Meet Scott Kuvass a newer member of our Board of Directors. He is a Commercial Banking Relationship Manager at WaFd and describes himself as an “accidental banker.” He interned at the Eugene Emeralds baseball organization in college, and it was in his final year when he took a class about banking. The class resonated with him and he’s been in banking almost a decade, having joined the WaFd Bank team six years ago.
Scott first learned of Relief Nursery when he participated in Leadership Eugene Springfield, a year-long program hosted by the Eugene and Springfield Chambers of Commerce. It was there he met Loni Waltasti from Old Dominion Car Collision who was on Relief Nursery’s Leadership Board. She invited him for a tour and then invited him to join. Thankfully, he said yes.
On the Leadership Board, Scott worked on the Dodge for a Cause dodgeball tournaments. “The event funds just one program, Parenting Education, and it showed me the power of people coming together. Everyone could participate in some fashion and we made a difference for this important program,” Scott says.
Scott now brings his enthusiasm to the Board of Directors. “I appreciate all the connections represented on the Board. It’s a wide network across so many industries and sectors,” he says. “In this past year, I’ve clearly seen that the board members really care about Relief Nursery. They are fully invested. They ask a lot of questions and provide thoughtful feedback.”
“The board members also show up and invest in Relief Nursery staff. One day the board provided lunch for staff to acknowledge their hard work. I just scooped ice cream but there were folks who showed up and had been preparing food all day,” Scott recalls.
“I’m most compelled by the fact that we not only support the children but we support the parents as well. We care for the whole family,” he explains. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the care and compassion of staff. This work means a lot to them. Plus we have staff that have been with the organization more than 20 years. That just underscores how special they are. It’s really hard work.”
Scott and his wife Emily have two young boys which keep them busy. They enjoy hiking, camping, and the Oregon coast. Scott loves to golf and is especially happy their boys are beginning to take an interest, at least in riding along in the cart.