Meet Chief Stacy Jepson, Beaverton Police Department
Stacy Jepson grew up in a blended family way back when that wasn’t a thing… or at least it didn’t have a name. If you’re a person of a certain age, think Brady Bunch… kind of. Stacy’s mom and dad each brought 3 kids into their marriage. Then they added two more, a boy, Todd, and a couple of years later, Stacy. The older six were all pretty much of another generation by this time, so growing up it was Stacy and Todd, and they enjoyed a pretty good home life. Stacy had a strong bond with her dad.
A tomboy, living in a neighborhood with mostly boys, what would you expect? Stacy excelled in sports, particularly basketball, softball, and soccer, lettering in high school in all three. Then, as life will do to you, she took a curve ball that she didn’t see coming. Her father passed suddenly from a heart attack, then her mom was diagnosed with cancer. And if that wasn’t enough, another light in her life, her grandfather, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s not long after. Stacy had to grow up fast as she became a caregiver for her mom and grandfather.
Her world turned upside down, suddenly college wasn’t so much on her radar, despite being recruited by some universities with athletic scholarships. She did enroll in a community college and eventually landed at Western Oregon, where a roommate encouraged her to look into law enforcement. That’s when she found her true calling.
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Meet Chris & Dean Hogan of Chick-fil-A Raleigh Hills
When you know, you know. Right? That’s what Chris and Dean Hogan both said when asked about how they got together. Now, this wasn’t one of those connections that happened in early elementary school… kind of. And it could never have happened at all. The two did live near each other on the Oregon coast, but Dean is a couple of years older than Chris, and his family moved inland to Vancouver for a while. So the odds were a bit long for them ever meeting. Then, Dean’s family moved back to the coast, where he was enrolled at Seaside High, where Chris went to school.
Dean was a standout on the Seaside High baseball team, where he had a knack for hitting homers. Remember that old Nike commercial with the Atlanta Braves pitchers and Mark McGwire? The one that coined the phrase “Chicks dig the longball”? That phrase was on point in this case. Those homers caught Chris’ attention. And so Chris would walk past the gas station where Dean worked to get a look at him. Eventually, she wandered in and the two struck up a conversation. When you know, you know, right
Not long after that they were engaged and on their way to a life together. Now life has a habit of throwing curve balls at you. And that happened with Chris and Dean. But it taught them about adversity and how to hit those curves and put priorities in the right direction to take care of one another, their family, and their community.
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Meet Pauline Lee, Program for Intellectual Empowerment
Pauline Lee, even before she came into the world, was putting others' needs ahead of her own. She’s the youngest of 4 kids, the last two being twins, of which she was the younger. But when her mom Nancy went into labor Pauline was the twin who was ready to enter the world first. Then… her sister Patricia began having problems and the docs called an audible and instead of delivering Pauline, brought Patricia into the world first, via C-section. You could make the argument that Patricia owes Pauline her life… tongue-in-cheek, of course.
But there it is, still in the womb and already helping others. That’s just who she is. Pauline devoted her life to helping and lifting up others. In 2018 she felt God leading her to open an education program for children who are neurodivergent. Since then children that were often labeled with behavior problems or socially awkward, began to thrive, learn, grow and discover who they wanted to be and how they could contribute to society.
She’s studied the issues, seen what really works for, well, everyone, those of us who are classified as disabled or not. We’re born to communicate and connect, but more often than not, we forget how to do just that. And you know, that’s a bigger issue that’s really bubbled to the surface over the past several years.
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Meet Andy Oldenburg, Marsh McLennan Agency
His grandfather Don served in World War II, came home, launched a retail empire, and was ultimately named Man of the Century. His dad, John, was an attorney who ultimately rose to become a judge of the county courts. His mom, Dianne, found her space in education, helping people gain their GEDs, and then founded a nursing program and community college. No pressure to perform if you’re one of the Oldenburg kids.
