Editors
Mo Sherifdeen
Interactive Marketing, Travel Oregon
Mo is Travel Oregon’s resident “Geek-In-Chief” who’s constantly dreaming up new ways to tell the Oregon story in the interactive medium. Mo spent most of his early childhood snorkeling, island hopping, and perfecting a craving for fresh seafood on the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives. He continued this need for adventure and good food through high school and college in Tucson (AZ) where he studied biochemistry and political science, while working up a healthy addiction to spicy southwestern cuisine.
After six years at a Tucson public relations agency, the lure of green spaces, livable cities, a mild climate, and the ocean proved too strong. On a cold, dark Halloween eve in ‘04, Mo and his wife Jessica (along with the dog & the cat), piled into a little Toyota and blazed a fast trail north to live their dreams in Oregon.
Today, Mo & Jessica live in Portland where they spend their time watching independent movies, wine wandering, and hiking the Oregon outdoors with their dog.
Emily Watson
Editor, Travel Oregon Magazine; Co-Editor Travel Oregon E-newsletter
Emily, a native Portlander, grew up skiing on Mt. Hood, playing at the Oregon coast, and shooing bugs into her brother’s tent during plenty o’ family camping trips.
After college she moved to New York City, where someone hired her to be a magazine editor. Five years later, however, the lure of the Northwest was just too strong so she returned to Portland “to be a ski bum.”
Today she is the editor of Travel Oregon magazine and co-editor of the monthly Travel Oregon e-newsletter, among other travel- and food-related publishing projects.
And, yes, she’s still skiing – though the bum thing is a bit of a stretch.
Rhiannon West
Interactive Content Editor, Travel Oregon
Rhiannon is Travel Oregon’s newest team member, helping to oversee the blog, e-newsletter, and social media outreach. She is a native Oregonian, who split her time growing up between Canby, Portland, and Seaside. She loves the Oregon Coast and loves spending quiet weekends at her family’s beach house.
Rhiannon attended both the University of Oregon and Portland State University, where she studied Journalism and Mass Media. She claims to ‘bleed green’ and happily cheers for both the Ducks and the Vikings every chance she gets.
In her free time, Rhiannon enjoys sipping Oregon Pinot, finding new restaurants, bargain hunting and trying new recipes – sometimes successfully. She has a child-like enthusiasm for trying new things and rediscovering old ones – such as skee-ball, mini golf, and big slides.
Authors
Carole Astley
Tourism Industry Development Manager
Born in the small town of Aberdeen, WA, known for also being the birthplace of Kurt Cobain of the band Nirvana, Carole Astley, moved around a lot as a child through Washington state, Arizona and California which is why she has a bit of gypsy in her today! After realizing that California was not the best place to raise role-model children, her family moved to Oregon when she was in junior high and she's never left, nor does she ever want to! Carole grew up in a restaurant family with no time off for fun, so since she was deprived of vacations as a child she decided to study tourism at Oregon State University so she could dream about all those exciting and exotic places she had never been! That was so fun that she ended up working in the tourism industry during college and ever since. Since joining Travel Oregon in July 2006 as Tourism Development Manager, she's been to exciting places like Burns, Bend, Ashland, Enterprise, Klamath Falls, Joseph and Brookings! Carole is a brochure-aholic, there isn't a place or a road trip that Carole would turn down, if she hasn't been there she wants to go there! Everyone loves a parade and so does Carole, so much so that she plans the annual Tualatin Crawfish Festival Parade in her free time ( www.tualatincrawfish.com) as well as enjoys bicycling, skiing, hiking, and anything else that involves getting out of the house and having fun with her new husband, Greg, (they had a winter ski wedding at Timberline Lodge) and his two sons, Connor and Matthew.Leigh Brown
Wine Blogger
Randy Dreiling
Mountain Biking Blogger & Owner, Oregon Adventures
Kerry Finsand
