Meet the Commissioners

• Jackie Edmunds-Manz

  Term of Office: 6/1/07 – 6/30/09

  Jackie and her Swiss-born husband made a conscious decision to move to Oregon thirteen years ago after many years abroad.  She is currently in Sales and Marketing at Gage Industries, Inc.’s food packaging division.  While living in Spain and South America, she was an event planner and active volunteer.  From the mid to late 90's Jackie was a co-owner of Portland’s first tapas restaurant where the delicacies of Spain were recreated with Oregon’s wide panoply of unique and fresh ingredients.  An active Oregon community volunteer, Jackie holds or has held various long term positions with the Lake Oswego School District Neighborhood Association.  She is currently on the board of the Lake Oswego Chapter of the National Charity League.  She is married and has a daughter at home and son at the University of Oregon.

• Chris Erickson

  Term of Office: 7/1/08-6/30/12

  Chris Erickson began his hospitality career 25 years ago after graduating from the University of Washington. He has held numerous hotel management positions throughout the western region, and has thorough knowledge of the industry. He arrived in Oregon in 1999 to open the Paramount Hotel in downtown Portland; and is now at the helm of the 4 diamond Heathman Hotel as General Manager. Mr. Erickson currently serves on the Travel Portland Executive Board, Portland Center for the Performing Arts Board, the Board of Directors of the Oregon Historical Society, the Board of the Northwest Business for Culture and the Arts, the City of Portland’s Homeless Connect Board, the City Commissioner’s Creative Capacity Board, Tri-County Lodging, and Oregon Lodging Association. In 2008 Mr. Erickson received the prestigious American Hotel and Lodging Associations State Leadership award for the State of Oregon. Mr. Erickson resides with his wife in Portland, and is a supporter of everything Oregon!
  

• Hank Hickox

  Term of Office: 7/1/06 - 6/30/10

  Hank was born and raised in Tualatin, Oregon (4th generation). He is currently the General Manager of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort & Vice President of Kemper Sports. Previously he spent 10 years with Continental Airlines in Micronesia Resort Hotel Development; was Vice President & General Manager of Sunriver Resort; Senior Vice President of Operations - Kiawah Island, SC; Vice President & General Manager of Silverado Country Club, Napa, CA; President & CEO of Salishan Resorts; and Chief Operating Officer of Turning Stone Casino & Resort - Oneida, NY. He also developed the Governor Hotel, Salishan Lodge, and Skamania Lodge. Hank resides in Bandon with his wife. They have three grown children.

• Jeff Kohnstamm

  Term of Office: 11/15/03 - 6/30/11

  Jeff is President and Area Operator of Timberline Lodge and Ski Area. He began his career in Hotel Administration at premiere locations in Switzerland, California and New York. In 1987, he returned to his native Oregon to work with his father, Richard, who founded R.L.K. and Company, the family-owned business that has been the stewards of Timberline Lodge and Ski Area since 1955. Jeff took over operation of the company in 1992. He is a board member of the National Ski Area Association and past Chair of the Clackamas County Tourism Development Council. He is married and has three children.
  

• Tom Luersen

  Term of Office: 2/01/04 - 6/30/11

  Tom Luersen, who also is a partner in Sunriver Resort, was appointed to the commission in January 2004. He joined Sunriver Resort, a property of Destination Hotels & Resorts (DH&R), in February 1998. He is active with many local, regional and national organizations. He currently is serving as campaign chair for the United Way of Deschutes County, and also sits on the Three Rivers Care for Kids Foundation and Sunriver Music Festival boards. He is an active member with the American Hotel Motel Association Resort Committee (AHMA), International Association of Conference Centers, Urban Land Institute, Oregon Lodging Association, Oregon Tourism Golf Committee, Central Oregon Visitors Association and the Central Oregon Air Service Task Force. He and his wife, Stacy, have three children.
  

• Win McCormack

  Term of Office: 6/01/07-6/30/09

  Win McCormack has an A.B. from Harvard College in Government and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Oregon.  He is a publisher, editor and writer.  Since 1983 he has been the Director and Treasurer of MediAmerica, Inc., publishers of Oregon Business magazine and Oregon Home magazine.  He is also the President of McCormack communications LLC, publishers of the Tin House literary journal and Tin House Books.  Win has written on political and social issues for Oregon Magazine, The Oregonian, Tin House magazine, and The Nation.   Win currently makes Portland, Oregon his home.

• Dave Tovey

  Term of Office: 7/01/02-6/30/10

  Dave Tovey is the Economic Development Director for the Siletz Tribal Business Corporation, based in Lincoln City, Oregon.  As the economic development arm of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, it oversees several enterprises and properties around all parts of western Oregon.

• Kari Westlund

  Term of Office: 11/15/03-6/30/11

   Kari is president and CEO of the Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon (CVALCO) in Eugene. She has more than 20 years' experience in the visitor industry, which includes serving as president of the Juneau (Alaska) Convention and Visitors Bureau and served as a volunteer on the Alaska Tourism Marketing Council. She serves on the boards of the Western Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus, Lane Economic Committee and the Oregon Track Club. She is married and has two children. Kari is the current Chair of the Oregon Tourism Commission.