Board of Directors |
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Diana Coogle — Chair After growing up in Georgia and studying at Cambridge University as a Marshall Scholar, Diana moved to an Applegate mountainside, taught part-time at Rogue Community College, and wrote commentaries for Jefferson Public Radio (JPR). Diana has published three books of selected JPR commentaries: Fire from the Dragon's Tongue (an Oregon Book Award finalist), Living with All My Senses: 25 Years of Life on the Mountain, and An Explosion of Stars. She has also published Favorite Hikes of the Applegate: A Trail Guide with Stories and Histories with Janeen Sathre. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Oregon. Board member since 2013 | |
Laura Duey — Secretary Laura was born in southern California, where she worked in the computer industry and raised her family. She and her husband, Al, moved to Vermont in 1998, where they did community organizing for rural broadband projects and served on several non-profit boards. They moved to Oregon in 2016 to be closer to family and have happily settled in Ruch Board member since 2023 | |
Lisa E. Baldwin Lisa E. Baldwin, a fifth-generation native Oregonian, has lived in the Lower Applegate community of Jerome Prairie since 1966. She was educated in Josephine County schools (Jerome Prairie Elementary, Lincoln Savage Junior High, Hidden Valley High) and earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Southern Oregon. Baldwin taught English in Grants Pass for 30 years, serving 14 years at North Middle School and 16 years at Grants Pass High School, retiring in 2015. Currently, as owner of N8tive Run Enterprises, she works as a poet and freelance writer, an editor, a teacher and literary consultant. Baldwin is also a past-President of the Oregon Poetry Association and is an active member of the Southern Oregon poetry community. Board member since 2018 | |
Barbara Holiday Barbara is a former board member of A Greater Applegate and Old First Concerts (highly regarded performing arts series in San Francisco), a long-time member of International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), and marketing communications consultant for more than 20 years. She has been managing editor of several publications in San Francisco and has previously been an editor of the Applegater. She holds an MBA from Pepperdine University. An avid runner, Barbara has "competed" in the Bay to Breakers race more than 35 times. A third-generation San Franciscan, Barbara's family deserted her and settled in the Applegate Valley in the early 1970s. Board member since 2013 | |
Margaret Patterson Margaret is from Detroit, Michigan and her husband, Tom, from Dallas, Texas. Margaret has spent her professional life working for non-profits in education, healthcare, community outreach, and church ministry. She has shared her foremost passion for music, directing choirs, and small ensembles at various churches in the United States and now sings with the Rogue Chorus. In 2018 she and Tom moved to a five-acre farm in Wilderville, Oregon, where they launched Cascadia Vineyards and Winery, with her son Colin, as sommelier and winemaker. Board member since 2023 | |
William C. Whitney William C. Whitney (Whit) graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA in painting and a minor in photography/motion picture. In 1978 he moved to New York City to launch a career as a fine artist and found work at a large New York City ad agency as an art director. After 25 years at Rapp, he was promoted and relocated to L.A. as their Executive Creative Director. After four years in L.A., Whit retired from advertising. In 2016, he and his wife, Cheryl, moved from their home in the central coast of California to the Applegate Valley. Whit joined Rogue Credit Union as Creative Director/Manager and served there for three years, retiring for the final time in 2019. The Whitneys volunteer at a local non-profit called Mercy’s Gate and have served on a number of boards, including a California symphony orchestra called Symphony of the Vines. Board member since 2024 |