Kerry Finsand is a native Oregonian who resides in NE Portland with his wife, Josie. He spends his days working at GoSeeTell doing social media strategy for tourism and hospitality clients. Keeping up with the new bars and brewpubs opening in the area, Kerry enjoys sharing his discoveries of some of the best watering holes in town with his friends. A few years back he started attending many of the local beer festivals and liked what he saw and drank. He recently finished visiting all of the brewpubs in Portland, next in his sights is the state and then the world. Kerry is a freelance beer writer, creator of the Portland Beer Wiki and co-founder of taplister.com a resource to help you find what beers are on tap in Portland, Oregon.Michelle Godfrey
Public Relations Manager, Travel Oregon
Michelle Godfrey is our resident wordsmith and PR spinster, dedicated to keeping Oregon top-of-mind for visitors across the U.S. Imported from Chicago in 2003, her residency is younger than some of Oregon's nouveau-est pinot noir. But we don't hold it against her. She discovered Oregon during a family trip in 1998, imagined what it would be like to live here, and five years later forged her own Oregon trail to settle here. Born in New York and raised in the Midwest, Michelle calls herself the iconic Oregon Dreamer. And that's not just the starry look in her eyes. She's got big city ideas and a small town ethic, with a native Oregonian's love of rivers, streams, coasts and mountains. She talks pretty, loves dogs, makes a wicked margarita, and laughs all the time. We think we'll keep her.Andrea Hartman
Andrea Hartman was born in the town of Aberdeen, WA, where she spent exactly three and a half months of her life. A military brat until middle-school age, Andrea spent her growing up days in the likes of Sabine Pass, TX (population: 990), New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and a few medium-sized towns in-between. When her family settled down in Oregon after their military adventures, Andrea attended high school, college (Go Ducks!) and even got her first "real job" in Eugene, Oregon. When she married a fellow Oregonian, the deal was sealed: Oregonian for life. Andrea can confidently say she has been there, done that, when it comes to the other 49 states, and knows for certain that Oregon rocks. Andrea spends her spare time making care packages for her husband, who's currently stationed in Iraq, honing her knitting skills, and of course traipsing around the great state we call home. Her favorite things to do include taking fall walks, reading at her favorite coffee shops, visiting wineries and skiing at Willamette Pass. She thinks someday she might sum up the courage to be a runner too. In between weekends you'll find her at the Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County (CVALCO), where she helps peddle Lane County to tourists through the national media.Marcus Hibdon
Communications and Public Relations Manager, Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory
A former newspaper reporter and editor himself, Marcus Hibdon is the communications and public relations manager for Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory, which includes the glorious Mt. Hood and much, much more. He now spends his days working with journalists from around the world on stories about the Mt. Hood/Gorge Region. Originally from Washington state, Marcus spent nearly half of his 30 years in Montana where attended high school and college while exploring the rugged backcountry, snowboarding the Rocky Mountains and fishing the many rivers, lakes and streams. After a brief stint in California, Marcus relocated to Oregon - drawn by the beautiful vistas and wilderness of his Montana youth in addition to the cosmopolitan energy and culture of Portland. He loves the wonderful people, amazing recreation and diverse attractions of the Beaver State and he's developed a fondness for the food, wine and beer.Jerry Krieg
