A native Oregonian, Knute grew up in Roseburg and, along with his brothers, were the first generation in their family to attend college. He earned a degree in microbiology from Oregon State University in 1986 while playing baseball and becoming Oregon State’s first Rhodes Scholar. After attending Oxford University from 1988 to 1990, where he studied politics and economics, Knute earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1991. After medical school, Knute and Patty, his wife of 27 years, set down roots in Bend, raised a family, built medical practices and grew businesses. Knute helped build The Center, a patient-focused Orthopedic and Neurosurgery care facility in Bend that includes 40 medical providers and over 200 employees. Knute serves on the board of the Oregon State University Foundation, and sits on the board of directors for the Ford Family Foundation, one of the largest charitable organizations in the state. He previously served on the budget committee for the Bend-La Pine School District and the boards of the High Desert Museum, OSU-Cascades Campus and St. Charles Health System. Knute and his wife Patty, a successful eye surgeon and business owner, live in Bend. Together, they have two grown children, Owen and Hannah, and two dogs, Winston and Lily.