Top left: Hunter Hall, bottom left: Dave Novotney, top right: Joyce Peters, bottom right: Linda Yorke

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University Foundation announces four new members to its Foundation Board. The new members, Hunter Hall ’23, Linda Yorke, Dave Novotney ’95, and Joyce Peters ’64, bring a wealth of experiences and perspectives to help guide and support the Foundation’s mission.

Hunter Hall is a first-generation college student and recent Western graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and minors in communications and writing. He is currently working toward his master’s degree at Western and serves as president of the Associated Students of Western Oregon University. Hall is an aspiring student voice for the board. He was born and raised in Portland.

“I’m really excited to be a student voice and represent my peers on the board level. I’m very passionate about education and it will offer both life and job experience that I’m looking  forward to,” shared Hall.

Linda Yorke, a first-generation college graduate and retired clinical social worker, brings a wealth of experience to the board through her professional and volunteer activities. With a lifelong passion for music, Yorke is concurrently serving as chair of the Smith Fine Arts Series board at Western. She has called Salem home for 47 years. 

Dave Novotney, an educator and school administrator with 38 years of experience, retired last June after serving as the superintendent of the Willamette Education Service District. During his tenure, Novotney collaborated closely with Western to develop innovative educational programs benefiting students in the region. His extensive background includes roles such as high school history teacher, high school principal, and HR director. 

Joyce Peters, with a background in elementary and special education, dedicated her professional career to staff development for early childhood service providers. Her community service contributions are equally impressive, from being appointed by the Governor to various advisory roles and chairing multiple boards. Peters’ memberships and life experiences further enrich her perspective. 

“We are pleased to welcome Hunter, Linda, Dave and Joyce as the newest members of the Western Foundation board,” shares Katie Wojke, vice president of Advancement and executive director of the Foundation. “Their unique perspectives and extensive leadership experience will be influential to the Western Foundation and the university as we grow our network of supporters in Monmouth, Salem and beyond.” 

The Western Oregon University Foundation welcomes these outstanding individuals to its board and looks forward to their valuable contributions.

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The Western Oregon University Foundation was founded in 1965 and is the fundraising arm of Western Oregon University. A nonprofit corporation, governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees with IRS 501(c)3 status, the WOU Foundation’s scholarship program includes more than 250 donor-funded scholarships. In addition, the foundation manages nearly 300 funds for academic and student programs. As of 2023, the WOU Foundation has approximately $26 million in assets and a permanent endowment of $22 million.