CORDELL B. SMITH, DPM
PRESIDENT
I was born in Portland, Oregon but mostly raised in Torrington, Connecticut as the middle child of three. My father worked for the YMCA for 35 years and my mother was an elementary school Art teacher. As a youth I was very active in academics, athletics, scouting (attained the rank of Eagle) and church/community/family functions. Out of high school I accepted an academic scholarship to Utah State University, where I pursued studies in the pre-medicine sciences and also ran long distance for their Division I-A cross country and track/field teams.
At that time I chose to take a two year hiatus from college to serve a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This turned out to be a deeply rewarding experience for me both culturally, spiritually, socially, intellectually and linguistically. Upon returning home to the States, I met my wife Sarah Tanner, and soon thereafter transferred to Brigham Young University to continue pursuit of my undergraduate degree. I studied the pre-medicine sciences and chose Spanish as a Major. During those undergraduate college years I worked as a Spanish instructor and also as a CNA at a long-term care center.
In 2003 our family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to begin study at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. The human foot has always fascinated me, its tiny size relative to the amount of weight and load it’s asked to carry and support; nothing short of a miracle in architecture. I worked as a Research Assistant in the school’s Gait Study Center, where I studied various foot types and shoe models. Following four years of podiatric medical study in Philadelphia, I accepted a surgical residency position at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Santa Clara, California, a three-year training program in foot and ankle surgery.
With a growing family and a desire to return to a smaller community, I moved here to Roseburg, Oregon in 2010 to begin employment as a podiatric physician and surgeon. Currently I’m double board certified by the American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery in Foot Surgery and Reconstructive Rearfoot & Ankle Surgery. I’m a member of the American and Oregon Podiatric Medical Associations. I enjoy treating all maladies/disorders of the foot and ankle, including but not limited to: Bunions, heel pain, ingrown toenails, ankle arthritis/instability, foot/ankle tendonitis, hammertoes, diabetic foot wounds, neuromas, cysts and flatfeet.
I also enjoy camping, swimming, hiking, singing, speaking Spanish, and serving in the Church and community. My wife and I have six children, one dog, two cats, a dozen chickens, two rabbits, a green Conure bird, a beehive and a herd of Kiko goats. Podiatry and the Roseburg community have been very good to my family and I. We’re grateful to be members of this community and look forward to what the future may bring.
EMMANUEL OKENYE, DO
VICE PRESIDENT
Dr Emmanuel Okenye, DO is a Traditional Internal Medicine physician with Evergreen Family Medicine. He received his B.S in Chemistry from Lee University in Cleveland, TN. He received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from LMU and completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Kentucky in Bowling Green.
He received recognition as Student Doctor of the Year during medical school and was a national student doctor of the year nominee. Dr Okenye is fluent in multiple languages. He is founder and President of Child Scholars, a nonprofit organization that provides education and mentorship to over 100 at risk children in Nigeria.
CINDY MEDLAR
SECRETARY
Born 100 years after the arrival of my pioneer great-great grandparents in Douglas County who came by way of covered wagon.
This picture is on Little River where they homesteaded 1500 acres. I was raised in Glide where my father was a rancher/logger and my mother was a talented seamstress and floral
arranger/stay-at-home mom. In first grade I wet my pants at school because I was afraid of getting trapped behind the big heavy restroom doors during an unannounced fire drill.
In high school I wrote all of the commentary for a Mother's Tea fashion show and my senior year earned the Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow award.
Some activities I have been involved with:
Docent at Sutter's Fort in Sacramento, CA specializing in costuming school children and their parents for their living history experience.
Organized a nineteenth century themed hands-on event for children ages 3-12.
Catered a re-enactment wagon train that traveled from Utah to San Bernardino in 2001.
Costumer and Stage Manager for award winning youth theater company Take Note Troup.
Organized Christmas events for 200 including dinner & entertainment.
Have been either Head of or Support for Kitchen Staff for week-long youth summer camps.
Have been known to give foot massages to weary kitchen workers.
Has Grandma Camp every summer for various combinations of 13 grandkids ranging from 24-6 years of age.
Caregiver for aging family members.
