Joan Bird was appointed and sworn into office as Sherman County Commissioner on Jan. 2. She joins Judge Joe Dabulskis and Commissioner Tom McCoy.
Bird will represent Sherman County with Mid-Columbia Community Action Council; North Central Public Health District Board; Sherman County Prevention Coalition; Sherman County Public/School Library Board; Sherman County Watershed Council; Sherman County Soil & Water Conservation District; Sherman County Senior & Community Center Advisory Board; and Sherman County Fair Board.
In seeking appointment, Bird expressed appreciation for living and raising her family in Sherman County, and said she wants future generations to feel the same. She said she holds strong ethical standards, is a good listener and likes to gather as much information as possible before making decisions.       Â
Her education and employment gave her a strong foundation for this appointment. She graduated from Dufur Public Schools in 1974 and from Merritt Davis Business School as a legal secretary in 1975.
She worked for Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, 1975-1976, The Dalles Public Schools, 1976-1977 and for the Wasco County Court, 1979-1981, where she learned a great deal about local government administration, planning and governance.
Joan married Jim Bird in 1981 and moved to Sherman County. They have two daughters, Jenna and Marci, and one grandson, Isaiah.
In Sherman County, she worked for Oregon State University Extension organizing 4-H camp, programs for members and leaders and the 4-H side of the county fair. She retired from a job she loved for 28 years with OSU. She just couldn’t stay retired so she went to work for Edward Jones in The Dalles, 2009-2013.
She’s volunteered for youth programs and more recently for the Grass Valley Pavilion Restoration project. Perhaps being a member of the City of Grass Valley Council since 2011 best prepared her for local issues.
Well-deserved honors tell us a lot about her: OSU Exemplary Employee; Jim Klahre Award for Service to Children; Fair Board State Award for Service to Children; Sherman County Cattlemen’s Service Award; and Sherman County Fair Grand Marshal.
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