Helping people is my passion, and I’ve always considered my greatest calling to be that of serving others. I like to think this is evident to all who know, and know of, me. That’s why I’ve been honored to serve as one of three Lincoln County Commissioners, for nearly 20 years.  Working for all who live and work in this community has allowed me to serve and contribute to making this county be the best place it can possibly be.

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I was born in Portland and grew up there, graduating from John Adams High School in 1977. Even at an early age, I was interested in history, government, politics and journalism. When I was five, I told my parents I wanted to grow up to be President of the United States. Fortunately, I came to my senses and established more realistic goals. But these interests have remained and shaped my life.

Also important in shaping the person I became were my parents, Carl and Jane Hall, and my older sister, Cathy—all gone now. Yet, I feel as though they live on within, and through me, and I’m grateful every day for their love, wisdom and guidance.  

My dad worked in auto sales, finance and other fields, but to his dying day he always introduced himself proudly as a United States Marine. He had answered his country’s call during World War II and came back from combat in the Pacific with multiple, lifelong disabilities. He faced life with severe injuries with grace and sometimes humor, and he built a family, for whom he gladly provided. He passed in 1991. My mom, who died in 2002, was a proud homemaker and devoted mother to Cathy and me.

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I had a great sister in Cathy.  She was a great human being—beautiful inside and out, and brilliant with a marvelous singing voice and artistic flare.  It seemed she was given every gift except time.  I lost her to a brain tumor in 1993.

She left behind her daughter, my niece, Kelly, who lives in Portland, and with whom I have always been closely connected.

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                                                                  My parents had a wonderful love story. As they                                                                        told it, my mom and dad’s journey together                                                                              began with a weekend honeymoon at the                                                                                  Dorchester House in Oceanlake (now part of                                                                            Lincoln City) in 1951.  They loved the Central                                                                                Oregon Coast and instilled that same love in me                                                                    through annual family trips that always included  a stay at a cabin near Yachats.  I don’t ever remember my parents sitting me down and telling me that I had a moral obligation to serve others. But I saw them practice this ideal again and again—through volunteerism and charitable work-- and, in so doing, an important seed had been planted in shaping my future.

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After High School, I went to Pacific University in Forest Grove, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communications. In the early 1980s, I worked at a public radio station in Portland, for a few years, then went on to Northwestern University in Illinois to study Journalism, eventually earning a Master of Science degree in the field.  I returned to Oregon and leapt at the chance to make the Central Coast of Oregon my forever-home at the beginning of 1987.  I worked as a reporter and became the acting editor at Newport News Times, then became the News Director at KZUS Radio. Having the privilege of informing the community about important news and events was a responsibility I never took lightly.

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In 2004 when a seat on the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners (BOC) opened up, a small group of people for whom I had great respect, urged me to consider running for the job. I was intrigued. I looked at a long Oregon tradition of officeholders coming from the ranks of journalism, most notably Governor Tom McCall. I had the confidence, or some might say, the audacity, to think I had what it would take to succeed in the job.

 

My work as your County Commissioner is my mission and passion. Challenging though it may be, it brings me the greatest fulfillment in my life.  Yet, in the time I call my own, I enjoy the amazing beauty that surrounds us every day. I’m also “certified reading addict,” consuming about 75 books a year, as well as Star Trek devotee.  I also hold dear the time I spend with a great many friends, and my precious niece and her family.

 

But enough about me!  I’m here for you--to serve Lincoln County for another term on the BOC, Position 2.  I am certain, after you visit my resume and priorities pages, on this website, you will understand the importance of voting for me.  Now is not the time to begin anew, not when I have my hand on the pulse of the needs and desires of the community. I am set to continue to give all who reside and work, here, my heart and soul.

If you would like to help fund my campaign, click here: