The WestM Board of Directors is comprised of individuals from up to four local churches.
Current Board Members & Affiliates
First Christian Church
Donna Keim is a recently retired educator and has lived in Corvallis since 1981. She has been a teacher at College Hill Alternative High School and a Career Education Specialist at Corvallis High School. She served as the Chair of Benton County High School Career Convention for over 15 years. In addition to her role as an educator, she was the Vice-President of Operations at Will Keim Speaks! Inc. for 20 years. Donna has been actively involved in community service, with a particular passion for athletics and education. She has 4 children and 4 grandchildren.
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Vicki Tolar Burton is a retired Professor of Rhetoric and Composition at OSU. While at OSU she also served as the Program Coordinator for Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture and the Director of Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC). She is well published in journals, books (Spiritual Literacy in John Wesley’s Methodism: Reading, Writing, and Speaking to Believe), and film (Writing Across Borders). Vicki is a member of Corvallis First Presbyterian Church and has been involved in WestM as a faculty member and board member. She values WestM’s openness, welcoming spirit and the connections she has made for over 25 years. Vicki is the current secretary of our WestM Board.
United Church of Christ
Larry Weymouth is a retired transportation project manager, environmental planner, sales leader, and technical writer/editor for the consulting engineering firm CH2M HILL (now Jacobs Engineering) for 28 years. He also served as a grant and contract officer for OSU’s Research Office for 3 years prior to retirement. Larry is a member of First Congregational United Church of Christ and has lived in the Corvallis area for more than 40 years since graduating from OSU. As a student, Larry attended activities at WestM and remembers it as a place to gather for discussions, plan civic-minded actions, and positively impact the larger Corvallis community. Larry has three grown children. He now has time to enjoy biking, hiking, and gardening as well as church activities and civic engagement for a sustainable future. Larry is the current vice-president of our WestM Board.
United Methodist Church
Janine Salwasser is the Program Lead for Oregon Explorer- Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University. She has also served with the Benton County Natural Areas and Parks Advisory Board, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, California Department of Fish and Game, California Resources Agency, CalFIRE, and NASA Ames Research Center to promote information sharing and collaborative approaches to conservation and resource management at local, state, and regional scales. Janine is an active member of Corvallis First United Methodist Church and has been involved with WestM for many years. She is an avid rower and the proud mother of Kaija. She is the current president of our WestM Board.
At-Large
Raymond M. Brooks is an Emeritus Professor of Finance at Oregon State University. He taught in the College of Business at Oregon State University for nineteen years and served as the Finance Program Director. Prior to coming to OSU in 1997, he taught at the University of Missouri, worked for Shell Oil Company, and served in the United States Army where he obtained the rank of Captain. He is a former Oregon State Swim team member. Ray is a member of First United Methodist Church of Corvallis and has a long history with WestM. Ray is married to Greta Brooks, a retired Corvallis High School mathematics teacher. They have two married sons, and two granddaughters, Ariana and Mariah. Ray is the current treasurer of our WestM Board.
Mike Beilstein is a retired chemist who worked for Oregon State University for 30 years. He served for 12 years on the Corvallis City Council and was a Green candidate for County Commissioner in 2000. He was Secretary of the Corvallis NAACP for 15 years. He served on the boards of the Pastoral Counseling Center and the Corvallis Environmental Center. He was once President of the Corvallis Historic Auto Club. He currently volunteers with the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition action teams for Housing, Community Inclusion and Economic Development.Emmet Ritter is working on an undergraduate degree at OSU. Emmet was introduced to WestM through Wednesday night dinners and some community-oriented events. They have found WestM to always be welcoming, receptive and enriching. They are currently serving as the Artist in Residence.
Logan Gianella is working on undergraduate degrees in BioHealth Sciences and Music at OSU. He is a gifted musician and helps lead WestM students in worship. You might find him playing a hymn on the piano, keeping the beat on a drum, or leading carols on his accordion. Logan has been active at WestM throughout his undergraduate years and appreciates how WestM connects students in a welcoming space. In Logan’s words, “WestM provides a small home on a big campus”.
WestM 