Board of Directors Bios

Oregon Historical Society Board of Directors

In compliance with the bylaws of the Oregon Historical Society, we present to the membership the names of those nominated to serve on the board of directors.

Barbara Miller Beale

Ms. Beale recently formed a production company for music and acting endeavors entitled Field Day Productions.  She has produced two music albums with Broadway star, Christine Andreas and was an associate producer on the off-Broadway hit Johnny Guitar, to name just two of her many projects.  A former travel agent, she continues to be an avid traveler and is currently touring Europe with a grandson.  Barbara is a native Oregonian.

Les Bergeron, MD

Dr. Les Bergeron is a native Oregonian and retired physician with a long time interest in history and service to his community.  After Medical School he served for three years in the U.S. Navy as a Medical Officer in Hawaii and Japan.  Following specialty training at OHSU, he enjoyed a long medical practice first in Honolulu and later in Portland retiring in 1996.  Since then he has served in many professional and community activities, but is most proud of being chairman of the development committee for the State of Oregon Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Organization 2002-2006.  Currently in addition to his duties at OHS, he serves on the advisory board of the University Of Oregon College of Arts & Sciences.

Robert Bauer

A native Oregonian, Mr. Bauer attended Grant High School and graduated from Oregon State University (OSU) in 1957.  He owned and operated Peterson Industrial Supply for over twenty years which continues to be family owned and operated today.  In his retirement, he has been an active board member and supporter of OSU, OMSI, the Oregon Maritime Museum and Salvation Army among others.

Robert D. Cook, M.D., P.C. 

Dr. Cook is currently a practicing orthopedic physician and surgeon.  A bronze star recipient, he served with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas and as a general medical officer in Vietnam.  Very active in sports medicine , Dr. Cook was an NBA team physician for 20 years before settling into a practice in Tualatin.  A life-long interest in history has inspired Dr. Cook to be a writer and author in his spare time with a particular interest in Abraham Lincoln.

Chris Erickson

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!

Henry C. Lorenzen

Mr. Lorenzen is a partner in the law firm Corey, Byler, Rew, Lorenzen & Hojem, L.L.P.  He began his higher education at Oregon State University with a degree in electrical engineering and added to that with a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University and a law degree from Lewis and Clark College - Northwest School of Law.  Currently, Henry serves on the board of directors for the Oregon Historical Society and Oregon Public Broadcasting.  He is also on the Board of Visitors for the Northwestern School of Law.  In addition, he manages the 4,000 acre family wheat farm near Pendleton, Oregon and won the Umatilla County Conservation Farmer of the Year Award in 1992.

Jacqueline Peterson Loomis, Ph.D. 

Ms. Peterson Loomis is Professor of History at Washington State University Vancouver.  The author of numerous books and articles in Native American Studies, she directed the award winning exhibition "Sacred Encounters: Father DeSmet and the Indians of the Rocky Mountain West," which toured major museums in the U.S and Canada in 1993-96.  Since 2000, she has produced documentary films, exhibitions, and public art installations about Portland's ethnic history.  She is the founder of the Old Town History Project.  Dr. Peterson Loomis is a resident of Portland.

Melvin “Pete” Mark

For 50 years, Pete Mark has guided the growth of the Melvin Mark Companies into one of the region's largest independently-owned commercial real estate companies.  Under his leadership, the company evolved from a downtown-only property owner into a broad-based company offering a full range of real estate services.  He remains active as a community leader, spearheads special projects, and consults on strategic planning decisions.  Pete and his family have been an influential part of Portland's cultural community for many years.

Robert J. Miller

Robert J. Miller is a Professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon where he teaches Indian law courses and Civil Procedure. He has also been a part-time tribal judge since 1995 for many Northwest tribes and is currently the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals for the Grand Ronde Tribe.  He has recently published a book, Native America, Discovered and Conquered: Thomas Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and Manifest Destiny.  Mr. Miller is a citizen of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.

Maura N. O’Scannlain

Maura is an active community volunteer with Friends of Catholic Charities and Saint Anthony's Village (an assisted living and Alzheimer’s facility for low income individuals.  She belongs to three reading groups, and spent lots of time with her twelve plus grandchildren.  She and her husband enjoy travelling abroad and meeting with law students and professors.

Eric Parsons 

Since his graduation from Lewis & Clark College, Eric Parsons, chairman and chief executive officer of StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. and Standard Insurance Company, has been with The Standard for 41 years.  Parsons serves as vice chairman of the Oregon Health & Science University Foundation board of trustees and is chairman of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Community Council.  He also serves on the board of directors of the Oregon Community Foundation and Oregon Business Council.

Guy Randles

Guy is a member of Stoel Rives LLP practicing in the Construction, Design and Development group.  Mr. Randles is a native Oregonian and graduated from Jesuit High School.  He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley ("Boalt Hall").  Mr. Randles was elected to the OHS Board of Directors in 2002 and was Chair from 2006 - 2008.  Past Board Memberships include: Catholic Charities of Oregon, Oregon Independent College Foundation, Jesuit High School Board of Trustees, Multnomah County Legal Aid, Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability, and Oregon-Columbia Chapter of the Associated General Contractors.