Finance and Administration Committee Members

Brad Stephens (Chair)

Education: Harvard University, AB, 1964; Tufts University School of Medicine, MD, 1968; Dartmouth Medical School Orthopedic Residency, 1975.

Occupation: Retired orthopedic surgeon.

Biography: Brad established his orthopedic surgery practice in La Grande in 1975 and was the team physician for EOU, helping teach courses on athletic injuries. In 1993 he was named Medical Director of the United State Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. He returned to Eastern Oregon in 2007 and settled in Wallowa County, where he practiced until 2014. He has served as Secretary to the EOU Foundation Board of Directors for the past two years and is the Chair of Wallowa Resources, a nonprofit dedicated to sustaining the working landscape in Wallowa County.

Cedric Riel (Vice Chair)

cariel@eou.edu

Education: Eastern Oregon University, Masters of Business Administration

Occupation: Team Leader Production, Lamb Weston in Boardman, OR

Biography: Cedric Riel recently graduated from EOU summa cum laude in both Economics and in Business. He was recognized as the Outstanding Student within the MBA program, which he completed this last academic year. While obtaining these degrees, Cedric has continued to compete in football, a sport of which has contributed to the development of his character. He is passionate about serving the EOU community and has been involved with ASEOU, serving as Senate Chair in 2019-20 and as Director of Financial Affairs in 2020-21. Now, he is excited to be beginning his management experience at Lamb Weston in Boardman while he also begins a permanent Trustee position this next year. He looks forward to being able to continue to serve the EOU community.

George Mendoza

gmendoza@eou.edu

Education: Northwest Nazarene University, Master of Education Leadership; Eastern Oregon University, Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education.

Occupation: Superintendent, La Grande School District.

Biography: George has over 20 years of experience working in education as an elementary school teacher, administrator, and coach. Prior to his current post with the La Grande School District, he was the Assistant Superintendent/Director of Special Education at Morrow County School District.

Christine Cronin

ccronin@eou.edu

Education:  B. S. Ed, University of North Dakota. 

Occupation:  former EOU Regional Center Director in John Day, OR. 

Biography: Christine was born in Burns and has lived in John Day for 40+ years.  For twenty-three years she served students in Grant County and beyond, through EOU’s outstanding distance education programs.   She believes that high quality K-20 public education is the key to our success as country, state, and region.  She has been an educational advocate and policy-maker through her work on the Oregon School Board Association Board of Directors, as a current member of her local ESD board of Directors, and as a former board chair and 8-year member of her local school board. She was named EOU’s Distinguished Administrative Professional in 2017.