
Supporters
“Helen Higgins is an action-oriented leader who is committed to serving Benton County residents and workers. When Covid-19 struck the county in 2020, Helen anticipated the need for all-day childcare for emergency and essential workers and pivoted the focus of the Boys & Girls Club services from after school, to full-day care to meet those needs. That effort required establishing operational protocols to ensure a safe environment for children and staff, as well as identifying additional funding to support the effort. This initiative resulted in providing essential employees of over 50 local businesses with a safe place for their children to go during the pandemic. Benton County needs her leadership, vision, and creativity to address the challenges of the future.”
- Jim Swinyard, Retired Benton County Sheriff

“I have worked with Helen in a number of community leadership roles for more than two decades. Helen works to understand the root causes of a particular problem, explore best-practice solutions, and then advocate for how to best adapt those strategies locally. She is passionate about the things she cares about, particularly related to providing opportunities for all children to be healthy and to thrive. Helen is a tireless champion for Benton County and its residents.”
- Julie Manning – Past Corvallis Mayor
“Innovator, collaborator, service heart - Helen addressed our County teen suicide crisis by integrating mental and medical health into the design of the Center for Youth Excellence teen center. We have witnessed her effective collaboration with other nonprofits and government entities in the development of sustainable community safety net services for County youth and teens. Helen is the right leader at the right time for Benton County.”
- Tom & Debbie Gerding, Philomath
“I endorse Helen Higgins for Benton County Commissioner. Helen is a force. She has gotten things done by an awareness of what’s important, good planning, engaging partners, writing grants and follow-through. Right now, people are focused on diversity, inclusion and equity. Helen has been living these tenets through her work for many years. She knows these are critical and the future demands that we do too.”
- Anne Schuster, Retired Benton County Commissioner
"Helen is the epitome of selfless-service. She is a fantastic leader with a commitment to serving youth and the community. Her holistic approach is second-to-none, as she is able to see things from 30,000 feet down to the ground, unlike most senior leaders. It is time for a leader like Helen to establish critical priorities and see them through. In our Nation's toughest time, we must place the right people in leadership positions to effect lasting change. Helen will roll up her sleeves and get to work day one!"
- Chris Reese, Owner Southpaws Pizza and Sports Bar, North Albany
"I endorse Helen Higgin for Benton County Commissioner. Helen is both a visionary and an implementer. Most people have one skill or the other. It's the rare individual that can listen to different views and then take those views and develop them into a plan that gets results."
- Michele Kellison, CPA, CFP
"Energetic Community Builder, bringing a Get It Done attitude, with Local Experience, Helping All in the Region."
- Ed Junkins, MD, Former Corvallis City Councilor
“Helen Higgins is a proven, compassionate and driven leader. Helen deeply cares about the sustainability and health of the diverse communities of Benton County and will be a champion for them all."
- Tarron Anderson - North Albany
"I've been working with Helen for the past 12 years as a contractor and then a donor. We own a solar system on the Boys & Girls Club, installed a second one after getting grants and incentives, provided energy efficient lights for the Club that we built and installed. She is always sharp as a tack, extremely articulate, eager to make the Club as efficient as possible, great to work with and would be a great asset to Benton County as a Commissioner."
- Peter Greenberg, Owner - Energy Wise Services
Additional Supporters:
Alex Johnson II
Stacie Wyss-Schoenborn
Hyatt Lyttle
Severn Williams
Peggy Joyce
Bob Heald
Jeff Davis
Liz Doyle
Carol Lee Woodstock
Peter Leung
Dawn & Steve Duerksen
Rich Carone
Pete & Alice Bober
Mark Yeager
Patty & Rob Humphrey
Bill Mercer
Melissa Goff
Anthony Thompson
Tony VanVliet
Andrea Thornberry
Carol & Ken Trueba
Samantha Garcia
John Barlow
Jamie Ely
James Kaech
Carol Kronstad
Laura King
Tom Brookes
Jodell Boyle
Jane Peterson
Stacy Mellem
Linda Ramsey
Lainey Morse & Sean Scorvo
Todd & Amy Nystrom
Jane Peterson
Mary Brauti
Dick & Doris Waring
Tom & Colleen Elliott
Stephanie Mehlenbacher
Kay Dawson
Gerry Perrone
Carolyn Nichols
Dawn & Steve Duerksen
Anthony Thompson
Loretta Johnson
Janet Wershow
Donna Willams
Lorena Reynolds
Gerry Kosanovic
Allen Underkofler
Ben Danley
Chuck Crowe
Larry Plotkin
Paul Neitfeld
Scott Newsham
Paul Goodmonson
Tony & Gail VanderHeide
Lee Strandberg
Kim Schlessinger
Doug Boysen
Alan Lanker
Bryan Lake
Frank Heresco
Raymond Leeson
Micky & Steve Shields
Eija & William Emmingham
Pam Edinger
Kevin Bogatin
Rob Emmons & Paige Cannon
Carolyn Higgins
Holly Higgins
Casey Higgins
Ryan Higgins
Paul Zech
Deborah Artis
Amanda & Grant Garcia
Laura Orth
Craig Hendrickson
Lyle & Sharon Hutchens
Roger & Judy Rosenthal
Mark & Marcela Henkels
Debbie Palmer & Ken Eklund
Stella Athon
Nick & Sandra Houtman
Neil and Dayle Christensen
John & Shirley Byrne
Nancy Kerkvleit
Wendy & Tom Phelps
