MEET THE PANEL
Industrial and Engineering Panel
Brent Schafer
Brent Schafer is the president of Todd Construction, Inc., a commercial general contractor that was founded in Roseburg and ranks among the top 20 commercial general contractors in the state. The company is now located in Tualatin, Oregon, and builds a variety of projects in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Brent grew up in Douglas County, graduated from Glide High School and worked his way through college as a logger. He attended Umpqua Community College and Oregon State University and has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. He joined Todd Construction as an estimator in 1985, became president in 2001 and took over ownership in 2007.
He and his wife, Marchelle, have two grown children.
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Jimmy Swanson
I was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon. After High School I attended Southern Oregon University where I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business (emphasis in Marketing) and a minor in Economics. I began my career at Swanson Group in June of 2005 after finishing college. I have held numerous positions in the company including traffic, sales, production, continuous improvement and most recently human resources.
I now live in Roseburg, Oregon with my wife Amanda and our new baby Harper. I love traveling, golfing and fishing as much as possible but most days you can find me outside enjoying what Oregon has to offer. I am a proud employee and a proud owner of Swanson Group!
Human Resources Panel
Erin Ritchie
CARE Advocate
Erin Ritchie started as the CARE Advocate for Peace at Home, co-located at Umpqua Community College in June 2020. As the CARE Advocate, she works with UCC students to offer support services and resources regarding interpersonal violence and other trauma, as well as facilitate outreach events on campus.
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Erin has volunteered, interned and worked at several organizations that support survivors of gender- based violence such as: Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence in Corvallis, OR; Benton County District Attorney’s Victim Assistance Program and Sable House in Dallas, OR.
Robert Johnson
Attorney
Robert was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 2016. He graduated from Umpqua Community College in 2008, and later graduated from Portland State University in 2011. In 2014, Robert obtained his law degree from the University of Oregon.
Robert is the city prosecutor for Winston and serves on the Douglas County Parks Advisory Board. His practice also includes personal injury, wrongful death, automobile collisions, workers compensation, employment law, elder law, property damage, restraining and stalking orders, and litigation.
Nick Wecks
Lieutenant /Paramedic
Nick went through the Fire Science/ Paramedic program at Umpqua Community College in 1998 and was a resident sleeper at Sutherlin Fire Department. He has been with the Fire District for 21 years. Since starting his career, he has worked through ranks of Firefighter, Engineer, Lieutenant and Training Officer. He is also am a member of the Technical Rescue Team which responds to water rescue, steep angle rescue, confined space rescue and cell tower/industrial rescue.
Business and Management Panel
Brian Prawitz
Owner
Brian’s passion for customer service led to the creation and launch of BP Media Solutions in May of 2015. “Going the extra mile, providing face-to-face accountability, and exceeding goals are all things I live for.” Brian spent 25 years in radio as an award-winning news and sports announcer in Seattle, Missoula, Montana, and Roseburg, Oregon. He spent 18 months in the Marketing Department at Seven Feathers Casino Resort before BP Media Solutions was born.
Jodi Barron
Financial Advisor
Jodi comes from a banking background, where most of her experience was at a credit union. One of her favorite aspects of the credit union was creating meaningful relationships with clients. In addition to her work experience, she holds a bachelor's degree and master's degree in business administration and has earned her AAMS designation from the College of Financial Planning. She enjoys serving individual investors, business owners, executives and retirees.
Jodi and her husband, Justin, moved to the Roseburg area in 2012. They have a son, Cash, and a daughter, Cali. She enjoys being active and making memories with her family.
Health Sciences Panel
Todd Luther
Director of Emergency Services
Todd Luther attended Chemeketa Community College where he received his Associate’s degree in nursing. Years later, he pursued his Bachelor’s in Nursing from Western Governors University. Todd has worked for the VA Healthcare System in Roseburg as a Patient Safety Manager and later as the Nurse Manager for the Transitional Care Unit and Protective Care Unit. Currently, he is the Director of Emergency Services at Mercy Medical Center.
Caitlin Konicek
Dentist, DDS
Dr. Konicek was inspired to become a dentist while working as a Dental Assistant. She discovered at that time that she truly enjoyed working with patients. Dr. Konicek grew up in Gilbert, Arizona, and graduated from Northern Arizona University with her biology degree in 2014. She then completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery at the University of the Pacific in 2020.
Dr. Konicek is proud to have been a part of Delta Sigma Delta and the American Association of Women Dentists while attending the University of the Pacific. She is a member of the American Dental Association, Oregon Dental Association, and the Umpqua Dental Association.
Dr. Konicek is passionate about dentistry and strives to provide her patients with the best and most comfortable care.
Agriculture, Food and Natural Systems Panel
Amy Taggart
Veterinary Technician,
Amy has been in the veterinary field since the early 2000s. A few years back, she took a sabbatical to start a pet sitting and dog walking business. She kept her credentials as a Certified Veterinary Technician to enhance her business and keep her foot in the veterinary world door. Now, she works at a couple different clinics in the area assisting with surgeries which is her main area of interest as well as operating her very busy business. In her spare time, she enjoy fostering dogs, riding her horses, painting and camping.
Glen Lehne
Chief of Farming Operations
I am the Chief of Farming Operations on my family’s multi-generational farm. Lehne Farms has been growing fruits, vegetables, and hazelnuts on our 70 acre farm west of Roseburg since 1974. We grow over 120 different types of year round vegetables and attend 4 weekly farmers markets in the region. Our farm is open to the public July-October for U-pick. I returned to the farm after 20 years of service as a Nuclear officer in the US Air Force. My military career culminated with the rank of Major. During my time in the military I was dedicated to nuclear warfare and was assigned to various duty stations within the United State
Arts, Information and Communication Panel
Eric Andrews
Graphic Designer, ESD Print Services
Creative Art Director, Distinguished Apes
Eric joined the ESD Print Services in 2019 as a Print Production Specialist and Graphic Designer. He is also the Creative Art Director for Distinguished Apes, a small batch clothing brand and Graphic Design/Branding Company. Eric's love for music has led him have his own DJ company called Say Yes to the DJ. For more than 20 years, Eric has DJ'd at radio shows, clubs, weddings and other private events.
David Ochoa
Multimedia Journalist
David Ochoa became part of the KVAL team in December 2019 as a multimedia journalist. He grew up in Los Angeles, where he also went to school. He got his bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from California State University Los Angeles.
David’s love for writing and storytelling began when he was kid. His dad would make him write stories before he was able to go play with his friends. While at school, David produced content for his university’s athletics department. His background consists of writing and editing for numerous sports-related websites. He started his career in broadcasting at ABC7 in Los Angeles, where he was a news assistant and later a video journalist.
His love for telling stories continues in Oregon, where he covers all things Douglas County. He also loves sports, writing music, and working out.