About From Chicken to Eagle: Seven Women Paddling Whitewater and Navigating Life:
From Chicken to Eagle: Seven Women Paddling Whitewater and Navigating Life is a story of seven women who took a wilderness adventure at a time—1979—when women were starting to test their mettle in society and in the wilderness. Unique for that era, we received sponsorship from Canoe magazine, REI and other outfitters, and were covered extensively at the time by Eugene media and Canoe magazine. The eleven-day journey was a time of laughter, friendship, fear and life-threatening challenge.
The river adventure also helped launch each of us on new pathways in our lives and careers, and inspired us to accomplish things beyond our imaginations and comfort levels. At our 40th reunion we decided to write this book. Our chapters share how the courage we used in Alaska helped push our careers into upper levels of responsibility and management where previous generations of women had not succeeded.
Author Bios:
Jesse Reeder: Jesse was the first female general manager of an electric utility, and later taught communication and management skills, including for the Oregon Health Sciences University. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Residing during the winter at their home in Loreto, Mexico, where she paddleboards and kayaks, Jesse spends summers in Bend, Oregon with her husband Dirk.
Deb Jackson Brewer: Deb was head of strategic management for a mid-sized utility, and opened a child-development center at the utility that is still operating today. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Recently an active member of the Ambassadors Ski Patrol at Mt Bachelor, Deb hikes, backpacks and rafts with friends, and spends time with her grandchild
Rosalyn McKeown-Ice: Rosalyn directed a research center at the University of Tennessee and was a program specialist at UNESCO, where she led development in the field of education for sustainable development. She holds Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Geography and a Master’s in Education. Living in Salem Oregon, and near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Rosalyn canoes and rides a tandem bicycle with her husband Gene (recently completing a cross country ride from San Diego to Florida!), anchors a prison ministry and babysits grandchildren.
Kamala Bremer: Kamala was region manager for a state agency that pioneered changes to eldercare, and later consulted with human service and community organizations to develop and improve their programs. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Public Administration. Living in Portland, Oregon, Kamala writes about and volunteers for nature with her husband Les, monitoring wildlife for Portland Audubon and for state and federal parks.