Linda Cline at Smith Rock. photo provided
Linda Cline at Smith Rock. photo provided
Citizens4Community (C4C) recently hired their first paid staff member, Executive Director Linda Cline. The hiring came with the help of a grant from the Ford Family Foundation. Cline was selected from among 21 applicants for the position and began work on January 4.

Cline, who brings her experience with multiple community-building organizations to Sisters, is a native Oregonian, having grown up as the youngest of 10 children in the rural Southern Oregon town of Glendale.

“My dad wanted six children and my mom wanted four, so they each got what they wanted (six boys and four girls),” Cline quipped.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University in environmental health and safety studies. Her employment included several years directing a nonprofit in Winston, where she focused on community building and reducing drug use among the area youth.

Cline, her husband, Charan, and their three children moved to Carlton in Yamhill County for his work. While there, she earned an associate’s degree in graphic design from Portland Community College. While working for Eyrie Vineyards in marketing and distribution, she continued to volunteer with several civic and nonprofit organizations.

After realizing that nonprofit work is what makes her happiest, she immediately jumped at the chance to apply for the position with C4C, as her husband had just started his new job as Redmond School District superintendent. They moved over the mountains in June and settled in Terrebonne.

The Cline’s three children are now grown. One attends Oregon State University, one graduated last spring from Willamette University, and the oldest, at 25, is living and working in Boston.

“Carlton and Sisters have some similarities in their small size, the surrounding farms and ranches, and a strong reliance on tourism. Carlton is in the heart of wine country,” Cline said.

Cline enjoys hiking, kayaking, and crafts of all kinds and is excited to explore the myriad outdoor activities and arts of Sisters Country.

The new executive director is using this time during COVID-19 to familiarize herself with the organization, the people, and the city of Sisters. She is also reviewing the Sisters Country Vision, the new community website, the weekly Nugget Newspaper, and multiple other sources so she will be up to speed when things open up again.

“This is a good time to work on operational procedures and get organized,” Cline explained. “I am excited to meet the people of the community and to get to know the community better.”

One of her hopes is to be able to create a youth connection as part of C4C and get kids involved in civic and community activities. She would also like to establish a mentoring program, connecting teens and adults.

Cline is employed 32 hours a week and can be found in the C4C office at Sisters Eagle Airport. She can be reached by email at director@citizens4community.com.