Please join the campus community in thanking Gordy Toyama, Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, as he retires after 19 years of extraordinary service to Willamette and a total of 37 years in higher education.
Through his work in the OMA and the Renjen Student Center for Equity and Empowerment, Gordy has impacted generations of students, who in turn are creating change in their communities all across the globe. Over the last two decades, Gordy has been a central support for Willamette's increasingly diverse student body, providing guidance to multicultural and LGBTQ student organizations and leadership for the Ohana first-year student program and the Mosaics peer-mentoring program.
Gordy has been dedicated to supporting student-led initiatives that serve under-represented students such as the Bias Incident Response system and the EnE. His institutional memory and persistence have been crucial threads in sustaining student efforts and he has been a source of wisdom and guidance, creating community among staff of color. Gordy’s steady leadership was at the heart of the success of so many student-centered events including the annual M.L.King, Jr., Celebration, the Powwow, and the Lu'au. Willamette will not be the same without him but is better because of him.
Join us and pay tribute to Gordy, Thursday, Sept 1, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Willson-Hines Room in Goudy Commons.
Sponsored by American Ethnic Studies Program, the Provost’s Office, and Willamette Academy. Cupcakes and beverages served.