More than a half century ago, women’s work conjured visions of homemakers in aprons or Rosie the Riveter rolling up her sleeves during wartime. Generations of women have fought to open doors to greater opportunities, and their efforts have paid off. With grit and perseverance, women are thriving in careers once dominated by men. For Women’s History Month, the spotlight is on a sampling of Central Oregon professionals who have broken through stereotypes. These women followed their passions, embraced challenges and have elevated the lives of others along the way.
Tracy Williams (left) and Sami Gotschall (right)
Tracy Williams, Bend Municipal Airport Manager
Overseeing the action and safety at an airport is a critical part of aviation and requires specific skills, such as an Accredited Aviation Executive (AAE) certification. Only 20% of AAE-certified airport executives are women, and Central Oregon’s Tracy Williams is among them. Williams served eight years on active duty in Air Force Command and Control, tracking aircraft and weapon systems globally. Along the way, she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in aeronautics, her pilot’s license, and established herself as a leader in airport management.
“I breathe aviation; I thrive on the fast pace. But I was ready for a balanced life. That’s what brought me to Bend,” said Williams. When Williams accepted the Bend Airport manager position in 2020, she set her sights on raising the regional airport to a higher level of safety and technology with the addition of an air traffic control tower. “Years ago, the Bend Airport was a sleepy operation. We’re not sleeping anymore,” said Williams. The airport has approximately 140,000 takeoffs and landings per year as the third busiest airport in Oregon, and the tower is long overdue. Breaking ground in December 2025, the new 115-foot control tower will add a critical layer of safety for pilots, who currently must talk to each other directly. “Guiding this project to completion feels like a capstone. If I could choose a legacy to leave, it’d be this tower.”
Sami Gotschall, Helicopter Pilot
The first woman to earn a helicopter pilot license was Ann Shaw Carter, in 1947. Since then, helicopter flying has expanded into many sectors, yet the percentage of female pilots has grown slowly, barely nudging past 10% in 2023. Sami Gotschall, of Bend, sees a world of opportunity for more women in aviation.
After completing her training at Leading Edge Aviation in Bend in 2018, Gotschall flew helicopter tours over the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam and worked as a flight instructor. Then the Camp Fire raged through her childhood hometown of Paradise, California, a disaster that compelled Gotschall to use her skills to fight wildfires. She shifted to aerial firefighting, flying in quick-response firefighters and water buckets in a Bell 407. These days, her work helps prevent wildfires from starting. As a utility flyer, she carries crews and equipment on external long lines into remote areas for power line repairs. It’s precision flying that requires a calm demeanor, persistence and spatial awareness, according to Gotschall.
“I stay on high alert because human beings are attached to the line hanging below me. Getting them to the exact spot takes finesse, a soft approach. Using both hands and feet, and sometimes my head is out the window, I consider the weather, the aerodynamics and the mechanics of the load,” she said. “Getting the linemen back safely at the end of the day is the best reward.”
Trish Connolly, Deputy Fire Chief
Trish Connolly, Deputy Fire Chief
“I never intended to be a groundbreaker. I just wanted to do this work,” said Trish Connolly of Bend Fire Department. In 2020, when Connolly was its first female firefighter, only 2% of career firefighters across the country were women. Today, Connolly serves as deputy chief at Bend Fire and Rescue, and her work lifts the department as a whole. “We have such talented, capable people and an open, caring culture. My goal is to help each [person] work to their highest ability,” said Connolly.
Women now make up only 5% of firefighters nationwide, and Connolly emphasizes the need for more. “Firefighters need physical fitness, but not brute strength. The great majority of emergency calls are medical, and we need a diverse team of responders who can solve problems in different ways,” she said.
One piece of advice she received early in her career has stayed with her. “My mentor reminded me I was hired as a female, so I should lead as a female. Lead as my authentic self. That helped me step into my role and trust myself. I think that advice is something more women should hear—to not be afraid to lead as a woman.”
Julia Sparks, Bike Guru
While Bend’s singletrack hums with female bikers, it’s a different story elsewhere. Nationwide, only one in five mountain bikers is a woman, and even fewer work on bikes or in bike shops. For Julia Sparks, a love of adventure biking runs in her family and drives her business, Chariot Bike. Working as a bike mechanic for more than a decade and inspired by her grandmother, who rode across the country in 1948 on a bicycle named Chariot, Sparks launched the Chariot mobile bike repair van in 2020. After five years of growth, Chariot Bike now fills a storefront stocked with gravel and mountain bikes, bike repair stations, bikepacking gear, community event space, and coming soon: a coffee bar. Sparks has kept the space flexible for DIY repair workshops and other gatherings.
