Bios

Sam Carpenter
Chair

Occupation: CEO Multiple Companies, turn-around business consultant, Author
Occupational Background: Multi-business owner, project manager, CEO
Educational Background: SUNY ESF Ranger School, forest tech degree A.A.S
Prior Government Experience: None

Sam has been active in Oregon politics for eight years. His previous statewide primary campaigns included assisting Jason Conger in his 2014 U.S. Senate bid, a run for U.S. Senate 2016, and the 2018 gubernatorial primary race.
Sam’s book, The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less was first published in the spring of 2008. The third edition was released in October 2011 and has been revised numerous times, most recently in July of 2018. His second book, The Systems Mindset: Managing the Machinery of your Life, was published in June 2016.
His new book, Making Oregon Great Again: Guide to the Grassroots Revitalization of the Oregon Republican Party (and the Defeat of the Ruling Class), will be published on January 17th, 2019. On that date it will be available for free download on his website.
Sam’s area of expertise is in business management and business turn-around strategies.
With a blue-collar background, Sam’s educational background includes a technical degree in forestry. His career includes scores of occupations before the age of 35, before he went into business for himself in 1985.
Sam is President and majority owner of Centratel, a Bend- based fifty- employee company in Bend that he has owned and operated for 35 years; Pathway One, a social media marketing company based in Bend and Mirandola, Italy, Work the System Consulting, and North Sister Publishing. Sam is the founder and director of Kashmir Family Aid, a 501c3 non-profit that assists survivors of the 2005 earthquake in remote Azad Kashmir (www.kashmirfamily.org).
Regarding the upcoming ORP elections, Sam says, “Obviously, the ORP needs new direction: it has a primary purpose as stated in the bylaws, to “’…elect Republicans, who promote the platform of the Oregon Republican Party to public office…’”
Born and raised in upstate New York, Sam is married to Diana Carpenter and resides in Bend. Outside interests include mountaineering, skiing, cycling, reading, traveling and writing. He’s been an Oregonian since 1975.
There is much more information regarding Sam’s background and political positioning on this website and Facebook page, “Sam Carpenter Make Oregon Great Again.”

Wally Hicks
Vice Chair

Occupation: Josephine County Legal Counsel (Elected)
Occupational Background: Attorney
Educational Background: United States Naval Academy (Annapolis), B.S.; University of Oregon, Doctor of Jurisprudence; Harvard University’s JFK School of Government, Executive Education.
Prior Governmental Experience: U.S. Marine Captain (Iraq War Veteran); Deputy District Attorney; State Representative & Republican House Whip; Current member of the Criminal Justice Commission; Eagle Scout.

Oregon adopted a unique vote by mail system in 1998. Voters have since become conditioned to delay focusing on elections until they possess a ballot. Consequently, campaigning has split into two separate phases. Phase One, which is before ballots go out, is the Messaging Phase. Phase Two begins when most ballots go into the mail 18 days before elections and is the “Get Out the Vote” or Ground Phase.
Polling shows time and again that Republican candidates and causes are competitive or winning just prior to the ballot drop. But repeatedly, when we watch election night returns those numbers fail to bear out. Even in Oregon, Republican values resonate enough that we don’t lose during the Messaging Phase. We lose in the Ground Phase.
Especially in Oregon, Republicans don’t lose to Democrats. Republicans lose to government unions. The Democrats’ advantage is that highly organized, economically motivated government unions run their Ground Phase.
That’s where the Oregon Republican Party comes in. This half-million-plus member army has more than enough resources, talent, experience and motivation to win any election. What the ORP requires from its leadership is a clear goal, a plan for how to get there, and the willingness to hold people accountable.
The ORP leadership’s first order of business must be to take a statewide inventory of all the talent and other resources already dwelling within Republican ranks. Republicans can then deploy a coordinated, organized ground campaign that minimizes any duplication of – or gaps in – effort.
There is a way to win elections in Oregon. Just ask the government unions. With the right leadership the ORP can employ union methods bigger and better than anyone else. Now let’s get back out onto that field and shock the world!

