Rotary Lunch Program: Homeless in Bend – Amy Fraley and Brook O’Keefe

On Tuesday, June 3, our lunch speakers will be Amy Fraley and Brook O’Keefe from the City of Bend, talking about solutions to homelessness in Bend.

Amy Fraley   Brook O'Keefe

Amy Fraley is the Senior Program Manager – Houselessness Solutions for the City of Bend. Her primary focus is developing and implementing comprehensive houselessness response for the city.

Brook O’Keefe is the Shelter Coordinator for the City of Bend. With a passion for community welfare, Brook began her journey with NeighborImpact where she served in a variety of roles supporting individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability. She is currently pursuing her master’s in public policy from Oregon State University.

We’ll be at the Riverhouse – Convention Center, in room Cascade CD this week.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Historical Account of Our Club

On Tuesday, May 20, our lunch program will be a historical account of our Rotary club, led by Neil Bryant. Our speakers will include Kit Carmiencke, Allan Bruckner, Patricia Moss, Bob Thomas, Oran Teater, Gary Davis, and Loren Irving.

Come learn more about how our club got started!

Neil Bryant   Kit Carmiencke   Allan Bruckner   Patricia Moss   Bob Thomas   Oran Teater   Gary Davis   Loren Irving

Skip to their bios.

We’ll be over at 10 Barrel East this week, in the meeting room upstairs. Address: 62950 NE 18th St, Bend, OR 97701

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Biographies

Neil Bryant: Mary and I moved to Bend in 1973 and joined the law firm of Gray, Fancher, Holmes and Hurley. It was a town of 13,000. In 1976 I became a charter member of a new Rotary club. I was the president elect, so I had six months to observe and figure things out. Unfortunately the president, Preston Waller, died in March and I became the president and president elect. I served on the following boards and commissions as chair: The Bend Chamber, The Deschutes County Children and Families Commission, The Deschutes Children and Family Foundation, The Downtown Bend Urban Renewal District, The School Foundation, and The Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission. I served as an Oregon State Senator from 1993-2001. I have served on the following boards: The High Desert Museum, OMSI, Pacific Lutheran University, Partners in Care (Hospice). Both of our children graduated from Bend High and graduated from the University of Washington. We have six adorable grandchildren.

Kit Carmiencke: Wife Sandi, a retired professional educator; daughter Kirsten Scott, owner of Integrated Eyecare and practicing optometrist; son Chris, a professional educator in Grants Pass. Kit and Sandi greatly enjoy each of their five grandsons. Kit is a charter member of Greater Bend Rotary and past president; co-founding board member of Bend Area Habitat for Humanity, and co-founding member with Oran and Janie Teater of our Italy sister city of Belluno; served as chair of the board of the Family Resource Center. Served on committees and boards of state and national optometry groups. Integrated Eyecare was awarded Bend Small Business of the year in 2010.

Allan Bruckner: I was born a long time ago and a long way away in Ithaca New York. I spent my first 21 years there until I decided to view more of the world. Following a spur of the moment decision I and my best friend headed for Oregon where I enrolled in the University. After getting a bachelors and masters degree and a wife, I headed east for a year in Washington DC, then to Long Beach California for two and a half years and then a year in Walla Walla. Finally back to Oregon to work as an economic development economist for 5 years with Pacific Power in Portland. Deciding there was a better future in Mobile homes than electricity I worked for a manufacturer for a year and then in 1970 moved to Bend and started a mobile home dealership. After 10 good years followed by five bad years in the business, I sold it and have since engaged in buying, building, fixing up, renting etc. small office buildings in Bend. I was sponsored into the Greater Bend Rotary Club by Mark Capell’s father in 1977. I became the sixth president in 1981. I served on the Bend city council for 4 years in the early 90’s and now continue to enjoy harassing whoever is in office.

