• Distinguish Yourself by Going That Extra Mile

• Cascade Bancorp Announces Stock Buyback
• COBA Acquires Building Green Council of Central Oregon
• KOHD-TV Completes New Studios

Cascade Bancorp Announces Stock Buyback

     Cascade Bancorp’s Board of Directors has authorized the company to acquire, from time to time, up to 5 percent of the company's issued and outstanding common shares over a two-year period. Management's discretion will determine the timing of the stock repurchase transactions and the number of shares repurchased. Consideration will be given to factors including market price of the stock, growth expectations, general economic conditions, established and special trading blackout periods, and other investment opportunities.  Cascade has approximately 28.5 million shares outstanding. Cascade Bancorp and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bank of the Cascades, operates in Oregon and Idaho markets.

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COBA Acquires Building Green Council of Central Oregon

     The Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA)  and 3EStrategies are pleased to announce their efforts to promote Green Building have merged and COBA has acquired the Building Green Council of Central Oregon^TM from 3EStrategies. The Building Green Council of Central Oregon’s purpose is to “help people design, build and renovate homes and commercial buildings that are high quality, efficient and healthy.” 3E and COBA believe there are significant benefits to merging the existing Building Green Council of Central Oregon with COBA’s green building council efforts. 3E will assist the ongoing development of the Building Green Council program as well as carry out separate supplemental activities that forward their goal of making green building the norm in Central Oregon and beyond.

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     KOHD-TV, Central Oregon’s new ABC station, has finished construction of its state-of-the art studio in northeast Bend. The station, located just east of Boyd Acres Road on Empire Avenue, is approximately 11,000 square feet and contains Central Oregon’s largest TV studio and the latest in high definition video production equipment. The new KOHD Studio is also built from the ground up to be environmentally efficient. The building has solar-paneled roofing to cut down on energy consumption, parking lot filters to reduce emissions, passive solar designed concrete floors, green-certified post-consumer recycled pad and carpet, recycled wood flooring, low-energy fluorescent lighting, recycled paperstone reception and bath countertops, and low-water landscaping with indigenous plants. For more information, please contact Bryan Johnson, Director of Creative Services for KOHD, at bjohnson@kohd.com.

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PEOPLE

     Lindi DeWolf of the Bend Chamber has been named the new Executive Director of the Chamber’s Leadership Bend Program.  This was the first official action by the new Leadership Bend Foundation Board. She formerly was Program Director.
     U.S. Bank has promoted Shawn Crawford to vice president and division operations manager for the Pacific West division of U.S. Bank Community Banking. He will continue to be based in Bend. He will cover a four-state area including Oregon, California, Utah and Nevada.
     Blaine Hendrickson has joined the Shevlin Branch of Columbia River Bank as a commercial loan officer. He has five years of banking experience and is a graduate of the CRB Management Training Program.
    Lauren Mongrain has joined NorthWest Crossing as development assistant. She will assist the development team with projects associated with the continued support and growth of the neighborhood.
     Jaret Ogasawara has joined Karnopp Petersen LLP as an associate attorney in the business department. He will focus on general business and corporate law. Information: www.karnopp.com.
     Korey Kato has been hired as the new restaurant manager at Awbrey Glen. He most recently worked at the Tualatin Country Club, where he held the same position.
     Tony Dickman of R&W Engineering’s Bend office recently received his LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accreditation. Tony is a registered professional engineer in Oregon and Washington, with a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University and a master’s degree from the University of Washington, both in mechanical engineering. He has more than 20 years of engineering experience.
     KOHD-TV has hired Keith Bleyer as Sports Director and main sports anchor. Coming to Central Oregon from Denver, Bleyer was one of the original employees hired to launch the Rocky Mountain Sports Report in 2000. He also has held a number of other broadcast sports positions.
     Jackie French of Coldwell Banker Morris has earned membership into the Coldwell Banker International Sterling Society by being one of the company’s top sales associates.
     Elisabeth Schneider has opened Bend Floral Studio. She has owned and sold two flower shops in the past, and will do wedding and special events only in Bend. Information:  www.bendfloralstudio.com  or tel. 382-7759.
     Frank Bonacquisti, a Broker with Windermere Central Oregon Real Estate in Bend, has earned the Graduate Realtor Institute designation by completing the necessary coursework.
     Columbia River Bank Shevlin Center Branch Manager Robert Killen will compete in the toastmaster’s World Championship of Public Speaking in mid-August at the 76th annual Toastmasters International Convention in Phoenix.

