Our Board

Board Chair
Bend, OR
bill.kowalik@darkskyoregon.org

Bill is a founding board member of DarkSky Oregon (2019). Originally from Pennsylvania, Bill has lived in Virginia, Colorado, California, Western Australia and now resides in Bend. Bill’s lifelong activities include community advocacy, movie-making, woodworking, bicycling and cross-country skiing. Bill has three degrees in the earth sciences and 35 years of industry experience in remote sensing, exploration and technology development.

Board Member - Treasurer
Bend, OR
cathie.flanigan@darkskyoregon.org

Seeing the stars at night is one of Cathie's greatest joys!
She brings her career in business management and financial skills to our chapter's efforts. Her community experience includes work with the award winning, all volunteer "Friends 4 Expo Transit," which, successfully liaisoned the opening of a light rail transit line across Los Angeles to the beach in Santa Monica by connecting neighbors and neighborhoods along the way. Now, her passion is with connecting communities and businesses to recognize and reduce light pollution.

Chapter Director
Mosier, OR
michael.mckeag@darkskyoregon.org

Retired after 30 years as an electron microscopist in the semiconductor process development team at Intel, with interests spanning the scale range from nanometers to light-years. An amateur photographer since childhood, an amateur astronomer since a couple of decades ago, a dark skies advocate since helping organize the 2016 Gorge Night Sky Conference, a DarkSky Delegate since 2018 AGM/ALAN. Currently working with Unihedron to make night sky measurement methods reported in the scientific literature accessible to dark sky advocates. Chronically in pursuit of too many irresistible interests at once. Life is short, the universe in infinite.

Board Member
Bend, OR
jill.nishball@darkskyoregon.org

As a small child, Jill grew up in the suburbs of southern California, yet her heart yearned for more wild places. Luckily, her parents’ interest in camping led her to the mountains and particularly to Yosemite Valley, where she became mesmerized at “all those stars!”. Later, as a teen heading off to college, she and her older brother stopped for an overnight at California’s Castle Crags State Park, where they lay under those same stars and shared a wondrous conversation about the Cosmos and how small we really are on this tiny planet. She’s been hooked ever since!

Jill’s interest in continuing to push for dark sky places across Oregon has only continued to grow both personally and professionally as she learns more about the ill effects of light pollution across our planet on wildlife cycles, bird migration and human health. If she can be a small instrument to bring more widespread knowledge and responsible behaviors including respectful and considerate nighttime etiquette to our neighbors, campers and all sky-gazing enthusiasts she will have considered these efforts a success.

Board Member
Portland, OR
kirk.keyes@darkskyoregon.org

Kirk's extensive 40-year career as an analytical chemist in Portland-area environmental laboratories is complemented by a lifelong passion for the night sky, which traces back to his childhood during the 1960s Space Race. Throughout the years, Kirk observed the concerning rise in light pollution, witnessing firsthand its transformative impact on Oregon's night sky. Beyond its effect on the enjoyment of dark skies, he gained insight into the detrimental consequences of light pollution on both wildlife and humans.

Kirk's commitment to knowledge-sharing is evident in various aspects of his life. Whether imparting expertise to colleagues in the laboratory or sharing his love for landscape astrophotography, he brings this passion to his role on the board of DarkSky Oregon. His overarching goal is to actively contribute to the organization's mission - preserving Oregon's dark skies and improving the health, safety, and well-being of the people of Oregon, its children, and future generations.

Board Member
Portland, OR
mary.coolidge@darkskyoregon.org

Mary is a career biologist and conservationist and serves as Portland Audubon's BirdSafe and Lights Out Campaign Coordinator. She has long loved the night sky, but came to dark sky preservation and advocacy work through the study of bird window collisions and factors contributing to this critical conservation issue, including light pollution. She has a deep appreciation for Oregon's magnificent night skies and is committed to working to preserve them both for people and wildlife. Mary is dedicated to efforts to make urban environments more hospitable to wildlife and helping people connect to nature, both day and night. She spends her free time gardening, beekeeping, bird watching, dragon flying, mushroom hunting and escaping into wild spaces.

Board Member
Portland, OR
margaretm104@gmail.com

A retired Geography instructor and world-traveler, Margaret discovered her love of Astronomy by standing under a very dark sky at the Oregon Star Party some 25 years ago. She recently completed six years as president of Rose City Astronomers and looks forward to even more nights under crystal skies with her 12" Dobsonian telescope. She has recently come to appreciate the healing that can come to our natural environment by darkening our skies at night, not just for astronomers but also for birds and bats, plants, oceans, night-reproducing animals, and entire ecosystems while also cutting down on energy use and global warming.

Board Member
Bend, OR
monique@darkskyoregon.org

A devoted advocate for dark skies, Monique's fascination with the cosmos began in rural Alabama. She explored the night sky through her brother's telescope, far from city lights—those early years under a million stars left an indelible mark on her soul. Now, residing in Central Oregon, she is fortunate to witness the Milky Way, the Big Dipper, and meteor showers from her backyard. These experiences drive her passion for preserving the natural beauty of our night skies.

As a proud board member of DarkSky Oregon, Monique brings a personal connection to the magic of the night sky and a strong commitment to environmental conservation. She is eager to contribute to the organization's mission, working with like-minded individuals to ensure future generations can marvel at the wonders of a pristine, unpolluted sky.