Patricia Moss: I served as CEO of Cascade Bancorp and Bank of the Cascades from 1998 through 2012. Previous to that time, I served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer beginning my career as a employee of the Bank at its inception in 1977. I currently serve on First Interstate Bank Systems, (FIBK:NYSE) and Knifer River Corporation (KHF:NYSE). I have served on 5 public boards and one private company board, ranging from banking, mutual funds, natural resources, health care, and construction as well as multiple non-profit boards. My active involvement in local organizations is evidence of strong commitment to community leadership. I have served as a board member or chairperson for Central Oregon Community College, St. Charles Medical Center, Bend Chamber of Commerce, Greater Bend Rotary, United Way, Sunriver Music Festival, Bend Quota Club, City of Bend Budget Committee, COCC Foundation and First Presbyterian Church of Bend Foundation. Statewide, I have served on the Oregon Investment Council, Oregon Growth Board, Oregon Housing Authority, Central Oregon Regional Advisory Board for Higher Education, Oregon State University Advisory Board, Oregon Ethics in Business and the International Women’s Forum. My husband, Greg, and I have been fortunate to live and raise our family in Bend, OR for more than 50 years; we are avid outdoors enthusiasts and cyclists.

Bob Thomas: I was born and raised in Bend and was active as a Lava Bear. I graduated from Stanford University with a major in history and a minor in collegiate rowing. I was a Marine officer for 3 years, leaving as a captain. I joined the family retail automobile business started by my grandfather, Walter Coombs, a Rotarian, in 1916. I worked there from 1973 until 2010, leaving as the owner-operator. During that time I was active in the community enjoying serving on the boards of Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce, St Charles Hospital Foundation, Central Oregon Visitors Association, The United Way and the Deschutes Land Trust. My Rotary disaster was in my first meeting as president I failed to afford adequate time for Jeff Thomas father, a University of Washington professor, relating a fascinating lecture on WWII. My Rotary success was getting all of my directors to attend the spring training in the Valley. That training resulted in the genesis of the Wine Raffle and many, many of the board members becoming future club presidents or extremely active members. I became a member of Rotary remembering My grandfather’s service and as a result of Chuck Austin’s orientation. When asked to join, I declined and then found all the others in the training had joined. Gary Capps sponsored me as the first member that was not a charter member.

Oran Teater: I joined this club a couple of years after its charter in 1976. I was born and raised in Klamath Falls, as a fourth generation Oregonian. My great grandparents arrived in Central Oregon, Redmond in the 1890’s, fifteen years before Redmond became a city. My grandfather and his brothers operated Buckley Stage Lines between Shaniko and Redmond before there was rail service. My father’s family moved to Redmond during the depression. My uncle established the Teater ranch east of Post about that time and ran the cattle ranch until he sold it to Les Schwab in the early 1990s. Both my parents graduated from Redmond High in the mid 1930s So my Central Oregon roots go back quite a way, even though I grew up in Southern Oregon. I graduated from Southern Oregon College (now University) in 1968, then immediately drafted into the Army for two years during the Viet Nam War, but my service was in the Surgeon’s Office for the Army in Heidelberg, Germany, a simple luck of the draw. Once out of the military, I started looking for a job and was hired as the Assistant Manager of the Inn of the Seventh Mountain, (now Seventh Mountain Resort). When I arrived, there were five buildings, a restaurant / bar and a thirty-seat meeting room. Two years later there were 20 buildings, a convention center and the ice rink, so it was a very fun adventure. I left the Inn in the mid 70s to start my own business, Acme Personnel Service, (now Express Employment Professionals). I had an office both in Bend and Klamath Falls. One of my employees was Connie Worrell Druliner who just recently sold her Express after nearly forty years in the business. In 1983 I sold the personnel business to join, then Foster and Marshall, a regional securities firm in Seattle. I actually relocated to Seattle with the thought that the move would be permanent, but Bend still tugged at me, so we returned after just a couple of years in Seattle to continue my career in the securities business. I moved my practice to Raymond James in 1986 as an independent financial advisor. I sold the practice to Wade Westhoff in September of 2017, just four days before my wife Janie’s kidney transplant at Stanford University. I have been happily married to Janie for 26 years. We met in the second year of the Great Drake Park Duck Race. I served on the board and Janie was hired as the summer administrator of the race as a condition of Bank of the Cascades sponsorship of the race. We Rotarians needed a lot of organization and direction at the time and she fit the bill perfectly. She was the paid administrator for ten years. Janie spent 33 years teaching in the Bend La Pine school district, in many roles, from kindergarten through fifth grade, the self-contained talented and gifted classroom, to curriculum director for talented and gifted program in the district office and finally as a reading specialist. Our son Kyle graduated from Mountain View High School in 2000, followed by a Finance Degree from Gonzaga University in 2004 and has been with Boeing since graduation, now the CFO of Boeing Engineering. I have been a member of this Rotary club for over 45 years, serving on the board, program chair a couple of times, the Duck Race board and served as President in 1999 / 2000. Janie and I have hosted five inbound exchange students, from Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, South Africa and Japan. Each has been very rewarding. Both Janie and I are guilty of serving on too many boards and committees, we need to go to “Boards Anonymous” a twelve-step program. I began serving on a variety of boards and committees in the 1970s and 80s. In 1980, I was President of the Bend Chamber of Commerce. At that time, the chamber did not have a CEO, rather an Executive Director and board president. That same year, I was one of the founding members of Central Oregon Economic Development Assn, now known as EDCO. I was co-chair of the Bend LaPine school foundation, sat on the Cascade Middle School site Council and assisted in a variety of school bond elections. In 1996 I was elected to the Bend City Council and again in 2000 then served as Mayor in 03 and 04. During my term, fellow Rotarian Neil Bryant, then Senator Bryant had me appointed to the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors, a position I held until last year. He did not indicate to me that it would be a 21 year sentence. After my term on City Council, I joined the OSU Cascades Advisory Board and remained for fifteen years, well past our term limit period and served as chair the last ten years. It was a time that we lobbied the legislature, located a campus site, planned and designed the first new university campus to be built in Oregon since World War 2. It was a great and challenging experience from its humble beginnings on the COCC Campus to our move to what some say, a controversial location on Bend’s west side. We now have a growing university serving many who are the first in their families to receive a college education. In closing, landing in Bend at 24 years old has been a blessing, a true home with a population of people that chose to live here and give back to the community, each of you among them.

