Our Board of Directors

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  Katee Withee

  President

  My love of history and public service led me to an education and career in Archaeology, with an interest in public interpretation. I am an Archaeologist for a local, federal land management agency and I am very interested in the relationship to and connections between the Kam Wah Chung Co. and local archaeological discoveries.

  Serving as a board member for the Friends of Kam Wah Chung organization is an incredibly humbling and exciting opportunity that I very much look forward to.

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  Karen Jacobs

  Secretary

  My first visit to Kam Wah Chung was a solo tour with Carolyn Micnhimer, nearly 30 years ago.  She brought the place to life and at that moment I knew this was a unique and special place.

  I feel fortunate to serve with this enthusiastic group to help preserve and extend this historical gem to future visitors.

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  Taci Philbrook

  Treasurer

  I am passionate about preserving historical cultures and the historical archives being housed in museums. With information so easily accessible on the web, I fear that one day museums will become obsolete. But nothing can beat a hands-on approach, or getting up close and personal with history. A museum can inspire someone to form their own unique experience with history. They are informal learning centers full of lessons in humanity. Museums preserve legacies of communities.

  I would like to be a part of the preservation efforts in retaining the rich legacies inside the Kam Wah Chung museum. My efforts will directly affect community awareness of the historical icons, and the history housed therein. Thank you for this opportunity.

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  Don Hann

  Board Member

  I am a retired archaeologist who has been lucky enough to have spent most of my career working and living in Grant County, Oregon. I was involved in research projects focusing on 19th Century Chinese gold miners who had worked and lived in the forest lands around John Day.The collections in the Kam Wah Chung and the associated archaeological and historical research about the Chinese living in John Day have been a great resource in understanding the lives of the Chinese miners. I am grateful to be serving on the board of this amazing group of dedicated volunteers supporting the mission of the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site.

• Jude Lenz

  I am a retired CFO for Blue Mountain Hospital District.  I was born and raised in John Day and grew up down the street from “China Town”.  I have always been interested in the history and preservation of our local Chinese and the artifacts they left behind and am very excited about the new interpretive center being built.  Working with such an upbeat and proactive group is an honor.

  

• Rebecca Carey

  Rebecca retired from Oregon State Parks in 2022 after nearly 15 years as the Park Specialist for the Clyde Holliday Management Unit.

  Upon retirement, Rebecca began volunteering for Kam Wah Chung SHS in March 2023 continuing to the present.Prior to her time with OPRD, Rebecca spent 31 years in the financial sector with Morgan Stanley in the Portland area.

  She retired in 2007 and moved to the John Day area to join her husband Bruce – a longtime resident of the area.  Bruce has served as a volunteer at Kam Wah Chung since 2014.

  Rebecca has two grown children and two grandsons living in the Portland area, a stepdaughter in Keizer, OR, a granddaughter in Mt. Vernon, and an adopted daughter and family in John Day.

  Rebecca served as a local lay pastor to the John Day United Methodist Church from 2015-2021.  She currently serves the church as communications director.

  In her spare time she enjoys gardening, knitting, quilting, baking and sharing all of her creations with others.