An Intimate Lunch with Professionals

Verenice Alvarez-Sanchez

Executive Administrative Partner, Facebook Data Center

Facebook Data Center

Verenice Alvarez-Sanchez is an executive administrative partner at the Facebook Data Center in Prineville. Prior to working at Facebook, Verenice worked for Mosaic Medical, a non-profit community health center, where she began as a clinic coordinator in 2013 and transitioned to an executive coordinator supporting the CEO and the Board of Directors in 2016. Verenice is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion and has attended several training courses focused on highlighting the gaps in the education sector within the minority communities and building allyships with educational leaders to address these gaps. She has facilitated multiple cohorts of OSU’s Juntos program working with high school students and families helping them understand the education system, learn about higher education opportunities, as well as inform both students and parents about the importance of school participation, attendance and scholarships between 2015-2019.

Verenice is a Redmond High School graduate and earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at OSU-Cascades in 2013. She served on the Latino Community Association from 2018 - 2022. Verenice enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, playing indoor soccer, and watching basketball.

Mike Wallenfels

Senior Vice President, Global Home and Outdoor Sales

Helen of Troy

Mike is senior vice president of global sales for Helen of Troy’s home and outdoor division, where he oversees North America sales teams for Hydro Flask, OXO and Osprey brands. Mike's interest in the outdoor industry was sparked while attending college and working in retail with outdoor products. That experience has led to a 30-year career that has included advocacy in support of outdoor recreation issues.



Mike has served as president of the board of the Oregon Outdoor Alliance and currently serves on the advisory board of the OSU Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy.

Amber Broadbent

Senior Director, Portfolio & Product Development

Bend Bioscience

Amber leads portfolio and product development for Bend Bioscience, a pharmaceutical development and manufacturing company that specializes in drug delivery innovation and drug product development. Prior to joining Bend Bioscience, where she worked with the company's founding leadershrip, Amber worked in product and commercial development at Bend Research-Capsugel-Lonza. During her career she has led cross-functional teams in defining technical and regulatory strategy to develop drug products and their manufacturing processes, supported the commercialization and launch pharmaceutical products, and helped develop strategic partnerships, as well as negotiated agreements that govern them. Amber earned a doctorate in engineering and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University. She lives in Bend with her husband and their two children.

Jaycee Bridges

Vice President, Finance

St. Charles Health System

Jaycee Bridges is the vice president of finance for St. Charles, leading the financial services functions for the health system.  She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Oregon State University and obtained her master’s in business administration from Oregon State after 15 years of career experience.  Prior to joining St. Charles in 2015, Jaycee spent the first nine years of her career serving Healthcare, Higher Education, and other Not-For-Profit clients in KPMG’s audit practice.  She has been a licensed CPA in Oregon since 2011.