Dera was born and raised in Hawaii and moved to Wallowa County in 2017 to be closer to her husband’s roots in Cove and La Grande. While in Hawaii, Dera spent fifteen years in the natural resources field working in marine mammal conservation and research. During that time, she worked with diverse communities across the Pacific to increase understanding about the role of marine mammals in healthy ecosystems. Building relationships and strengthening communities is Dera’s passion, and she has enjoyed working for an organization that offers so many incredible art and culture programs to residents and visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