Gary Davis: I was president of the club in 2001/02. I’m a third generation native of Central Oregon, having been born in Bend, with both sides of the family established here by 1916. I went to school in Tumalo, Bend, and graduated from The University of Oregon. With the exception of the years in Eugene I have lived in the Bend/Tumalo area his entire life. I’m happily married to Cheryl and has no children. My work career has involved ranching/farming, construction related work, real estate, property management, thus handyman work, and back to farming. My activities in the community have included, 4H, the Junior Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Mt. Bachelor National Ski Patrol, Red Cross first aid instructor, Deschutes County Historical Society board, Bend Metro Parks District foundation board, serving as the chairman of the community outreach committee for naming, fundraising, and design of Farewell Bend Park. Along the way there have been various other boards and past presidencies with the favorites being Rotary, and several trips to Washington DC on the World War II veteran honor flights. My wife and I are active supporters of the Rotary Foundation, Deschutes County 4H programs, OSU, and other local charities.

Loren Irving: I’m from Independence, Oregon, and my wife is Sally Irving. We have daughters Lori and Jennifer and 5 grandkids. Lived in Bend since 1969. Oregon State University BS Natural Resources 1966. U S Army Officer with a tour in Vietnam 1968-69. Brooks Scanlon 1969-1974. Partner Deschutes Pine Sales 1974-2005. Owner Loren Irving Photography and Retired 2006. Co-founder of Central Oregon Family Resource Center. Oregon Community Foundation Leadership Council; Board of Advisors, OSU Cascades; Children’s Trust Fund of Oregon; Chair, Oregon Historic Trails Advisory Council; Curator/Researcher, Finding Fremont Historical Exhibit. Family Access Network Board. President Greater Bend Rotary. Hobbies: mandolin and guitar, photography, fly fishing, fly tying.

Rotary Lunch Program: Laura Thompson, Craig Walker, and Carol-Ann Nelson

On Tuesday, May 13, our lunch program will be autobiographies from new members Laura Thompson, Craig Walker, and Carol-Ann Nelson.

Come learn more about some very interesting fellow Rotarians!

Laura Thompson   Craig Walker   Carol-Ann Nelson

Laura Thompson is President of Central Oregon Center for the Arts. After a career as a hospital department director, Laura branched out from hospitals to become founder/president of a leading Southern California event production company specializing in fundraising and development for nonprofit organizations. She is a former president of the board of directors of the Pasadena (Calif.) Museum of History and served on the boards of the American Red Cross, YWCA and Rotary Club of Los Angeles. Laura has a long history as an impresario, selecting and hiring top-line musicians and actors for a wide variety of performances at fund-raising events, golf tournaments, organization anniversaries and more. She is a versatile visual artist who creates in a variety of media and styles. When she doesn’t have her paints or sketching materials with her, she has her camera.

