Paul Dean, Board Treasurer    

My wife, Mary, and I have lived in Bend for almost 9 years and are the proud parents of two daughters, Bridget (age 11) and Maddie (age 9).  Currently, I'm an Assistant Principal at Cascade Middle School and have been in education for 19 years as a high school religion and math teacher, school counselor and coach.

I grew up in Madison, New Jersey, have a bachelor's degree in Business Adminstration from the University of Notre Dame ('87) and a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University ('95). 

Like most families in Bend, we enjoy the many outdoor activities our area provides: hiking, mountain biking, camping, fishing, spelunking, swimming and skiing.

The core value of simple living is at the heart of the BVC year.  As Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:16 - 22:

   A young man approached Jesus and said,
   “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
   He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
   There is only One who is good.
   If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

   The young man said to him,
   “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
   Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
   sell what you have and give to the poor,
   and you will have treasure in heaven.
   Then come, follow me.”

   When the young man heard this statement, he
   went away sad, for he had many possessions.                                  

Paul Evers, Board Member        

My passion and excitement for the work of BVC began long before the actual inception of the organization itself. Both my wife, Mary, and I have a long history of loving and working with young people in light of the mission of the Church. We've both held staff positions as Youth Ministers at various parishes and have continuously found youth and young adults to be the brightest light in showing the rest of us the way forward with love, understanding and compassion. This was only reinforced in our work with JVC in Bend beginning in 1991 and with BVC beginning in 2004.

As native Southern Californians, we moved to Bend in 1990 and are continuously grateful to be able to call Bend home along with our three young-adult children, Angelica (22), Bobby (20) and Natalie (18). Our family considers BVC part of its own.

As a founder of BVC, the greatest joy has been to witness the incredible selfless work of the volunteers over the years. The generosity of the community at large has been equally astounding. Loving people continue to step forward, expanding the BVC family. The vitality of the organization will carry it forward for years to come.                                       

Mimi Graves, Board Vice President                

My husband, Gary and I moved to Bend in 1988 after living in 6 other cities across the United States. We were early support families for the Jesuit Volunteers here and have remained close to many of them. It has been a tremendous blessing to myself and my family to be associated with the Bend Volunteer Corps since their inception in 2004. The volunteers' engergy and enthusiasm is contagious. My husband and I have enjoyed kayak trips, hikes, cross-country ski trips, climbing nights, retreats and barbeques with the volunteers. With other Board members, I help discern the policies for our organization that will best serve those most in need of spiritual, physical and material help in our community.

The core value that speaks to me most is spirituality. As in the doing of this work and the planning, we develop a spirit of love and compassion for each other: the served, the volunteers, and those of us whose job it is to support that work.                    

Tom Meagher, Board President      

My wife, Kristin and I moved to Bend in 2003 along with our 3 children--Matthew (now 17), Megan (13), and Tim (11).  Both Kristin and I grew up nearby in Portland OR but we each lived for more than 10 years in a variety of large cities around the U.S.--Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco to name a few.  Professionally, I have worked as an investment advisor and wealth manager at Smith Barney for the last 17 years.  I have been a board member with the BVC since 2005.  I am currently the BVC Board President.

We moved to Central OR to raise our family in a smaller town environment and to take advantage of the incredible quality of life that the Bend provides.  As a family, we ski and back-country ski in the winter. We fish, bike, camp and hike in the summers.

The core value that holds the most meaning to me is that of Community. The BVC continues to be a smaller organization that focuses on the lives of our volunteers and important work that they do.  My family and the larger BV community has learned and grown incredibly as we have walked with each Bend Volunteer through the years. Our relationships in the BVC have truly been a gift to us from God.  We look forward to many more years as an active part of the BVC.                          

Ana Orellana, Board Secretary 

I have been an active board member since 2006. I currently serve as the Board's Secretary. I have maintained connectivity with my community by my involvement with BVC. Prior to becoming a board member, I was highly successful as a Spanish bilingual facilitator for local non-profits; COBRA, Program de Ayuda, and Healthy beginnings.
 
I am a native of El Salvador, Central America.  I have lived in Bend for the last 13 years with my husband of 21 years and two young children. Today, I continue to walk in the path of pursuing one of the core values of social justice for all.           

Dan Volz, Board Member        

As a new Board member I am learning to listen more and speak less. Listening more is a very good thing for me. Some backcground, my wife, Jamie, and I have been in Bend since 1999. We have two grown daugters, Kara and Moira, and a grandson, Cory. My background is in radio and TV broadcasting management and sales. I also am active in voice over work for a variety of businesses and non-profits.

BVC's four core values for me were an immediate attraction. Collectively they help me reflect on making real the life of a Christian in the world. They seem for me to be connected in a natuaral way to form the whole of this ideal. I am definitiely challenged by their straghtforward simplicity and calling to be what I say I am.