About Us

Jacksonville Community Center – Where Community Comes to Life! We welcome all to join JCC in strengthening community and building strong healthy relationships and individuals through programs and events open to people of all ages and backgrounds!

JCC’s Vision:
We envision a world community in which opportunities for creativity, learning, self-development, wellness and social connectedness are available to all — across generations, income levels, cultural backgrounds, identities and all other lines of differentiation. We believe that community is essential to build and sustain healthy and wise human beings and that investment in community and connection-building strengthens and enriches us all.

JCC is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, federal tax ID# 93-1299899.

Our Mission

The mission of the Jacksonville Community Center (JCC) is to create a healthy, informed, and interconnected community through enriching, inclusive and accessible programming and participation opportunities for all ages.

JCC is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, federal tax ID# 93-1299899

Our History

Since 1998, the Jacksonville Community Center has been housed in a small 842-square-foot cottage on City-owned property at Fourth and Main Street in Jacksonville. The two-room cottage was remodeled by volunteers and has been used by local organizations for meetings, crafts, music, social activities, and the staging of parades and other events. The Jacksonville Community Center was incorporated in 2000 and received its tax-exempt status in 2005 with the purpose of establishing a larger community center for adults and children in this area.

For many years, the profits of the Jacksonville Collectibles and Thrift Store, operated by the Jacksonville Seniors, Inc., as well as the funds from the Celebrate the Arts festival were conserved in anticipation of constructing a larger Center.

In November 2014, JCC signed a 50-year lease with the City of Jacksonville for the cottage and surrounding land, enabling JCC to develop plans for the new Center. In July of 2016 JCC initiated its capital building campaign with a pledge of $153,200 from the Jacksonville Seniors and funds of $60,000 conserved from JCC and Celebrate the Arts. In total over $744,000 has been raised from foundations, organizations, individuals and businesses.

In May 2017 JCC held a groundbreaking ceremony that was attended by nearly 100 people including residents of all ages, JCC founders, the Mayor, City Councilors, funders and media representatives. In 2017 and 2018 dozens of volunteers donated thousands of hours of work on demolition, remodeling, painting, landscaping, walkways and pollinator gardens of the community center. In January 2019 the Jacksonville Community Center celebrated its Grand Opening and officially opened its doors for business.

JCC Today

The Jacksonville Community Center has hosted dozens of public and private events that have been attended by thousands of people each year. Samples of our current monthly program may be viewed under our programs page. We focus on education, wellness, arts enrichment, history, culture, community-building and life-skills. We strive to include perspectives from our diverse community and to create meaningful opportunities for all to engage, learn and grow.

In addition, we have hosted community members’ private events through facility rentals, including:

Weddings
Celebrations of Life
Baby and bridal showers
Anniversary parties
Birthday parties from 1-year-old to 90-year-old
Quinceañera and graduation parties for students of all ages
Holiday parties for business, office and personal occasions
Foundation retreats & staff meetings
Conferences

Public events and activities have included:

Large and small community meetings
Tai chi and yoga classes
Wellness and healthy aging programs
Music and singing classes for kids and adults
Art classes & projects for the young and old
Music jams
Concerts
Educational classes

JCC is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Board & Staff

The Jacksonville Community Center is operated by a dedicated Board of Directors and two staff members.

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View Board and Staff

Board of Directors

Sue Miler

President

Sue is a retired nonprofit executive with more than 25 years’ experience with local organizations in Minneapolis and with large national programs through the AARP Foundation in Washington, DC. She has a special passion for the immense contribution volunteers can make in our society. Sue recently concluded the effort that raised the funds for (over $750,000 for) JCC’s capital campaign.

Sandy Marshall

Board Member

Sandy Marshall is a retired orthopedic physical therapist and medical practice manager. She has been a long-time volunteer in the community starting with building a playground for Jacksonville Elementary School and being a driving force behind the arts programs at the school. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Craterian Theater of Medford and volunteers as a costumer for the Teen Musical Theater of Oregon at the Craterian Theater.

David Doi

Secretary

Dave is a retired nonprofit executive who has more than three decades’ experience leading national advocacy organizations in Washington, DC and Minneapolis.

Kristine Rose

Treasurer

Kris is a retired degreed accountant who worked in public accounting as an auditor, in corporations and most recently as Finance Director in local governments including the City of Jacksonville. Kris manages JCC’s donor database and has computerized JCC’s financial recordkeeping and accounting.

Margaret Pashko

Vice President

Margaret’s career involved 34 years in the utility business where she managed teams in Marketing, Customer Service, Human Resources and Public Affairs. She happily retired to Jacksonville and has spent the last few years “paying it forward” by volunteering with a variety of non-profit groups. A recent addition to the JCC board, Margaret has brought her marketing experience to the organization and is working to promote JCC in the community.

Laura O'Bryon

Board Member

Laura is the former Director of Senior and Disability Services (Area Agency on Aging) at Rogue Valley Council of Governments; Executive Director of Community Works; and Dean of Students at Southern Oregon University. She has been a resident of Jackson County, Southern Oregon for 38 years and has remained a committed advocate for equal access and equity across all community resources.

Staff

Julie Raefield

Executive Director

Julie has been leading or fundraising for nonprofits for over 30 years, recognizing that communities need places to gather, learn and create. Prior to her most recent position leading Rogue Community College's community and government relations efforts, Julie served as development director for Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice, generating strong philantropic support for the region's only residential hospice care facility. She has led arts, education and health nonprofits that have expanded access to resources for limited-English speaking residents, seniors, and youth. She also recently team-led fundraising efforts to build a new museum in San Diego's Balboa Park.

Sarah Greco

Child and Youth Coordinator

Sarah is an experienced educator and youth program leader, with a background in Developmental Psychology and Early Childhood Education. She is also a mother of two young children who attend Jacksonville Elementary School. She is passionate about programs that bring people together. She is here to create more opportunities for local children and families to connect as valued members of the Jacksonville community. She is looking forward to collaborating with local parents to better serve our youth.

Tori Wood

Volunteer & Facility Coordinator

Tori Wood has joined JCC as a career transition - leaving her former work as a lab technician to follow her love of community-building. Tori is sharing her love of science with our JCC youth programs by teaching monthly "Experimentation Station" programs. She loves the beauty that volunteers create through their service.

Original Founders

of Jacksonville Community Center

We honor their vision, commitment and foresight in planning a center that will be a treasure for our community.

Lynn Boening
Don Cady
Eloise Cady
Ann Clausen

Dave Clemens
Pete Dahl
Viola Davis
Jerry Ferronato

Willard Fike
Theresa Gieg
Jack Pfeifer

Liz Pursell
Donna Schatz
Nichalus Vorona

Our Community Supporters

Many individuals, organizations, foundations, businesses and groups have been generous donors to the Jacksonville Community Center (JCC). In addition, dozens of volunteers have and continue to donate their time to the Jacksonville Community Center. The hundreds of thousands of dollars that have been contributed by donors and the thousands of hours that have been donated by volunteers have made possible the wonderful Jacksonville Community Center we celebrate today.

We are grateful to the following foundations and organizations that have donated generously to JCC: