MONMOUTH, Ore. –The Western Oregon University Board of Trustees recently elected Angela Fasana to serve as the third board chair. 

Fasana has been a Western Oregon University Board of Trustee since July 2022, (her current term ends June 30, 2026) and serves on the Finance and Administration Committee. In her new role, she will also chair the Executive Governance Committee.

Fasana will be replacing Trustee Betty Komp as chair. Komp, a Western alumni, was elected to serve on the Board of Trustees in 2017 after retiring from the Oregon House of Representatives. Komp also served as a teacher and school administrator in the Woodburn Public School District.  In 2018, she was elected as the second Board of Trustees Chair, replacing the first Chair, Jim Bumgartner. Komp was re-elected as chair in June 2020 and 2022.

“I’d like to thank Trustee Betty Komp for her exceptional service as Chair of the Board of Trustees,” said Western Oregon University President Jesse Peters. “Her leadership, dedication, and commitment to our university have made a lasting impact.”

Fasana earned her sociology degree from Portland State University and a Juris Doctorate from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College. She is a member of the Tribal Nation of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and has served the tribe in multiple capacities since the mid-90s. Fasana currently serves as the Education Department Manager and served as Court Administrator for the Grand Ronde Tribal Court for 19 years. Previous roles include Tribal Liaison and a Willamina School District board member.

“I am looking forward to working with Angela Fasana as chair of the Board of Trustees,” said Western Oregon University President Jesse Peters. “She understands the power of higher education to shape lives in positive ways. As the first Native American chair of the BOT, her service also marks an important moment for Western Oregon University, and I welcome her partnership as we implement our new strategic plan.”

Growing up in Willamina, where Fasana’s mother worked in the mills and her father worked as a logger, she learned the value of hard work and the importance of higher education. After graduating high school, she attended Western Oregon University and then transferred to Portland State University to be closer to her high school boyfriend, now husband of 30 years.

Fasana shares that she’s always had a special place in her heart for Western and recommends it to students from the tribe. “When approached about serving on the Board, I was hesitant due to other commitments I had made, however when the opportunity presented itself again, I was happy to serve,” adds Fasana. She also shares that her grandmother was a very influential person in her life and was a catalyst for decisions about higher education and all that it can contribute to one’s life. “It means a great deal to me to give back to the university with my service in hopes that it is helping others with their life journeys.”

Fasana is married to Ariah Fasana, a high school coach for 30 years and teacher for 27 years. They have two children, Justin and Cheyanne, a son-in-law, Tyler, and two granddaughters. Fasana’s daughter is an alum of Western’s education graduate program.  

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About Western Oregon University

Western Oregon University, established in Monmouth in 1856, proudly stands as Oregon’s oldest public university. Hosting around 4,000 students, Western embodies a mid-sized, NCAA Division II institution, with approximately 80% of its students hailing from within the state. Notably, its diverse student body comprises individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, veterans, and non-traditional learners. Western stands as the preferred campus in Oregon for those pursuing an enriching education within a nurturing, student-focused environment, characterized by faculty-led instruction. Where You Belong.