Richard Clemens, President

After retiring from many years working in various educational settings, we moved to Bend from Harrisonburg Virginia to be close to our daughter and granddaughter. We have a son and family who live in upstate New York so the challenge remains to be able to see them across the many miles. I spent the last 30 years working in the field of Instructional Technology so I am grateful for the ways to still make connections with distant family members and friends through various technologies. I am enjoying getting to know the Pacific Northwest since this is the first opportunity we have to live in this part of the country. I enjoy camping, music, a variety of athletic activities and strive to be a lifelong learner. I am enjoying this next chapter of life.

Nancy Tyler,  Vice President

 I came to Bend in 1990--plenty long ago to have witnessed its exponential growth. Journeyed here from CA (So Cal until college, then 25 years in Bay Area). I'm a UC Berkeley grad, majoring in Social Sciences. Following two-year's Peace Corps service in Kenya (teaching), worked in 4-H Youth, New Games and community education before moving to the private sector in training and quality with a commercial printing company. Lots of west coast travel. Eventually ready to leave the work world and enjoy Central Oregon. With friends, hiked the trails of the Cascades and Ochocos weekly for 20 years. Augmented local treks with the Inca Trail, Yosemite's High Sierra and Grand Canyon's Rim to Rim. Have enjoyed some foreign travel, especially Central America. Passion for reading and writing. Excited to expand friendships and other horizons with the High Desert Village.

Faith Holly Hall,  Secretary

 I am so pleased to have found The Village. I was raised in rural San Diego County by blind parents, which surely resulted in my strong sense of responsibility for the well-being of others. Now being a widow for several years, I am learning to ask for help as well as give it. I attended a prep school in St. Louis, then attended and graduated from Occidental College in L.A. with a BA in music, elementary music education being my emphasis. After marrying and then starting our family in Corvallis, we moved to Bend in 1974. I was a Yamaha Music School teacher here for several years, then entered a spiritual healing ministry. Now I have been an Interfaith Spiritual Companion since 2001. That work is deeply meaningful to me. Painting faces in watercolor and pastels, reading, doing crosswords, being outdoors walking, hiking and paddling, all bring me joy. And most especially spending time with family and friends. I am blessed that both of my children and their families live in Bend.

Bob Goold,  Treasurer

Born in Twin Falls Idaho and grew up on a small farm near Burley.  Served two years in the army in the military police.  While attending the local community college during the farming offseason I found that accounting was interesting.  I met my wife Laura in Boise while finishing my accounting degree. We ended up in her hometown of Madras in 1983 where I worked for the local CPA and she commuted to St. Charles.  It didn’t take long to realize we should move to Bend.  We both retired a few years ago.

Mary Hartrich,  Member at Large

St Louis is my hometown though I haven’t lived there for many years. Following graduation from Fontbonne College in St. Louis I married Tom Hartrich in 1968. His career in the Indian Health Service exposed us to people and cultures which were our good fortune to wholeheartedly embrace.We lived on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico, then moved to Idaho and lived on the Nez Perce Reservation. After 4 years there, we were transferred to Alaska.

We have 5 children and I am so proud of them and all they do to make the world a better place! Though I was a homemaker most of this time, I enjoyed serving on committees in our communities and in our parishes. One grassroots committee helped bring a much needed new high school to our otherwise neglected community of North Pole, Alaska. After a move to Sitka, Alaska, I worked part-time as a librarian in the Sitka School District for 15 years. Working with K-1-2 elementary students was a delight!

After 35 years in Alaska, 20 of them in rainy Sitka, we moved to sunshiney Bend in 2004. We've learned that although it's hard to leave dear friends behind, there are new friends to be made wherever you go. I have enjoyed volunteering with the Deschutes Public Library “Friends” for many years. I'm an avid quilter and love my reading and writing groups. I am recording memories from our 34 years in Alaska. Tom and I joined HDV shortly before Covid lockdowns began. I'm looking forward to meeting more members and forming new 

Dave Detweiler,   Member at Large

For a retiree, Dave Detweiler is a busy guy. He juggles building a new home on Bend’s west side, with tending to a garden back in Albany, OR and traveling either on his 3 wheel Can Am motorcycle or in 24 ‘ travel trailer. Dave has been to 49 states and made countless trips across country for family reunions. He and his six siblings like the Outer Banks of North Carolina for those gatherings. “It was always a good time and a way for the cousins to know each other,” he says. Originally from Pennsylvania farm country, Dave had an itch to travel and see the rest of the country. In the early 70s he did a year of service in Louisiana and Mississippi under the auspices of the Mennonite church. As one of a 5-person team Dave did flood clean up and repair work for social assistance programs such as Head Start and food banks. The call to “go west” drew him to a small college in Goshen, IN where he and Martha met. Intending to study industrial arts and teach at the high school level, Dave yearned to continue exploring the country. He and Martha considered several states, but decided to try Corvallis and Oregon State University. There he would finish his degree. Dave says he would have been happy to teach in an Oregon high school, but the timber wars and slow economy meant schools weren’t hiring new teachers in the 80s. The couple moved to Iowa where they found jobs. By 1990 they were back settling in Albany, OR where Dave was facility maintenance supervisor at Mennonite Village, a not-for-profit, continuing care retirement community. Located on 275 acres in a rural setting, Dave recalls it was a good job with a faith-based mission. He worked there 31 years altogether. Family needs sent the couple to Phoenix for a time, but they returned to Albany where they still maintain a garden today. Dave loves gardening and doesn’t mind driving across the mountains to harvest potatoes, onions and fruit in between working on a new home here in Bend. The time in Albany allowed Dave to indulge his passion for building homes. He built four houses over time on some property they bought for their own home. He will put his vast experience to use as he and Martha design an all-electric home with solar panels and other sustainability features with the help of their two sons who live in Bend. It won’t be all work this year as they will be enjoying some travel across the country. Both he and Martha have 50 year high school reunions to attend. They hope to top it off with a tour of Gulf Coast states early next year.

Denise LaBuda,  Member at Large

I was born and raised in Michigan. I left for the east coast after completing my undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan. After a 3-year stint in Massachusetts, I landed in San Francisco and stayed in the Bay Area for 36 years! I worked in marketing and product development in large companies, small companies, startups, and my own consulting business. I also acquired a Masters in Education and did spend a few years teaching undergraduate and graduate students in Marketing and Research. My work experiences spanned many industries and I interspersed lots of world travel along the way. I am divorced and have 8 wonderful niece and nephews and two grand nephews in CA/MI/MA/IL. I moved to Bend in October 2018 and I retired in July of 2022 after a fun four years working at the Council on Aging - and learning lots about aging in the US. I am very much enjoying all that Bend and the surrounding area has to offer. I love to hike, bike, hear live music and theater, movies and all the fun food trucks that have popped up since COVID. I look forward to being in community with HDV members and all this org has to offer as we elect to age in place here in Central Oregon.