It wasn’t until he moved to Lebanon that Rod Sell began feeling he should give back to the community.

Lucky for Lebanon he did.

“I got to a time (in life) I thought it was time to contribute a little bit more,” Sell said.

He started by joining the Lebanon Optimists and working with the Junior Optimist Youth Attitude program.

When Build Lebanon Trails presented itself as a priority, Sell led the way.

“Rod has this magical way of getting people to meet his vision,” said Nancy Kirks, Community Health Improvement Partnership coordinator.

His vision? Connecting every neighborhood, school, park and place in Lebanon and beyond with accessible trails.

It all began with a vision he and Jim Ruef had, said Rod’s wife Raylene Sell.

“Rod and I would sit for hours in the Jacuzzi in the mornings discussing the vision of connecting trails inside the urban growth boundary,” Raylene said.

His vision is now becoming a reality. It is not unusual to have 150 people gather for a hike, but this was not always the case.

When the group first started organizing, Kirks said the first monthly meeting was only attended by about 15 people.

“It might have disappointed some people but it didn’t disappoint Rod because he clearly kept his eye on the goal,” Kirks said.

Rod’s attitude is contagious.

“Rod always brings positive energy wherever he goes,” said Mark Swenson, who worked with Rod for two years through the trail program.

Rod always sees the good qualities in people, Swenson added.

“That type of thing is contagious and it is nice to be around,” he said. “It’s rare to find that.”

The trails program was an easy one for Rod to get behind.

He’s an outdoor enthusiast, Kirks said, and “he wants to see this current generation of kids live longer.”

“Rod has a passion for trails and providing the community with a means to access these trails,” Raylene said.

Just last year he and Raylene hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

“We’ve climbed several of the local mountains,” Rod said. “I like the outdoors, know most of the trails.”

Rod also enjoys mountain biking, snow shoeing and kayaking.

“When you’re on the trail with Rod, he exudes this enthusiasm,” Kirks said. “When you are around Rod, the energy in the room changes. He gets people excited.”

People really respect Rod as a leader because he works so hard, Swenson said.

“He is great at getting people motivated, involved, moving toward a common goal,” he said.

Through trails, Rod is changing the norm of the community, Kirks said.

“He’s getting people to think twice about getting in that car and pushing that stroller,” she said.

His leadership is making a difference long-term for the health in the community, Kirks added.

“If we build these trails, we’re raising our kids to think twice about walking to school or biking to school,” Kirks said.

Rod can be seen at various events working for either the Optimists or BLT.

He has lived in Oregon most of his life, throughout the Willamette Valley. He moved to Lebanon in 1990 and helped establish the trails program in 2005.

After the first recreational trails grant became available in 2006, Rod and other volunteers came together to work on the Mark Slough trail, building a fence along the corridor and paving the trail.

“Almost immediately it was very rewarding,” Rod said.

Rod embodies the spirit of giving, Swenson said.

“He pretty much taught me what that looks like,” Swenson added.

This is the first in a series about community members who embody the spirit of giving in their life.