At the Top of Her Field
Carolyn S. Chambers' business empire includes real estate, a construction company, a vineyard, and the crown jewel, Chambers Communications Corp.
Her entrepreneurial spirit blossomed soon after graduating with a degree in accounting from the University of Oregon's business school in 1953. Only three years later she borrowed $100,000, pooled that with funds from other investors, and applied for an FCC license. Her request was granted in 1960 and KEZI went on the air.
Her cable expertise was honed at Liberty Communications, which she started and where she was executive VP and treasurer until 1983, when it was sold to TCI. She has since parlayed that knowledge into three television stations, five cable companies, a state-of-the-art commercial mailing center, a production facility, and an Internet company.
In 1981 Carolyn was invited to join the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's board of directors and was Deputy Chairman from 1988 to 1991. She was one of fifteen members of the U.S. Bancorp board of directors. She has received many recognitions and awards, including the Vanguard Award for Leadership from the National Cable Television Association (NCTA), and the Eugene First Citizen Award from the Eugene Chamber of Commerce.
Carolyn is a former member of the University of Oregon Foundation board of trustees, and she has served on the Oregon State Board of Higher Education 2010 Advisory Panel, the board of Sacred Heart Hospital, the C-Span board of directors, the National Cable Television Association board of directors, and the Portland General board of directors.