MARY ALICE WINTERS
City Attorney

Mary was appointed as the first Bend in-house City Attorney by City Manager Eric King on November 3, 2008, and has worked tirelessly to build the City's legal department. From San Diego, Mary began her career as a law clerk for the Washington State Court of Appeals, and then practiced in Spokane, Washington and Pacific Grove, California, focusing on products liability and environmental litigation, and representing citizen groups in land use matters, including CEQA and shoreline issues. Moving to Port Townsend, Washington in 1992, she was Acting City Attorney and then Assistant City Attorney (focusing on growth management, land use, public works and utilities, employment, telecommunications and general municipal law). After 18 months in New Zealand, upon return to the Pacific Northwest in 2001, she represented private developers and clients, citizen groups and public entities such as the Port of Port Townsend, the Public Utility District, Jefferson County Rural Library and various water districts. She moved to Bend in 2006.

Mary graduated magna cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law, where she was on law review and published "Cetacean Rights Under Human Laws." She completed her undergraduate work at UC Santa Barbara, graduating with High Honors. She is a council member on the Energy Facility Siting Council, a Governor appointed committee (appointed December 2018), which reviews and approves the siting or expansion of large energy facilities throughout the state of Oregon (wind, solar, transmission lines). Her daughter, Zoie, graduated from the UO Honors College and received her Masters in Urban Planning from PSU, and is currently a field representative focusing on transportation and livability for Oregon’s U.S. Congressman Blumenauer; her son, Devin, has a Physics PhD from the University of Denver and now works for Lam Research in Tualatin, OR. Mary and her family spend as much time as possible in the mountains (where she snowboards while her family skis), windsurfing in Hood River or sailing, and are an avid soccer fans. Mary and her husband, Brent Wesenberg M.D, travel the world whenever possible.

Mary Winters' CV

IAN LEITHEISER
Assistant City Attorney

Ian came to Bend in 2015 from the City of Portland City Attorney’s Office, where he worked since 2008. A native Oregonian and graduate of Portland State University and Lewis & Clark Law School, Ian brings extensive experience in various aspects of municipal law and considers representing and advising public entities to be among the most interesting and rewarding work a lawyer can do. When not at the office Ian can be found on the trails and in the mountains of Central Oregon on a bike, skis, or two feet, sometimes trying to go fast, but always enjoying the view. Ian and his wife and daughters are happy to finally call Bend home.

ELIZABETH OSHEL
Assistant City Attorney

Elizabeth joined the City Attorney’s office in 2017. Elizabeth previously worked for Legal Aid Services of Oregon at the Central Oregon Regional Office, Portland’s urban renewal agency, Portland Development Commission (now Prosper Portland), and as a judicial clerk for Multnomah County Circuit Court Chief Family Law Judge Maureen McKnight. Elizabeth handles many real estate, public construction, public contracting, private development, affordable housing, and other issues for the City. Elizabeth is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland. She has served on the boards of the Central Oregon Homeless Leadership Coalition and Cascade Women Lawyers. Elizabeth’s favorite Bend activities include kayaking, hiking, skiing on both mountains and trails, and enjoying all Central Oregon has to offer with her husband and daughters.

MICHAEL N. SELKIRK
Associate City Attorney

Michael joined the City Attorney’s Office in 2019. He previously served as a law clerk for two federal district court judges and represented institutional clients on complex commercial litigation and land use matters at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in San Francisco. Michael brings to the City a unique combination of transactional and litigation experience—especially with respect to real property and development issues. Michael graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law, where he served as a Notes Editor on the Texas Law Review and the president of the Texas Law Fellowships. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond in Virginia. Michael grew up in Portland and spent his summer and winter vacations in Central Oregon. He is proud to finally call Bend home. Michael enjoys hiking, biking, and skiing in the Cascades, as well as playing and coaching lacrosse.

BROOKE C. OLSEN
Associate City Attorney

Brooke joined the City Attorney’s office in 2023.  Brooke previously worked in private practice representing government and business clients in complex litigation matters.  She also served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Thomas Matthews at the Alaska Superior Court in Anchorage, AK.  Brooke handles a variety of matters for the City, including municipal prosecution and public contracting matters.  She is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (2014) and Willamette University College of Law (2018).  In her free time, Brooke enjoys painting and being active in Central Oregon with her husband and daughter.  Whether on a bike, skis, paddleboard, or her own two feet, she is always happy to get outside and breathe it all in.

BRENDA MINGUS
Legal & Risk Program Manager

Brenda joined the City in June, 2015. Brenda received her Paralegal degree from Pioneer Pacific College in 1997 and has been in the legal field ever since. Her previous employment was with Bryant, Lovlien & Jarvis, P.C. Brenda, her husband Rod, and their two daughters enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling around the state for soccer, and taking advantage of all that Bend has to offer.

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Acrobat Reader Flash Player QuickTime Windows Media Player Microsoft Silverlight Word Viewer Excel Viewer PowerPoint Viewer

If you need assistance with any document, form, etc.,
you may request assistance from the Accessibility Program.