Our Board

While co-running the business she was able to use her love of cooking to expand the food offerings at the coffee shop. Handing the reins over to her son completely three years ago, she now manages her own commercial kitchen utilized by several local vendors.

Soon after arriving in Ashland, Cindy began volunteering for many different organizations.  She spent a term on the board of the Ashland Family YMCA, the board of the Mt. Ashland Racing Association, the board of the Ashland High Ski & Snowboard team and more recently two terms as a member of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce board of directors serving two years as president. She is also a longtime volunteer of the Ashland Independent Film Festival and spent a couple of years helping coach the Ashland High Crew Team.  

Cindy is excited to be on the Ashland Community Health Foundation Board, and looks forward to supporting our local community. Her life these days involves work, volunteering, rowing, hiking, gardening, and chickens.  But mostly she enjoys the time she spends with her grandchildren and the rest of her family.

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Prior to joining Koenig Investment Advisory in 2014, Jeff lived in Seattle where he worked with several highly respected wealth management teams.  He got his start in the financial services industry in 2006 after earning a bachelor’s degree in finance from Seattle University.

Jeff is a member of the Southern Oregon Estate Planning Council, Rotary Club of Ashland Lithia Springs, and a past board member of the Ashland Schools Foundation and Highline Schools Foundation. Even though Jeff resides in Ashland, he remains an avid boater and member of the Seattle Yacht Club.  When not working, Jeff, his wife Alexi, and their two kids enjoy traveling, boating, and almost any outdoor adventure.

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Having visited and admired life in Ashland for years, it was finally time for Melissa to retire. She and her husband Jeff, a newly retired veterinarian, moved to Ashland in March 2018.

Giving back has always been part of her DNA. In California, Melissa volunteered at El Camino Hospital in Silicon Valley entertaining patients and their guests as the “Jester of Music and Mirth.” She was active in their foundation and served on their Planned Giving Council for over 10 years. Health care has always been a priority! These are challenging times, and Melissa is excited to be a board member and contribute to the growth of the foundation.

In addition, Melissa volunteers for several organizations including the Tudor Guild and Temple Emek Shalom. She and Jeff have five children between them and four grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, staying fit, sailing, and spending time with family, friends, and pets.

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As a trained Family Demographer, he uses quantitative and demographic methodologies to investigate issues pertaining to health disparities among various populations.

Larry believes using research is important for community development and has been part of grant funding proposal efforts to assess community health care needs in the valley since 2017. As a member of the Ashland Community Health Foundation, this gives him an even greater opportunity to serve Ashland and its environs. 

On a personal note, Larry is married to his best friend, Latoya. Both are avid soccer, track and field, and basketball enthusiasts and enjoy the beach, reading, traveling, and spending quality time with family and friends. 

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She has spent the past 9 years in education working with at-risk, homeless youth, and students with exceptionalities. Most recently at Phoenix-Talent Schools, she was an integral part of fire recovery efforts post-Almeda Fire. Her work with fire recovery also led to a shift in her career joining Oregon Housing & Community Service as the Regional Disaster Recovery & Resilience Coordinator.

She is one of the founding members and current board president for the Jackson County Community Long Term Recovery Group which is working towards ensuring that fire survivors can recover and return home after the 2020 Labor Day fires in Jackson County.

Lucy has 1 daughter, 3 bonus children, a grandson, and 4 dachshunds. When she is not working or pursuing her bachelor’s degree, she enjoys working on one of several street rods she owns with her husband and spending time with the family. On the off-chance there is still time left in the week, she enjoys helping cheerleading coaches with their programs/competition routines.

Lucy is excited to be on the Ashland Community Health Foundation Board and looks forward to supporting our local community.

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Advancing her career, she was the Lead Tech for the Chemistry Department for Avista Hospital in Louisville, CO. After taking a brief hiatus following the birth of her daughter, she returned to work managing the Reference Laboratory for Boulder Community Hospital. She then accepted the position of Outreach Program Manager for the Mayo Clinic. She then joined ARUP Laboratories, a division of the University of Utah as a Business Development Manager.

Diane was also the president and founder of WarmHeart, Inc., a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provided baby blankets to babies in Zimbabwe (previously wrapped in newspapers) and victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the US.

