“I thought I got into coaching really to win games. Now I realize that is important to me, but I just love… changing kids and changing people.” — Tara Bilanski C entral Oregon has more than its fair share of high-achieving athletes—so in that regard, Tara Bilanski fits right in. At the University of Washington, […]
Source Spotlight
Posted inCulture
Source Spotlight: Michael LaLonde
Deschutes Brewery CEO
I t’s the biggest single project we’ve ever done as a company, so we’re putting a lot of planning and thought into it, making sure we do it right. — Michael LaLonde Just before Michael LaLonde’s interview for the position of chief financial officer at Deschutes Brewery 12 and a half years ago, he pulled […]
Posted inCulture
Ashley Volz, Deschutes County Emergency Services Coordinator
An integral part of the Emergency Service Team During the Great American Eclipse
“This experience has been like a baptism by fire, for all of us.” W e’ve been hearing it for months: Deschutes County will double in size during the eclipse, up to 400,000 people — and Bend isn’t even in the path of totality. “Where are they getting those numbers?” you may ask. Here’s the answer: […]
Posted inCulture
Source Spotlight: Megan Gram
Executive Director of Bend Spay+Neuter Project
W hat would Bend look like without the work of Megan Gram and her team? There would be a lot more strays on the street, for one. After returning to Bend from Austin, Texas, Gram took the position of executive director at Bend Spay+Neuter Project, bringing a model focused on non-judgmental culture and care. That’s […]
Posted inCulture
Source Spotlight: Kolby Kirk
The Hike Guy
“I don’t like getting somewhere. I like being somewhere. I don’t consider hiking a sport like some people do. Hiking has a style.” For Kolby Kirk, it’s not about the destination or goal; it’s about the journey itself and everything that you can see and experience along the way. Kirk is all about taking the […]
Posted inCulture
Source Spotlight: Dr. John Letovsky
Medical director, Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades
When Dr. John Letovsky goes to work, he says it’s like “Christmas every day.” Letovsky, who previously had a private practice in Eugene, is about a month into his new position as the medical director for Bend’s Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades—but it was during his time in private practice that he became […]
Posted inCulture
Source Spotlight: Gena Goodman-Campbell
Oregon Natural Desert Association public lands coordinator
This land is your land. And the more people who talk about it, the better. That’s the distinct message that Gena Goodman-Campbell, the public lands coordinator for the Oregon Natural Desert Association, works to share. A native Portlander, Goodman-Campbell moved to Bend 11 years ago after earning a degree at Colorado College. She’s been with […]
Posted inCulture
Source Spotlight: Emily Carr
Poet and MFA Program Director, OSU-Cascades
Poet Emily Carr doesn’t usually write about the places where she’s currently living. By the time she’s absorbed the feeling of a place enough to write about it, she says she’s often onto the next adventure. But having now spent four-plus years in Bend as the Program Director for OSU-Cascades’ MFA in Creative Writing program, […]
Posted inCulture
Source Spotlight: Katy Brooks
Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO
When it comes to job satisfaction, it’s a pretty safe bet to say there aren’t many people happier than Bend Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Katy Brooks. Sitting in a downtown teahouse, she exudes exuberance as she talks about her eight-month anniversary on the job. “But who’s counting?” she adds with a fleeting smile. […]
Posted inCulture
Source Spotlight: From Mountain Tops to Riverbanks
Gail Snyder helped save Colorado’s Pikes Peak. Now her sights are set on saving the Deschutes River
“He said to me, ‘Gail, I want to talk to you about wetlands, and troublemakers…’ I couldn’t believe he was trying to silence me…he was the one that turned me into an environmental activist.” — Gail Snyder Gail Snyder was born an environmentalist. “It’s the core of my being,” says the cofounder of the Coalition […]