Our Board
Richard Herman, President
Richard recently retired after 15 years as the Executive Director of Cornerstone Community Housing, a 501(c)3 nonprofit in Eugene, Oregon. Cornerstone builds high quality affordable housing communities and provides support services to empower residents to achieve personal and financial independence. Richard continues his commitment to providing affordable housing by serving on the Clackamas County Housing Advisory Board. Richard has over 40 years of senior level management experience in the for profit and not-for-profit sectors. His educational background includes degrees in accounting, public administration, and a masters from the University of Oregon Executive MBA program.
Kathleen Kiefer is a professional photographer, videographer and writer. She received a BS in Anthropology from Central Washington University. She worked for an Alaska Native Corporation for several years and for Grant County Public Utility District where she was the liaison between the utility and the Wanapum Band of Native People upon whose ancestral winter village site the utility built a hydropower dam. In 2010 she left the utility and created JACOL Filmworks, LLC, an independent video production company. As a producer/director she has worked on documentaries, commercial projects and training videos.
As the owner of Strand Tea Company located in Sandy, Oregon, Jack Strand has travelled extensively in Asia. In March 2006 he helped bring 13 members of the Tea Board of India & the National Tea Planters Association (NPA) to the United States, holding the first ever Iive tea auction in the USA at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2007 & 2008 Jack worked with the NPA helping them establish new markets in the US for their Nilgiri Teas. He works tirelessly on behalf of small farm tea growers to help bring their specialty and select teas to new markets in the United States.
Aletha Bonebrake
Aletha Bonebrake received her Masters of Library Science at the University of Wisconsin in 1985. She was the head librarian in Baker City for 22 years. She became an ordained Episcopal Minister in 2006 and has served St. Stephens Parish in Baker City as a Priest since then. She has served on Baker City Council, arts and heritage boards, and the local electrical cooperative. When she is not serving the needs of her parish, she volunteers as a board member for Baker County Community Literacy Coalition, Eastern Oregon Regional Theater Advisory Board, Oregon State Library Board of Trustees, Baker County Cultural Coalition, and Oregon State Library Board of Trustees.
A native of upstate New York. He has resided in NE Oregon for over twenty years where he has been involved with various non-profit organizations on a state and local level. A graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, he spent several years as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Also a Graduate of Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College, he is a trial lawyer trying civil cases for over twenty years. An avid fly fisherman, cook and photographer, he has recently started trying to raise copper into functional forms. Damien has been a resident of Baker City for 20 years where he lives with his three children adopted from Haiti.
As the owner of Station 3 Media's video production facility, Gene's career interests evolved from his early childhood as an armature radio operator communicating with people all over the world. It was those early years that led him to his long standing career in broadcast television and video production. Along that path his interest in photography, music and engineering fully charted that course.
A trip to Bhutan in 2017 inspired a quest to build friendships amongst his Bhutanese acquaintances and mentor whenever possible. The profound experience of that trip brought with it a desire to see Gross National Happiness as a goal that Americans should pursue.
Robert Anders studied fine art and graphic design throughout the 1970's at Mira Costa and Palomar Junior colleges and San Diego State University. After relocating to Golden, Colorado, Robert refined his skills in carpentry and real estate development while studying printmaking and studio ceramics at the University of Denver under the tutelage of the esteemed American ceramicist Maynard Tischler.
An accomplished carpenter, renovator and multimedia artist, Robert owned and operated the Atelier Colorado in Denver from 1978-1992. He has overseen numerous historic renovation projects while participating in exhibitions of his fine art with major galleries throughout the United States. Robert's artwork is held in private collections in the United States and internationally.
He resides in a beautifully restored property in historic downtown Baker City, Oregon where he operates a gallery of fine art and engages in local renovation projects and teaches yoga.
"The country of Bhutan; its people, landscapes, art, film and music, architecture and the immense presence of its mythic past is as close to a living epic poem as I could ever imagine. Mystery and meaning ooze from the landscape and the language. Molecules announce connecting threads through the thinnest veil that requires seeing without eyes and hearing without ears. It's a place of self discovery and verdant, timeless, soulful vistas."
Kathleen Kiefer
