New Board of Trustees Announcement

The Spirit Mountain Community Fund and Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde are pleased to announce the appointment of Senator Arnie Roblan and Representative Karin Power as the newest members of the Community Fund’s Board of Trustees. The Community Fund has eight appointed trustees: three are Public At Large members, one is appointed by the Governor of Oregon, one is a representative of Spirit Mountain Gaming, Inc., and three are Grand Ronde Tribal Council members.

Senator Roblan and Representative Power are filling the vacant Public At Large positions that were recently vacated when Sho Dozono, who served on the board for 21 years, and former Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, who served on the board for nine years, announced their retirement earlier this year. We are sad to see Sho and Darlene move on, but we are optimistic for the future as we welcome Senator Roblan and Representative Power to our team and continue our goal of serving underserved communities in northwest Oregon.

“I’ve always admired Senator Roblan. He’s approachable and very knowledgeable of Native American history in Oregon. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Representative Power, but I am looking forward to getting to know her, and to working with both of them on the Board,” said Denise Harvey Board of Trustees and Grand Ronde Tribal Councilwoman.

Senator Arnie Roblan represents the scenic and rugged central Oregon coast comprising the 5th Senate District. Previously Senator Roblan served 4 terms as Representative for House District 9 with two terms as Co-Speaker.

Senator Roblan's commitment to his community long precedes his election to public office. He is a founding board member of Friends of New and Sustainable Industry (FONSI) and has served on the boards of several local organizations, including the Coos Bay/ North Bend Water Board, the Coos Educators Federal Credit Union, Belloni Ranch, YMCA Youth in Government and the Oregon Coastal Environments Network (OCEAN). The Senator also served on the board for numerous organizations, including the Southwestern Oregon Transportation and Economic Development Workgroup, the Oregon Education Accountability Roundtable, the Governance Group of the Capitol Restoration Project, the Coastal Caucus and the Chalkboard Project.

Senator Roblan earned his B.A. degree from the University of Washington in 1971 and his M.A. degree from the University of Oregon in 1983. He began his lengthy career teaching mathematics at Marshfield High School. He was soon promoted to Dean of Students, later to Assistant Principal and finally, in 1989, to Principal. He received the Milken Education Award in 1997 and, in 2002, was recognized by his alma mater as a University of Oregon Distinguished Alumnus. In 2011, the Oregon Business Association named him Statesman of the Year Award in recognition of his extraordinary achievements for public service, consensus building, and forging collaborative solutions to critical issues facing Oregon. In 2012, he was honored with the “Public Officials of the Year” award from Governing Magazine.

Senator Arnie Roblan and his wife Arlene have lived in Coos Bay for the past 35 years and have raised three wonderful children.

Representative Karin Power grew up in a small town in New Jersey and went to Mount Holyoke College in western Massachusetts before moving to the west coast. She spent time in Geneva, Washington, D.C., Boston, Seattle, and Portland before making her home in Milwaukie with her wife, their baby and two rescue dogs. Rep. Power is a graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School. In her other job, she is the Associate General Counsel for The Freshwater Trust.

Rep. Power is committed to progress for our environment, for stronger communities and better schools, and for equity and equality. She puts her years of environmental law experience to work by advocating for cleaner water and air in our communities, and protecting Oregon's strong environmental heritage. As a new mother and first time homeowner, Rep. Power knows how crucial stable housing and public education are to building successful families and communities. She is also the first LGBT woman elected to serve House District 41. She understands how important it is to make our government more accessible, and champions equitable policies both for the Oregon we are today and for the generations yet to come.

In addition to her work in the Oregon Legislature and at The Freshwater Trust, Rep. Power is a board member for the Oregon Food Bank. In her spare time, she works on fixer-upper projects for her new (old) 1920s house, and finding out which funny faces make her son laugh the hardest.

Representative Power was elected to office in November 2016. Prior to her election, she served as a Milwaukie City Councilor, Chair of the Regional Wastewater Treatment Capacity Advisory Committee, and as Chair of the Island Station Neighborhood District Association.​