In 2010, Diane and her daughter moved to Ashland where she later married her husband, Scott. Diane retired from ARUP and accepted a position as a Mortgage Loan Officer, and later retired as Personal Banker at People’s Bank of Commerce in Ashland.

In her spare time, Diane enjoys spending time in Tucson, traveling, opera, biking, rafting, reading, and the company of her husband Scott, family, and friends. She also loves spending time with her Border collie (Riley), and Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy (Rip).

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She holds a B.A. in Education from Washington State University and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Oregon.  

On September 8, 2020, a wildfire swept quickly through the towns of Phoenix and Talent, destroying the homes of ⅓ of the students. Phoenix-Talent Schools has been critical in the fire response and rebuilding of their community, as well as navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. Tiffanie serves as Logistics Lead in the emergency response, in addition to her duties overseeing and managing federal programs, special education services, and curriculum. 

Tiffanie has three children, a grandchild, and two goldendoodles. She enjoys camping in her 1984 VW Westy (and relaxing while her husband frequently repairs the van). She is passionate about increasing the inclusion of students with disabilities, raising the voices of traditionally marginalized groups in education, and ensuring that every student feels a sense of belonging and acceptance.

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Rosario’s local roots run deep. Her mother worked for Phoenix-Talent schools before retiring in 2021 and her father immigrated to the US from Mexico in the ‘70s before settling down in Southern Oregon in the early ‘80s. From the moment she could read, she helped her family and members of the community with translations and interpreting as needed.

Now as an adult, Rosario is proud to serve her community through her work connecting people with the resources they need. Empowering families so that they are equipped to support their children’s mental health and wellness brings her great joy and happiness.

Rosario is an adjunct professor at Rogue Community College where she teaches Spanish for Early Childhood/Elementary Professionals. She is also the vice president of the teaching association at the Phoenix-Talent school district. In both roles, she supports current and future teachers in providing quality, culturally appropriate education.

Rosario is the mother of four children, ages 17, 14, 8, and 3, and enjoys spending time with her husband and kids. One of her favorite things to do is walk around Talent and share stories about growing up there.

Rosario is excited to continue serving the community she grew up in as a board member of the Ashland Community Health Foundation. She is honored to have this opportunity and can’t wait to see the community continue to grow with the help of the foundation.

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As a dedicated volunteer she is involved with a diverse group of organizations including Ashland Community Health Foundation where she previously served as president. She also dedicates her time to the American Association of University Women and United Way’s Women Living Leadership program. 

As a 27-year resident of Ashland, Liz appreciates all the aspects of life that Southern Oregon offers to all of us and looks forward to her young grandchildren benefitting from being raised here.  

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She then worked in private practice and served as a Circuit Court Judge for 14 years. For the last nine years of her career, she served as staff counsel for the Oregon Judicial Department.

Becky believes it is important to give back to her community and has actively participated in numerous local boards, task forces, committees, and advisory councils, including as a founding member of the boards of Rape Crisis Council (now part of Community Works) and the Community Dispute Resolution Center (now Resolve). 

Becky was a YMCA Youth Basketball assistant coach for three years and a classroom volunteer at Lincoln Elementary School. She volunteered with the Tucson and Green Valley AZ Samaritans at the US border with Mexico. She is currently serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster children.

She enjoys hiking, being in nature, visiting and riding carousels, and most of all spending time with her family and four grandchildren. 

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Nick began his firefighting career in 2007, spending time at Jackson County Fire District 5 and Rogue River Fire District before landing his dream job at Ashland Fire and Rescue in 2012, where he still serves the community to this day. In 2017, he earned his real estate license, fulfilling another lifelong dream, and has been helping buyers and sellers throughout the valley ever since.

Nick is married to Gina Palmesano, a local teacher, and has two children. Together with son, Gus, and daughter, Ellie, Nick and Gina love being active in the outdoors. The Palmesano family can be seen spending time together camping, riding jet skis, going to Oregon Duck football games or enjoying all that Southern Oregon has to offer.

Nick is excited to serve on the Ashland Community Health Foundation board and serve the community in another way. He looks forward to connecting with all types of people and sharing his experiences along the way.

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Several years after the birth of their first child, they decided they wanted to raise their children in the community he remembered so fondly from his own childhood. After their return to Ashland, Zeph served as an assistant manager at US Bank for four years and then went to work at Harfst and Associates, Inc., as Director of Client Services. 