Most recently created a pop-up outdoor camp kitchen on the Rogue River to feed 100 people for a week. Three canopies, 4 camp chef stoves, 8 prep tables, 160 gallon water tank, and a bunch of ice chests. Super Fun!
To be concise my passions are:
Creating Connections
Cooking
Catering
Costuming
Camping
Advancing the Cause of Thundering Water Upstream Health Care
GARRETT STROUP, PT, DPT
TREASURER
As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, it's innate to develop programs for individuals to achieve their goals. Since opening my company Oregon Mobile Physical Therapy, I have added a new passion of designing programs for our community to achieve its goals. Although, some problems that our community faces are shared with the entire country and others are unique to our community, we all share a common goal of growing a better future. With Thundering Water Upstream Healthcare. I am excited to help the kids grow through sports like rock climbing, paddleboarding, and other adventurous activities. I am excited to help kids develop their leadership skills through team building activities. I am excited to help kids engage in our community. Thank you and I encourage everybody to sign up for our newsletter to stay in contact with us.
BRIAN HERRING
I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. Each year, my family and I would spend several weeks hiking and camping in the Cascade Range and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Following high school, I pursued a college degree at the University of Oregon, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Fine Art. After graduation from U of O, I began my career in financial services. I worked as a licensed insurance agent for several years, concluding my insurance career with State Farm.
Shortly after starting an MBA program, majoring in corporate finance, I was recruited by a financial advisory firm. After several years working for a national company, I was dissatisfied with their primary focus on revenue and asset growth and their one-size-fits-most approach to financial advising. I felt they weren’t looking out for my clients’ best interests. Soon after my decision to move on, I accepted an offer to work in retail banking growing relationships with high-net-worth clients. While this decision had brought me to Roseburg, Oregon, I had to temporarily shelve my advising license.
Most recently, I have joined a wealth management firm that puts its clients’ interests first. I am honored to be a part of a fiduciary Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm that is dedicated to taking care of all facets of clients’ financial lives. Our three-person team works with ultra-high-net-worth clients, personally overseeing $270MM in assets under advisement. We advise clients regarding in-depth tax planning strategies, concentrated equity positions, philanthropic planning and wealth transfer strategies. My next goal is to pursue a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, which typically takes 18 months to two years.
My wife, Cherie, has a background working with disadvantaged youth in the school system. She has seen firsthand how children growing up in socio-economically challenging situations are impacted by a lack of resources, both physical and mental, that lead to making bad choices. Early on in her career Cherie realized she may be the only one on a daily basis to make a positive impact in a child’s life. Recently, however, Cherie decided to go back to school and has begun pursuing an education in physical therapy.
Personally, Cherie and I have a blended family. We have six kids, four girls and two boys. The oldest two girls are in college, the third oldest is a recent high school graduate. At home, we have Jake who is a junior at Roseburg High School, and William and Bree who are in 8th grade at Joseph Lane Middle School. Jake is currently involved in soccer, while William enjoys basketball most and is involved in National Junior Honor Society, and he and Bree are finishing up cross country. Cherie and I enjoy traveling. Cherie has traveled all over the world, including Africa, Egypt, Russia, and Western Europe. I continue to have a love for the outdoors and enjoy every chance I get to hit the trail.
I have spent nearly three decades volunteering my time to my community, giving back, and trying to make a difference. Before moving from Medford, Oregon, to Roseburg I was briefly involved with the Rotary Club of Medford. My entire life, I have been surrounded by people who have cared for there community and given of their time. I am very excited for the vision Cordell has for Thundering Water and hope to provide insight and guidance that can prove useful in bringing it to fruition.
RYAN MELTON, PhD
CHAIR
Dr. Melton earned his Ph. D. in 2012 from Oregon State University and is currently the Dean of the School of Psychology and Counseling at Bushnell University in Eugene. In addition to this role at Bushnell University, Dr. Melton is a clinical supervisor and consultant at Peacehealth University District Hospital and owns a private practice where he provides clinical consultation, supervision and training regarding evidenced based practices for mental health care to programs and individuals nationwide. Dr. Melton has published multiple papers, treatment manuals and textbook chapters, a TED speaker and has presented at local, national and international conferences. Dr. Melton’s research focus is on the impact of interventions with individuals experiencing early symptoms of mental illness, engagement strategies, effective treatment and reducing duration of untreated mental illness. Dr. Melton is certified is providing training for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Feedback Informed Treatment, using the Structured Interview for DSM 5 disorders (SCID) and one of seven individuals in the world certified by Yale University to train clinicians in the use of the Structured Interview for Psychosis Risk Syndromes (SIPS). He is also approved by the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists to provide supervision of supervision to certify approved supervisors.
