Kat Mastrangelo

Kat Mastrangelo, the executive director of Volunteers in Medicine, is running for the seat soon to be vacated by Bruce Abernethy on the Bend City Council.

Abernethy, who has been on the council collectively for 12 years, announced in March that he is not seeking reelection.

“I admire and respect Bruce for his dedication and positive contributions to creating a better Bend, and I hope to keep that momentum going,” Mastrangelo said in a press release.

Mastrangelo, 55, has been a resident of Bend for 20 years. In her job, she helps provide health care to more than 1,000 uninsured patients through the work of hundreds of volunteers from Central Oregon, according to her press release.

She has also served on the city of Bend Budget Committee since 2017 and was a member of the REALMS school board for three years.

A graduate of Georgetown University, Mastrangelo earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from Indiana University.

She began her career in public service working for the city of Peoria, Illinois — a city similar in size to Bend. As a public works budget analyst for the city manager’s office, she worked on a wide array of special projects, including accessible sidewalk installations, tax revenue forecasting and disaster preparedness drills.

“As a manager and leader, I understand the value of collaboration, the power of diversity and the need for a solid budget,” she said in a statement. “I hope to bring that approach, as well as my experience in municipal government and healthcare to the City of Bend as we recover from the COVID-19 crisis.”

Mastrangelo has three daughters who are now in college after graduating from Bend-La Pine schools. Her husband, Dr. Michael Mastrangelo, has his own surgical practice in Bend.

Anthony Broadman and Melanie Kebler, both local lawyers, have also announced their candidacies for the Bend City Council.