At least you’d think so. But Andy Oldenburg’s parents gave their boys the gift of creating their own stories. For a while Andy thought about following his dad into the legal profession. While he pursued that he took a job at a bank, which he really enjoyed because of the cute teller next to him. But while he was in law school and he realized all the heavy reading involved, then an attorney friend of his was called home on his way to another friend’s wedding to get back to work on a case, then a law school mentor said he’d rather crash his car then go into the office. OK, so maybe politics. While an intern he watched congress people literally taking naps during sessions. So, no-go. Then while working at the Heathman Hotel and lugging bags for Mick Jagger, he realized he didn’t see a path to success. That’s when he discovered a path in helping people with their finances, and well, that cute teller next to him? She kinda gave him a purpose when they got married… so maybe it’ll include being named Dad of the Century.
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Alicia Bermes, President/CEO, Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce.
Cancer. There’s no way to really prepare yourself when the doctor lays that news on you. Whether it’s your own diagnosis, or that of a family member or friend, it’s a gut punch. Some folks whither when they get the diagnosis. Others stiffen their spine and lean into it. They say no – not here, not now. When I’ve had family and friends receive the news, thankfully, they’ve inspired me with the grace and grit with which they attacked the situation, though sadly not all were able to come through that journey. Regardless, I’ve never been able to help seeing them as the John Wayne version of Rooster Cogburn, facing Ned Pepper across that field, shouting across it, “Fill your hand you son of a bitch!”, then kicking his horse into action, blazing away, twirling his rifle on one hand, and ultimately cutting down the entire Pepper gang.
In the latter part of 2022, our own Alicia Bermes received a cancer diagnosis, and like the others, she suddenly, in my eyes, took on the form of Rooster barreling into the bad guys. She’s come through the ordeal so far. I know that a lot of my fellow members have been wondering how she’s doing, so in today’s episode, Alicia will be sharing her journey with us and providing an update on what’s ahead.
She’ll also fill us in after that bit of conversation with a state of the Chamber, so to speak, sharing a recap of the past year, and a look forward to 2024.
Meet Dick Nichols of the Beaverton Oregon History Association
For Dick Nichols, growing up on his parents' farm made life pretty simple. During the school year, it was go to school, then chores. Some extra-curriculars like track – he never finished last, by the way, but mostly it was a list of to-dos for him and his two brothers. Then summer came, and it was a full day of work, which might include cleaning the barn or chucking bales of hay onto a truck. For fun, maybe some fishing. Simple. Now, it wasn’t a very social kind of life, but it was a good one.
There were no plans for college, really. Dick wasn’t much on plans. But the road led him to Clark Community College and an AAS in Auto Mechanics, then he followed his brother down the road to work at a car dealership. That road kept him out of Viet Nam. A good thing. But he did serve in the Air Force Reserve, stationed at the Portland Air Base which was inactive, so most of his time was spent watching movies. After that the road took him to a couple other gigs, then to a dance where he stepped in and took a spin with a young lady who didn’t want to dance with another guy. The two of them became peddlers and Dick eventually made a couple of other stops before he began to wonder about a place called Beburg.
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Meet Josh Johnson of Binary Brewing
Josh Johnson’s grandfather, Adolf Leroy, made a simple decision. Instead of getting the milk and bread he went out for back in Nebraska, he hopped on a freight train that landed him in Oregon. If not for that fateful, “simple” decision, we might not have some of the best beer in the area. Like his grandfather, Josh followed his instincts and his need to always be moving and doing throughout his life.
Thing is, from the get-go, Josh simply wanted to do everything. Scouts, camp, sports, drama, band, and then starting his own businesses as a kid from mowing lawns to hawking second-hand treasures at garage sales. I guess Josh is what one would call a serial entrepreneur and explorer. A doer. A curious mind.
He poured his first beer behind a bar during his teens and from that moment, serving people became one of his primary M.O.’s. He graduated with a Psychology degree and worked as a counselor at St. Mary’s Home for Boys, coaches middle school football, …you get the picture. But Josh was always drawn to the hospitality industry. Working at a local craft brewery one day he realized a simple truth… it’s just hops, malt, and yeast. The trick lies in what you do with it.
