Local Roots... 

Education

Oregon State University: MBA with a minor in community health with an emphasis on gerontology. B.S. in accounting with a minor in social sciences

Linn-Benton Community College: A.A.

Albany Union High School

Community Involvement

As a young mother of two boys, I was involved with Cub Scouts, the schools and all of the activities kids engage in as they moved from kindergarten through high school.  For Brett and Jason, those schools included Inavale, Western View and Corvallis High School

As they grew older and left home, I served on the boards of the Corvallis Arts Center, OSU Federal Credit Union, Philomath Chamber, Corvallis Lady Elks Association, Willamette Valley Supper Club, and the American Association of University Women AAUW – Corvallis, and the Business Enterprise Center.

I am or have been a member of the League of Women Voters, AAUW, NAACP, Corvallis Kiwanis, Philomath Kiwanis, Corvallis Chamber, Linn-Benton Council for the Arts, Philomath Chamber, ARC of Benton County, Kairos Consumer Council, Benton County Budget Committee, and Taskforce on Corrections.

A Brief Biography

After graduating from Albany Union High School, I married and came to Benton County.  In 1966, I moved to the home where I continue to reside south of Philomath. The trees have grown very tall over the years; my sons have left home; and the pets and livestock are gone.  I am surrounded by Christmas tree plantations rather than hay and cattle and the wildlife is plentiful—some you see; some you don’t.

I worked for several years at Oregon State University.  I began as a typist typing file folder labels and moved up over the years to managing business services for OSU Extension and then to managing an administrative computing system for the College of Agricultural Sciences.

During this time, I was able to earn an Associate degree from Linn-Benton Community College and a BS from Oregon State University.  This took me 10 years but I made it in time to graduate the same year my older son graduated from Corvallis High School.

I had moved to the OSU College of Health and Human Performance when Dean Maksud gave me the opportunity to work part-time so I could earn a MBA.  The year I received the degree coincided with my younger son’s graduation from OSU and my older son’s graduation from UC Berkley with a masters degree.

I was offered an opportunity to work for the Oregon’s Office of Health Policy and went on to work on the elements of the Oregon Health Plan.  The most exciting was the seminal work of prioritizing health services (condition and treatment pairs). The work received a lot of attention from around the world and was also the target of severe criticism and misunderstanding.  Nevertheless, I am glad I was a part of it and it is a tool that continues to be used. 

Along the way I had a brush with the fast food industry – portion control is critical -- and I contracted as Buchanan & Associates to do market research in the pharmaceutical and health services industry.

I was drawn to county government because of my work with government.  I began to understand the role counties played in service delivery for State services and was also appointed to Benton County’s budget committee.  My multi-year service in that role piqued my interest in serving as county commissioner.  I could see that my education, volunteer and work experience were particularly relevant to the job.

I was encouraged to run for an open position, did so and prevailed. I found more than I expected.  I knew what the job would be like; I did not know how good of a fit it would be for my draw to the wide variety of disciplines and topics county government brings and my attraction to public service.