Meet our Members

A small group of us (6-8 people in total) have been meeting informally since the early summer, including several representatives of local businesses. From that initial effort, we started serious efforts to form the political action committee in the fall of 2025.  It may not look like it, but its' been a lot of effort just getting things internally organized.  Some of our early supporters could not remain with us due to business and family pressures, but we know who they are and we thank them for their early support and encouragement. 

As of now, we have four individuals that are holding positions of Committee Director within the Shady Cove Matters political action committee. We hope to eventually add a fifth Committee Director as our organization gets up and running.  

Mr. Hank Hohenstein is a long-time resident of Shady Cove.  Many of you may know him from his untiring advocacy for parks, Monarch butterflies, and other causes associated with the beautiful natural world around us. What many people may not realize is that "Hank" as we affectionately call him, is also a person with deep experience in City Planning and Land Use Planning.  

After serving as a commissioned officer in the US Marine Corps, Hank's civilian career highlights included:

• Assistant Planner, Redevelopment Director - Desert Hot Springs, CA (1983 - 1985)
• Community Development Director, Indio Ca (1991 - 1996)
• Adjunct Faculty Professor, College of the Desert, Land Planning, Architecture, Natural Resources & Real Estate (1895 - 2009)

Fun Fact:  As the Community Development Director of Indigo, CA, his work led to Indio becoming known as the City of Festivals, including both the well-known Tamale Festival (now in its 33rd year) and Coachella.  

According to Hank: "When I became Community Development Director of Indio my first assignment was to write a new General Plan that would reverse the stagnating economic plight of the city. It was a classic ‘passed-by-community.’ On my first day three men asked to see me. They were not visible community leaders, but classic ‘gatekeepers.’ They demanded to know how I would change their city. We agreed to meet for breakfast every Thursday until they were satisfied. At an early meeting, it was suggested we have a Tamale Festival in early December. In spite of great resistance, we were able to hold the event that year. The event drew 15,000 people, stunning everyone. The event has grown into the largest culinary festival in the world. The City now hosts 18 Festivals and its logo reads: “Indio, The City of Festivals.” It attracts 1.4 million visitors yearly, including the famous Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Its first performance was on 11/05/93, the group – Pearl Jam."

Hank has also had a long career volunteering in public service, including these volunteer positions:

• Vice Chairman, County Planning Board, Greene County NY (1965 - 1971)
• Chairman, City Planning Commission, Desert Hot Springs, CA (1994 - 2002)
• Councilor, Shady Cove (2019 - 2020)
• Chair, Shady Cove Planning Commission (2021 - 2022)

Mr. Hohenstein applied for one of the vacant City Council positions after the July 2025 resignations of Mayor Ball and Council President Nuckles.  He was not selected. 

Mr. Hohenstein is also the Chief Petitioner for the Recall of Mayor Lena Richardson. 

Mr. Terry Rasmussen is a long-time resident of the Trail and Shady Cove community.   He has worked as a real estate broker for over 36 years, serving clients in the Rogue Valley.  He works strictly by referral, with his business built by clients who recommend him to their friends and family. 

Mr. Rasmussen served for 22 years on the Board of Directors of the Trail Christian Fellowship

He also served 12 years as the Founder and Board Chair of Redemption Ridge (a non-profit in the Rogue Valley which helped victims of sex trafficking). 

Mr. Rasmussen applied for one of the vacant City Council positions after the July 2025 resignations of Mayor Ball and Council President Nuckles.  He was not selected.  In his application for Council, he noted that he hoped to "bring some integrity to a council that has struggled recently in being transparent to the people. "

I've been a resident of Shady Cove since 2020.  My husband and I bought our house right before the Labor Day fires and got evacuated less than a week after the sale closed. I worked for almost 25 years as an IT technical lead at PacifiCorp (Pacific Power's parent company) and Berkshire Hathaway Energy where I worked primarily on projects associated with Distribution Electrical systems.  I retired briefly in 2024 and am currently working full-time as an IT consultant in the Utilities industry for a client in the Pacific Northwest.  I am also a 13-year military veteran.  I'm originally from a small, poor rust-belt town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

I served as the Secretary of Shady Cove's Emergency Management Committee from September 2024 until it was put on-hold by Mayor Ball and Councilor Nuckles in May 2025.   I am also -- as many of you guessed -- the person behind the SCA website.   I believe information and knowledge are powerful things. I started the website, because I noticed that many people seemed frustrated with City government.  The more I attended meetings, the more I agreed with the frustration.  I noticed how difficult it was to find information about the City's ongoing initiatives, and I also noticed that information put out in the local news seemed -- at times -- one-sided.  I saw letters to the Editor that -- in my opinion -- never really seemed to tell the whole story, and of course, newspapers only have so much room to print.  I started the website to try to get more information out. 

I am currently the Treasurer of Shady Cove Matters Political Action Committee, and also the Treasurer of the Recall SC Mayor Lena Richardson Committee. 

I think Shady Cove is a wonderful town, and its' residents deserve a better government. 

Shari Tarvin is a long-time resident of Shady Cove.   She grew up in the Rogue Valley from grade school through High School then left for the military.  She and her family have been a part of the Upper Rogue for several decades, including family members who were here in Shady Cove for the '64 flood. 

Shari served on the Shady Cove Planning Commission from 2016 to 2018 and was then appointed to the Council in 2018.  She served as a Councilor until 2020.  She successfully ran for Mayor in November 2020, serving from January 2021 to December 2022. Her term as Mayor was during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic.  

According to Shari:  "This community means a lot to me and that is why I continue to fight for what is right for this community and the citizens that reside here "