“Without our Bend community, Chariot would not exist,” she said. On her rare days away from work, Sparks follows her grandmother’s example and rides her bike into nature. “Bikes get you outdoors. You forget the rest of the world and recharge,” she said. “I just want more people to get on bikes.”
A woman’s place hasn’t traditionally been in building a home. Today, women make up just 10% of the construction workforce, and the numbers are similar for residential contractors. When Katie Pendleton began her career, she knew there could be obstacles, but she didn’t let that hold her back. She gained valuable experience in commercial building, but had a passion for creating beautiful homes. In 2020, Pendleton launched The Fort, her residential construction business.
Working in construction means constant problem solving and collaboration with architects, subcontractors and clients. For Pendleton, that requires strong relationships. “I never take respect or trust for granted; I earn it through my work,” she said. This year, Pendleton will serve as president of the Central Oregon Builders Association.
While construction has been slow to open doors, the number of women in architecture has steadily increased in number from 20% in 2000 to nearly half of all new architects in 2023. Architect Karen Smuland appreciates the balance between art and science in the field of architecture. As a registered architect with LEED Accredited Professional certification, Smuland weaves sustainability into her designs. “Most of my clients want a fire-wise approach, and lean toward net-zero energy usage through solar panels and responsible design principles,” she said. Smuland’s designs aim to bring the outdoors in, with natural light and intentional views to connect to nature.
Architecture relies on technical knowledge, physics and mathematics, but art is what makes a design special, according to Smuland.
“Feeding that creative spark is important, even when other parts of the work try to take over,” she said.
Michelle Mitchell, Cofounder of Humm Kombucha
Michelle Mitchell, Cofounder of Humm Kombucha
Craft brewing has long been considered a guy’s world, but kombucha breaks that mold. Industry organizations estimate 40% of kombucha companies today are women-owned with female brewers. Bendites Michelle Mitchell and Jamie Danek brought this trend home when they launched their kombucha company during the worst recession of this century.
In 2008, Mitchell and Danek got together for a glass of Mitchell’s homebrewed kombucha. Inspired by its health-boosting probiotic vitality, they began selling gallon jugs of the bubbly, non-alcoholic brew. They never imagined they’d still be making kombucha 16 years later as a national brand, with 160 employees and in 2024 its 100 millionth bottle rolling across the production line.
“It’s always been about making people feel great, internally and externally,” said Mitchell. The pair grew from single jugs to a full-scale brewery by holding true to their core values: healthy business, partnership, quality and optimism. That translates to fastidious quality control, responsible fiscal planning, and building a team that feels like family, according to Mitchell.
As Chief Culture Angel, her unofficial title, Mitchell is responsible for worksite culture and community engagement. “We rely on both hard science and what I call heart science, meaning intuition and creativity to solve problems,” said Mitchell. “And, we have an amazing brewing community in Bend that helped us every step of the way.”
For aspiring entrepreneurs and brewers, Mitchell has some advice. “Ask tons of questions. Gather information. Reach out to collaborate, but trust your gut to bring your idea to light.”
Giving back to the community is something most people think about and many do, from offering up a Saturday to clean up a park or looking for a service project around the holidays. But some volunteers take things to another level. These volunteers from around Central Oregon have gone the extra mile to support the organizations they work with, and the people they serve.
