Team Members

Meet Our Team

Experienced men and women, driving change in Central Oregon

  • Amy Tykeson
    Amy TykesonRetired Executive
    Amy is the Managing Trustee for the Tykeson Family Charitable Trust. She is also the former CEO of BendBroadband. During her 34 years in the cable industry, Amy served on the boards of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, CableLabs, C-SPAN and Oregon Cable Telecommunications Association.
  • Anna Higgens
    Anna HiggensDirector of Innovation HDESD
    Anna Higgins has built her career within the non-profit and education landscape here in Central Oregon. Through her current role as the Director of Innovation for the High Desert Education Service District, Anna has recently launched a new organization, i4Education, which connects educators and their ideas with local entrepreneurs who help refine, prototype and scale those ideas.
  • Charley Miller
    Charley MillerPresident at Miller Lumber
    Charley is a third-generation Bendite. He graduated from Oregon State University in 1985 with degrees in both Industrial Engineering and Finance. Following graduation, he returned to Bend to help with the operation of The Miller Lumber Company, Central Oregon’s oldest family business.
  • Jilian Taylor
    Jilian TaylorExecutive Coach
    Jillian runs a business consulting and executive coaching practice out of Central Oregon, advising leaders though challenging scenarios. From aligning a team around a strategic plan to addressing deeply rooted conflict, she is known to her clients as a compassionate truth-teller.
  • Jim Petersen
    Jim PetersenRetired Lawyer
    Jim has always been committed to serving the community. He served as Commissioner and Chair of the State of Oregon Environmental Quality Commission. In addition to being an active Rotarian, he has chaired Deschutes United Way and is a past Board Chair of Cascade Healthcare Community, the parent organization that owns St. Charles Medical Center
  • Jim Schell
    Jim SchellRetired Executive
    In 1994 Jim moved to Bend where he continued writing while beginning a third career as a social entrepreneur. Jim also volunteers for Opportunity Knocks, consults with small businesses, and mentors and/or coaches dozens of small business owners and staff. Jim’s wife Mary is a past small business owner, and today they spend the winter months in Tucson. Jim has three sons and graduated from the University of Colorado
  • Katy Brooks
    Katy BrooksCEO Bend Chamber of Commerce
    Katy Brooks is the Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO. Her vision for the chamber is to catalyze an environment where businesses, their employees and the community thrive. Katy’s background in government relations enables her to understand public policies and issues in order to advocate for the businesses of Bend.
  • Kirk Schueler
    Kirk SchuelerCEO at Brooks Resources
    Kirk Schueler is the President and CEO of Brooks Resources Corporation, a Bend real estate development company with a long history in central Oregon. Kirk served on the Oregon State Board of Education from 2009 until 2014, then was appointed to the newly formed Board of Trustees for Oregon State University. He also serves on the boards of Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation and The Bend Foundation.
  • Linda English
    Linda EnglishFOUNDER Dirty Freehub
    Linda is founder of Dirty Freehub (www.dirtyfreehub.com) which provides curated gravel bicycle routes (over 75 rides in the Western US). Linda is also on the Board of Directors for Family Kitchen, an organization that provides free meals to the food insecure in Central Oregon. And on the Advisory Board for Guardian Group which fights human trafficking in the US.
  • Neil Bryant
    Neil BryantRetired Lawyer
    Neil retired after 45 years of practicing law in Bend, Oregon. His practice areas included business, real estate, water, estate planning, tax, and labor management. Neil has represented a wide variety of individuals, businesses, and institutions, including the Bend La-Pine School District and Bend Parks and Recreation District.
  • Preston Callicott
    Preston CallicottCEO Five Talent Software
    Preston’s a renaissance man with a broad knowledge of management, business development and technology. His superpower is translating business needs into real-world solutions and is the “go-to” guy to get things done. Preston devotes a great deal of energy into civic initiatives focused on innovation, education and economic development.
  • Rita Hansen
    Rita HansenCEO at Onboard Dynamics
    Rita Hansen has more than 35 years of executive management, engineering and operations management, and project management experience in a diverse range of industries including steel manufacturing, building products and electronic components manufacturing, distribution and warehousing, telecommunications and software development
  • Rod Ray
    Rod RayRetired Executive
    Rod has always been committed to serving Central Oregon. He has Chaired the County Mental Health Advisory Board, was a long-time Board Member and past Chair of Volunteers in Medicine, and is currently a Board Member and Treasurer of Mosaic Medical—these organizations provide high-quality medical care to the underserved in Central Oregon.
  • SJ Camarata
    SJ CamarataRetired Executive
    S.J. is an entrepreneur and executive with a diverse career spanning several sectors including software technology, medical/health care diagnostics/treatment and consumer products. Several of the companies that he currently works with on the board or advisory board include Esri, Inc., the University of Utah, Humm Kombucha Europe, NewTech Holdings, S-Group Sweden, and several others.
  • Teri Hockett
    Teri HockettVP at TAO
    Teri Hockett has spent much of her career recruiting for tech, helping companies find talent and helping talented people find job opportunities. Now she’s using her experience and expertise to strengthen Bend’s tech community.
  • Thomas J Carlsen, MD
    Thomas J Carlsen, MDRetired Surgeon
    Tom's medical career was in Bend; he was a practicing surgeon as well as the managing partner of The Center for Musculoskeletal Care and Research. He also served as a consulting Orthopedic Surgeon for the U.S. Olympic Team, U.S. Ski and Hockey Teams as well as coordinating medical services for Physiotherapy Associates on the PGA, LPGA and Champions Golf Tours.
  • Tia Newcomer
    Tia NewcomerBoard Advisor | Chief Commercial Officer
    Tia is a senior executive that has applied her plus fifteen year Consumer Packaged Goods customer insights led go to market strategy experience to the healthcare industry. This purview has allowed her to lead teams to create growth in the traditionally conservative and not customer-centric healthcare industry.
  • Tim McGinnis
    Tim McGinnisRetired Executive
    Tim was the Limited Chairman and C.E.O. of Tristate Holdings, he currently lives in Tumalo and custom farms 500 acres of premium grass hay. His philanthropic activities include the High Desert Museum, Central Oregon Community College and Portland State University.