DEBBIE HARMON FERRY: A champion for her alma mater, hometown
“Stopping
By” column by Starla Pointer
McMinnville
N-R/News-Register
Tuesday April 24, 2018 print edition
Tuesday April 24, 2018 print edition
When
Debbie Harmon Ferry leaves her office in Linfield College's Melrose Hall, she
throws her purple coat over her purple dress and grabs her purple umbrella.
It's Wednesday — Wildcat Wednesday — so, of course, she's wearing the Linfield
color; add a red scarf and her outfit would be perfect for the 1990 graduate,
director of alumni relations and die-hard supporter.
It's not
likely, though, that anyone would realize it's Wildcat Wednesday just because
of Harmon Ferry's ensemble, even if she did include red accessories. For her,
the colors are not out of the ordinary.
"I
have a lot of purple in my wardrobe," she said. "A lot of
purple."
Harmon
Ferry has felt part of Linfield since long before she was old enough to enroll
in the college. She was six months old when her parents, Dave and Sharon
Hansen, moved to McMinnville so her father could become a business professor
there.
He later
added dean of students to his title. He was a longtime play-by-play announcer
for Wildcat games; he's now the color announcer.
Her mother
spent many years as costumer for the Linfield theater program.
And that
meant young Debbie grew up on campus. She knew the layout of buildings when she
was still attending Memorial Elementary School — long before she graduated from
McMinnville High School in 1986 and matriculated at the college.
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After
earning her Linfield degree in 1990, she stayed on as an admissions counselor.
She visited high schools telling students about the benefits of attending
Linfield.
She
switched to the alumni side and became director of alumni and parent relations
20 years ago. In that position, she communicates with graduates, as well as
parents of current students, and organizes events and programs for both groups.
For
instance, she oversees family weekends and visits from parents on campus. And
she plans alumni events all over Oregon and the rest of the country, as well.
"I
love to travel," she said. "I love to see alums on the road."
She
especially enjoys visiting with graduates whom she first met as high school
students. "It's so exciting to see kids when they start and now see how
they're succeeding in life."
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Harmon
Ferry has long been involved in community activities, in addition to those at
Linfield.
"I do
a lot of volunteering because I was raised with it; Dad was always a big fan of
doing volunteer work," she said.
"At
first, I felt I should," she said, "but now I absolutely enjoy it.
When you're invested in something, the rewards are so great."
When her
son, Jacob Harmon, and her stepdaughter were students at Newby Elementary, for
instance, she helped with the school's Battle of the Books program. She
continued in that capacity after they moved on to Duniway Middle School.
"I
like kids," said Harmon Ferry, who has four other stepchildren as well.
She also supported BOB because "reading is a good thing. I came to it
late, but now I'm a voracious reader, and it's great to see kids grow up loving
to read."
Her tastes
in reading run the gamut, although she focuses mostly on fiction. She recently
read the MacReads book, "The Distance Between Us" by Reyna Grande.
Another recent read, which she recommends, is Fredrik Backman's "A Man
Called Ove."
She said
she always packs a novel when she travels, which she does frequently for her
job. In a strange hotel or an unfamiliar city, she said, "it's great to
have a book as a friend."
Harmon
Ferry served on the Kids on the Block Board. She was involved with KOB's main
fundraiser, the Mayor's Charity Ball, for years.
She's on
the Ford Family Foundation Board and its scholarship committee. She was on the
local board for the United Way a few years ago.
She brings
her knowledge of Linfield and her hometown to the board of the McMinnville
Downtown Association. "Our downtown is a gem," she said. "A
strong downtown is good for a city."
Harmon
Ferry has been a board member for Gallery Theater for about two decades and
currently is serving as president. She has directed numerous plays there, such
as "Anne of Avonlea" and "To Kill a Mockingbird," and acted
in many productions, such as "Steel Magnolias" and "It's a
Wonderful Life," in which she played Mary Bailey.
Each
summer, she takes vacation time from Linfield so she can run Gallery's
children's theater camp. It's rewarding to see former campers go on to perform
in the community theater's regular shows, she said.
"I
see them find something in themselves: confidence, a love of performance,
responsibility ..." she said.
Her own
involvement with theater goes back to childhood, when her mom was making
costumes. "I was raised around theater," said Harmon Ferry, who began
acting at Gallery as a teen.
"I
love the teamwork of theater," she explained. "I love what it does
for kids. And I love what it brings to the community — some stories Gallery
brings to the stage need to be told; others are just a nice escape."
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Harmon
Ferry's father, Dave Hansen, was named Man of the Year in 2006 for his work at
Linfield and as a McMinnville City Council member.
She's
known many other winners in various categories. Still, she wasn't at all
suspicious when Cassie Sollars, the 2004 Woman of the Year, invited her to
lunch and last year's Woman of the Year, Mary Martin — whom Harmon Ferry sees
frequently at First Baptist Church services — showed up as well.
Over tapas
at La Rambla, the three women discussed a common interest: books.
After
awhile, though, Harmon Ferry said she became curious: What was their real
purpose?
"Then
they told me," she said, still shaking her head in surprise.
Discovering
she will receive a Distinguished Service Award as Woman of the Year left her
"humbled, honored ... it was fantastic," she said.
Now she's
looking forward to attending the DSA banquet with her husband, Dave Ferry, and
other family members.
She plans
to use her time on the podium to urge others to take part in their community.
"I
want people to get involved," she said. "Volunteering is rewarding in
itself."
She wants
to tell them, as well, "how proud I am to be part of Gallery, of Linfield
and of the McMinnville community."
With her
community activities, her family and her work, she said, "My life is busy.
There's always something going on. And that's really fun."