Jerry Krieg is from the South. Houston, Texas to be exact. He can't help but appreciate what Oregon has to offer. Jerry likes to call Oregon his "Outdoor Playground." He arrived in Portland in August 1996. The lifts turned in October of that year, and in November, he packed his bags & boards and moved to Mt. Hood. Growing up 14 hours from the closest mountain, he was drawn to the light, white, fluffy stuff. Volcanic Mountains in the middle of beautiful, tree-laden, rolling hills and desert-like terrain, are you kidding? Jerry was hooked!! He spent the next 6 years migrating between Portland and Mt. Hood. In 2002 Jerry moved to Baker City, Oregon and was fortunate to move into the Marketing & Events position at one of Oregon's Beautiful ski areas, Ski Anthony Lakes. Eastern Oregon was his "Playground" for 4 years. In 2005, Jerry stepped-in as the Marketing director for Ski Oregon. He moved back to Portland this past summer, and is now taking on the Ski Oregon challenge of riding every Oregon Ski Area this year, twice.Stephen Landau
Creative Director at Substance in Portland
Raised on the East Coast, Stephen Landau didn't realize he was an Oregonian in a previous life until he moved to Portland in 1999. From that moment on, he realized he had finally found the perfect city to call home. Stephen spends most of his time living his dream: thinking up new digital concepts as the co-founder and Creative Director at Substance. Fortunately, it's the kind of Pacific Northwest dream that also allows for camping trips at the coast in the summer, carving runs on Mt. Hood in the winter, and a beautiful bike commute to the office no matter what the weather. And if that wasn't enough, he gets to enjoy and share the Oregon life with his wife and kids. A dream come true.Grant McOmie
Pacific Northwest Broadcast Journalist
Grant McOmie is a Pacific Northwest broadcast journalist, teacher and author who writes and produces stories and special programs about the people, places, outdoor activities and environmental issues of the Pacific Northwest. A fifth generation Oregon native, Grant’s roots run deepest in the central Oregon region near Prineville and Redmond where his family continues to live. Grant is a graduate of Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon and he has continued graduate studies in Journalism, English and Speech Communications at the University of Washington and the University of Portland, (Master of Arts.) Grant began his broadcast career in 1981 at KGW-TV in Portland, then KOMO-TV in Seattle followed by KATU-TV in Portland. This fall, he has recently returned to KGW as their Outdoor Reporter. While he has had a varied career reporting and producing topical and timely environmental news stories, features and documentary programs, it’s been the exploration of the Pacific Northwest back roads and byways that he has enjoyed the most. Sharing those journeys of discovery with readers and viewers has provided the greatest personal rewards and the dominant themes in his work. Grant has received numerous awards for his work including several Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, two prestigious Iris Awards from the National Association of Television Program Executives and shares the distinct honor of the Edward R. Murrow Award for News Coverage from the RTNDA, (Radio-Television News Directors Association.) He is a five-time winner of the International Wildlife Film Festival Award for News and Environmental Programming as well as many Oregon AP News Awards over the past two decades. He teaches courses in the Media Arts and Environmental Science Departments at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. He is the author of a series of books chronicling many of his adventures across the region titled, “Grant’s Getaway I and II.” He is currently writing “Grant’s Getaways III,” which will be published in 2009 and “Through the Heart of Oregon: Down the Willamette River” which examines the critical environmental issues of the famous Oregon watershed. He lives in Forest Grove, Oregon with his wife Christine. Contact: Gmcomie@kgw.comAshley Moran
Ashley was born in Anchorage, Alaska, among the polar bears and igloos. The majority of her memories were made, however, in the great city of Salem, Oregon. She spent a great deal of her childhood and adolescence in dance classes, camping with the family, and chasing after her Boxer puppy, Molly. Ashley later left the state capitol to pursue her love for writing at the University of Oregon. After obtaining her journalism degree, she returned to her hometown to join the Travel Oregon team. Today Ashley spends most of her days with her kitten, Jordan, baking delicious chocolate desserts and pursuing her secret love of break dancing.
