ϳԹվ – Cascades will posthumously honor Mark Kralj, a former member of the OSU-Cascades Advocacy and Advisory Board, during its 24th annual commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 15.
Emily Kralj, Kralj’s daughter, will accept the Distinguished Service Award on behalf of the Kralj family. Mark died on Oct. 1, 2024. The annual award honors individuals, businesses or organizations who have made exceptional contributions to OSU-Cascades, Central Oregon, Oregon or the world.
“Mark’s dedication, volunteer leadership and generosity to OSU-Cascades and Central Oregon was inspiring,” said Sherm Bloomer, chancellor and dean of OSU-Cascades. “His service not only to OSU, but to countless organizations in the region and state, has left an indelible mark on our university campus and our community.”
Kralj, an alumnus of OSU, was a retired principal at Ferguson Wellman Capital Management.
He held volunteer leadership positions at OSU, serving on the board of the OSU College of Business and as chair of the OSU Foundation Board of Trustees from 2006-2007, during the lead up to OSU’s first philanthropic campaign, the $1.1 billion Campaign for OSU.
Kralj served on OSU-Cascades’ Advocacy and Advisory Board from 2017 until his death.
He and his wife Kathy supported organizations throughout the state, including in Central Oregon, where they have a second home.
Kralj served on more than 20 nonprofit boards and committees. They included the American Red Cross - Oregon Trail Chapter, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, March of Dimes - Lewis & Clark Chapter, Oregon Symphony Foundation, Providence Child Center Foundation and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette.
In 2024, Kralj and his wife, Kathy, created a scholarship that supports student veterans at OSU-Cascades as they transition from military to academic life. This gift led to the Kraljs' membership in the OSU Foundation’s Harris Society, its leading giving society, recognizing cumulative gifts to the university of $1 million or more.
Kralj’s wife and several family members will be in the audience at the commencement event.
About OSU-Cascades: ϳԹվ’s campus in ϳԹվ brings higher education to Central Oregon, the fastest growing region in the state. Surrounded by mountains, forest and high desert, OSU-Cascades is a highly innovative campus of a top-tier land grant research university, offering small classes that accelerate faculty-student mentoring and experiential learning. Degree programs meet industry and economic needs in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, natural ecosystems, health and wellness, and arts and sciences, and prepare students for tomorrow’s challenges. OSU-Cascades is expanding to serve 3,000 to 5,000 students, building a 128-acre campus with net-zero goals.