Central Oregon LandWatch

Karen Lillebo is a retired research chemist formerly at Bend Research, Inc. located in Bend, Oregon. She has lived in Central Oregon since 1984, has been a member of Central Oregon LandWatch since 1986, and a board member for the past ten years.
Ms. Lillebo is a longtime environmental advocate and a member of Oregon Wild and the Oregon Natural Desert Association and currently serves as the Board President.

Michel Bayard is a retired physicist and technologist, and a longtime resident of Central Oregon. An active, focused land use advocate, he has for years opposed development near critical open space, working with city councilors, county commissioners, the Bend MPO and ODOT on numerous community and environmental issues. In 2004, Michel founded and continues to direct the Hunnell United Neighbors (HUNS), a large energized neighborhood association that collectively opposed urban sprawl in response to the city of Bend’s 2009 UGB expansion proposal. Michel was also a key player in the fight to prevent the development of the Cooley Rd. Wal-Mart.
He also designs and builds solar greenhouses and expeditionary sea kayaks. Michel is an avid photographer and enjoys biking, XC skiing, running, boating and exploring the western US.

Charlie Ringo was born and raised in Corvallis, Oregon. In 1980 he graduated from the United States Air Force Academy, and served five years active duty and another seven years in the Air Force Reserve. In 1985 Charlie received a Masters in Business Administration from Boston University. In 1989 he graduated from Northwestern School of Law, in Portland, and commenced practicing law in the Portland area. Charlie’s devotion to the natural environment led him to become active with the Sierra Club. In 1997 he was elected Chair of the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club. In 2000 Charlie was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives. Two years later he was elected to the Oregon Senate, representing citizens from Beaverton and Northwest Portland. In the 2005 legislative session, Charlie was Chair of the Senate Committee on Land Use and the Environment.
After the 2005 legislative session, Charlie decided to retire from politics, and in 2006 he and his family moved from Beaverton to Bend, where they enjoy a closer connection to the natural environment.

Brenda Pace grew up in Oregon and attended the University of Oregon for undergraduate work and UCLA for graduate work in Regional Economics. She operated her own consulting firm for some 20 years, doing feasibility work for developers and economic impact work for local governments. Subsequently, she helped establish and operate a non-profit organization to manage mitigation land (presently 52,000 acres) for its natural resources. Now retired, Brenda was on the Deschutes County Planning Commission for seven years and has been instrumental in legislation extending Oregon’s Adopt-A-Highway program to include noxious weeds. She is also presently on the Deschutes County Weed Advisory Board. Her reasons for joining the Central Oregon LandWatch Board include finding incentives for conserving farm and open space lands and promoting efficient development in cities.

Matt Abrams is a graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering/Computer Engineering. He currently works as an Engineering Director at Oracle, with oversight for some 30 engineers around the world. Matt is also the co-founder of the Bend business and technology group, BendTech.
He lives in Bend with his wife and two boys and is an avid mountain biker and outdoor enthusiast.

Mike Tripp is a retired physician and an avid fisherman.  He is also the Conservation Director of the Deschutes Chapter of Trout Unlimited.