Larry Moran
Golf blogger, CVALCO
Larry Moran was born in Winnipeg, Canada. His earliest memories are of snowdrifts as tall as houses. At the age of 5 his family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he spent the remainder of his early life basking in the summer sun and listening to Beach Boys albums. In 1973 he was invited by a friend to spend the summer in Eugene. Summer seems to have never ended, as he's been in Eugene ever since, except for a few years where he split his time between Eugene and England. Following a long stint as a legal secretary, Larry discovered the world of travel and tourism in the early 90's. He's worked as a travel agent, a travel consultant, and a tour guide taking small groups of people all around the United Kingdom. He landed at The Convention & Visitors Association for Lane County (CVALCO) some 8-1/2 years ago, and "they haven't been able to figure out a way to get rid of me yet!" At CVALCO he works in Visitor Services, greeting visitors and helping people on vacation have a good time. "It's a pretty easy job," Larry says. "Lane County, and all of Oregon, have so much to offer visitors that the hard part is helping them choose which thing to do today." In addition to being a diligent but not very proficient golfer, Larry's main hobby is cooking. He's attended culinary schools in Italy and the UK, and says that his favorite activity is feeding his friends. He also enjoys wine, gardening, walking, and European travel with his wife, Sarah.Amy Nyberg
Amy Nyberg was born in a log cabin hand-built by her parents just outside of Bend, but was soon whisked off to Colorado and then to Utah where most of her childhood was spent on the ski slopes or in the dance studio studying classical ballet. Amy's thoughts of becoming a professional dancer were overcome by her love of travel, however. This love led to pursuing her degree from the University of Utah in Travel and Tourism. After 13 years in Utah, she returned to her native land. Amy can still be found in the dance studio from time to time and on the slopes. She also enjoys camping, hiking, and she is looking forward to learning how to sail this summer.Sean Patrick Hill
Freelance Writer
Sean Patrick Hill moved to Oregon in 1995, where his first visions of the state were the Oregon Dunes, Cougar Hot Springs, and the Oregon Country Fair. Needless to say, it was love at first sight. Since then he has traveled the state from coast to desert, from valley to mountains, writing poetry and travel articles for The Oregonian and The Source Weekly. He has picked mountain huckleberries, canned Hood River pears, backpacked through lightening storms, shot the rapids on the McKenzie and Deschutes, toured the hot springs, watched plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and shows at Crystal Ballroom. He has given up hope on ever wanting to move back east, and lives in Portland with his wife, two blueberry bushes, and some lucky bamboo.Jamie Porter
Operations Assistant, Travel Oregon
Jamie Porter graduated from Oregon State University in 2007. She earned an English degree with a minor in Spanish. She was born and raised in Salem, Oregon but enjoyed the 4 short years she lived in Corvallis, Oregon rooting on the Beavers at every home football, basketball and baseball game. She is passionate about college football and although her college days are over she finds herself returning to Beaver Nation as a dedicated fan and enthusiastic tailgater. When she is not working as the Operations Assistant at Travel Oregon or watching the Beavers, she can be found browsing used bookstores, running, traveling to Spanish speaking countries (she has spent her traveling days in various parts of Mexico and Spain), or traveling throughout Oregon ready to pitch a tent and throw in a pole. Jamie has a great appreciation for the Oregon outdoors as she was raised camping, fishing, and skiing-her first experience water skiing was at 5 years old! Her latest interests are learning all about Travel Oregon, real estate, and spending weekends in Corvallis and Bend, Oregon. She is addicted to Google-ing anything and everything and eating Reese's Peanut Butter cups on the regular. Although she grew up with a passion for teaching children she now has this unexplainable desire to teach everyone about Oregon since working for Travel Oregon.Dawn Rasmussen
Hiking blogger, Pathfinder Writing and Career Services
