Gerry Frank

Gerry Frank is a fourth-generation Oregonian with deep roots in Oregon's civic, political, and mercantile history. He was educated in Portland public schools, Stanford University, and has a B.A. and M.A. with honors from Cambridge University in England. He served with distinction for three years in the Field Artillery during World War II in Europe.

Gerry has been an inveterate world traveler and one of Oregon's strongest supporters. He is an active leader in projects and organizations throughout his state and is president of Gerry's Frankly Speaking, Inc. As Chief of Staff to former U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield for twenty years and as a board member and trustee to literally dozens of Oregon community institutions, he has lived global politics firsthand and contributed his energy and expertise to Oregon's evolution. He has often been referred to as "Oregon's third Senator."

Frank is well known for his Friday Surprise/Frankly Speaking column in The Oregonian and as a former commentator for KPTV-12's Good Day, Oregon and Northwest Reports and AM Northwest for KATU. His best-selling guidebook to New York City, Where to Find It, Buy It, Eat It in New York, has sold over one million copies and is in its 16th edition. The book has its origins in his upbringing in a family that owned department stores and his subsequent association with U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield.

The Meier & Frank department store chain had a buying office in New York, so it was Gerry's privilege and pleasure to accompany his father as a young lad on many buying trips. When Gerry became involved in the business, he made countless solo excursions to choose inventory and further explore New York City so far from his Oregon roots. After the family business was sold to a conglomerate, Gerry found himself looking for new challenges.

Gerry helped his friend Mark Hatfield run his successful campaigns for Oregon governor, beginning a professional association and friendship that continued through two gubernatorial terms and five terms in the U.S. Senate. He followed Mark to Washington, where he became his Chief of Staff.

Gerry loved the work but not the city, where there was no getting away from 24/7 politics. His habit was to fly home to Oregon every other weekend and head up to Manhattan on the alternate weekends. He got to know the city so well that numerous people began asking his advice about where to stay, eat, shop, and be entertained. Then someone said, "Gerry, you should write a book on New York City." The rest is history.

To say Gerry was wet behind the ears about authoring and marketing a book is an understatement. To his way of thinking, he had a fine product but was chagrinned to learn that no one in the publishing world seemed to care! He was faced with either letting the manuscript languish in a desk drawer or publish it himself. And so he became a self-published author who has sold over a million copies of his own book. Needless to say, Gerry is gratified.