Heritage University and Dispute Resolution Center Forming Community Response Teams to Respond to Crises

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		January 29, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heritage University and Dispute Resolution Center Forming Community
Response Teams to Respond to Crises

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University and the Dispute Resolution Center of Yakima and Kittitas Counties (DRC) are forming Community Response Teams to create safer, more peaceful communities. Each team will have 16 members which represent elected officials, law enforcement, neighborhood activists and students. The goal of each team will be to respond to crises in a timely, informed and unified manner by offering active listening, mediation and conflict resolution.

The creation of the community response teams is part of a three-year partnership between Heritage University and the DRC. It is funded by Washington Campus Compact/AmeriCorps VISTA and by a grant from the Yakima Valley Community Foundation.

According to Community Communication Program Coordinator Vanessa Alviso, “This program is ultimately about community self-determination. We believe that the solutions to community crises are the community members themselves.”

As part of this program, Alviso has joined Heritage University as an adjunct instructor, teaching mediation and community communications courses. DRC Director Sarah Augustine, with Heritage faculty support, will provide the structure and training needed to form strong, supportive networks that help team members work together towards a shared goal: a peaceful community. Training sessions for team members took place in late January in Yakima and Sunnyside.

For more information, contact Vanessa Alviso at Alviso_V@heritage.edu or 509-453-8949.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu

Heritage University Faculty Member Named Among Top 100 Leadership Speakers for 2018

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		January 22, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heritage University Faculty Member Named Among
Top 100 Leadership Speakers for 2018

Toppenish, Wash. – Dr. Matt Kincaid, an associate professor of business at Heritage University, is named on The Top 100 Leadership Speakers for 2018 list as published by Inc. Magazine. Author Kevin Kruse compiled the list and selected speakers based on the uniqueness of their ideas and their ability to present their ideas in a compelling manner.

Along with selecting Kincaid for this list, Kruse also reviewed his book, Permission to Speak Freely: How the Best Leaders Cultivate a Culture of Candor, giving it a perfect five-star rating on Amazon and calling it a “must read for all managers/leaders.”

In Permission to Speak Freely, Kincaid and co-author Doug Crandall explain how open and direct communication enhances innovation, ownership, engagement and performance. The authors describe the benefits of candid communication, illustrate the inhibitors that prevent it from happening, and offer tools for leaders to cultivate a culture where everyone, regardless of rank or status, is encouraged to speak freely.

The alphabetical list of speakers which appears on Inc.com, can be viewed here. Kincaid was humbled to be chosen as a top speaker in his field. “It’s an honor, definitely, but I’ve been really lucky to have worked closely with some amazing leaders who are incredible teachers and presenters. Their examples and guidance have helped me a ton.”

Kincaid is also the managing partner of Blue Rudder, a leadership development consulting firm that works with a wide range of organizations, from small nonprofits to Fortune companies. Several international scientific journals have featured his work, and he has been featured in two widely distributed business textbooks.

In addition to instructing business students at Heritage, Dr. Kincaid is also involved with the student organization Heritage Enactus, helping prepare its presentation team for its regular appearances at regional and national competitions.

For more information, contact Matt Kincaid at (509) 865-8614 or kincaid_m@heritage.edu

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu

Heritage University to Hold Events Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

3240 Fort Road • Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-8500

Date:		January 11, 2018
Contact:		David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heritage University to Hold Events Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University will hold three events on January 18-19 to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The first, The Power of Sound; Embodied Approaches to Sonic Activism will feature a keynote address by Dr. Lauren Eldridge of Spelman College. Dr. Eldridge will discuss how music has paved a way for change, and how sound highlights the struggles that bring us together. Highlighting this event will be students reading excerpts from Letter from Birmingham Jail. This event will be held Thursday, January 18 in Smith Family Hall from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The second, The Long Red Power Movement: A Tribute to Dennis Banks, will continue the celebration honoring the Civil Rights struggle of Native Americans.

A community salmon dinner (first-come, first-served) will honor the work of Native American civil rights activist Dennis Banks who passed away in the fall of 2017. Keynote speaker Ryan Booth, Ph.D. candidate at Washington State University and Swinomish tribal member will recount the complex roles of Native Americans in resistance movements throughout history. This event will also feature an open mic and traditional performances by dancers and a drum group. Heritage art professor Gloria Garcia will facilitate a special art project for children who attend. The event takes place Thursday, January 18 in Smith Family Hall from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Finally, Dr. Chad Hamill of Northern Arizona University will present Coyote Made the Rivers: Indigenous Ecological Continuity in the Era of Climate Change, a presentation and performance which blends music and visual imagery to recount the current state of health of the Columbia River and its tributaries. This event will take place Friday, January 19 in the Donald North Library from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

These events, which are free and open to the public, are sponsored by Heritage University’s MMUF Program. For more information, contact Winona Wynn, Mellon & Leadership Alliance Coordinator at (509) 865-8633 or wynn_w@heritage.edu

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington. Visit our website, www.heritage.edu