Re-Broadcast: Councilor Briae Lewis, Corvallis
Her Own Wings
Originally from Maryland/DC, Briae moved to Oregon in 2019 and ironically did not get into politics until the 2020 election cycle and Black Lives Matter. After that, Briae decided to run for office and was elected in 2022 as the first openly gay black woman on the Corvalils City Council where she serves as liaison to the Historic Resources Commission, the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy Advisory Board, the Home Opportunity Planning Equity (HOPE), and the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Allied Video Productions!
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Re-Broadcast: Mayor Julie Fitzgerald, Wilsonville
Her Own Wings
Mayor Julie Fitzgerald of Wilsonville is an Oregonian, having also lived in other Western states. She is a graduate of Oregon State University in the School of Agriculture. After graduating, she managed her family's 1,000 head sheep ranch in Curry County. Julie discovered her lifetime career by volunteering to lead a fundraising drive to bring NPR and OPB to the southern Oregon coast between Brookings and Gold Beach. Julie is mostly retired now after a 43 year career in non-profit leadership and philanthropy, to advance education, health care and conservation for leading Oregon charitable...
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Re-Broadcast: Mayor Melanie Kebler, Bend
Her Own Wings
Melanie Kebler grew up in Bend, graduating from Bend High, and returned to her hometown in 2018 after attending the University of Michigan and Lewis and Clark Law School. Kebler was elected as the City of Bend’s Mayor in 2022, having first been elected to the City Council in 2020. During her time on Council, Bend has approved nearly 1,000 new affordable homes, invested millions of one-time state and federal funds into solving homelessness in collaboration with Deschutes County, and won significant federal grants for transportation infrastructure that will reconnect the community in...
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Re-Broadcast: Councilor Cynthia Jacobi, Newport
Her Own Wings
First appointed to the Newport City Council for a two-year term in 2018, Cynthia then won her seat in 2020. She is currently running unopposed for another four-year term. Cynthia reflects on the fact that the City has spent six years investing in her education about the city. She wants to give back as it takes a while to learn to ask the right questions. She never thought she would be in an elected position, but friends urged her on. She says, “So, I went for it, surprising myself most of all.” Cynthia has observed that the conversation changes when more women are in policy-making roles....
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Felicita Monteblanco, Director, Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District
Her Own Wings
Felicita is an enthusiastic nonprofit professional whose passion for the community has guided her work. She joined the THPRD Board in 2017. She has lived in Washington County since age five and took her first job as a camp counselor – at THPRD – when she was 15. Felicita is the Public Affairs Manager at Northwest Health Foundation. There she supports advocacy campaigns to change public policy, often in partnership and at the direction of community-based organizations. She also manages government relations and leads NWHF’s communications, among other responsibilities. Previously, she was...
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Mayor Tamie Kaufman, Gold Beach
Her Own Wings
Mayor Tamie Kaufman is a property manager by trade and has served on several committees including the City Council for the City of Gold Beach and was elected Mayor in 2020 and was just recently re-elected. She has a Bachelor's degree from Eastern Oregon University (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) and an Associate's Degree from Southwestern Oregon Community College.
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Councilor Jeanette Shaw, Tigard
Her Own Wings
Jeanette Shaw is the Senior Director of Policy at Forth and a member of their leadership team. Forth is a non-profit that advances electric, smart and equitable access to clean transportation. At Forth, Jeanette is responsible for public policy and regulatory affairs at the state and federal levels. She has over three decades of extensive international, national, state and local public policy expertise in technology and association management focusing on issues such as manufacturing investment credits, economic development zones, workforce training, organizational development, and...
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Councilor Andrea Zielinski, Roseburg
Her Own Wings
Councilor Andrea Zielinski has been serving as a Roseburg City Councilor representing Ward 2 since 2015. Initially appointed to the position, she was then elected in 2016 and again in 2020. In 2023 she served as Council President, which was only the second time a female had held that position in Roseburg’s history. She has chaired Roseburg’s Historic Resource Review Commission and currently leads the City’s Library Commission. In addition to serving on Council and working full-time as an HR Manager for FCC Commercial Furniture, Andrea is actively involved in various community...
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Mayor Julie Fitzgerald, Wilsonville
Her Own Wings
Mayor Julie Fitzgerald of Wilsonville is an Oregonian, having also lived in other Western states. She is a graduate of Oregon State University in the School of Agriculture. After graduating, she managed her family's 1,000 head sheep ranch in Curry County. Julie discovered her lifetime career by volunteering to lead a fundraising drive to bring NPR and OPB to the southern Oregon coast between Brookings and Gold Beach. Julie is mostly retired now after a 43-year career in non-profit leadership and philanthropy, to advance education, health care and conservation for leading Oregon charitable...
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Mayor Melanie Kebler, Bend
Her Own Wings
Melanie Kebler grew up in Bend, graduating from Bend High, and returned to her hometown in 2018 after attending the University of Michigan and Lewis and Clark Law School. Kebler was elected as the City of Bend’s Mayor in 2022, having first been elected to the City Council in 2020. During her time on Council, Bend has approved nearly 1,000 new affordable homes, invested millions of one-time state and federal funds into solving homelessness in collaboration with Deschutes County, and won significant federal grants for transportation infrastructure that will reconnect the community in...
info_outlineSusan Wahlke was first elected in 2014 to the Lincoln City City Council. She later was elected fulfill the previous mayor’s term. In 2022, she was elected to a full 4-year term as Mayor.
Susan is a 30-year resident of north Lincoln County. Born in Tacoma, Washington and having moved to Oregon in the 5th grade, she considers herself a native Pacific Northwesterner. After graduating from the University of Oregon with a degree in Elementary Education, she moved to Stuttgart, Germany where she substitute-taught in Department of Defense Schools. After three years in Europe, she was able to drive cross-country from New Jersey to Oregon, settling again in Eugene. After working in day care centers for a few years, she moved to Portland and began her 30-year career as a legal secretary. She moved to the Lincoln City area in 1992 with her two daughters. She now has four young grandchildren who she spends as much time with as possible.
Soon after moving to Lincoln County, Susan was hired by the City of Lincoln City and worked in the City Attorney’s office and also for the Chief of Police. After leaving City employment, she worked for attorneys in Lincoln City until her retirement a few years ago.
Married to a musician, they attend as many live music events as possible.