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Growing up the daughter of a Marine, Chris was able to travel, meet many people, and live many places. She attended college in Colorado at the University of Denver, where she first fell in love with the West. Central Oregon became home to Chris in 1977, when she moved to Bend with her family, and she's never left.
Central Oregon became her home and it is where she built a successful accounting practice that today helps a variety of local non-profit organizations. Chris has also worked with a variety of local businesses that form that backbone of our community. She even spent time in the classroom, teaching accounting classes at Central Oregon Community College.
Her work as a Certified Public Accountant is what drew her into public service. Chris strongly feels that the Central Oregon community had given her everything she has, and feels compelled to give back. When serving as a Bend City Councilor, Chris stood up for fiscal sanity and restraint, even if it meant being the lone voice of dissent. Some of her successes include the modernization of Bend's development code, the commencement of long range financial planning process, a turning point on Juniper Ridge, and ensuring that Mirror Pond will remain a signature of Bend. As a State Senator, Chris has earned the reputation as an intelligent leader, and expert in the financial arena, a colleague to her fellow Legislators, and a strong active voice for her constituents. As a Freshman Senator, Chris introduced a healthcare bill, which was unanimously passed in both the Senate and in the House that set precedence in the health care industry in Oregon. As a result of Senate Bill 862, health care collaborative organizations, such as Central Oregon’s own Health Matters, can operate in Oregon and be eligible for Federal funding only recently introduced by the Obama administration.
Family is also very important to Chris and one of her most proud accomplishments in life is having raised two caring, compassionate daughters who have inherited her entrepreneurial spirit and are giving back to our community. Much of Chris’ spare time is spent with her daughters Tiffany and Merrideth, and her granddaughter Sofia.
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Organizations
Bend Development Board, Vice Chair
Bend-La Pine School District Budget Committee, Chair
Central Oregon Community College instructor
Comptroller for Coalition 14
Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon, Treasurer
Heath Matters of Central Oregon, Founding Member
Education
Chris attended the University of Denver and received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She attended Franklin University and the University of Oregon for post graduate work.
Volunteer
Chris also volunteers her time by serving on a number of non-profit boards including EDCO, Meth Action Coalition, Bend Urban Renewal Agency, and is a founding boardmember of City Club of Central Oregon, COLINK, and Health Matters.
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