Clinic director launches bid for Bend City Council

Kat Mastrangelo will run for Bruce Abernethy's open seat

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Kat Mastrangelo announced Thursday her candidacy for Position # 4 on the Bend City Council in the November election.  The non-partisan position is currently held by Bruce Abernethy, who is not seeking reelection.

Mastrangelo, 55, serves the community as executive director of Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades, providing health care to more than 1,000 uninsured patients through the work of hundreds of volunteers from Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. 

She has also served on the City of Bend Budget Committee since 2017 and was a member of the REALMS school board for 3 years. 

A graduate of Georgetown University, Mastrangelo earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from Indiana University.  She began her career in public service working for the Peoria, Illinois municipal government, a city about the same size as Bend is today.  

As a public works budget analyst for the City Manager’s office, she says she worked on a wide array of special projects – from ADA sidewalk installations to landfill capacity to tax revenue forecasting and disaster preparedness drills.

“As a manager and leader,” she said, “I understand the value of collaboration, the power of diversity and the need for a solid budget. I hope to bring that approach, as well as my experience in municipal government and health care to the City of Bend as we recover from the COVID-19 crisis.”

 Mastrangelo seeks to fill the position held by Bruce Abernethy for the last 12 years.  

“I admire and respect Bruce for his dedication and positive contributions to creating a better Bend,” she added, “and I hope to keep that momentum going.”

A resident of Bend for nearly 20 years, Mastrangelo’s three daughters are  now in college after graduating from Bend-La Pine schools.  Her husband, Dr. Michael Mastrangelo, has his own surgical practice in Bend.