By Kristine Thomas
The evidence for the decision not only points to Gayle Goschie, but also to her brothers, Glenn and Gordan, and her late sister, Susan.
Their actions stem from what they learned from their late parents, Herman and Vernice Goschie, whose records indicate many community activities.
And for Gayle, that’s what being part of a community is about – serving wherever and whenever she can.
Gayle has been selected by the Silverton Chamber of Commerce for the 2015 Judy Schmidt Lifetime Achievement Award for her volunteer activities in Silverton and Oregon.
Sitting in a chair in her office at Goschie Farms, Gayle said, she’s not the only family member who volunteers. She cites Glenn’s efforts for the Silverton FFA, East Valley Water District and the Wilco board and Gordan’s with the Silverton Chamber of Commerce and the Silverton Rotary.
“I am not the only one in our family who is deserving of this award,” Gayle said, adding her parents placed an emphasis on supporting the community. Gayle’s volunteer work includes the Silverton Chamber of Commerce, The Oregon Garden Foundation, the Silverton Health Foundation and now the governing board as its chair; American Lung Association of Oregon’s Climb for Clean Air; and the Miller Cemetery Board. She traveled with Habitat for Humanity to Haiti to build houses after the 2010 earthquake.
Plus she is the president of hops and wine grapes at Goschie Farms, Inc. The Goschie family came to Silverton in 1885 and started growing hops in 1904. Goschie Farms grows hops and sells to local, state and national breweries.
In 2009, Gayle was the first female hop grower to be awarded the International Order of the Hop, the highest honor in the international hop community and an award which her father also received in 1984. “We are the first father and daughter to receive the award,” she said.
Throughout the state and nation, she is known for her leadership in the industry. Katy Coba, director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, said Gayle is a pioneering leader in Oregon’s hop industry. “She embodies what it means to be an Oregon farmer– smart, dedicated, innovative, and successful,” Coba said. “Gayle has represented the Oregon hop industry at the state and federal level and I’m proud to know her and call her an Oregon farmer.”
Silverton Health Interim President/CEO Sarah Fronza said Gayle is extremely deserving of the Lifetime Achievement honor. “Silverton Health, along with the rest of the Silverton community has been blessed by Gayle Goschie’s leadership,” Fronza said. “Her countless hours of service on both the governing board and the foundation board have ensured the continuation of quality healthcare in our communities for decades to come. She is a passionate, forward-thinking and generous human being.”
Dave Buck, the vice president of the Silverton Health governing board, said Gayle’s leadership has always been about “doing the right thing for the community, just like she does in her business and personal life. She has a positive character that uplifts and puts others first.”
