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Clackamas ESD Honors First-ever Mission Award Winners For Leadership, Service, And Regional Impact (Photo) - 07/14/26
Clackamas Education Service District is proud to recognize three education and community leaders as the first-ever Mission Award winners.
The new Mission Awards celebrate individuals who exemplify Clackamas ESD’s mission to lead, serve and innovate in support of students, families, schools and communities across the region. The awards include the Clackamas ESD Leadership Award, Clackamas ESD Innovation Award, and Hoa Nguyen Service Award.
This year’s honorees are Mitzi Bauer of North Clackamas, recipient of the Hoa Nguyen Service Award; Angie Gilbert of Oregon City School District, recipient of the Innovation Award; and Dianne Holme of Clackamas ESD, recipient of the Leadership Award.
The winners were selected from nominations received from throughout Clackamas County and will be recognized at the Clackamas ESD Board of Directors meeting in August.
“As we launch the Mission Awards, Mitzi, Angie, and Dianne set a powerful standard for what this recognition is all about,” said Larry Didway, superintendent of Clackamas ESD. “Each has led in a different way, but all three have created lasting opportunities for students, families, educators, and communities across Clackamas County.”
Mitzi Bauer: Expanding civic voice and opportunity
Mitzi Bauer, a North Clackamas community member and longtime public education advocate, received the Hoa Nguyen Service Award in recognition of her decades of service to students, schools, and families.
Bauer’s involvement with North Clackamas School District began more than 20 years ago through volunteer service and continued through her work on the school board. Throughout that time, she has been a dedicated advocate for students, staff, and families.
Her service has included contributions to health curriculum, legislative advocacy, wellness efforts, labor-management collaboration, policy review, superintendent evaluation, and bond oversight.
Bauer’s impact is especially visible in her commitment to student voice, equity, and civic engagement. She helped lead students to the state capitol to advocate for mental health supports, reinforcing the message that young people belong in the rooms where decisions are made. Her advocacy for fully funded public education also supported broader efforts connected to Oregon’s Student Success Act.
“Equity has been the North Star of Mitzi’s service,” said Ivonne Dibblee, North Clackamas School District assistant superintendent. “Through her work with the Education Equity Advisory Committee, Student Voice Equity Committee, and Parent and Community Leadership Alliance, she has championed access, representation, and belonging. She has consistently pushed beyond a ‘one size fits all’ approach, advocating for resources that meet students where they are.”
Angie Gilbert: Opening doors through career-connected learning
Angie Gilbert, school-to-career coordinator for Oregon City School District, received the Innovation Award for her innovative work expanding career and technical education opportunities for students.
After a 27-year career in Reynolds School District, Gilbert joined the Oregon City School District and immediately helped reshape the district’s career and technical education and pre-apprenticeship opportunities. In just one year at Clackamas Academy of Industrial Sciences, she supported the launch of three pre-apprenticeship programs through partnerships with Local 290 Plumbers, Western States Carpenters, and United We Heal. These programs created new pathways in welding, woods and carpentry, and behavioral health.
Gilbert also expanded career exposure for students across the district, including field trips and job talks for more than 2,000 high school students. Her work has reached younger students as well, with new career and technical education programs for fourth- and fifth-graders designed to help them imagine future possibilities earlier in their education.
“Angie has had a tremendous impact on the growth of CTE education in Oregon City School District in just one year,” said Mike Stead, principal of the Clackamas Academy of Industrial Sciences. “Her drive, energy, and commitment have been phenomenal. This year alone, OCSD has made what feels like ten years of progress in advancing CTE, and Angie has served as a mentor and trusted advisor to CTE teachers as they navigate major shifts.”
Gilbert’s leadership has strengthened support for educators, expanded access to hands-on learning, and helped more students see meaningful pathways to success after high school.
Dianne Holme: Strengthening student health across the region
Dianne Holme, health services supervisor at Clackamas ESD, received the Leadership Award in recognition of her visionary leadership and lasting contributions to school health services.
Holme has built a strong regional network for school nurses and health professionals, creating a professional community that did not previously exist. Through her leadership, nurses across the region have more opportunities to collaborate, solve problems, learn together, and support one another.
“Dianne Holme demonstrates visionary leadership by building a strong, connected regional network for school nurses and health professionals,” said Angie Kautz, assistant director of student services at Clackamas ESD. “Through her work, nurses who once worked in isolation are now part of a trusted professional community grounded in collaboration, problem-solving, and peer support.”
Holme’s approach centers practitioners’ voices and responds to the real, evolving needs of those closest to student care. She has advocated for school nurses, students, and families in district, county, and state decision-making spaces, helped coordinate efforts to make Narcan available to schools, and organized free vaccination clinics for families.
In addition, Holme developed a lending library of specialized training resources to help school health professionals strengthen their practice and better serve students with complex medical needs. Her leadership has elevated school nursing across the region, increased family trust, and improved access to care.
Together, Bauer, Gilbert, and Holme represent the spirit of the Mission Awards: civic leadership that elevates student voice, innovation that expands career pathways, and regional service that strengthens student health and well-being.
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