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Meet Donna Meeuwsen, Topography Team eXp
OK, let’s just address the elephant in the room – the open grave. That’s right. That’s where Donna Meeuwsen’s story begins. It’s where her mom met her dad. No, not at a funeral. Barney Meeuwsen was digging a grave when his future wife Janice happened upon him. It’s where they buried their pasts and started a future together. Love was born that day – circle of life stuff. Anyway, Barney and Janice married and had three kids. The second was Donna.
Being the middle of three kids, with one older and one younger brother, Donna had to bring her game every day. Sometimes that meant being a test dummy for the boys, doing things they didn’t want to do, other days they’d bury her in the garden or race their bikes to and through the cemetery. A theme here? I dunno. But needless to say she had a very active childhood, and wanted to try everything that life could offer. She was in a hurry to do it too, topping 120 miles an hour while racing in the streets at night… still kinda likes hitting the gas, even now. Donna dabbled in college, sampled different careers… you might have heard her on the radio delivering traffic reports… was rejected by law enforcement because, well, she drove too fast, and ultimately landed in her current gig where she’s helping to open doors to her clients’ dream homes.
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Meet Kelsey Scotch of Madden Industrial Craftsmen
Kelsey Scotch’s grandfather, Ron Madden, came up in the business side of the trades, so he knew that to build anything that would last, you needed to have the right people on the job. When he launched Madded Industrial Craftsmen back in 1988 with his sons, his goal was to serve the building trades by providing the most qualified and experienced craftsmen in the area. The staffing side of the business took off and the Madden’s ultimately diversified into the steel fabrication industry and gained some renown for their work in the development of a pretty unique type of loo.
So, growing up around a family business, you might guess that Kelsey’s goal was to join it. But the reality was, not so much. When she went off to OSU, joining the business wasn’t on her radar, and she went into their food science program, ultimately graduating with a degree in Nutrition. But here’s another reality. In her senior year, she signed up for the Austin Family Business class, where her dad was involved as a guest lecturer. That’s when he spotted her potential and she got hooked on the family business… and where her dad offered her a job.
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Meet Steven DaSilva of Timmco Insurance
You know, some people just come out that way, right? I’d bet anything… well, almost anything, that when Steven DaSilva was born, he came into the world holding a golf club. The oldest of three boys born to Chuck & Christine DaSilva, he lead the way for his brothers, Joe and Mike, to pick up the sticks and follow in his Dad’s golf-shoe-steps. His Dad? Well, if you’re a golfer, maybe you’ve seen or met Chuck at Pumpkin Ridge… he’s their PGA Director of Instruction.
Steven’s Mom kept the boys in line at home, while his Dad found a way to knock 2 of the three boys’ teeth out in his off-time from the links. He also turned them all on to the game, and the other sports – hence the loss of the teeth – but golf was the family passion. At least when they weren’t at the dentist. Anyway, having played golf almost since learning how to walk, by the time he went to college, Steven was good enough to get a scholarship. But before he went away to school, he surrendered to and fell in love with a girl named Casey, who… wait for it… also loved golfing.
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Meet Nadia Hasan, Beaverton City Councilor
Her parents were immigrants. Her dad, Wasim, was born in India, and her mom, Shagufta, was a native of Pakistan. Wasim was a physicist and Shagufta was an MD. They came together through an arranged marriage and eventually found their way to Connecticut along with several other family members. The two started a family – three girls. This story is about their oldest daughter, Nadia.
Now you’d guess with all that brainpower between her parents she’d end up in a technical field. Something like one of the sciences. Maybe she’d be an engineer and build bridges… Not so much.
But, in fact, a bridge builder she became. When her family came to Oregon when she was a sophomore in high school, the introverted Nadia exploded out of her shell. So much so that she was nicknamed the bridge builder in high school. Throughout her life she’s built bridges for her family, helping them assimilate, with fellow students who were new to her school, then as an HR recruiter and teacher, and now within her community… Nadia Hasan… is a bridge builder indeed.
