City Club of Central Oregon
2009 Annual Meeting
On November 19th the City Club of Central Oregon will conduct its Annual Meeting to elect members to the Board of Directors for 2010 and to fill the position of President Elect for 2010. The Nominations Committee has presented the following slate of nominees for one officer position and five Board positions:
David Rosell (President Elect)
Becky Johnson (Board Position 5)
Jim Lussier (Past President - Board Position 6)
Tim Malone (Incumbent - Board position 7)
Don Stevens (Board Position 8)
Bylaw 4.4 Election also stipulates that additional nominations may be made from the floor by City Club members.
Members will vote on President Elect and four Board positions by written ballot on November 19th. Please click on the candidate's name for a link to a short introduction to each candidate.
THE EVOLUTION AND FUTURE OF
PUBLIC TRANSIT IN CENTRAL OREGON
On November 19, 2009 the City Club of Central Oregon with the generous sponsorship of The Environmental Center will welcome Eric King, Bend City Manager, Heather Ornelas, Bend Area Transit Manager and Karen Friend, Deputy Director/Community & Economic Development Manager of COIC to present a panel discussion about the Cascade East Transit and Bend Area Transit systems.
Eric King and Heather Ornelas will outline Bend Area Transit transportation services in Bend operated by the City of Bend. Karen Friend will discuss Cascades East Transit transportation services in the surrounding communities and the community connector shuttles providing connections to Bend and other communities operated by the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC).
The panel will discuss and answer your questions on the role of public transportation in our growing region, as well as the challenges and decisions we face in order to provide improved mobility options. Learn how the systems are working on coordination to provide a seamless interface to the rider, and share your perspective on how the systems can better meet the communities’ needs.
Pre-registration is required by November 15, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. The cost to members is $13.00 for lunch. Nonmembers pay $25.00 for lunch and program.
The Forum will begin at 11:30 and conclude at 1:00 p.m. City Club Forums are conducted at St. Charles Center for Health and Learning, 2500 NE Neff Road in Bend.
Registration for this Forum may be done in the following ways:
1) Pay online with your credit card (Visa or Mastercard) - ONLINE REGISTRATION HAS CONCLUDED - Please phone to inquire about attendance.
2) Use the "Contact Us" link to indicate your attendance and pay at the door (cash or check is accepted at the door.)
3) Call the City Club 541-633-7163 to rsvp with the names of those who will attend and pay at the door (cash or check is accepted at the door.)
Speaker Bios
Eric King
Mr. King began his tenure as Assistant City Manager of Bend in April, 2007. Council appointed him interim City Manager in November, 2007, and Mr. King accepted the position as City Manager in May, 2008. Prior to coming to Bend, he worked for the City of Portland for nearly ten years with the City's Office of Neighborhood Involvement, where his work has been focused in program development and management. Prior to his work with the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, Mr. King implemented programs to ensure fair and equitable contracting practices among small businesses for the City of Portland.
Mr. King has a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from Portland State University; in addition, he has been in Oregon for ten years and is originally from Madison, Wisconsin. He enjoys spending time in the great outdoors with his wife, son and daughter.
Heather Ornelas
Heather is the Transit Division Manger for the City of Bend and has been employed with the city since March 2006. Heather has been challenged with balancing an increasing demand for public transportation with reduced funding levels. She implemented a new transit model that includes Bend Dial-a-Ride and a limited fixed route system with 360,000 boarding annually, a 360% increase from the previous model. Prior to coming to Bend, Ms. Ornelas was the General Manager of Tillamook County Transportation District for 8 years, building from the ground up a new government entity and system that included rural Dial-a-Ride, inter-community fixed routes, a community circulator, and inter-city service to Portland.
Ms. Ornelas has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington and a Transit Managers Certification from Pepperdine University. In addition, she was born and raised in Oregon, has been on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Transit Association since 2003, sits on the Statewide Public Transportation Advisory Committee, and was past chair of the Northwest Area Commission on Transportation. Ms. Ornelas has also worked in international business, banking, business marketing, and owned a restaurant on the Oregon Coast.
Karen Friend
Ms. Friend began her tenure with Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) in September, 2006. Ms. Friend served as the Fiscal & Administrative Manager for COIC for 10 years and more recently as the Deputy Director/Community & Economic Development Manager. Ms. Friend has been charged with the development and implementation of Cascades East Transit, which began public transportation services to the general public in April of 2008 and serves Madras, Culver, Metolius, Redmond, Sisters, Prineville, and La Pine. Cascades East Transit also runs intercity service called the community connectors between all Central Oregon cities, connecting the Central Oregon region. COIC recently received an Award of Excellence, presented by the Oregon Department of Transportation, Public Transit Division in “Recognition of the Extraordinary Accomplishments of Developing a Regional Rural Transit System in Central Oregon.”
Ms. Friend has a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Linfield College. She has been in Central Oregon since 1979 and is originally from Detroit, Michigan. She enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren, and running the family hay operation.