Historic Landmarks Board: Board Members

Claude Romig

After a decade-long adventure working as a professional musician and traveling around the hemisphere, I enrolled at UCLA to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering. After graduation I worked for a couple of years with a consulting firm specializing in alternative fuel development projects. When my wife (whom I met working on a cruise ship) became pregnant, we decided to move to a more family-friendly city such as Portland, Oregon. I soon found work as a Process Engineer here in Forest Grove. Now, ten years later, I am working at Pacific University as Systems Administrator for the Financial Aid Department.

Over the years, we moved from Portland, and eventually settled down in Old Town Forest Grove. We love the small town atmosphere and the wonderful historic architecture. Working for the Historic Landmarks Board gives me the opportunity to preserve and protect this wonderful historic ambience.

Neil Poulsen

Neil has lived in west Forest Grove for thirteen years. He’s currently semi-retired, enjoying his lifelong interest as an architectural photographer and providing digital services to the imaging community. During his professional career, he began by teaching math in eastern Oregon. He later entered graduate school at Oregon State University and obtained his Masters and Ph.D. in Statistics. He’s worked as a consulting statistician at the Dial Research Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, at Intel for nine years in multiple locations, and at Merix for over four years.

George Cushing

I was born in Portland. We lived first in Washington and later moved to Sparks, Nevada, where I grew up. When my wife, son and I moved to Forest Grove in 1980, we learned my mother had attended Pacific University as a young woman. It's a small world. After a career in travel, first with United Airlines and then in travel agencies, I started looking around at alternate career opportunities. With a love of homes, owning "fixer uppers" and rentals and enjoying working on them, the choice was fairly easy. My wife and I opened Cue Construction, Inc., in Sept 2001, first as a part-time venture and then in September of 2003 full time. In the spring of 2004, our son joined us in the business and we continue to focus primarily on remodels and repairs.

Although we don't currently live in a historic house, our son and his family bought our 1936 vintage house in the Clark district and his children attend the same schools he attended. I thoroughly enjoy volunteering with the historic landmarks board. The opportunity to learn more about this wonderful town and working to preserve the history are a great reward.

Kevin Kamberg

Although technically a native Californian, I'm about as close to a native Oregonian as a person could be without actually having been born here. I've lived in Oregon since I was four, my father is a native Oregonian, his father is a native Oregonian and my great-grandfather came to Oregon via the legendary Oregon Trail. Except for a brief stint living in France and an even briefer stint living in Northern Washington, I've lived in Western Washington County since 1977 and in Forest Grove since 1992.

While I have never owned a historic home, I am a long-time fan of PBS's "This Old House" and "The Antiques Roadshow" television programs. Professionally I am a Master Finisher/Painter and have managed the paint shop for a Portland exhibit house since early 2001. I'm also a budding fine woodworker in my off time and my partner and I currently have a few pieces in a Portland gallery. When I'm not doing that I am a single father with two teenage daughters.

My professional experience includes over 30 years as a technical communicator. I have worked as a technical writer, instructional designer, stand-up instructor, Web content author, marketing communications writer, technical and grammatical editor, project leader, and department manager.

I am a standing member of the Board of Directors for the Institute for Culture and Ecology where I assist on a volunteer basis with grant writing and fund raising. I recently helped to set up Forest Grove's Community Gardens, currently providing food for over 200 local area families. My main roles in the community garden committee have involved setting up press opportunities, grant writing, obtaining donations, and writing content for their Website.

Since November 2005 I have been the proud caretaker of the Lelia B. Smith House at 2011 18th Avenue. I say "caretaker" simply because I believe that one can never really own such an amazing house. You can only be lucky enough to be the old painted lady's caretaker for as long as you are allowed. I am happy that I can now help the Historic Landmarks Board by becoming an active member.

I moved to Oregon 25 years ago, and now as a General Contractor in my semi-retirement, I have owned and totally remodeled two old homes in Old Town. I live near Cedar Mill so am not a town resident, by I have come to know the city well with my almost daily commuting. I love Forest Grove and its small town but cosmopolitan atmosphere, and have come to appreciate the challenges facing it. I want to help. My wife and have Midwest (Omaha) roots, but moved here from historic suburbs (Acton, Harvard) west of Boston.

My professional career was in high tech (computers, software) and I have worked for the biggest and the smallest companies, for-profit and non-profit, in technical, managerial and consulting capacities. I serve on the Concordia University Foundation board locally, and I believe my business, contracting and non-profit experience will help continue the historic preservation work. I am honored to be allowed to serve.