Chair
Joe Howard: I have been a Board member of The Orchard District Neighborhood Association since 2004 and currently serve as the Board Secretary. I am proud to serve on this board and contribute to our great community. My main interests in the neighborhood are bicycle and pedestrian issues, and parks / open spaces. I have graduated from the Bend Police Department Citizens Academy as well as the Sheriff’s Department Citizens Academy. I strive to learn as much as I can about our community, and volunteer my time and energy. I have lived in Bend since 1986, relocating from Corvallis, Oregon. I have a wide variety of hobbies including woodworking, gardening and golf. I am married with two children, and have recently become a Grandfather. Term: 01/12
Vice Chair
Robin Vora: I look forward to continuing to serve my neighborhood and community as a member of Orchard District Neighborhood Association. I have always been involved in local activities wherever I have lived. I moved to Bend in early 2002 and have served on the Orchard District Neighborhood Association Board since 2005. I have also volunteered on several other city committees (transportation, urban growth boundary, Central Area plan). I have been the Board representative for coordination with Bend Metro Parks and Recreation and we have been blessed with excellent park services in the Orchard Neighborhood. I moved here from Aurora, Minnesota where I was active at school board and city council meetings, and founded a historical society and served as its first president. Previously I lived in Wisconsin, Georgia, South Texas, Idaho, Colorado, California and Bombay, India where I was born and lived 13 years. I am married and have two adult children. I work in natural resource management for the U.S. Forest Service and previously the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. I participated in the Leadership Bend class of 2003 and became well acquainted with the community through that excellent program. I am concerned about traffic in our neighborhood. I have a passion for control of noxious weeds. I would like to work with city planners on revitalization of 3rd Street and on a citywide trail network. I believe we live in a wonderful part of the world and would like to serve to keep it that way.
Term: 01/12
Board Members
Land Use Chair
Kathleen Combs: Was reared and educated in Montana, and has lived in Bend for thirty four years. She raised two children in Bend. She has served nearly ten years with Neighborhood Associations ... having been on the committee that wrote the bylaws. She is a member of PEO International, past president of the Central Oregon Association of Realtors, a graduate of the Citizens Academy and a graduate of the University or Oregon Mediation Program. Her broad volunteerism includes ten years of service to cancer patients, having written and received two grants to do so. Kathy serves as Land Use Chair for Orchard District Neighborhood Association, set up Neighborhood Watch in her subdivision and participates in the annual weed pull. She believes that every single person can make a difference in "their little corner of Bend"! Term: 01/13
Cheryl Howard: I have lived in this neighborhood since the early 90’s, having returned to Bend after moving away in the 80’s. We absolutely love this area and consider ourselves very fortunate to share this community with so many wonderful people. My interest in the neighborhood association program began with the programs’ inception in 2000. I organized our original acting board in 2001 and brought us to recognition before City Council in 2002. I served as chair until 2010. My other volunteer affiliations have including serving on the Deschutes County Weed Advisory Board and for Central Oregon Safe Kids board. I currently serve on the Deschutes County Bike Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and on the board of the United Way of Deschutes County. I am a graduate of Leadership Bend and both the Bend Police and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Departments Citizens Academy. I also coordinate the annual Lets Pull Together event. Term:01/12
Steve Moore: I am Steve Moore, and am delighted to live in a locale with such a vibrant and committed neighborhood. I have lived in Bend since 2002, having returned to my birth state after a long rewarding career as a California Park Ranger. I now perform paid and volunteer work for the local American Red Cross chapter here in Central Oregon, teaching classes, and educating the community on disaster readiness. My personal passions include hiking and backpacking, cross-country skiing, astronomy, photography, and natural and human history, to name a few. My wife Anna and I have long believed in community involvement wherever we have been, and are thriving on the opportunities here. You'll often find our retired guide dog Loreli and me gazing in rapture at the mountains from the top of Hollinshead Park.
Term: 01/13
Mark Spencer: I've lived in the Orchard District since 1999, and recently relocated to my current home about a year ago. I love the neighborhood around Porcupine Butte and feel fortunate to live in Bend. I've enjoyed the benefits of living here and feel that I want to volunteer my time and energy to help keep our neighborhood vibrant and beautiful. I work as a Physician Assistant in neurosurgery at The Center for Orthopedics and Neurosurgery. Other interests include hiking, cycling, triathlons, and travel. My interests in serving the ODNA board include improvement of cycling and walking for recreation and transportation, improved lighting at intersections, and decreased light pollution in the rest of our neighborhoods. Term: 01/12
Kathy Nagel: After moving from Sisters to Bend last year, Kathy Nagel felt like she'd won the neighborhood lottery in the Orchard District. Friendly, down-to-earth neighbors, large lots and predominantly older homes created a comfort zone reminiscent of her childhood. She has volunteered to join the ODNA board of directors as a result of her desire to help preserve the special character of the neighborhood, appreciating the action-oriented organization. Her past volunteer experiences were with action-oriented, working-member non-profits, including board positions with the Sisters Folk Festival and Habitat for Humanity. She also served a term on the Sisters Planning Commission. Kathy credits her greatest life experiences to raising 4 sons, currently ranging in age from 22 to 35, and her counseling practice.
Term: 01/13
Alternate Board Member
Gitta Ramsay:
Term: 01/12
