This award is presented to exemplary individuals who have served on Marion & Polk Early Learning Hub's Board of Directors.
Each recipient has demonstrated a clear purpose and vision of coordinated and effective early learning services and an overarching goal to ensure that every family is strong and resilient, and that every child is safe, healthy and prepared to learn.
We have deep gratitude for these individuals, for their hard work and dedication to improving the lives of children and families in our community.
Jim Seymour Awarded February 2023
Known for his passion and relentless pursuit to empower vulnerable children and families, Jim Seymour has been leading CCS as Executive Director since 1985.
He is on the Harvard University Frontiers of Innovation Site Advisory Council and chairs the Marion Polk (Counties) Early Learning Hub. He has also served on the Oregon Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee, Oregon Alliance of Children’s Board of Directors, Marion County Health Department Advisory Board, and Marion County Children and Families Commission. Awards: Oregon Alliance of Children’s Programs’ Diamond Award for Leadership; twice selected citizen of the year by the Oregon Association of Child Care Workers.
Chuck Ransom Awarded June 2019
Chuck Ransom spent almost 20 years with the Woodburn school district as a superintendent, curriculum director, and principal after starting as a Spanish teacher and soccer coach.
Mr. Ransom retired July 31, 2019. He served on the MPELH Board of Director’s since 2012 with his term ending June 30, 2019.
Chuck was ahead of his time in advocating for and supporting preschool programs as part of what Woodburn School District offers. In addition, Kindergarten has been full day long before it was a statewide approach.
During his time at Woodburn School District a dual language program was implemented and at that time was somewhat controversial. The idea was to expand the program to teach students in two languages, not just in the early years, but kindergarten through 12th grade. Ultimately, they become proficient in two languages (Spanish or Russian and English) by the time they graduate. (Some students graduate speaking and writing in all three.)
The dual language program has been actively duplicated by other school districts in the country. In Oregon, parents want to send their children to Woodburn schools so they will have the advantage of knowing two or three languages by graduation. The most important benefit is that students are graduating in record numbers and testing higher than their monolingual peers.
The Marion & Polk Early Learning Hub expresses our deepest gratitude to Superintendent Ransom for his hard work and dedication to improving the lives of children and families in Woodburn and in the entire Hub region. He will be greatly missed.
Dean Andretta Awarded November 2017
Dean Andretta has had the pleasure and privilege of serving as the Chief Financial Officer of WVP Health Authority for the past 21 years.
In that time, WVP has grown from a small company of four to one that has over 330 employees providing health plan services, CCO administration, primary care services, community health information systems and contract assistance for the independent providers in Marion and Polk Counties.
Dean also served as the Interim Executive Director of Willamette Valley Community Health from the inception of the CCO in June 2012 thru August 2014. In addition to WVP, Dean has volunteered by serving on the non-profit Boards over the years including Marion Polk Early Learning Hub, Catholic Community Services Foundation, and Optimum Learning Environment Charter School.
Dean lives in Salem with two gigantic cats and has a daughter finishing up college in San Diego. In his spare time, Dean enjoys tennis, golf, traveling, John Grisham novels, writing and any and all sporting events.
Sue Miller, Chair Awarded October 2016
Early Childhood Advocate; Former Executive Director, Family Building Blocks
Sue Miller has been involved with early childhood programs for over 20 years.
She is the co-founder and former Executive Director of Family Building Blocks, the Relief Nursery serving Marion and Polk counties. She helped found the Marion-Polk Early Learning Hub and chaired its Board of Directors for three years.
She was appointed to the Governor’s Early Learning Design Team in 2011 and subsequent Accountability Hub Work Group (2012) that helped develop the concept for building an early learning system through coordinated, community-based services. In early learning, Ms. Miller’s primary focus has been to close the opportunity gap by serving young children and their families who are furthest from opportunity.
Ms. Miller was elected as the first woman mayor of Salem and served in that office for six years. She also has served on various boards of trustees including the Oregon Community Foundation, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Salem Hospital, and Abiqua School. Ms. Miller has received recognition for her community service through a variety of awards including First Citizen of Salem, Chamber of Commerce; Oregon Children’s Award for a Local Leader, Oregon Commission on Children and Families; Dick Alexander Award, The Children’s Institute; and the Compton Award for Extraordinary Service from a Member of the Community to the Bar and the Judicial System, Marion County Bar Association. Ms. Miller received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Smith College and earned a master’s degree in Urban and Reginal Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
