6A • COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • MARCH 6, 2019
Family Relief Nursery announces new executive director
After an extensive search,
Family Relief Nursery recently
announced it has chosen Peg-
gy Whalen as its new executive
director. The board of directors
revitalized its executive director
search in January, when current
executive director Diane Ha-
zen announced she would be
retiring this year. Since the po-
sition’s announcement in Jan-
uary, many qualified local and
national candidates submitted
applications.
“The competition was intense
and the board interviewed
many qualified and talented ap-
plicants,” said Hazen. “Each in-
terviewee partook in a thorough
three-part interview process
with teams comprised of rep-
resentatives from the nursery’s
board of directors, leadership
staff and community partners.
The planned executive direc-
tor transition started in 2018,
but was put on hold when Ha-
zen offered to remain in place
until a time when recruiting
efforts would be the most effec-
tive.
“There is a seasonality to hir-
ing and I am dedicated to Fami-
ly Relief Nursery and maintain-
ing its community relations and
fiscal health,” Hazen said. “The
board and I wanted to wait
She has received both
until the new year to start our
Nonprofit Management
renewed executive search. And
Program and Advanced
we are so happy that we waited.
Nonprofit Management
We feel Peggy is the perfect per-
Program
Certificates
son to spearhead Family Relief
through Lane Commu-
Nursery’s success for the next
nity College. Her edu-
25 years.”
cation and long history
Hazen said she is committed
of non-profit leadership
to overseeing a smooth tran-
makes her the perfect can-
sition as she aids in the hiring,
didate to lead Family Re-
on-boarding and training pro-
lief Nursery.
cess. “Serving the Nursery has
Since 2016, Whalen has
been enormously fulfilling and
helped guide Eugene Sci-
it will be difficult for me to leave
ence Center’s revitaliza-
my position, but now is the
COURTESY PHOTO tion efforts and its recent
perfect time to transition to a
planetarium campaign as
permanent, full-time executive New Family Relief Nursery
development director.
director,” Hazen said. “Fam- Executive Director Peggy Whalen
“I am so excited to be
ily Relief Nursery is in a place
joining the staff of Family
of strength with a supportive mestic violence.
board, awesome leadership
She also worked at the Uni- Relief Nursery. I have long been
team and staff, financial stabil- versity of California, Davis impressed with the important
ity and solid community part- Campus Violence Prevention work the nursery does to help
nerships.”
Program which provided sexual stop the cycle of child abuse
Whalen grew up in the small, assault, stalking and domestic and neglect through prevention
rural town of Red Bluff, Calif. violence education and inter- and early intervention,” said
Whalen. “Having worked most
and comes from an interven- vention on campus.
tion, advocacy and support
After moving to Oregon, she of my career helping women
background with over 38 years guided Womenspace for nine heal from the intergenerational
of experience working with years, from 2006 until 2015; she impact of abuse, I am thrilled to
survivors of trauma and abuse. started in 2006 as assistant di- be working with children and
While in California, Wha- rector and moved into the exec- families at such a crucial stage
in their development.
len worked at both Rape Cri- utive director role in 2009.
“Family Relief Nursery’s pre-
sis Intervention in Chico and
Whalen is a graduate of Cal-
WEAVE, Inc., in Sacramento, ifornia State University-Sacra- vention work has amazing out-
which provided services to vic- mento with a bachelor’s degree comes and can help stop the
tims of sexual assault and do- in Communication Studies. cycle of abuse, which I saw so
many times in my career.”
After Whalen is fully embed-
ded in her new position and
community, Hazen said she
plans on moving back to the
nursery’s board of directors,
where she can continue to serve
Family Relief Nursery and its
mission to keep children safe.
“When I joined the Found-
ing Board in 1993, we had a
vision of supporting parents,
strengthening families and giv-
ing children the opportunity
to be successful by achieving
their full potential in life,” said
Hazen. “Over the last 25 years,
we have grown and we foresee
even more growth over the next
few years. Peggy is the person to
help facilitate that growth.
“She is an energetic and pas-
sionate leader committed to
serving children and families.
I am excited to be introducing
her to the community and our
partners.”
Whalen began at Family Re-
lief Nursery last Friday, March
1. Her first activity will be to at-
tend a statewide meeting of the
Oregon Association of Relief
Nurseries. Her first months will
be comprised of learning more
about Family Relief Nursery’s
therapeutic processes, meeting
community partners and using
her many years of direct ser-
vice experience to build rapport
with nursery families.
Family Relief Nursery began
serving children in August of
1994, and will be commem-
orating its 25th anniversary
this summer. Since then, more
than 2,500 children and their
families have received program
services, including therapeutic
early childhood classes, home
visits, parent education classes
and respite care.
Families voluntarily seek
support for addressing many
challenges. While a typical fam-
ily faces 1 to 3 stressors, a fam-
ily entering the Family Relief
Nursery faces an average of 22
stressors.
Individualized plans are cre-
ated for each family to promote
stability by lowering risk factors,
developing family strengths,
and nurturing children.
As a result, the Nursery has
proven success at keeping fam-
ilies out of an overburdened
Foster Care system, improving
school readiness and literacy,
lowering parents’ unemploy-
ment rates, and decreasing fam-
ily emergency room use.
For more information, call
541-942-4835 or visit www.
familyreliefnursery.org
Cottage Grove Business Challenge Kickoff Event rescheduled for March 13
The Cottage Grove Business
Challenge’s Kickoff Network-
ing Event was one of the many
cancelled events due to last
week’s major snow storm.
The challenge team, com-
prised of the Cottage Grove
Area Chamber of Commerce,
Cottage Grove Community
Development
Corporation,
Lane Small Business Devel-
opment Center and Brunneis,
Pacific Northwest Produc-
tions, determined that the ar-
ea’s need for successful busi-
nesses, not to mention the
$10,000 in prizes, is important
enough to reschedule it’s Kick-
off Networking Event.
This business growth fo-
cused event is being held in an
effort to generate more interest
in the Cottage Grove Business
Challenge.
All interested parties includ-
ing entrepreneurs, investors,
sponsors and business leaders
are encouraged to attend the
kickoff networking event.
The event will be held
Wednesday, March 13, at the
Brewstation, located at 106 S.
Sixth St. in Cottage Grove.
Challenge participants are
invited to attend the four-part
‘Your Business Plan Acceler-
ator’ course hosted by Lane
Community College. Courses
will begin Wednesday, March
20, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., at
Lane Community College–
Cottage Grove, located at 1275
River Rd.
This course is free of charge
to challenge participants, who
are highly encouraged to at-
tend this incredibly valuable
educational opportunity.
For participants unable to
attend the four-part course,
there will be a two-hour Satur-
day seminar available, March
16, from 10 a.m. to noon at
Lane Community College–
Cottage Grove.
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