Dawn Rasmussen, President of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services, began her career in the hospitality industry at an early age when her mother, a professor, had the summers off and the family traveled extensively around the United States. It was then that her interest in travel and hospitality got started. Dawn’s career has taken her on many adventures since then, including working as an assistant producer at KATU-TV in Portland, touring the inside of a nuclear reactor, being a presenting speaker at the US Embassy in Berlin, Germany, recognition from the White House for co-authoring two national cultural tourism itineraries, dining with the culinary elite at the national American Academy of Chefs annual dinner, visiting Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, speaking to homeless and at-risk youth in a hospitality academy through New Avenues for Youth, receiving several top industry awards for her efforts in hospitality, including the Meeting Professionals International (Oregon Chapter) President’s Award. Mentor of the Year Award and the Oregon Governor’s Tourism Achievement Award. Currently, Dawn is very active with many Oregon hospitality industry groups, and spends her free time volunteering or celebrating her love of the outdoors by hiking and exploring Oregon’s wonders.Carina Reed
Admin. Asst., International Marketing
Carina Reed, our operations assistant, was born and raised atop the mountains of Northern Idaho. In 1994, however, Carina decided to head West to Oregon with her newborn daughter, Kembrah. Carina is one of Travel Oregon's most impressive adventurers, as she has also traveled to twenty-two countries, including Saudi Arabia. Carina describes herself as "artsy craftsy" as she enjoys scrapbooking, painting, wood burning, and collages. She also loves to sing anywhere she can- in the shower and in the car, just to name a few! When she's not busy with arts and crafts, Carina can be found camping, fishing, boating, rock-hounding, skiing, or adding to her impressive collection of stuffed and ceramic frogs.Lisa Richardson
Born an Army brat in Washington, Lisa Richardson's home base was Coos Bay, OR. After placing in the Oregon spelling bee, she went to college in Arkansas, where she turned her love of words into a job at the local newspaper. Growing up in Empire, blocks from the ocean, she still recalls the little train at Charleston harbor, the lullaby of the buoys at night, and the curious odor of Crab Flats. Unique farm stands, the beauty of the Oregon byways, and clam chowder at Dory Cove are part of what brought her back to Oregon again. Today she is the Consumer Marketing Coordinator for Travel Oregon, where every day on the job is a new adventure. Besides reading, and occasionally making sure the casinos are still open, she hunts dinosaurs with her 4 yr old grandson.Greg Robeson
Oregon Bounty Manager
Greg Robeson was born for this job. A fifth-generation Oregonian who grew up in Central Oregon, food was always part of his recreation, whether hunting for wild asparagus, baking with his mom, or cooking family meals to avoid doing farm chores (yep, that’s right, Greg used to live on a pig farm). In college, full menus from the makeshift kitchen in his dorm room became somewhat of a post-midnight legend. In the mid-1980s, Greg’s work in public relations and marketing and penchant for volunteering introduced him to the pioneers of the Oregon wine industry and the leaders of Portland’s culinary evolution. At the time, the concept of fresh-from-the-farm cooking (led by another guy named Greg – Higgins) was just being planted. Working with some of Portland’s top chefs as clients and through volunteer projects, Greg watched and learned. It helped hone his passion for food with some actual cooking skills. Today, he cooks nightly for his wife Kelli and two year-old son Milo (who already has his own chef jacket and toque). Of all the pro bono work he’s done, Greg’s proudest moment was convincing Alice Waters to come to Portland for a fundraiser to build a vegetable garden at an inner northeast Portland school. In addition to the Oregon Bounty project, which consumes half of his year, Greg is president of Robeson Communications, a firm providing a full range of advertising and marketing services to clients in the Pacific Northwest. His culinary clients have included Archery Summit Winery, Carlton Farms, Domaine Serene Winery, Henry Weinhard’s, Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, and Seafood Oregon. If he can be allowed to brag a bit, in 2006 Greg’s work on behalf of Oregon Bounty was recognized with PRSA’s highest national honor, the Silver Anvil. Then again, he’d just as soon be thinking about what to make for dinner tonight.Justin Yax
Public Relations Director, Public Relations Director/Partner, DVA Advertising & Public Relations
Justin has spent his entire career promoting some of the country’s top tourism destinations, including Bend. When he’s not busy promoting Bend as a tourist destination, Justin can be found on the rivers, trails and golf courses of Central Oregon where he enjoys fishing, running, mountain biking, road riding and golf.
Loading ...