BUSINESSES

   Sortor Bushido Kai Karate congratulates Kathryn Dykstra, the August Student of the Month.  Kathryn is a yellow belt student who is being recognized for her focus, hard work and determined attitude toward her martial arts training.  Info: www.SortorKarate.com. 
     LibertyBank, the largest privately-held bank headquartered in Oregon (and with branches in Bend), reported net income for the fiscal year ending June 30 of $12.4 million, an increase of 19 percent over a year ago. Total assets at the end of the year were $928.4 million, up 16 percent from a year ago.
     Vantage Clinical Solutions has launched Vantage Management Services, a practice management service for small to medium-sized healthcare clinics, designed help them become more competitive and financially viable. The new program consists of a menu of fully hosted services. Information: www.vantageclinicalsolutions.com.
     Quantum Communications has deployed cutting-edge mid-band etherenet services in Bend and Redmond. The new platform uses ordinary copper phone lines to deliver guaranteed bi-directional speeds from 2Mbps to 45Mbps. Information: 923-5599.
     Bend-based S&B Associates, Inc., has launched its Digital City Guide in Newport. The Digital City Guide, which allows hotel guests to turn on a TV and get easy information, was started in six Bend hotels by Marti Staprans Barlow and now airs in six Oregon cities. Information: tel. 760-5996 or 610-6002 or visit www.oregoncityguides.com.
     Newport Avenue Market, an IGA Plus store, has become the first Oregon independent grocer to implement electronic shelf tags. The tags sit on the shelf and display accurate pricing for every product in the store. The switch helps the time and effort of printing and reprinting paper tags each month.
     Umpqua Bank has introduced Umpqua Debit Rewards, a program that awards members with cash back for shopping at local businesses. The program automatically gives cash back without the customer having to redeem anything. Information: www.rainbowrewards.com.
     Bend Chamber President and CEO Mike Schmidt has been appointed to the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council by a unanimous vote of the Deschutes County Commission. Schmidt has led the Bend Chamber, the state's largest, since May 2005.

ORGANIZATIONS    

     High Desert Museum President Forrest Rodgers has resigned after leading the institution through major growth, reversing a 12-year attendance decline and positioning the museum for the future. The Board of Trustees will form a selection committee and begin recruiting a new president.
     Mark Bruskiewicz has been elected new Commute Options Board Chair. He moved to Bend five years ago from Olympia, Wash. He works for the Washington State Department of Transportation as a Geographic Information Systems specialist, telecommuting from Bend.
     High Desert Museum has received $5,000 from U.S. Bank to support the museum’s 25th anniversary exhibit titled “25 Years of the High Desert Museum: Celebrating Stories to Inspire Our Future.”
     The Latino Community Foundation has received a $10,000 grant from the Robert W. Chandler II Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation to support funding its executive director and to develop programs of benefit to Deschutes County families.
     Sign Pro of Central Oregon is proud to announce they have just been chosen to provide all the signage at the Jeld-Wen Tradition being held at Crosswater Golf Club August 14 thru 19.

EVENTS

     The Sara Fisher Breast Cancer Project of the St. Charles Medical Center is preparing for its 15th annual fashion show event, Hope Couture. The event will be held at the Deschutes County Expo Center on Friday, October 12, 2007. Individuals or businesses interested in supporting the event can purchase tickets or reserve their corporate tables now through the organization’s website:  www.sarafisherproject.com. Sara Fisher was a teacher, counselor and active community volunteer died in 1992 after a seven-year battle with breast cancer.
     LAST CALL FOR REGISTRATION! Since January, the Bend Chamber's Professional Development Council has hosted seventeen compelling events, the most recent of which was so popular it sold out, had a second session added and made the front page of the business section in the Bulletin!  Want to see what everyone is so excited about?  Here is your next opportunity!  August 21^st  -  Central Oregon Business Resource Day.  This unique session was designed to help you learn about the key resources available right here in Central Oregon to support your businesses success!!  We will have a panel of local experts from COIC – Worksource Bend, Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), Central Oregon Community College (COCC), The Oregon Employment Department and of course, your Bend Chamber of Commerce.  The panel discussion will be immediately followed by a tabletop show where you can get more detailed information and have the unique opportunity for one-on-one discussion. Learn how to utilize the many services available to businesses, many at no cost! Our community’s “best kept secrets” and sometimes least understood resources will put money on the table for you if you choose to take advantage of them! To register, please contact Lindi@bendchamber.com or you can register directly on our secure website by clicking on this link: Again, that’s Tuesday, August 21^st, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Luncheon at the Bend Golf & Country Club, $25 per person. We look forward to seeing you there!

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