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Meet Dianne Danowski-Smith of Publix Northwest and Answer2Cancer
If you’ve ever been through or alongside someone in a fight with cancer, you know how brutal that battle is, and how much a support circle can make a difference. So many people face that fight alone and many of them may not have the resources – medical, financial, family – to help them navigate the journey.
Dianne Danowski-Smith, Founder of Answer2Cancer, had all of those resources as she faced her fight. When she came through it, a sense of gratitude and the realization that others didn’t have the support she had, motivated her to create a community of survivorship. Dianne tells the story of her fight and the work she’s doing to help others.
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Meet Ashley Hartmeier-Prigg, Beaverton City Council President
At a young age, Ashley Hartmeier-Prigg learned the lessons of hard work. She and her siblings would help out their parents when it came to keeping up the building owned by her grandparents. That, and watching her parents, who came to parenthood early, working hard themselves to keep the lights on. The middle of three kids, Ashley was pretty much a straight arrow. You see she and her sibs grew up in Catholic schools, so as I can attest to, Sr. Mary Holywater is always whispering in your ear. That didn’t stop me from, well, coloring outside the lines. But it helped Ashley navigate her world.
After high school she went on to, of course, another Catholic school, the University of Portland. Ashley pursued a degree in Political Science, then attending law school at Willamette University, where she became an avowed progressive. In 2012, as the recession was in full swing, she took a contracting gig with Nike, where she discovered race walking. She entered the world of competition and won races from 1 mile to 20 kilometers, and she’s never stopped walking fast toward making Beaverton a better place.
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Meet Ron & Deborah Threadgill of Threadgill Memorial Services
Threadgill Memorial Services
4815 SW Jamieson Road | Beaverton, OR 97005 | ph. 503-526-3952
Nobody wants to think about dealing with a mortician. But when you need one, you want one with a human touch. Not someone that’s more like Lerch from the Addams Family, or a used car salesman. Ron & Deborah Threadgill bring an uncommon personal touch and a unique approach to the services they render. We’re talking with them about that and what goes on behind the curtain at the funeral home… and that home might just be your own.
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Meet John Dugger, Beaverton City Councilor
John Dugger has always been a joiner, a leader, and an activist. As a kid he was all in on just about every club his high school offered, stepping into leadership roles on many of them. As an adult he activated in the community and the neighborhoods he lived in and decided to run for office. When that run fell short, his husband didn't let him off the hook when it came time to make a second, successful run for City Council.
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Meet Rachelle Scheele of SCARS of Oregon
Rachelle Scheele had an idyllic childhood in Southern Oregon. Then at the age of 16, her world was rocked and everything changed in a single phone call. A few years later she found herself in a relationship that led to domestic violence, which she lived through for years. Then she broke free from those chains and today is helping others do the same.
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Meet Jana & Paul Decarli of decarli restaurant
When Paul Decarli, a lifer in the restaurant industry, was searching for his next adventure in Hawaii, he never expected it to be back in Oregon. But when the Blazers were in the Western Conference Finals, he couldn't resist making one more visit to Portland to witness the Championship coming to the Rose City... but it never happened. Instead, he landed back in a temporary restaurant gig where he met a former beauty queen... a woman named Jana. They would become a couple and launch one of the best restaurants in Beaverton.
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Meet Jenny Haruyama, Beaverton City Manager
The idea of public service has surrounded Jenny her entire life. Her father was a Fire Chief, among other roles. Her mom was a teacher in the public school system – and if you don’t think that’s a public service role, you ain’t paying attention. And that commitment to service permeated her extended family, who’ve given more than 300 years of service to their communities. So, it was no surprise that as Jenny grew up, her path would head in that direction too. I mean, after all, she pretty much grew up in a civics class…
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Meet Amy Saberiyan of Ava Roasteria
When Amy Saberiyan was raised by a family and community that valued, encouraged, and supported her in whatever dreams she might have. Thing was she was born and raised in Iran back in the 70s, and when the “cultural” revolution happened, those dreams would no longer be possible. Fortunately, she found her way out and landed in Oregon where she earned a degree in microbiology… which led to a great cup of coffee.
