Deschutes Public Library Board Selects New Member for Zone 4

Posted By:  Tina Walker Davis
Date Posted:  6/15/2026

Deschutes Public Library Board members voted to appoint Bend resident Brian Tanis to the Zone 4 Library Board position; he was sworn in at the Board’s June 10 meeting at the Sisters Library.

“We appreciate Brian’s dedication to serving the library and the community by taking on this role,” said Library Director Todd Dunkelberg. “The Library Board is eager to begin working with him.”

The vacancy comes after board member Betsy Tucker resigned her position in April. Library Board members Michele Anderson, Laura Leis, Ann Malkin, and Erin Trimble voted 4–0 in favor of Tanis’s appointment.

“We are very fortunate here in Deschutes County to have a fantastic library system with lots of public support,” Tanis says, “but ensuring that success requires continued action. As someone with experience serving as board member for other organizations and with a background in education, I aim to work collaboratively with the board and library leadership to continue to strengthen and expand the impact of the library.”

Tanis been a part of the Central Oregon community since moving to the Bend area in 2020, building ties he established over several years conducting ecological research in the region. As a scientist and educator, he is dedicated to promoting lifelong learning, engaging experiences and access to supportive spaces for the community. Tanis says he’s keen to serve as a liaison and work collaboratively with the board to steward and support the vital role of the library in Deschutes County.

“Personally, I am a big proponent of lifelong learning, curiosity and discovery,” Tanis says. “Libraries play a key role in both developing and facilitating that journey through access to resources and highly engaging programs. I also believe that having an accessible space for people to gather and develop communities is an increasingly important role for libraries, especially here in Central Oregon.”

Tanis will serve in the Zone 4 position through June 30, 2027. The Zone 4 position will be up for public election in May 2027.