The Bulletin has a long and rich tradition of community engagement, whether that’s through sponsoring community events, reporting on important people and subjects, or reaching out to community members through surveys, focus groups or just face-to-face. 

In recent years, former editor Gerry O’Brien has used this weekly email to engage with the community. While Gerry has left The Bulletin to take on a role in higher education in Klamath County (his final day was Wednesday, and we wish him the best), we want you to know that The Bulletin’s commitment to community engagement remains unchanged. 

In Gerry’s absence, a team of editors is rising to the role of leading The Bulletin’s newsroom, community efforts and daily production. City editor Julie Johnson, projects editor Jody Lawrence-Turner and Redmond Spokesman editor Tim Trainor will capably take the reins at The Bulletin for now, and Julie and Jody will take over this newsletter to stay in touch with readers on a regular basis.

We thought you might want to get to know us a little bit. 

Julie Johnson

Hi, I’m Julie. As The Bulletin’s city editor since 2016, I manage the team of reporters that cover the daily news of Central Oregon, from crime trends to education policy to the ins and outs of growth and development and city council actions. One of my favorite things about community journalism – at least, the kind that we practice – is distilling critical public policy information down to what it means in your school, your neighborhood, your family. Sometimes that’s how new taxes and fees are getting spent. Sometimes it’s how to navigate the park district’s notoriously tricky youth sports registration system. 

 A little more about me: I grew up in Central Oregon and returned to Bend in 1999 to begin work as a reporter at The Bulletin. I raised my kids here, threw sticks for my dogs in the Deschutes and am an active and longtime part of the community we share. I bake sourdough bread (ask me for some of my starter if you like), have tried and failed at growing tomatoes more times than I can count, and I adore the deserts of Oregon.  

I’m an email away if you have a story idea or concern: jjohnson@bendbulletin.com. 

Jody Lawrence-Turner

My love of journalism started at the tender age of 3, my father would take me to work with him at the Oregon Capitol, where he broadcasted political news. Throughout my youth, I tagged along with him to newsrooms in the Willamette Valley, where I’d wait as he tapped away on deadline. Not surprisingly, I followed in his footsteps, including working in some of the same newsrooms long after he’d retired. As a journalist, I’ve spent my career working in the Pacific Northwest.  

In 2015, I joined The Bulletin as features and health editor overseeing daily sections, a weekly entertainment guide and a quarterly health magazine. Then, three years ago, I took on two different roles: projects editor in charge of investigative and solutions journalism, which has included leading The Bulletin’s partnership with City Club and the yearlong Faces of Homelessness series. 

At that time, I also started working as the Fund for Oregon Rural Journalism’s executive director. The nonprofit is dedicated to stabilizing and sustaining rural journalism statewide. These two roles allow me the opportunity to commit wholeheartedly to supporting community journalism not just in Central Oregon, but also in small communities throughout the state where protecting authentic voices is critical to each community and informs all Oregonians. 

When I am not working, you can catch me on a hike, on the couch with a true-crime documentary and my cat Ruby, or cooking with my husband of 30 years.   

Reach me at jlawrence-turner@bendbulletin.com.