Amy Sue Matthews | Smith Rock State Park
When Amy Sue Matthews retired from her career as a middle school teacher and moved to Central Oregon full-time in 2016, she quickly discovered Smith Rock State Park and its gorgeous hiking trails, including the 7.5-mile Summit Trail. “The more I started hiking here, the more I fell in love with it,” said Matthews, who in 2019 signed up to be a park Trail Steward, offering first to clean up dog poop, and as time went on, to answer visitor questions, report on trail conditions and help in other ways. She continued to avidly hike the summit trail about twice a week, earning her the nickname “Summit Trail Amy,” from the operators of SmithRock.com, an independent website about Smith Rock for which Matthews serves as an ambassador. When the pandemic caused staffing and volunteer shortages at the park, Matthews offered to staff the park’s Welcome Center, do extra litter pickups and provide a presence on the trails, allowing the park—which sees upwards of a million visitors a year—to continue operating smoothly. “Sometimes people are getting ready to go up Misery Ridge with flip flops and no water, and I try to help people understand what they’re getting into,” Matthews said. Her incredible efforts to support the park earned Matthews a glowing nomination from a ranger for an Oregon State Parks Outstanding Volunteer Award, which she won last year. “She’s a true asset to our agency, our park and our community,” the nomination read. Matthews, who actually moved into a house across the street from the park last year, said the roughly sixteen hours a week she volunteers is just more quality time she gets to spend in the park she loves. “There are a million ways to volunteer, everyone just needs to find their niche and what they’re passionate about,” she said. “I just feel really blessed that it ended up being the perfect fit for me.” Ongoing volunteer opportunities are available at parks throughout Central Oregon, including Smith Rock State Park. See stateparks.oregon.gov.
When Reneé Frausto moved to Redmond from Guadalajara, Mexico three years ago, he realized his English wasn’t as strong as he’d thought. Coworkers recommended he connect with the Latino Community Association of Central Oregon, which offers free English classes. After taking all the classes offered through LCA and through Central Oregon Community College, Frausto’s English improved, making his life and new job at a Redmond restaurant easier. Because he owned a computer systems engineering company back in Mexico, Frausto offered his computer skills to LCA to help others in the Latino community with basic computer literacy. He began teaching a ten-week-long class on basics such as powering up computers and opening programs and windows, and advanced courses on Microsoft Word and Excel. “We try to make the courses fun and keep people interested,” Frausto said. Computer skills can help Frausto’s students search for employment, secure better paying jobs or help them support their children’s schoolwork. “We are trying to give them the tools they need to better themselves,” said Frausto, who left behind a wife and three children in Mexico to make a better living in the United States. He sends home money and hopes to bring them all to Oregon one day. Frausto encourages others in the Latino community to pursue opportunities available to them through organizations like LCA. “There are so many opportunities here that feel far away, but they are not that far,” he said. LCA seeks volunteers for a variety of roles, including office assistants, tutors, fundraising and event support, with need in Bend and throughout Central Oregon.
See latinocommunityassociation.org.
Dr. Cheryl Hadley | Volunteers in Medicine and Deschutes County Health Services
Dr. Cheryl Hadley was eyeing retirement and ski days at Mt. Bachelor when she and her husband moved to Bend seven years ago. She soon signed up to volunteer as a physician with Volunteers in Medicine, an organization that helps the uninsured or medically underserved in Central Oregon access healthcare. Her patients over the past six-and-a-half-years have shown great need, and also great gratitude, something Hadley has enjoyed. “The people want to be there, and they are happy and grateful for the care,” Hadley said. With experience in healthcare and giving back, Hadley and her husband were quick to get involved in Deschutes County’s mass vaccination clinics, beginning in January 2021–she by administering vaccines and her husband by helping with event support—things like traffic flow, parking and paperwork. Hadley took on a couple of shifts a week, and as of this March she’d volunteered nearly 270 hours. The clinics, run by Deschutes County Health Services and supported by groups such as Volunteers in Medicine, were well-run, and a rewarding experience, Hadley said. “As a doctor working in a practice, I could count on my hands the number of times something I did saved someone’s life. But if you vaccinate hundreds of people, statistically you saved lots of lives,” she said. “It was amazing to work in a setting where almost every single day, every shift you worked, someone would thank you for being there.” There are ongoing volunteer opportunities with Volunteers in Medicine and Deschutes County Health Services. See vim-cascades.org or deschutes.org/health.
Kara DiFrancesco grew up skiing on the East Coast, in her home state of Connecticut and on winter break trips to Vermont and New Hampshire. Her regular ski buddies were a pair of brothers—one named Scott with a cognitive disability. “We did everything together as kids,” DiFrancesco said. “Scott did everything that we did, he just did it a little differently.” As an adult, DiFrancesco moved to the West Coast, attending grad school at Oregon State University and living in the Bay Area before landing in Central Oregon. As an environmental consultant, Di Francesco has a flexible schedule, allowing her to become a regular volunteer with Oregon Adaptive Sports, an organization that aims to help all people experience the benefits of outdoor recreation, regardless of ability level. As a winter volunteer with the organization, DiFrancesco is paired with skiers of varying abilities—perhaps a high school student with a cognitive disability, a blind skier also working with a Mt. Bachelor instructor or a skier with a physical disability, learning to use adaptive equipment like a sit ski. “It’s inspirational,” DiFrancesco said. “Everyone involved is so great. It takes a village to make all of this happen.” OAS seeks summer and winter volunteers each year to help with adaptive recreation year-round. Summer volunteer signups typically open in April. See oregonadaptivesports.org.
