About the Board
Meet the Trustees
Sheila Clough
Board Chair
Chair, Executive and Audit Committee
Sheila Clough is the chief executive officer of Mercy Flights, a Southern Oregon-based provider of medical treatment and transport services. Prior to this, she served as the chief executive officer of Asante Ashland Community Hospital and has worked as a healthcare executive for nearly 20 years.
Prior to joining Asante, Clough served in a progression of leadership roles from 1998 through 2013 with Ministry Howard Young Health Care in Woodruff, Wisconsin, eventually rising to the role of president and chief operating officer.
Dr. Richard J. Bailey, Jr.
SOU President
President Richard J. Bailey, Jr., joined SOU in January 2022, after overseeing the resurgence of Northern New Mexico College during five-plus years as president. He previously completed a 24-year career in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a full colonel and command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours. Dr. Bailey earned accolades on and off campus while at Northern New Mexico College, increasing enrollment by more than 20 percent, cutting student loan defaults by more than 50 percent and more than doubling the college’s graduation rate – all without an increase in tuition rates.
Brent Barry
Brent Barry currently serves as the superintendent of the Phoenix-Talent School District, a position he has held since 2017. He has worked in the K-12 school district for nearly 20 years in numerous positions – from teacher and athletic director to assistant principal and school principal – and is now, its chief executive.
Iris Maria Chavez
Iris Maria Chávez is a government affairs, community engagement, and communications professional. With over 15 years of experience working with advocacy organizations and think tanks to advance state and federal policy, Iris Maria is focused on improving outcomes for communities and increasing government accountability.
As part of this work, she has successfully built issue advocacy campaigns with a variety of advocacy and civil rights organizations across the country leading to bipartisan legislation providing critical investments in education, public safety, and child welfare.
Michelle Fuentes
Michelle Fuentes is a dedicated youth services professional with extensive experience in education and detention services. She is an undergraduate student majoring in criminal justice and has dedicated much of her career to supporting youth. She recently joined the Oregon Department of Human Services as a Family Coordinator and serves in the Policy and Advocate Internship Program with Our Children Oregon.
Rose Harwood
Rose Harwood is a freelance writer and actor who has been seen on television, in films, and heard on national commercials. Rose has produced, managed financials, and run logistics for numerous independent films. Rose is also the founding executive director of Unseen Films Oregon, a nonprofit organization providing opportunities and mentorship for diverse populations working in all aspects of media production.
Ashley King
Ashley King is the compliance coordinator for Southern Oregon University, where she develops and implements policies and procedures to ensure university compliance with various state and federal laws. Her work includes extensive reporting, including the production of SOU’s Annual Clery and Security and Fire Safety Reports. With expertise in public procurement, contract administration, and policy development, she also supports university compliance for contracting and risk management. Ashley has worked at SOU for over a decade, and her prior roles include service center manager, senior purchasing and contracting specialist, and others.
Debra Fee Jing Lee
Debra Fee Jing Lee was born in Toisan, China. She immigrated with her family to Providence, RI in 1956. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and a juris doctorate from Antioch School of Law in Washington, D.C.
Since 1989, Debra has served as the Executive Director of the Center for NonProfit Legal Services in Medford, OR. Prior to this, she practiced as a legal aid attorney in West Tennessee, Central Arkansas, and Jackson County. She has contributed innovative ideas to critical poverty issues, supported diversity, and increased access to justice.
Christina Maria Medina
As the Manager of Stakeholder Policy and Engagement for Pacific Power, she focuses on designing, delivering, and successfully implementing stakeholder input processes and outcomes in California, Oregon, and Washington. Fostering the development of new programs for low-income customer support, reducing energy burdens for vulnerable populations, and other ways to equitably distribute clean energy benefits to utility customers. In her role, Christina establishes and supports relationships with prominent public and private businesses, governmental organizations, and social and environmental justice groups.
Daniel P. Santos
After more than two decades of service to four Oregon governors, SOU alumnus Daniel P. Santos most recently served as associate dean for student affairs and administration at Willamette University College of Law. He oversaw student recruitment, student services, placement activities, and administrative duties at the law school.
Dr. Hala Schepmann
Hala Schepmann is a Professor of Chemistry at Southern Oregon University. Her research interests include natural products in drug discovery and the development of inclusive teaching strategies. Dr. Schepmann graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. She holds an M.S. in organic chemistry from University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry from Rice University.
Elizabeth (Liz) Shelby
Elizabeth (Liz) Shelby is an experienced public higher education administrator and small business counselor. Before retiring after 25 years of service to Southern Oregon University, she was the chief of staff to three university presidents and she served six presidents as the university’s director of government relations. During her time as director of government Relations, Liz was involved with several significant transformations at SOU including the name change from Southern Oregon State College in 1997, and the change in governance to a public institution with an independent governing Board of Trustees in 2015.
Matt Stephenson serves as President and CEO of Rogue Credit Union, a role he assumed in 2022 after nearly two decades of leadership within the organization. Since joining Rogue in 2004, Matt has advanced through a variety of key positions—including Chief Operations Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Executive Vice President—shaping the credit union’s growth and member-focused mission.
Barry Thalden
Barry Thalden and his wife, Kathryn, moved to Ashland to retire in 2012. Almost immediately, they became immersed in making good things happen in the community. The Thaldens previously lived in Las Vegas where Barry was CEO of the architectural firm he founded in 1971 and guided for 43 years. Thalden Boyd Emery Architects, with offices in St. Louis, Tulsa, Phoenix and Las Vegas, specialized in designing large-scale projects, including resorts and casinos, throughout the United States.
Office of the Board of Trustees
The Office of the Board of Trustees is located at 1250 Siskiyou Blvd. in Churchill Hall, room 107.
Sabrina Prud’homme
Contact
SOU Board of Trustees
trustees@sou.edu
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.8055