We chat with Bend power couple Kristen Warner Lee and Roger Lee.
Kristen Warner Lee
Vice president of treasury management,
Central and Eastern Oregon, Columbia Bank;
Born: Arizona
Roger Lee
CEO, Economic Development for Central Oregon
Born: Idaho
HOW WE MET
Pine Tavern Restaurant & Bar, Bend | September 2000
R.L.: “It was through a mutual acquaintance. We met for lunch. As soon as I met her, I felt, ‘Uh oh. Now I am in trouble!’”
NUPTIALS
Reception, Great Hall at Sunriver Resort | 2002
K.L.: “We looked at a number of wedding venues around Central Oregon. However, the moment I walked into the Great Hall, I knew it was where I wanted our reception to be held. Built in 1944 with the giant timbers and a massive stone fireplace, it is the most beautiful combination of rustic warmth and elegance.”
HOBBIES
K.L.: “Roger is an amazing woodworker. The skill has been passed down from his grandfather and his father to him.”
K.L.: “We have horses. I run a small boarding facility. Our kids help out. It is an opportunity for them to earn money.”
R.L.: “We recently bought a place in Tumalo [pop. 488 (2010 census), Deschutes County]. We have been spending a lot of time laboring on that. We love the country; we both grew up there.”
CHILDREN
Kathryn, 13; Nathan, 11
The family love to ski together on the slopes of Mt Bachelor.
TRAVEL
Recent places visited: Australia, Germany, Italy
R.L.: “We like to travel. These days it is mostly international. In June I went on a work trip to Australia. A colleague who had visited the area remarked how the place was thriving. He invited me
to speak about the economy in Central Oregon.”
K.L.: “A memorable trip we took with the kids this past October was to Europe. We went to Germany and Italy. It was great for the kids to see all the different sights that they had read about or seen on TV. It was the best trip
we have done together.”
MARTIAL DYNAMIC
K.L.: “Divide and conquer. We both see what needs to be done and we go do it.”
R.L.: “We both got married to each other a bit later on in life, so we have
a lot of independence of each other.”
WHAT I AM READING
K.L.: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. A piece of historical fiction that follows a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France during World War II. “I enjoy reading. It helps me unplug.”
R.L.: Hear Me, My Chiefs! by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, a perspective on Nez Perce history and legend, a recommendation from Roger’s father-in-law.
AMBITIONS
K.L.: “I enjoy matchmaking, whether it be work, spouses or pets. I would love to do something where I can help people connect with industries and businesses.”
R.L.: A junior college year spent in Germany in 1989, the year the Berlin Wall came down, inspired Roger to think about the possibilities of living abroad, perhaps in a developing country, at some point in the future. “My West German buddies smuggled me into East Germany, where I participated in demonstrations in Leipzig. I saw how there was a dichotomy in the West. It got me interested in economic development. I think if the conditions were right I would like to live in a developing country.
I wonder if it is in the cards.”
