 |
Austin major contributor to anti-tax effort
Businesses moving
on in a sour economy
Children's lot in
county remains grim
| Who
is this Doug Corder? |
The native Newberg resident approaches a decade
serving on the Newberg school board |
By Schellene Clendenin, Newberg
Graphic reporter
E-mail Schellene at sclendenin@eaglenewspapers.com
|
 As a Newberg native Doug
Corder’s name is fairly well known.
And now people from all over Newberg and Sherwood — where he works as a
sales associate at Home Depot — are recognizing him by that very name.
Much of Corder’s newfound infamy is directly connected to disciplinary
measures taken against him by his fellow Newberg School Board members.
Corder was accused by the board of rude and abusive behavior in February. The
board censured him in November for what it alleged was unethical behavior; they also
issued several directives against him in February but did not release the directives to
the public until December. As a result of these censures, Corder was stripped of his
duties as school board member.
Corder retains his rights to sit in on meetings and attend executive session.
However, he is not allowed to sit in on committees he once headed.
Sitting relaxed in a chair at the Coffee Cottage with his wife at his side,
Corder sipped from a cup of coffee that he passed from hand-to-hand. He was expressive as
he talked about the more than dozen years he’s been a member of the Newberg Booster
Club, most of which he’s served as the vice president.
A father of six girls, Corder often bantered back and forth with his wife.
Corder, who will be 50 in May, said he is service-oriented and it was his
work with the local booster club — checking student IDs and taking money for tickets
at basketball games and wrestling matches at the high school — that first got him
interested in the school board. He had attended meetings regularly for some time before a
spot opened on the board.
“I found an opportunity to link the two — the booster club and
school board,” he said.
Corder applied for an interim position, and as the only candidate was quickly
accepted by the board. When the position came up for vote later, Corder ran with no
opposition and won the slot. He’s been a board member for about eight years now.
Before becoming employed at Home Depot, Corder worked for 25 years in the
international shipping department at Tektronix, where he was caught in a company layoff.
He said the jump to retail was a bit scary.
But after four years with Home Depot he enjoys the daily
interaction with people.
“I love it. They know me by name and I know them by name,” he said.
Corder said he feels his best asset is his willingness to help and his
ability to listen. But he counts a resistance to change as one of his worst qualities.
Friend Carolyn Hodges said she’s known Corder for about 14 years and
considers him an honorable and ethical man with an intense personality.
She and Corder first met at church and worked together on several committees,
from finance to stewardship.
Since they both hold strong opinions, she said they sometimes disagree and
have been known to argue at high volume. Ultimately, the two come to a compromise for the
good of the group, though.
“People need to know that, next to my husband, he is the most honorable
man I know, in service with the community and with kind of the same views,” she said.
“And he has a strong Christian background.
“I have worked with him on committees and most of the time working with
him was easy, unless we came into conflict. In every case (he) does what he can to work
together with his team.”
Mike McBride has known Corder for 31 years; they attended Newberg High School
together. McBride said that although he characterized Corder as as an acquaintance, Corder
has always seemed a nice, easygoing guy who was cordial and service-oriented.
“Some people who go through Newberg High School have a soft spot for the
school,” McBride said, adding Corder is that type of person. “I’ve never
seen him lose his temper. He’s pretty level headed.”
Board member Melinda Van Bossuyt said she has know Corder since the two of
them joined the board in 1995.
Van Bossuyt said she wasn’t comfortable discussing her opinion about
Corder’s personality. She added that the current controversy is difficult for all
board members and the group wants to return to their work for the children and
patron’s of the school district.
“We’ve go to continue to do our work and jobs,” she said.
“We just want to continue with that.” |
|
From Dec. 17,
2003, Newberg Graphic
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