‘A unifying force’: Community members reflect on impact of Lake Oswego volunteer David Schulz

David Schulz, a highly-involved Lake Oswego community member and consequential Lake Corporation president, recently died at age 78.

Schulz served as a board member and president of the Lake Corporation, which manages the properties along the lake, and helped usher in the modern era of its operations.

Schulz was a key leader in getting the corporation to manage algae blooms by collecting less water from the Tualatin River, hiring a general manager to manage the corporation’s assets and establishing a better working relationship with the Lake Oswego government.

“We’ve always had unsung heroes in the community, and there are so many of them, and Dave Schulz was truly a treasure and the best of the best unsung heroes,” Lake Oswego resident Bob Barman said. “He was a unifying force on bringing people together even when they were having difficult conversations.”

Former Lake Oswego City Councilor Skip O’Neill said the battle over managing river water collection was contentious but that Schulz held steadfast in his belief that the corporation needed to manage the lake differently.

“Lakewood (Bay) brings water in from the Tualatin, and they would run the generator in our power plant quite frequently (causing more river collection). And bringing water into the lake brought a tremendous amount of nutrients that cause algae blooms, weeds and things that weren’t native to the body of water,” O’Neill said.

Then, following this acrimonious saga, Schulz helped inaugurate summer concerts on the lake.

“Once it was all done and everyone cooled down, Dave said, ‘I think we should have a party and bring everyone together,’” O’Neill said.

Barman said Schulz was instrumental in forging a strong relationship with the city, which came in handy as Lake Oswego worked to build Millennium Plaza Park and conduct a sewer interceptor project in the lake. He added that Schulz was the most consequential Lake Corporation president the organization has ever had.

“Many people knew about him, but the vast majority of this town unfortunately didn’t because Dave was not the kind of guy to toot his own horn, step up to the front to yell the loudest. He would bring parties together to make things better and he loved this town,” Barman said.

Lake Corporation General Manager Jeff Ward worked closely with Schulz at the beginning of his tenure. He said they became fast friends when Schulz took him on a tour of the lake after he accepted the job and that Schulz was always someone he could turn to for help.

And Ward reiterated the importance behind some of the work Schulz helped usher in to modernize the corporation.

“Dave would call me almost weekly to ask how things were going and to offer support and encouragement. I will miss him,” Ward said.

Along with his Lake Corporation work, Schulz was a member of the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce, the Lake Oswego Rotary Club and the Bryant Woods Neighborhood Association.

“He was a connector and not just a bystander. You can join organizations and be a bystander or you can be a doer, and Dave was a doer with a heart,” Barman said.

And those who knew Schulz will remember his positive, upbeat and good-natured attitude.

“He touched a lot of people in a very nice, soft way. Dave was a big guy. But he had a very gentle way about him,” O’Neill said.

A memorial open house in celebration of David's life will be held from 12-2 p.m. Saturday March 2 at Oswego Lake Country Club.