Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission Members

Commissioner Dave Parulo 

Congressional District 1, term expires May 2029

Dave Parulo is President & CEO of Explore Tualatin Valley, the destination management organization serving Washington County, Oregon. A tourism executive with more than 18 years of destination management experience and 14 years in hotel operations, he is recognized for strategic leadership, destination marketing, public policy, and building partnerships that strengthen local economies through tourism. 

Since joining Explore Tualatin Valley in 2021, Dave has led initiatives that have advanced the region’s tourism economy through innovative marketing, sound fiscal stewardship, destination development, and collaborative partnerships with government, industry, and community stakeholders. 

Dave remains actively engaged in advancing Oregon’s visitor economy through service on the Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency, Sport Oregon, the Metropolitan Exposition Commission (MERC), the Port of Portland International Air Service Executive Committee, and the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Government Affairs Committee. Nationally, he serves on the Destinations International Advocacy Committee, contributing to industry policy and advocacy efforts. 

He holds degrees in Accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Agricultural Business from Penn State University. Dave is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and a Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) Candidate. 

Congressional District 2, term expires May 2029

Elizabeth Hill was raised in Coos Bay and now lives in Glide with her husband and two children. She has served on the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission since 2021 and as Commission Chair since 2024. Hill brings two decades of experience in Oregon and federal public policy, including work in the United States Senate and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She currently works with communities and organizations on strategic planning, development, and funding strategies. She holds a B.A. from Willamette University and is a proud Ford Family Foundation Scholar. 

Hill is passionate about the role Oregon’s parks and public lands play in the lives of Oregonians and in the health and vitality of communities across the state. She and her family enjoy camping, hiking, and swimming in Oregon’s beautiful rivers and lakes, and she believes Oregon’s state parks are among the state’s greatest shared treasures. She also volunteers in her community with Douglas County Search & Rescue and serves on the boards of Aviva Health and the Umpqua Community College Foundation. 

Congressional District 3, term expires February 2028

 

Betty Izumi is a registered dietitian nutritionist and professor in the joint School of Public Health at Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University where her research and teaching focus on issues at the intersection of sustainability, health equity, and nutrition. Since 2010, she has worked closely with communities across Oregon to develop, implement, and evaluate programs that increase access to nutritious foods while also promoting a vibrant and resilient local food system. 

Betty was born and raised in Canada and is the daughter of Japanese immigrant parents. Family camping trips gave her a lifelong love for the outdoors. As a young adult living in California, she discovered the joy of backpacking, swapping her family’s heavy canvas tent for a lightweight model, ultimately logging thousands of backpacking miles at home and abroad. 

Since moving to Oregon in 2000, Betty has explored all seven regions of the state with her family and friends – by foot, bike, horseback, and kayak – and continues to be in awe of its rugged beauty. Betty believes strongly in the healing power of nature and its ability to bridge cultural gaps and bring people and communities together. Having benefited from the work of others to create and care for Oregon’s state park system, she is committed to helping to preserve it for all Oregonians to enjoy, now and into the future. 

Sara Stephens, based in Coos Bay, Oregon, is a community leader with a lifelong appreciation for Oregon's natural resources and public lands. As Executive Director of the Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board and a Coos Bay City Councilor, she has built a career centered on collaboration, strategic leadership, and strengthening communities. 

Sara is passionate about ensuring that Oregon's parks remain accessible, sustainable, and welcoming for future generations. She has personally visited every Oregon State Park, giving her a firsthand appreciation for the diversity of landscapes, recreational opportunities, and cultural and historic resources that make Oregon's park system one of the nation's finest. 

Throughout her career, Sara has brought together public agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community partners to solve complex challenges and build long-term solutions. She believes Oregon's parks are essential not only to conservation and recreation but also to the economic vitality, health, and quality of life of communities across the state. She is committed to helping ensure the Oregon State Parks system continues to balance stewardship, accessibility, fiscal responsibility, and exceptional visitor experiences for all Oregonians. 

Joel Conder brings more than three decades of public works and engineering expertise to the Oregon State Parks Commission. He served for 32 years as a Senior Engineering Technician with the Marion and Multnomah County Public Works Departments before co-founding Capitol Asset & Pavement Services Inc. in 2008. As co-owner of the engineering data collection firm for 15 years, he specialized in asphalt distress identification and pavement management services until his retirement in 2023. 

His longstanding connection to Oregon’s parks began more than 30 years ago, when he helped implement the State Parks pavement preservation program in 1996. Through that work, he had the distinct privilege of walking every foot of asphalt, concrete, and many unpaved trails throughout the state parks system. Having traveled nearly every highway, county road, and city street in Oregon during his career in pavement distress data collection, Joel is honored to apply his infrastructure expertise and knowledge of Oregon’s history to the preservation and protection of Oregon’s state parks. Being a 58-year-long resident of Oregon, Joel is intent on giving back to the state that has given so much to him and his family. 

In retirement, Joel remains active as Vice Chair of the Oregon State Fair Council, which oversees the Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center in Salem. He also serves on Our Beaver Nation (OBN), an advisory board that supports philanthropic efforts for OSU athletics. Joel also was instrumental in helping found the non-profit organization known as The Marion County Fair Foundation in 2011 and today currently serves as Chairperson. Retirement life also allows Joel to chase his favorite hobbies of gardening and golf. 

Chane Griggs spent most of her career in public service, retiring as the Regional Director for The Oregon Community Foundation. In positions ranging from staff positions in the legislative branch to teaching Japanese in the Salem-Keizer school district to serving as the Assistant Director for the Department of Corrections, Chane primarily worked with a focus on communications and legislative coordination. 

In addition to those opportunities, Chane has consistently volunteered in her community. Although she has served on several non-profit boards, most of her volunteer time is given to City of Salem commissions and boards. In January 2024, Chane stepped down from the Salem Planning Commission after eight years of service. Recently Chane was appointed to the Capitol Planning Commission as an at-large member. 

Chane is also involved in the Rotary Club of Salem, having served as Past President and currently a board member for the Salem Rotary Foundation. Currently she is president of the Salem Police Foundation and a board member of the Oregon State Capitol Foundation. Many, many years ago, Chane studied at Kenyon College and subsequently graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a double major in Political Science and Portuguese. When not volunteering, Chane enjoys race walking; golfing; playing pickleball, knitting and time with family. 

Stu Spence currently serves as the Parks & Recreation Director for the City of La Grande, Oregon. He began his professional career with the Kirkland Boys & Girls Club in the Seattle area as a Youth Development Professional and later advanced to Program Director. He then returned to his hometown of Ellensburg, Washington, where he served for five years as the Youth Programs Director for the Ellensburg Youth & Community Center before moving to Woodburn, Oregon to become the Recreation Services Manager. Stu has a Bachelor’s Degree in Parks & Recreation Management from Central Washington University. 

An active member of the Oregon Recreation & Parks Association (ORPA), Stu has served the organization in several leadership roles, including Secretary, President Elect, President, and Past President of the Board. He currently serves on the Legislative Committee and Leadership Academy Committee and has also been a member of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department's Local Government Grant Advisory Committee. Within his community, Stu is involved with local scouting programs, the Lions Club, and the Union County Safe Communities Coalition. He and his wife, Margaret, have two children, Noah (19) and Gracie (16). Stu is honored and excited to represent the communities east of the Cascades.