About
USS Ranger CV-61 is a Forrestal class aircraft carrier built in Newport News, Virginia. Commissioned on August 10, 1957, Ranger displaces 56,300 tons. She is 1,046 feet long, 130 feet across, and 249.5 feet at extreme beam width. At sea she cruised at 34 knots and carried a crew of 3,826.
A veteran of Operation Desert Storm and the Vietnam War, she earned 13 battle stars for her service in Vietnam. A movie star, she has appeared in several movies including Top Gun and Star Trek IV.
Currently in Bremerton, Washington, she awaits her new mission in Fairview, Oregon.
The USS Ranger Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit corporation and is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors.
Team Ranger Staff
President/CEO: Captain Peter Ogle USN (ret)
Portland, Oregon
A Naval Aviator with 26 years active duty, Peter managed the Fleet Introduction Team for a 40 billion dollar Navy/Marine Corps strike fighter aircraft program. He was an executive director of a California museum project involved in land acquisition, museum design, and fund raising. Peter is a full time volunteer.
Senior Advisor: Lonnie Dicus
Oregon City, Oregon
With more than 25 years real estate development expertise, Lonnie has managed projects in both the public and private sectors. Most recently with the City of Beaverton, Lonnie was responsible for the city’s downtown redevelopment effort, urban renewal and a number of public outreach projects. His responsibilities also included managing the city’s downtown district energy system, which has achieved national recognition.
Prior to Lonnie’s work at the City, he managed Portland General Electric’s wholly owned real estate development company (Columbia Willamette Development Company), which developed, owned and operated properties throughout the Western US. While there, Lonnie was directly involved or oversaw the management of office, retail, residential and recreational assets. In addition to his real estate work at Portland General, Lonnie also developed energy infrastructure projects that included gas, electric and telecommunications.
Development Director: Shannon Chisom
Gresham, Oregon
Shannon is a Pacific Northwest fund raising consultant and event manager specializing in non-profit management with 20 years experience. She came onto the project to re-brand the Foundation as a viable business as it moves from a volunteer board to a staff driven business. Shannon brings a proven track record raising funds for multi-million dollar projects.
Site Development Director: Garth Everhart
Fairview, Oregon
As a developer with over 25 years of experience, Mr. Everhart has developed properties throughout the Northwest and Hawaii. He has specialized in waterfront, shopping centers and mixed-use projects the most recent of which is Fairview Village located in Fairview, Oregon. Mr. Everhart also holds contractors licenses in Oregon and Hawaii and is a NAHB Certified Green Builder.
Currently Mr. Everhart is CEO of The Everhart Company and the Managing Member of the Pe’ahi Farm I, LLC in Maui, Hawaii. He also provides real estate consulting services on domestic and international projects including those in China.
Mr. Everhart is a past Board member for the Boy Scouts of America, Maui, Hawaii and is working for USS Ranger Foundation to relocate the aircraft carrier – as the world’s largest floating air-sea-space museum – to the Columbia River in Fairview, Oregon.
Mr. Everhart holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Political Science from Stanford University. In addition he has a Masters in Business Administration for Finance and Operations Management from the University of Washington.
Online Media Manager: Kimberly Cook
Clackamas, Oregon
Kimberly is an active-duty Army and Air Force Reserve veteran. She is a military author, former Veterans Affairs Medical Center Public Affairs Officer, and award-winning journalist and photojournalist with thirteen years of web experience. She brought the Foundation online with Twitter and YouTube, plus she manages the Foundation’s Facebook page, YouTube Channel, Twitter posts, and produces USS Ranger Foundation Films. She is a full time employee of a local government agency and is a volunteer.
Legal Advisor: Andre M. Wang, Esquire
Gresham, Oregon
Raised in the Glendoveer neighborhood, Andre is a native of East Multnomah County and attended school at Gresham’s Portland Adventist Elementary School for eight years. His parents instilled a deep-seated appreciation of the opportunity and freedom that brought them to America and the ethic of diligence and hard work.
Andre lives in Gresham with his wife, Lisa, their daughter, Holland, and son, Reagan. Andre earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, and his law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. While in law school, Andre worked for the Santa Clara County (Calif.) District Attorney’s Office where he assisted in the prosecution of sexual assault cases, including the indictment of Romel Reid, the infamous “Peninsula Rapist”. Andre also studied at Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College and East China University of Politics and Law in Shanghai, China.
Today, Andre helps people become Americans. A specialist in U.S. immigration law, he works with high-tech companies, healthcare institutions, non-profits associations, and religious and educational organizations in the hiring of international employees.Giving back to his community, Andre is active in civic involvement. He serves on the governing boards of Adventist Medical Center, the Portland-Suzhou Sister City Association, and the Northwest Religious Liberty Association. He also just concluded 11 years of service on the school board of Portland Adventist Academy, where he served as chairman from 2006 to 2009. Having played the violin since he was 5, Andre is also principal second violinist for the Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra.
Andre enjoys living in Gresham, still near the area where he grew up. And every day, he continues to see the greatness and promise of Oregon that brought his parents to this community – and grateful to be a part of the American dream.
Recording Secretary: Beth Duvall
Vancouver, Washington
Beth came to the Foundation as a volunteer through Navy Wives Clubs of America, Inc. She chose ours as one of her projects. Beth retired from banking after 30 years and became a certified paralegal now working for her own company in Vancouver, WA. Beth is an avid musician and sings in, plays the piano for and directs various choirs. Her husband, Walt, who works for Potter Webster Company in Portland, is retired military with 6 years in the US Navy and the balance of his 26 years in the Air National Guard. Together they bowl, sail, travel and continue to work.
Technical Advisor: Commander Pete Clayton, USN (ret)
Pete was Chief Engineer on Ranger from 1989 – 1992, including her deployment in Operation Desert Storm. He also served as Ranger’s type-commander overhaul manager in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard from 1984 – 1985. He served at sea in the Engineering Departments of five aircraft carriers and is very familiar with Ranger’s hull and structure. After Navy retirement, Pete was the chief engineer for the USS Midway and USS Hornet Museums. He brings with him multiple members of his teams from the Hornet and Midway, plus a team of proven contractors for painting, towing, pier design and licensed fire protection engineering.
Store Manager: Paul DeMarco
Sandy, Oregon
Paul came to the Foundation as a volunteer after hearing a presentation from the Development Director Shannon Chisom. As a US Army veteran, he feels that having the USS Ranger in the Portland Metro region will help honor all those who have served in our Armed Forces. He has a degree in Business Management from Warner Pacific College and has worked in shopping center development and management for the last 25 years for companies such as Australia based Westfield, and Chicago based General Growth Properties. His recent tour of the Intrepid in New York convinced him that USS Ranger can be not only a great museum but also a wonderful addition to the many other destinations tourists can have in the Northwest.
Web Developer: Ed Bejarana
Fairview, Oregon
Ed owns and operates Zenith Exhibits, Inc. and when we were struggling with hacker attacks he stepped in and quickly solved the problem. As a US Army veteran, he is “thrilled” to have the USS Ranger coming to Fairview.
Ed holds degrees in Computer Science, Business Operations and Engineering. In addition to engineering, Ed spent 20 years as a professional musician, ultimately serving three years in the US Army as a Military Musician stationed with the 3rd Armored Division Band in Frankfurt, Germany.
“As a child I toured an aircraft carrier docked in Seattle and I’ve been in love with all thing military ever since. When I learned that the USS Ranger might come to Fairview, I jumped at the opportunity to help.”
