Alumni Awards
Each September during Reunion Weekend, Willamette honors and celebrates outstanding alumni for their achievements and devotion to the University. Here’s a look at those who will be honored in September.
Distinguished Alumni Citations
Susan Warren Fratt ’72
Ever since her freshman year at WU, Susan Warren Fratt ’72 has been involved in service. As a classroom volunteer at the Oregon School for the Blind, she began a career of service that thus far has spanned nearly 25 years. Before becoming chief executive officer for the American Lung Association of Oregon three years ago, she worked for the Komen for the Cure Foundation for five years and the American Cancer Society for three years.
Fratt’s Willamette biology degree was the foundation for a career in service and nonprofit administration. “It helps having some background in the basic biological sciences to understand some of the issues the key researchers are trying to address,” she says. Fratt, who was a member of the Chi Omega sorority and a four-year participant in Glee, has served as a member of the Clark Community College Board of Trustees, co-chaired the Kaiser Shipyard’s 50th anniversary celebration and volunteered with the Children’s Home Society. “My volunteer experience started at Willamette, which has had a significant impact on the rest of my life.”
Susan and her husband, John, have three children, Andrew, Kathryn and Robert.
Carla C. Piluso ’77
Carla C. Piluso ’77 is a captain and chief of police for the City of Gresham, Ore. A political science major, Piluso is a 28-year veteran of the Gresham Police Department. In addition to working 10 years as a patrol officer, she brings experience from many other roles in the department, including crime scene investigator, hostage negotiator and coordinator of the major crimes unit and gang enforcement efforts. She also holds the distinction of being the first female police chief for the City of Gresham.
Piluso, a 2007 recipient of the March of Dimes White Rose Award, has volunteered as president of the board for Human Solutions and for many organizations including Head Start; the Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families and Community; Mt. Hood Hospice; and Mt. Hood YMCA. She has also served on the board for the Police Activities League and is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Center for Women and Policing. Piluso has extensive executive management credentials including participation in the Portland State University Executive Leadership Institute and Public Safety Command College at the PSU Hatfield School of Government.
In 2001, she was inducted into Willamette’s Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of her all-conference honors in field hockey, badminton and basketball, and her play on the softball team.
Carla has a 14-year-old daughter, Kathleen.
Richard J. Pine ’82, MBA’82
Richard Pine ’82, MBA’82 is president of O’Neill Pine Company, a family-owned timber company created in 1996 by Pine and his wife, Debra MBA’82, as a spin-off from a timber company run by Debra’s parents, Robert O’Neill ’50 and Doris O’Neill ’50. O’Neill Pine Company is a leader in promoting environmentally certified timber and wood products.
Pine, who completed his triple-major BS (economics, political science, and public policy) and his MBA in just four years, began his career with Standard Insurance Company and is a chartered life underwriter, chartered financial consultant and a certified employee benefits specialist. Pine owns and serves as president of Financial Products and Services, Inc.
“Since graduation, I have been grateful that Willamette continues to offer opportunities for participation, knowledge and cultural enrichment. Time spent at Willamette continues to be a good investment,” says Pine, who has served on the University’s Committee for the Town & Gown Fund Drive and as chair of the advisory board for the Willamette Student Investment Fund. Pine is founder and managing trustee of Evergreen Charitable Trust, a supporting organization helping to build charitable endowments. He has served on the board of directors for United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley, South Central Area Neighborhood Association, Salem City Club, and Associated Oregon Industries. He is also past president of the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce.
Richard and Debra have two daughters, Kylie ’05 and Kerry.
Young Alumni Leadership Award
Tobias J. Read ’97
Tobias J. Read ’97 embodies the leadership that Willamette seeks to instill in all of its students. Read was a Truman Scholar nominee, a Lawrence Scholar, a varsity crew member, and a senator of the Associated Students of Willamette University. As an alumnus, he continues his leadership as the Young Alumni Portland Coordinator, and as a member of both the College of Liberal Arts Annual Fund Committee and the Athletic Director’s Advisory Board.
Between his extracurricular activities and his studies for his politics and economics major, Read also found time to begin his political career with then-State Representative Bryan Johnston. After graduation, he worked as a development officer at Willamette for two years before moving to Washington, D.C., to continue his career in politics as special assistant to the executive secretary for the Clinton Administration. Read has worked for Nike since 2004 and serves as their representative on the Environment and Economic Development Committee of the Oregon Business Association.
Read earned his MBA with a Certificate in Environmental Management from the University of Washington in 2003. He ran for the Oregon State Representative seat for District 27 in Beaverton and was elected in 2006. In his free time, Read coaches youth basketball, is a member of his neighborhood association committee, and volunteers at Greenway Elementary as part of the SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) program. He is also a volunteer with the Oregon Bus Project, and a member of the Northwest Earth Institute and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.
Lestle J. Sparks Medallion
Doug Houser ’57
Doug Houser ’57 characterizes his Willamette education as a “foundation for life.” His appreciation for the University has translated into an enduring devotion, including service on the Board of Trustees, the Campaign Steering Committee and Law Campaign Committee, as well as volunteering with the Career Network and the Office of Admissions. Houser is also a member of the R.A. Booth Society and has spent countless hours assisting the University with fund raising and peer screening activities. He previously served on the CLA Board of Directors and the Law Board of Visitors.
Houser, a political science major, helped the Portland-based Bullivant Houser Bailey PC grow from a seven-lawyer practice into a law firm that now employs nearly 200 attorneys and has offices in four states. “Willamette has enriched my life both intellectually and through the lifetime friendships I made with students and faculty.”
Since receiving his JD from Stanford University, Houser has been recognized as an outstanding trial lawyer by several national and international publications including Chambers USA and The National Law Journal, which named him one of the outstanding civil defense lawyers in the United States. He has authored many law articles and been involved in numerous professional, civic and business organizations including the board of directors for Nike, the board of trustees for the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon, and the International, American, and Oregon Bar Associations.
Doug and his wife, Lucy, have three children, Brad ’89, Brooks ’85, MBA’87, JD’90, and Anne.