Gayle Ostgard
Secretary

Occupation: Retired, Consultant, Career Coach, Community Service
Occupational Background: High Tech Senior Director, Marketing & Sales
Educational Background: Wilson High School, Portland Community College
Prior Government Experience: PCP, Board of Commissioner Appointee Washington County RROMAC Advisory Board

Gayle Ostgard is a retired high-tech executive who is known for developing proactive strategies to better position organizations to maximize results. As such, Gayle often found herself in roles building new teams and transforming organizations. She is passionate about creating innovative approaches and driving necessary change to move organizations forward. She has an open, direct style that builds trust with those around her resulting in high-performing teams that brainstorm, unite and deliver exceptional results.
Gayle spent 19 years at Intel Corporation, 8 years at Sequent Computer and 12 years at Tektronix.
At Intel, at the startup of Intel’s server business, Gayle led development of the Standard High-Volume Server initiative, led a strategic industry-wide campaign with $100M+ budget for a new architecture, built the first central global server marketing organization, led a global software enterprise partner alliances team, and transformed a global sales business enabling operation to align to a new direction.
Prior to Intel, Gayle worked at Sequent Computer Systems in OEM sales, service logistics, strategic program to CEO, and GM of a global and highly profitable re-marketed manufacturing, marketing and sales P/L.
At Tektronix, after 10 years managing a multi-site, 24/7 Engineering/Scientific IT Operation, she was hand-picked by exec management to work with Michael Porter’s consulting firm for 2 years on a Competitive Advantage/Strategy divestiture program. This is core to Gayle’s ability to assess an organizations ability to compete, reset strategies and re-tool an organization to succeed.
Currently Gayle consults, provides career coaching, is a Washington County PCP and is appointed by the Board of Commissioners to a 4-year term on the Washington County Rural Roads and Maintenance Advisory Committee (RROMAC).
As a candidate for Secretary of the ORP, she is offering her experience to help unify efforts and modernize our infrastructure as critical elements to GOP success in 2020 and beyond. Gayle attended Wilson High School and Portland Community College with a focus on general business and management related education. She has extensive leadership education throughout her 40 years in the industry.

Tracy Cheeseman
Treasurer

Occupation: Business Manager
Occupational Background: Business Owner/manager
Educational Background: B.S. in Business Administration
Prior Governmental Experience: None

I was born and raised in La Grande on a multi-generation cattle ranch. After working both on and off the ranch during my k-12 school years, I attended Oregon State University where I earned a B.S. in Business Administration. My adult life has been spent building and growing successful small businesses as well as raising two wonderful boys, one of whom is an active duty Marine. Currently I am working on the ranch managing a specialized hybrid sunflower production operation.
I am running for Treasurer because It is more than evident that the current leadership has failed. What do we have to lose by electing new officers and trying a different approach? Somehow the powers-that-be have been unable to prevent a series of progressive governors and now we have supermajorities in our Legislature. As a political party, can we sink any lower?
Do we really want MORE of this?
The ORP platform has been ignored. Why even have a platform?
ORP Platform Preamble; “We, the Oregon Republican Party, in support of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; to ensure justice, order, domestic tranquility , and the general welfare; as one nation under God; support ethical and accountable candidates and public officials who advocate these principles and those stated in this platform.”
The current leadership has not been effective in identification and recruitment of conservative candidates to even run for office. Democrats ran unopposed in over 25% of Oregon House races. ORP leadership continues to alienate and lose members. The failed Republican Gubernatorial candidate could not even support our duly elected Republican President, let alone support the ORP platform.
With President Trump, the Oregon Republican conservative base has been energized! Now is the time to stick to our values and ideals without apology! Let’s jump on the Trump train and let him help us here in Oregon.
We can turn Oregon Red and the first step is a reinvigoration of ORP leadership.
I am asking for your vote to be your new ORP Treasurer.