Craig Walker moved to Bend eight years ago. He recently retired from a company he founded 45 years ago, FlashAlert Newswire. He plans to volunteer with non-profits that need help with their communications.

Carol-Ann Nelson founded Destination Rehab as a 501(c)3 in 2016 because she saw the need to help adults with neurologic conditions get back into the community and enjoying nature again. She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Duke University before moving to Florida where she worked as a Physical Therapist in a Neuro specialty center. She sees patients with a variety of complex neurologic conditions including spinal cord injury, stroke, Parkinson’s, Guillian Barre, CP and MS. She is former Vice President of APTA Oregon, Advisory Board Member for the OSU-Cascades Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Carol-Ann grew up in Eugene, moved to Bend in the summer of 2015 and is passionate about combining her love of the outdoors with bringing people to a new level of ability in their daily function.

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Judge Beth Bagley

Judge Beth Bagley   On Tuesday, May 6, our lunch program will be a presentation entitled “Order in the Court! A Look Behind the Bench” from Judge Beth Bagley.

Judge Bagley was first elected to the Deschutes County Circuit Court in 2012, and she is in her twelfth year as Circuit Court Judge for Deschutes County.

Judge Bagley handles general civil, criminal and domestic relations cases. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Bagley was a prosecutor for 13 years, and a criminal defense attorney handling indigent defense cases for 2 years before that.

Judge Bagley received her undergraduate degree from the University of California—Santa Barbara in 1994, and her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1997. Judge Bagley has lived and practiced law in Oregon since 1997.

Judge Bagley is the Immediate Past-President of the Oregon Circuit Court Judges Association (representing all of Oregon’s Circuit Court Judges) is a member of Oregon Women Lawyers and an advisory Board Member for Cascade Women Lawyers, its local affiliate chapter. Judge Bagley regularly provides training and education to judges and lawyers and is an active volunteer in her local Bar Association and community.

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Meeting: Sports Program

High School Sports Programs   On Tuesday, April 22 2025, our speakers will be three Athletic Directors from our local high schools.

This is a highlight each year where the Sports Committee provides a recap of our annual fund raiser from the Sports Program, but more importantly we will hear from the Athletic Directors regarding the benefits of high school students, both boys and girls participating in school athletics.

Speaking: Mike Carpenter, AD at Summit High School (Oregon’s 5A Athletic Director of the year); Ryan Cruz, AD at Caldera High School; and Ricky Rodriguez, AD at Bend High School.

They will talk about how high school sports promotes team work, discipline, and leadership skills among students. Additionally high school athletics contributes to higher self esteem, higher GPA’s and more participation in volunteerism. We hear about the struggles some high school students experience with mental health due to peer pressures, academic pressures and family issues. Studies have shown that students that participate in high school athletics are better prepared to deal with these issues and learn coping skills that come from team work and discipline they receive from their sport(s).

Athletic Directors oversee all the sports activities within their high school and play a major role in making the school athletic experience a positive learning skill that will provide a solid foundation for their transition to adult hood. Each Athletic Director will also provide an update of their school’s athletic program and prospects for the future.

We’ll be over at the Riverhouse Convention Center this week.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: OSU-Cascades Energy Innovation Center

On Tuesday, April 15, our lunch program will be a presentation on innovation in business and energy and economic development from Rebecca Robinson, Zachary Taie, and Eric Zeece from the Innovation Hub at OSU-Cascades.

Rebecca Robinson   Zac Taie   Eric Zeece

Rebecca Robinson serves as the associate vice president for the economic development and industry relations office at Oregon State University (OSU) and as senior advisor for strategic initiatives at OSU-Cascades. She brings extensive experience from Kansas State University, where she most recently served as president and CEO of K-State Innovation Partners, overseeing economic development, corporate engagement, technology commercialization, and strategic initiatives. During her 16-year tenure at Kansas State, she recruited 29 technology-based companies to the region and created over 1,700 high-wage jobs, resulting in a projected economic impact of over $1 billion. Robinson holds an MBA and is a doctoral candidate in leadership communication. At OSU, she joined the Division of Research and Innovation, contributing to the development of the innovation district at OSU-Cascades and fostering industry-university partnerships to drive economic growth and workforce development in Oregon.

