Lynn's Bio (old)

Howe experience matters

Lynn Howe became a leader in her profession serving on local, state and national occupational health nursing boards; she will bring a lifetime of experience to the Oregon Legislature.

• Lynn taught middle school
• Served as a VISTA volunteer
• Was a staff nurse at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago
• Became an occupational health nurse and administrator
• Managed employee health services for more than 9000 employees in Michigan

Leadership, Commitment

• Spearheaded a coalition that conducted town hall meetings throughout Jackson County to discuss the county funding crisis
• Member League of Women Voters
•  Chair  Jackson County Library Advisory Committee
• Coordinated volunteers for the Medford Market Food Coop

Bio

Lynn grew up in Kentucky, graduated from Duke University in North Carolina, went to New York to teach middle school while attending graduate school, and was a VISTA Volunteer in St. Louis. After meeting her husband, Jim, they raised a family in Chicago for 13 years and then lived in the Detroit area for 20 years. She and Jim will celebrate 35 years of marriage this summer!

Her first nursing job was staff nurse at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago working in general medicine. When the family moved to Detroit, she became an occupational health nurse and administrator. She drove all over Michigan working with large and small schools, businesses and manufacturing workplaces to improve health and safety and make sure injured workers received quality health care. In the process, she became a leader in her profession and served on local, state and national occupational health nursing boards. Her last position was with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan, where she was manager of employee health services for more than 9,000 employees.

The Howes retired in 2004 and settled in Medford in 2007 where Jim's family had moved in 1963 and where Jim finished high school. Jim's dad, Bill Howe was a banker.  He and the late Lillian Howe were founders of the St. Vincent DePaul chapter here. Lynn and Jim's daughter and son now live in San Francisco an easy target for frequent visits and much closer than back and forth from Michigan.

Lynn chairs the Jackson County Library Advisory Committee, is a member of  the League of Women Voters, the Heart of Medford Association, the Senior Advocacy Committee of RVCOG and on the statewide Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators.  After the libraries closed here in 2007, Lynn helped conduct five town hall meetings so people could speak out about the county funding crisis.

Her main goal in the Oregon Legislature is to work with both parties to develop stable economies and good jobs in Medford and statewide while focusing on key issues in health care, youth and education that are so important to all of us and to our families.