New staffers join Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

Tracy Alexander and Karen Koppel have joined the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) to help professionally manage the world's largest outdoor quilt show - now in its 40th year.

Tracy Alexander joins SOQS as the administrative manager, a part-time position. Alexander, who was born in Hawaii, worked on the Hawaiian Quilt Research Project and exhibition from 1994-96. She moved to Central Oregon more than a decade ago.

From 1996-2005, Alexander served as Education and Family Program Specialist at the High Desert Museum, where she was responsible for all aspects of training and supervising a teen volunteer program, as well as developing and implementing community partnerships with COCC, Bend Parks and Recreation District, and Deschutes Public Library. She also served as Art Station manager for Arts Central, managing the facility, programming and staff of Art's Central's education outreach program.

She has lectured on and taught Hawaiian quilting. She lives with her family in Bend, where she also teaches belly dancing.

"Being at the quilt show office has inspired me to pick up my Hawaiian quilting projects again," said Alexander. "I'm impressed with the many moving parts to organizing and administering the quilt show, and I'm looking forward to working with all the amazing quilters and making certain all the beautiful quilts that come to our office are processed in the most careful and efficient manner!"

Karen Koppel comes to SOQS as the assistant director, responsible for a myriad of special programs and behind-the-scenes logistics for coordinating local business partners' quilt exhibit displays, and orchestrating the deployment of more than 1,200 quilts to be hung by an army of volunteers on quilt show day and then taken down and returned safely to their owners.

Koppel's experience includes program and event development, fundraising and sponsorship and volunteer and personnel management. Her skills were tapped by the Vancouver 2010 Winter & Paralympic Winter Games as Director of Overlay - City Venues and the 2020 Salt Lake City Olympic & Paralympic Games as Design & Site Manager. She has served in a variety of capacities on events from community festivals to Super Bowls. A licensed architect, she most recently worked as senior project manager for Infinite Scale, an environmental graphic design firm.

"Working on arts and cultural events that defines our sense of place in Central Oregon is my passion," said Koppel. "The SOQS celebrates the beauty and heritage of quilting. I love seeing an entire community come together to showcase the community and talent within."

In Central Oregon, Koppel worked at the Bend Bulletin. As a board member of Bend Film, she served as manager of all venue managers as well as volunteer manager.

For more information on the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, visit www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org.