Zeph has now settled into a career as a real estate agent with Absolute Realty and enjoys the long-term relationships he develops with his loyal clients.  Zeph and Kari happily reside in Ashland with their two daughters, Mila and Alayla, and two sons, Rai and Ross. Zeph is proud to give back to the community he was raised in by serving on the Ashland Community Health Foundation Board.

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Gary was an experienced trial lawyer, handling more than 100 jury trials and thousands of criminal cases, business and real estate disputes, family law matters, construction disputes, and construction-defect litigation; as well as insurance coverage and related litigation, all during most of his law practice. For the past 15 years, he specialized in estate planning, preparing wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents for his clients, and conducted probate and trust administration proceedings. 

Gary received his B.A. in history from the University of California at Berkeley in 1969, and graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1972. He was a member of the Hastings Thurston Society (scholastic honorary organization) during law school. 

He has been a passionate advocate for health care services in the Ashland area for many years, first serving on this board beginning in 2009.

Gary met his wife Pamela – who is also an attorney, and currently Ashland’s Municipal Court Judge – in San Diego in 1974, and they were married in 1981. Gary is a member of the Ashland Rotary Club.

In his free time, Gary enjoys reading, golf, photography, traveling, gardening, and spending time with his family.

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Brian has served on the foundation’s real estate, finance, strategic planning, and — most recently — the asset management committee as the hospital negotiated a new affiliation with Asante. He was also recognized with the 2010 the Distinguished Service Award for service to the community through the hospital and the foundation.

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He served in many capacities on the board, including board president, and spent time on the foundation’s executive, finance, real estate, strategic planning, nominating, and fundraising committees. 

A longtime Ashland resident and now retired owner of the Butler Automotive Group, he has contributed his time and talent to many community organizations including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Southern Oregon University Foundation and the Rotary Club of Ashland. In 1994, he was recognized for his service to the hospital, foundation, and community with the annual Distinguished Service Award.

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As part of the Ashland community, he began a successful career as an insurance professional and has enjoyed working with all types of businesses and individuals over the years at Ashland Insurance.  In addition, he has been actively involved in a variety of civic and charitable organizations in Ashland.

Ed’s involvement with the Ashland Community Health Foundation began in 2009.  He has held the position of treasurer, vice president, president, and past president of the board of directors.  He continuously served on the asset management committee during that time.

In 2020, Ed was the foundation’s Distinguished Service Award honoree. He officially retired from the board in December 2022 after 13 consecutive years of dedicated service.

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While on the Ashland Community Health Foundation board, Jack was a member of the real estate, governance, asset management, and executive committees.

Jack has been a partner at Davis, Hearn, Anderson & Turner since 1976 and has volunteered his time providing pro bono legal services to the foundation. In 2015 he was honored with the Distinguished Service Award for his service to the foundation and community, and in 2017 he was appointed to the emeritus board.

Dedicated to nonprofit service, Jack has also served on boards for Rogue Valley Symphony,  American Red Cross, Lyric Theater Company, Personal Achievement Center, the Reed and Carolee Walker Fund Advisory Committee of the Oregon Community Foundation, and the World Wildlife Fund.

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Kurt has also been a board member with the American Heart Association and the Ashland YMCA, and teaches business law at Southern Oregon University. He was honored for his years of service to the foundation with the 2000 Distinguished Service Award.

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During her time away from board service she continued to serve on the Evans Endowed Nursing Scholarship committee. Since she retired from her career as a middle school teacher and principal, she has served on the board of directors of the Ashland Family YMCA, the Reed and Carolee Walker Fund Advisory Committee of the Oregon Community Foundation, and the Session of First Presbyterian Church. Marjorie was married to the late Gregg Lininger and proudly claims two married children and four grandchildren.

Marjorie was also recognized with the 2013 Distinguished Service Award for service to the community through the hospital and the foundation.

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During his tenure on the board, he served as president and spent time on the foundation’s executive, finance, real estate, special projects, golf tournament, and strategic planning committees.

Jed has also served the Ashland community as a member of Ashland Rotary, and as a board member at Southern Oregon University, Ashland YMCA, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival — to name just a few. In 2001, Jed was honored with the Distinguished Service Award for his dedicated service to the foundation and community.

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