Former Bend Mayor Appointed to Board Seat

The Central Oregon Community College (COCC) board of directors today appointed Dr. Jim Clinton, a former mayor of Bend, to represent Zone 5 of the college’s district, one of two positions that covers most of the city limits of Bend.

Clinton will serve through June 30, 2019. The seat will appear on the May ballot and be filled by election. Clinton replaces John Mundy who resigned in December. A committee of three board members interviewed three candidates for the position this past week.

Clinton served as Bend mayor from 2012 through 2016, the final four years of his 12 years of service on the Bend City Council. He was born and raised in Lakeview and earned his bachelor’s in physics from the University of Oregon, and both a master’s and doctorate degree in physics from the University of California at San Diego. As a scientist, Clinton was president of Energy Science Laboratories, Inc., and owner of both Solar Energy Analysis Lab and D-Star Labs, a contract research and development company that worked on sensors and medical devices. He also developed and taught a class for solar energy technicians at a community college in California, and was on the faculty at the University of San Diego.

"Dr. Clinton showed us in the interview that he has true passion for our students and the work of COCC in the community,” said Laura Craska Cooper, chair of the COCC board of directors. “We believe he will be a great addition to our board and be able to assist us immediately."

For more information, contact Ron Paradis, executive director of College Relations, at 541-383-7599.