Aelea Christofferson | Court Appointed Special Advocates
Deciding to volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocates of Central Oregon, or CASA, was an easy choice for Aelea Christofferson of Bend. She’d once been a social worker, and after meeting her husband Tom Hall and his two children back in 1989, the family adopted two babies out of foster care and another years later as a teenager. After retiring in the mid-2010s and selling the telecom company she owned, Christofferson was ready for something new, and CASA just made sense. “I knew how messy foster care is,” she said. Volunteers with CASA advocate for the best interests of children in the system, who are often moved in and out of various living situations, foster homes and family homes as their parents work to regain custody or as circumstances change over months or years. During that time, a CASA is often the only consistent, stable adult in the child’s life. “What you want most for the kids is to be in a stable home,” said Christofferson, who described the work as difficult and impactful, but also rewarding. “Aelea is an incredible voice for the children that she advocates for,” said Heather Dion, executive director of CASA of Central Oregon. “She often takes on challenging and nuanced cases with multiple children and more complicated legal issues. She isn’t afraid to jump in and make sure that children’s needs are advocated for.” More than seventy children in Central Oregon are currently waiting for a CASA. Volunteers participate in a forty-hour training class before being sworn-in by a circuit court and taking their first case. See casaofcentraloregon.org.
Natalie Evers & Bella | Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon
Bend native Natalie Evers spent ten years away from Bend after high school, but upon returning to Central Oregon two years ago, she knew becoming a mentor was something she wanted to do. “I have always wanted to do Big Brothers Big Sisters because I know the mentors in my own life have made a huge impact on me,” said Evers, taking a break between playground sessions with 8-year-old Bella at Larkspur Park in March. Bella and Evers were matched together in early 2021 and while Evers isn’t one of the organization’s longest volunteers, her commitment to Bella and to bringing new volunteers into the program has impressed organization leaders. “When Natalie became a Big Sister she then made referrals for three others to join the program because she believes in the program,” said Jenn Davis, program director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon. “Bella has really grown through their time together.” On a play break at the park, Evers is quick to explain the value of the mentorship for Bella and for herself. “It brings a lot of joy and light to my life,” Evers said. “I think I get as much or more out of it as she does.” Nearly thirty “littles” are on the the waitlist for Big Brother Big Sisters of Central Oregon, and the organization has a particular need for mentors in rural areas, those interested in mentoring LGBTQ youth, mentors with experience working with people with disabilities and mentors of color. “Bigs” volunteer about six to twelve hours a month. See bbbsco.org.
Gary Meyer was dreaming of fat biking on snowy trails even before fat bikes became a commercially available product around 2009. He’d been an avid mountain biker since moving to Bend in the early 2000s and over time became more involved in trail-building and maintenance efforts in the area. Easing into retirement from his career as a visual effects engineer for films including Star Wars, Meyer had a dream of engineering something new—winter fat biking trails in Central Oregon. He approached the nonprofit Central Oregon Trails Alliance in the early 2010s with a plan. With COTA’s support, Meyer led the charge to create a pair of designated and groomed loop trails for fat biking at Wanoga Sno-Park. The efforts involved trail mapping, clearing of vegetation, signage and winter grooming. Meyer and a team of others keep the trails groomed each winter, and Meyer also volunteers to manage COTA’s online volunteer log and other administrative tasks as well as sitting on the organization’s trails committee and joining trail work crews year-round. In 2021, Meyer volunteered more than 800 hours with COTA. “Giving to the community brings me joy and satisfaction, and there’s no place I’d rather be than out in the forest,” said Meyer, who encourages others in the biking community to get involved, too. “Even if you only come out for one work party a year, it’s a great benefit to maintain the longevity of the trails.” More than 2,500 people are registered with a Meetup group that lists upcoming trail work events in Central Oregon, and new volunteers are always welcome. See cotamtb.com.
