Leadership Corvallis seventh annual leadership award given to OSU’s Kavinda Arthenayake
Corvallis, Ore., (June 10, 2010) – Kavinda Arthenayake, a 2004 graduate of Leadership Corvallis who will go on to serve the organization as the vision committee chair, was honored Thursday evening as the seventh Hans Neukomm Award winner.
“We are thrilled to recognize Kavinda with this award and celebrate his sense of volunteerism,” said Leadership Corvallis past president Stacy Mellem. “Kavinda is a driving force for leadership and influences successful change in the many organizations he is involved in.”
Arthenayake, who works as director of Community and Conference Services at Oregon State University, is an active community volunteer, dedicating his time and talent to many organizations. A partial list of his volunteerism includes: the United Way of Benton and Lincoln Counties, where he’s served as the organization’s two-term president; the da Vinci Days Festival, where he currently serves as president; the Association of Collegiate Conference and Event Directors International, where he serves as current board member; Corvallis Tourism, where he served as a past board member; Corvallis Economic Vitality Partnership, where he served as a member of the strategic planning group; and Pop Warner Football, where he served as a parent volunteer.
Established in 2004, the Hans Neukomm Award is named for the founder of Leadership Corvallis and is given to a past class member who has made a significant impact in the community. The six prior recipients are: Julie Manning, the late Scott Zimbrick, Pete Bober, Susan Poole, Biff Traber and Penny York.
Leadership Corvallis was created in 1992 to identify Corvallis’ and Benton County’s “best and brightest” citizens and offer a 10-month program that equips them to provide leadership within their own community. An advisory board comprising community leaders helps develop topics and interacts with participants as guest speakers and session facilitators.