Board Members

Ryan DuChene, Founder and President

Ryan DuChene founded Caddies 4 Cure in 2002 as an honor to his wife, Marci, who is winning the battle against MS.  The organization began as an informal father-son golf tournament and has since raised more than $850,000 for the Oregon and SW Washington chapter of the National MS Society, The Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel and other Northwest charities.

Because of Ryan’s passion, Caddies 4 Cure has built extensive relationships with celebrities and athletes who have graciously volunteered their time and travel to participate in organizational events and fundraisers.  At age six, the Atlanta Falcons became his favorite NFL team and he idolized quarterback Steve Bartkowski.  Ryan’s job at Nike provided the opportunity for him to meet Bartkowski in 2003 and the NFL star has since attended numerous Caddies 4 Cure events, including the inaugural in 2004.  Ryan continues to be amazed and humbled by the accomplishments the committed individuals who make up the five-person, all-volunteer Board of Directors for Caddies 4 Cure have been able to achieve, along with the generous celebrity/athlete participation.

Ryan began his career at Nike 16 years ago and has spent the past 11 years in Nike Golf Sports Marketing.  He is responsible for forecast management, demand planning and golf product inventory.  He also serves as the primary contact for celebrity athletes.

Ryan enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife and two sons, Kaden and Landon.  Additionally, he enjoys golfing and traveling.

Kristi Peterson, Vice President of Operations and Marketing

As Operations and Marketing Director for Caddies 4 Cure, Kristi Peterson is responsible for the organization’s fundraising efforts including A Night to Chip In Casino/Auction Gala and the Celebrity Golf Classic.  She serves as the primary contact for the Oregon and SW Washington Chapters of the National MS Society and The Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel, working to optimize and execute charitable donations.  In addition, she served on the 2010 Oregon Chapter of the National MS Society scholarship review selection committee – and currently serves on the 2011 selection committee – in which she assists with sponsorship procurement and plans and manages board meetings and project timelines.

Prior to volunteering full-time for Caddies 4 Cure, Kristi spent five years at Nike Golf working as a Sports Marketing Specialist.  There, she planned and executed athlete appearances; coordinated hospitality for top customers and Nike personnel at the US Open, PGA Championship and Masters Golf Tournaments and implemented Nike Go, a golf initiative encouraging kids to get active and moving in the community.

Kristi is dedicated to making a positive impact through her philanthropic work.  She served on the 2002-2004 Casey Martin Award selection committees and the 2010 Carolyn Helman Lichtenberg Crest Award selection committee for Pi Beta Phi.

Kristi enjoys traveling, scrapbooking and shopping – and is an avid sports fan.  In 1997, she ran the LA marathon and founded the Nike Golf Club in 2002 to give Nike employees the opportunity to maintain an official USGA handicap, as well as provide tournament play once a month during the summer.  The club continues to thrive.

Kristi holds a BA in Broadcast Journalism with an outside emphasis in Marketing from Pepperdine University.

Devon Smith, Vice President and Creative Director

Devon Smith serves as Creative Director for Caddies 4 Cure and is responsible for all graphic communication including the organization’s logo, website and marketing collateral.  He has been a supporter of Caddies 4 Cure since the first event at Langdon Farms and managed the organization’s rebrand six years ago.  He has been a Board member since 2005.

Devon has an extensive background in design, marketing and branding, spanning small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations.  He currently works as a graphic designer for Beyond Words Publishing where he specializes in print, packaging and promotional design.  Prior his current job, Devon spent eleven years in sports marketing for companies such as Nike.

Devon enjoys landscape photography, which he often combines with other outdoor pursuits including hiking and kayaking.  He finds the natural beauty of Oregon – particularly the Oregon coast, Mt. Hood, Silver Falls State Park and Smith Rock – provides ample opportunity to further explore new interpretations of “classic” photo shots.  He also enjoys travel and music – and knows a vast amount about pop culture, earning him the title “King of Useless Knowledge” by his friends.

Devon holds a BS in Design from the Art Institute of Portland and a BS in Marketing from University of Oregon.

Lindsay Williams-Bjaranson, Vice President of Communications

Inspired by Ryan and Justin’s stories, Lindsay Williams-Bjaranson joined Caddies 4 Cure in 2008 as Communications Director to give their stories a voice and inspire others.  Two years later, her best friend was diagnosed with MS and Lindsay realized first-hand how the disease can affect anybody at any age, renewing her commitment to Caddies 4 Cure.

As Communications Director, Lindsay is responsible for planning and executing the organization’s communications strategy including coordination of press interviews with participating celebrities, managing media partnerships, writing press materials and directing the flow of A Night to Chip In presentations.  Prior to joining Caddies 4 Cure, Lindsay admits she didn’t know how to play golf or casino games – both key pillars of Caddies 4 Cure’s fundraising efforts.  Now, she plans media strategy in support of the events.

Lindsay is currently employed as an Account Manager at Waggener Edstrom where she works with high-tech companies like Microsoft to drive coverage of key announcements, products and initiatives.  Prior to WaggEd, Lindsay spent four years in broadcast news as a reporter and producer.

Lindsay stays active hiking and running and has participated in the Portland Marathon and Helvetia Half Marathon, among numerous fun runs in the greater Portland area.  She also enjoys Farmers’ Markets and traveling.  Lindsay was married last summer and she and her husband Adam have two beagles, Murphy and Oden.

Lindsay holds a double major in Broadcast Journalism and Spanish from University of Oregon.

Sarah Hertzog, Vice President of Recruiting

Sarah Hertzog serves as Volunteer Director for Caddies 4 Cure where she recruits, trains and schedules volunteers while providing ongoing volunteer support.  She manages all volunteers for external events including Caddies 4 Cure Art Day at The Children’s Hospital at Emanuel Legacy and the annual MS Walk.  In addition, she’s in charge of the Junior Caddy program which gives aspiring young golfers the opportunity to caddy for one of the many famed celebrities during the Celebrity Golf Classic.

Sarah’s professional career has been focused on customer service.  She is currently employed by SSI Shredding Systems in Wilsonville, OR where she works part-time in customer service/parts support maintaining manufacturing schedules, providing customer quotes, troubleshooting customer issues and making proactive calls for continued business.  She is dedicated to supporting the company mission of maintaining loyal and satisfied customers.

Sarah remains active volunteering in the community, coordinating efforts the American Cancer Society Breast Walk, Adopt-a-Family programs, volunteering in her sons’ school and serving as President of her Home Owners Association.

Sarah enjoys the beauty and lifestyle of the Pacific Northwest and keeps active playing basketball and soccer.   She is happiest spending time with family and friends – including raising her two boys, Isaac and Trenton.  She can often be found snapping photographs of Oregon’s natural landscape and finds opportunities as close as her own backyard.

Caddies 4 Cure Board (L to R): Devon Smith, Lindsay Bjaranson, Sarah Hertzog, Kristi Peterson, Ryan DuChene