Steering Committee Members

Gorge Local Currency Cooperative

Steering Committee

Scot Bergeron

Scot Bergeron has become an advocate for a local barter and trade system after studying economics. Scot has a BS degree in Occupational Safety. He has been employed over the years as a fully certified flight instructor, ski instructor, SCUBA instructor, and crew for a private yacht in Europe and crew on a research vessel in the Caribbean. He is has been a professional musician for over twenty years and has performed throughout north America and Europe. In the last five years he has uncovered information that was never presented to him in the public school system,in college or in his travels. Information that he feels is paramount for everyone to understand. In addition to serving on the steering committee of RiverHOURS, he also sits on the board of directors of the Columbia Gorge Earth Center, works diligently to educate the public about local, national and global economics, the workings of the Federal Reserve System, the World Bank, and the IMF. He is currently researching constitutional law, the Bill of Rights and the effects of the newly enacted "Homeland Security Act" and "Patriot Acts I & II" on those rights and the constitution. Scot considers himself a true American patriot and supports and believes in the constitution and the bill of rights. Email Scot Scot's band http://www.savantgarde.info/

Bruce Bolme

Bruce Bolme moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1966. He is a licensed engineer in both Washington and Oregon. In addition to his technical education, he has training in TQM [Total Quality Management] and NLP [Neuro-linguistic Programming]. He has worked as an energy conservation and renewable energy consultant and most recently for the Corps of Engineers as Chief Engineer at The Dalles - John Day Project.

He is President of the Mid-Columbia Chapter of NARFE [National Association of Retired Federal Employees], Managing Director of the Chenowith Forest and Farm Conservancy, Vice President of the Mid-Columbia Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and on the steering committee of the Gorge Local Currency Cooperative.

Bruce enjoys volunteer work that helps make our part of the world a better place to live. He is a promoter of local currency because he wants to give local businesses a competitive advantage compared to national chains, and he is an advocate of barter trading to increase local prosperity and community cohesion. Resume'

deannab

deanna became intrigued by the local currency idea about five years prior to this group's commencement. reading something somewhere now forgotten but for the concept, she thought it to be a fantastic idea to pursue. more recently she found herself researching alternative models of economics to tie together some key points in her 02002 bachelor's thesis at marylhurst university. local currency can be an important component to self-sufficient community building, and she jumped at the chance to help coax the gorge community in that direction. Skills inventory

Zoe Campbell

Check back soon to learn more about Zoe Campbell!

Karen Harding

I grew up in America's National Parks with a powerful love of Mother Nature and a strong vision of a world in balance. My degree in Fine Arts unfolded into work with small children, a family child care business, while my own children were growing up. We were and are homeschoolers: community learners. My experiences with small children expanded into an interest in Astrology, which is a language, a tool for self awareness. Understanding our inner workings is helpful in working with others, especially those only beginning on the verbal adventures of life, which is a circle back to a powerful love of Mother Nature and a strong vision of a world in balance. My interest in peace, justice, ecology and spiritual issues stems from that vision and a faith that calls for my response to the world issues of my lifetime. My interest in Local Currency was sparked at a Bioneers conference several years ago. It was and is a stunning concept for a world desperately out of balance. (Bioneers are an international group of those pioneering people at the leading edge of solutions all over the planet for social change, thru biomimicry and healing. We call it Revolution from the Heart of Nature.) Resume'
Hope remains while the company is true. J.R.R.Tolkien

Theresa North
(no photo avaliable)

Theresa North, B.A., M.A., is an ESL instructor in the Columbia Gorge. She has been teaching for over 11 years in Texas, California, and Oregon. One of her great passions is books and she owned and operated a bookstore in Madras, Oregon before moving to Hood River. Theresa homeschools her two children and is active with a number of local organizations. She created the EnviroHouse Tour, which highlights local examples of more sustainable building, and is on the Hood River City Planning Commission.

Stacey Shaw

Stacey Shaw, B.A.,M.Ed.- .Stacey is a local teacher, artist, and reiki practitioner. She has taught ESL and Spanish in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. She is currently teaching Spanish to adults and substitute teaching in White Salmon and Hood River schools. Stacey became interested in local currencies while living in Olympia, Washington. The Sound Hours system was launching as Stacey was completing her studies at The Evergreen State College in 1996. From 1996 to 1999, Stacey lived in Carbondale, Colorado where Spuds (an HOURS currency) was also starting up. In 2001, Stacey began studying local currencies in depth and began making presentations about this concept to a wide range of groups in the Gorge. She hopes that RiverHOURS will benefit residents of the Gorge. Resume'

Rebecca Stonestreet

Rebecca Stonestreet earned her law degree from the University of Utah in 1987 and moved to the Gorge in 1989. She was an Oregon private investigator for 10 years, from 1992-2002. She is currently training as a mediator and facilitator. She is a volunteer mediator at Six Rivers Community Mediation Services and is on the Board of Directors of the Columbia Gorge Earth Center.

The RiverHOURS project has been an eye-opening experience for her. She feels very fortunate to be part of a community project that has teeth; a project that will actually have concrete positive results for the Gorge community. Resume'

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2004 Gorge Local Currency Cooperative
Columbia River Gorge, USA updated 30 Nov 04