I have known Jamie McLeod Skinner since 2020 when I was the full time (volunteer) Bend office manager for her Congressional District 2 campaign. That was a great vantage point for seeing how she interacted with staff and other volunteers, chatting with her, and learning about her experience and values.

I observed great rapport with staff and volunteers — always ready to listen, respectful, open to ideas and suggestions, and prompt in making decisions and responding to queries. I see her bringing these interpersonal skills and values to the current campaign for Congressional District 5.

Jamie is also the only candidate from Central Oregon, a real plus given that all our state-level officials are from the Western side of the Cascades. With her close understanding of water, wildfire and tribal issues unique to Central Oregon, Jamie would give us a voice in Congress that has been sadly lacking. And of course, a voice that is not beholden to PAC money.

Jamie’s international experience brings a unique strength. She lived in Africa while in grade school, and worked as an engineer and environmental analyst in wartime Kosovo and Bosnia in 1997-98. I was working in Kosovo in 2017-18, and met a senior local official who still fondly remembered her. With all the international and refugee challenges facing the U.S. today, Jamie would hit the ground running in Congress.

Jamie’s personal integrity and her experience with international affairs, as well as her understanding of Central Oregon, make her the perfect candidate for CD 5.

Inge Fryklund

Bend

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