Built.” The American State Bank, which began as a dream in 1969, now has net assets o f $15,633,350. Booker's business career began at the age o f 38, after he read “ How I Turned A Thousand Dollars Into A M il lion Dollars in Real Estate.” He developed a successful real-estate business, and while he did not make the m il lion dollars he developed an interest in finances. The bank was established with a purpose— to stimulate economic development, jobs, investment, homes and a better way o f life. Today three branches serve northeast, southeast and downtown Portland with fully integrated staffs. County Government Don Clark Multnomah County Executive Donald E. Clark is best known for his unique program, "Project H ealth ," which provides private health insurance for low-incom e per sons, enabling them to use the private medical sector. C lark has served as a M ultn o m ah C ounty C om m is sioner, Chairman o f the County Board o f Commissioners and S h e riff. D uring his years as S h e riff, C lark raised standards to include college requirements and required community service. As Chairm an, he appointed D r. Lee P. Brown as Sheriff and then as Director o f Justice Ser vices. Though his terms o f office have been plagued by bud get cuts and fund shortage, Clark has been consistent in his concern for human services. . < * I Sports Executive Small Business Harry Glickman Cora Smith Harry Glickman, executive vice-president o f the Trail Blazers, began his sports career as a varsity basketball player at Lincoln H igh School. H e tried to be a sports writer but found no opportunities, so he turned to pro moting boxing and professional football. G lick m an began lo o kin g fo r an N B A team in the 1950s, but wound up organizing the Portland Buckaroos o f the Western Hockey League. The team finished first seven times in a nine-year stretch. G lickm an brought the T ra il Blazers to P o rtla n d in 1970. T h e ir phenom enal cham pionship o f 1977 made Biazermania a factor in Portland life. ~4t • . • » » City Government Charles Jordan Commissioner o f Public Safety Charles Jordan sees as his roll on the Portland City Council the sensitization o f the system to the needs o f those who are disenfranchised. W ith awareness o f his ethnic responsibility he attempts to keep before the Council the tasks that other commission ers might not feel compelled to consider. Among these are developing an effective M inority Bus iness Enterprise program , requiring m inority participa tion in cable television, establishing a program to aid ref ugees' adjustment to life in Portland. Jordan pushed affirm ative action certification to allow agency heads greater opportunity to hire minorities; es tablished neighborhood profiles to ensure that funds are distributed in an equitable wav; established an outreach program through the M e tro p o lita n H um an R elations Commission that placed youth workers in the parks. He doubled the number o f minority police officers. Cora Smith is owner o f “ Cora Smith Hair Design” in downtown Portland. She became interested in modeling while a student at Roosevelt High School. A fter classes at P o rtla n d State U n ive rs ity , Pacific School o f Beauty, John Powers Modeling School and others, she took spe cial classes in the United States and Europe. Her salon offers full services, with a staff o f eleven. C o m m u n ity activities include m em bership in the N A A C P and the U rb an League, Bethel A M E C hurch, Jack and Jill o f A m erica, and D elta Gam m a Mothers. She was selected by the prestigious Fashion G roup, Inc., as one o f ten outstanding Women and Men o f 1980- 1981 Northwest Trendsetters for her trend-setting leader ship and panache representing the diverse Northwest life styles. Community Service Edna Robertson Edna Robertson is Coordinator for the Northeast Dis trict Office o f the C ity ’s Office o f Neighborhood Organi zations and is responsible to the Northeast Coalition o f Neighborhood Organizations, a board representing the citizens o f north and northeast Portland. Ms. Robertson’ s duties are to ensure that citizens are aware o f pending city actions and are involved in decision making, to provide technical assistance, to explain the budget process, to serve as a liaison between the City and the 63,000 residents o f the area. Her estimates on behalf o f citizens go far beyond her job description. She lends a listening ear, finds resources for persons in need, has set up a clothes closet for South east Asian children, finds food for the hungry, aids the senior citizens. Always concerned about education, she was an active member o f the Community Coalition for School Integra tio n . is on the P rin c ip a l’ s A d vis o ry C o m m itte e for Hayhurst School. She is a member o f the Black United and o f Bethel A M E Church.