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Meet Grayson Hogard of Grove Cookie Company
Grayson Hogard realized when he was in high school that he needed something more to help him find the way forward. That was military school... his choice. He found a place in that environment which lead to his enlistment in the Army Reserves. He also realized when he met a girl named Marie on a blind date in Chicago, that he found the recipe for happiness and success. Sometimes, life is kinda sweet that way.
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Meet Dave Chin of Business Coach of Oregon
Dave Chin of Business Coach of Oregon grew up on his family's potato farm. Life on the farm was good, but Dave had other ideas. Today he's taking his experience as a farm boy, athlete and high-tech exec and putting it to work for the people he coaches...
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Meet Stephen Smelley of Goldfinch Consulting and the Survivorscape Project.
Stephen Smelley is a guy who lives in the light, and who is all about being resilient. If you didn’t take the time to hear his story and about the things he and his family have experienced, you’d never guess he went through them. And when you get into that story, you’ll also get a measure of the boy, and then the man, which will make you want to reframe your mind on the things that didn’t quite work out in your own life.
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Meet David Anderson of Syndicate Wine Bar
The son of a minister with deep local roots, you wouldn't expect becoming a wine connoisseur and merchant to be the path David Anderson would take. But he did. Along the way he used his background in art to launch a couple of tech businesses, then when a marriage ended, reconnected with an old friend who became his new wife, and waded deep into the universe of wine.
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Meet Lynnette Scott of Bricks & Minifigs at Cedar Hills Crossing
Who’d have thunk that when Lynnette Scott, owner of Bricks and Minifigs in Cedar Hills Crossing, was a kid sitting in Marie Osmond’s makeup chair, would have gone all in on the world of Lego.
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Who should we know about? Nominate someone to appear on Meet Me In Beaverton!
Meet Craig & Sharon Brubaker of Brubaker Photography and Brubaker Fine Art Photography
Craig and Sharon Brubaker have had each other in focus pretty much their whole lives. Together they built a successful business in Brubaker Photography, experienced ups and downs, grew a family, attended an interesting auction, then grew the family again.
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Who should we know about? Nominate someone to appear on Meet Me In Beaverton!
To Serve & Protect
47:24
Birds of a Feather
59:35
Tell Me Your Picture
1:12:03
Grandson of the Century
56:22
Battling the Big C and a Chamber Update
33:31
You Go Where the Road Takes You
30:17
Hops, Malt, Yeast… It’s That Simple
1:02:35
A Chance Encounter at an Open Grave Leads To Opening Doors
56:19
A Career Crafted by the Family Business
38:30
No Duffers Allowed - Aiming for an Ace in Life
1:08:35
The Bridge Builder
1:10:50
Building a Community of Survivorship
1:33:50
Race Walking Toward a Better Community
1:13:46
These Morticians Ain’t No Stiffs
1:13:49
Building an Environment for Progress
1:11:20
Breaking the Chains of Domestic Violence Gives Voice to a Community of Survivors
1:03:39
The Blazers’ Loss is Beaverton’s Win - Jana & Paul Decarli, decarli restaurant
43:04
Ep. 25 - Growing Up in a Real-world Civics Class
1:01:36
Ep. 24 – Changing Brown Fields to Green, One Cup at a Time
1:02:08
Ep. 23 - A Blind Date in Chicago Makes for a Phenomenal Cookie
27:12
Ep. 22 - No Spuds for Dave – Lessons from the Farm, Field, and a High-Tech Career
58:22
Ep. 21 - Life is Light
1:10:31
Ep. 20 – True Love, a Glass of Wine, and What Those 2 Guys at the End of the Bar Witnessed
1:15:11
Ep. 19 – The Building Blocks for a Happy Life Begin in Marie Osmond’s Makeup Chair
39:02
Ep. 18 – The Girl Next Door Brings Life Into Focus
1:05:05