A fifth-generation Oregonian, I love this go-against-the-grain state called Oregon, which passed the nation’s first Bottle Bill, public beach and death with dignity laws, and innovative land use planning. It’s where the oscilloscope was invented, as well as the fastest computer chip and the waffle sole.

As a writer, I am incessant about change and interesting ideas. Challenging the status quo. Listening to diverse viewpoints. Righting wrongs. Appreciating nature and its beauty.

When I was in sixth grade, I started The Newspaper, which I wrote and Xeroxed and sold door-to-door in our neighborhood. In the first issue, I reported on pollution I’d discovered behind a Salem pulp and paper mill in the Willamette Slough. I dreamt of a career as a writer, driving around in a camper truck and interviewing people in small towns across America. My interest in politics and communication eventually led me to a career in public relations, working for nonprofits, government and companies, including Oregon’s own Nike.

I wrote admissions publications for Lewis & Clark College, including its first viewbook; “MealTimes,” a quarterly newsletter for the country’s first nonprofit providing home-delivered hot meals to people with AIDS and HIV; speeches and op-eds; and articles for publications from The New York Times to The Gorge Magazine, published here in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, where my wife, Melinda, and I live amongst the meadowlarks and wildflowers.

We are deeply involved in giving back to our communities and believe in creating mitzvahs and leaving the world better than we found it. While at Nike in 1993, I founded Our Children’s Store, a seasonal nonprofit gift shop that raised more than $2.5 million for children in crisis in Portland. I currently serve on the board of directors for Oregon Public Broadcasting and QLife here in Wasco County.