Zac Taie is a mechanical engineer with a strong focus on renewable energy and thermal-fluid sciences. With a PhD from Oregon State University, he has extensive experience in research, development, and project management, particularly in advancing innovative energy technologies. His work spans hydrogen systems, energy storage solutions, and sustainable energy systems, combining technical expertise with leadership in both industry and government-funded projects. Based in Bend, Oregon, Zachary has a proven track record of contributing to cutting-edge advancements in energy science and technology.

Eric Zeece is a business leader with more than 25 years of experience. He was appointed executive director of the new Central Oregon Innovation Hub based at Oregon State University – Cascades in November of 2024. Most recently, Eric was chief executive officer of Thyreos Inc, a startup biotech vaccine company that is commercializing technology developed at University of Nebraska, Northwestern University and Tufts University. Prior to leading Thyreos, Zeece led a consulting agency where he authored Nebraska’s State Small Credit Initiative program application and designed more than $64 million in grant, loan and equity investment programs to support innovation and innovators in Nebraska. Eric has also worked as the innovation manager with Invest Nebraska Corporation, as interim director, deputy director, and chief performance officer of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, and as senior commercialization specialist with the Innovation Accelerator Foundation, a national accelerator that partnered with the National Science Foundation. He received an MBA from the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs.

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Duck Race Beneficiary Candidates

On Tuesday, April 8, our lunch program will be presentations from three candidates for our club’s beneficiary for the 2025 Duck Race proceeds.

The finalists are:

Each finalist will do a brief presentation at the lunch meeting to share what the funds will be used for and there will be time for Q&A before club members vote on this year’s winner.

We’ll be over at the Riverhouse Convention Center this week.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Duck Race

Rotary Lunch Program: Dementia – What can you do?

Greg Ferenz

On Tuesday, April 1, our lunch program will be on the topic of dementia, with member Greg Ferenz explaining generally about the disease states and pathology of cognitive decline and then how and when interventions happen.

Dr. Gregory Ferenz, DO, is a distinguished neurologist based in Bend, Oregon, renowned for his comprehensive, patient-centered approach to neurological care. With over 12 years of medical practice, Dr. Ferenz specializes in a broad spectrum of neurological conditions, placing particular emphasis on dementia and memory care.

Dr. Ferenz has held board certifications from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in general neurology, clinical neurophysiology, and epilepsy; the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine; and the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology. He is a fellow of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society and maintains extensive local and national professional affiliations, including membership in the American Academy of Neurology and Oregon Medical Association. Additionally, he has served on the boards of Partners in Care and the American Board of Registered Electrodiagnostic Technicians.

In his current role, Dr. Ferenz is the owner of the Northwest Center for Cognitive and Neurological Health, where he dedicates himself to improving the quality of life for patients and the community through support of their memory and cognitive health. He also serves as the Medical Director of the ALS Clinic of Central Oregon, leading a multidisciplinary team providing comprehensive care for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Special location: This meeting will be at Central Oregon Community College (COCC), in the Wille Hall, which is part of the Coats Campus Center. Click the map image below for a larger version. The meeting location is marked in orange.

Wille Hall at COCC

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: The Invention Convention

On Tuesday, March 18, our lunch program will be the annual “Invention Convention”.

Invention Convention

Every year, our club hosts the Invention Convention, where students from Miller Elementary School are encouraged to think up (and present to the club and their family members) their inventions to “save the world” or just make life a little easier for all of us. It’s absolutely amazing what ideas these young entrepreneurs come up with and this event always leaves us feeling more positive about the future!

We’ll be over at the Riverhouse Convention Center this week.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Latino Community Association of Central Oregon

Catalina Frank   On Tuesday, March 11, our lunch program will be on the Latino Community Association of Central Oregon.

Our speakers from the LCA will be Executive Director Catalina Frank, and Deputy Director Mary Murphy.

  Mary Murphy

The Latino Community Association (LCA) is an essential connecting point for our immigrant community to ask questions, have letters translated, get help making phone calls (interpretation) and negotiating payment plans (advocacy).

They help families pay their bills, file their taxes, work through legal issues, find work, improve their English, and connect to new opportunities. They give their clients the time to be heard and understood. They also provide volunteer opportunities that bring people together across cultures to build a more cohesive community.

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.