He is a strong advocate for the health care needs for individuals with mental health concerns. He has been involved with legislative action to increase mental health access to individuals with severe mental health concerns, including our foster care children, aging population and veterans.
He is active in volunteerism as he is the active president of the Roseburg Rotary Club and the FARA Board and a member of the AVIVA Board.
Ryan enjoys what Douglas County has to offer in terms of hiking, running, cycling, playing in the rivers and is a local wine enthusiast. He is married to his wife Rebekah and is the parent of two young daughters.
ANCA DAUER, DO
Dr. Dauer grew up on the East Coast after having been born and raised in Romania until the age of 6. As a young adult, she could usually be spotted chasing around a soccer ball or singing in choir. Besides her love for sports and music, Dr. Dauer caught a passion for international travel and medical mission trips at a young age and has since served across Central and South America, Asia, Africa, and The Middle East. In-between her travels, she squeezed in some time to obtain her medical degree from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia. She then completed the In His Image Family Medicine Residency Program in Tulsa, Oklahoma before moving out to Roseburg, where she was excited to find a fun, like-minded group of people practicing full-spectrum Family Medicine.
Her practice philosophy embraces whole person care, addressing the physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs of her patients. She is especially passionate about women's health, lifestyle medicine, and pediatrics, and will always do her best to win each individuals trust while educating, encouraging, and guiding them towards better health and wholeness.
Outside of medicine Dr. Dauer and her husband enjoy playing hide-and-seek with their toddler, cooking international food, adventuring in the outdoors, and hosting game nights and small groups.
JAZMIN VANEGAS WATTERS
Hi! My name is Jazmin Vanegas I was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In August 2016 my adventure of living in the United States began and I can say that between challenges and obstacles it has been very rewarding. Having grown up in my country gives me the opportunity to value the importance of a healthy diet and an active life in order to improve the lifestyle of every human being. A good lifestyle gives me the opportunity to do what I enjoy the most, which is spending time with my family, learning new things, and enjoying the marvels of the cycle of life.
JASON GUENNEL, PT, DPT
I moved to Roseburg in the fall of 2017 after accepting a position at Mercy Medical Center. I was drawn to the area due to the numerous hiking trails, riverways, and undeniable natural beauty. Since relocating, I have desired to become more involved in the community as I continue to set down roots.
As a physical therapist, I specialize in movement as medicine. Many of the diseases that we face in our society are heavily influenced by our diet and lack of activity. I can treat individuals to improve their health and wellness; however, my personal ability to make an impact can only go so far. I joined Thundering Water as a way to increase my outreach to affect the health and wellness of more individuals within the community.
HEIDI MARKS
INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
With a history of interest in harm reduction and a background studying chemistry and science, I have had an exciting and rewarding career in product development. This work took me all over China as I sourced surrogate materials to replace ones used in manufacturing processes to reduce harm to both the environment and the end user. After several years in this field, I yearned to stay closer to home. I opened a successful jazz lounge where I enjoyed hosting musicians from all over the country. When Covid struck, it forced me to close, so I pivoted and attended nonprofit marketing, management, and grant writing courses. This experience brought me to my current position with Thundering Water, where I enjoy developing and initiating plans to help Douglas County fill gaps in rectifying social determinants of health.
Associate of Science transfer degree. Three years of study at PSU toward my Bachelor's degree.
I enjoy wildcrafting and permaculture gardening. My other hobbies include refurbishing my historic home and working on my 2002 Crummy fire crew transport vehicle and a 1954 Chevy sedan.
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Thundering Water
1813 W Harvard Ave. Suite 448
Roseburg, OR 97471
For further details and questions please call or email.