January 2017

J anuar y2017

I nsi de Thi s I ssue

P e r s e v e r a n c e 3 , 0 0 0Y e a r s o f G e t t i n gB e t t e r

LEADERSHI P I NSI X COUNTI ES CHALLENGES FACI NG RURAL OREGON HI SPANI CS EMERGI NGAS ECONOMI C POWERHOUSE P h i l K n i g h t

R O WST H EC PE RS E VE RANC EG HAMPI ON

T i g e r Wo o d s

Mi c h a e l J o r d a n

S t e v eP r e f o n t a i n e

A few words from Greg

“If you’re not getting better then you’re falling behind”. That must be the reason we need the reset of New Year’s Resolutions.

2016 will be memorable for many reasons. Reaction to events is very often more important than the event itself. We’ll see. It depends on the event.

Regionally I am getting the sense that people are facing 2017 with reserved optimism. Some industries are more positive than others, but nearly all are expecting an improved economy and more hopeful employment prospects.

Our intentions for the Southern Oregon Business Journal are to continue with the mindset that there is always room for improvement and we can certainly make everything better than it is. There is no finish line for improvement.

The journal website will be going through several upgrades in the first quarter. Some will be cosmetic but more importantly additional information and services are under construction for inclusion. These will enhance the value of subscribing to the journal in numerous ways.

This month’s issue of the journal includes a listing of county commissioners from each of the six counties in SW Oregon. Brief bios and goals of the commissioners are included. You will find in a few of the commissioner comments that they often have priorities that are nearly identical. Our hope is that providing a wider communication reach across county lines will improve the frequency and idea-sharing necessary to be more effective at responsible leadership.

You may have noticed that the January 2017 issue arrived on the fifth day of the month. That is intentional. Article contributors and advertisers appreciate a few days at the beginning of the month before submitting their contributions. Beginning this month you can expect the Southern Oregon Business Journal to be delivered on the fifth day of the month.

May good health and happiness be yours,

Greg Henderson Greg Henderson, Publisher greg@southernoregonbusiness.com

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A JOURNAL FOR THE ECONOMICALLY CURIOUS, PROFESSIONALLY INSPIRED AND ACUTELY MOTIVATED

703 Divot Loop

ASSISTING THE ECONOMIES OF THE SIX COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST OREGON

Sutherlin, Oregon 97479 www.southernoregonbusiness.com 541-315-6127

Table of Contents PUBLISHERS NOTE

23 COOS COUNTY

2 A Few Words From Greg

24 CURRY COUNTY

FINAL WORD

24 DOUGLAS COUNTY

36 Listen

ECONOMICS

25 JACKSON COUNTY

4 Economic Indicators

26 JOSEPHINE COUNTY

6 Challenges Facing Rural

27 KLAMATH COUNTY

Oregon 10 Hispanics an Economic Powerhouse 12 CEOs are 2 1/2 Inches Taller

BUSINESS 29 DR Johnson in Miami 31 Jordan Cove Awards Grants 32 Jordan Cove FERC Re-file

FEATURED ARTICLE

33 Oregon Shores response to FERC LNG decision

14 Perseverance Grows The Champion

34 Oregon Seeking Bargain

SMALL TOWNS & COUNTIES 20 Seeing Better Solutions 22 Leadership in Six Counties

Southern Oregon Business Journal

PHOTO CREDITS, Cover Bloomberg/Bloomberg/Getty Images Harry How/Getty Images Sport Classic/Getty Images Andrew D. Bernstein/National Basketball Association/Getty Images Bettmann/Bettmann/Getty Images istock@dnaveh 3

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Challenges Facing Rural Oregon

by Damon Runberg Oregon is a state divided. Not one divided based on ideology, but divided by geography and land use. More than 83 percent of Oregon's population is concentrated in the state's eight metropolitan statistical areas. Rural cities and towns stand as islands of development surrounded by a sea of forest, farms, and rangeland. This distinct urban/ rural divide is in a large part due to Oregon's strict land use planning laws, which encourage density in urban settings over suburban sprawl into rural communities.

Oregon's rapid job growth has received significant attention as employment growth ranked second fastest in the United States over the past year. Much of the current economic expansion is being driven by job growth in the state's major urban centers, while rural Oregon continues its long and slow recovery from the devastating recession. Why is the pace of recovery so much slower in rural Oregon? What economic challenges do rural Oregonians face?

An Uneven Recovery Oregon has been in a period of economic expansion since October of 2014 when total nonfarm employment levels exceeded the pre-recession peak. It was a long recession and slow recovery, taking six and a half years to add back all the lost jobs.

However, in rural Oregon the recovery is ongoing. Today, employment levels remain 3.2 percent below the pre-recession peak in rural counties, while employment levels in urban counties are 6.6 percent above the pre-recession peak. In order to recover from the recession, rural counties would need to add nearly 8,000 additional jobs, which would take another year and a half at the current pace of job growth.

The rapid rate of job growth in urban centers has reduced the percentage of Oregon's employment in rural communities.

Back in 2009 over 13 percent of all jobs were in rural Oregon. Today, the share of jobs in rural Oregon is just 12 percent and continues to trend down. A variety of challenges face rural Oregon that have led to a much slower recovery, including demographic trends, structural economic conditions, and access to infrastructure.

Demographics One of the largest challenges faced by rural economies is the overwhelming demographic trends that are leading to rapid aging in these communities. Natural population growth is low, in-migration is slow, and young people often leave rural communities to seek educational or employment opportunities in urban centers.

Oregon's rural communities are growing, just at a much slower pace than in urban centers. According to Portland State University, rural counties added nearly 13,000 new residents between 2010 and 2015 (+1.9%), whereas urban counties expanded by 4.9 percent over the same period.

Although rural Oregon continues to grow, it is the nature of the growth that is most concerning for the long-term economic Southern Oregon Business Journal

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outlook. Rural Oregon's share of population 65 years of age and older increased from around 18 percent in 2010 to nearly 22 percent in 2015. The retirement age population grew by 24 percent, while the working age population (-3%) and youth population (-2.4%) both declined significantly. The fact that the retirement age cohort is growing is less of a concern than the fact that youth and working age populations are declining. This means that as folks age out of the labor force there are fewer individuals to replace those who retire. As The Economist pointed out, fewer workers results in less output, which is another way of saying that economic growth will be greatly reduced in these aging communities.

These population trends translate directly into the workforce, which is aging rapidly. Twenty years ago only 13 percent of the workforce in rural Oregon was 55 or older. That percentage has risen significantly, now accounting for 27 percent of the workforce. There are more than 35,000 additional workers ages 55 and older in rural Oregon today, an increase of 135 percent. Meanwhile, the prime working age and youth workforce are both smaller today than back in 1995. More likely than not, these younger workers and those in their prime working age who are leaving rural communities are doing so for employment opportunities rather than for quality of life reasons.

How do rural economies overcome a declining labor force? In today's economy many workers are drawn to lifestyle communities. These are areas known for quality of life, recreation, and health. Preliminary research shows more vibrant labor force and job growth in these lifestyle metro areas around the United States. Many workers, particularly millennials, are prioritizing work/ life balance over career opportunities. This trend bodes well for rural communities that often rank high on quality of life measures, such as access to recreation.

Two communities in Oregon, Bend and Hood River, made the transition from a rural town with a traditional natural resource based economy to a small urban center with a more diverse economy. The turning point for both of those communities was expansion of the tourism industry and growth in recreational amenities (wind surfing, mountain biking, skiing, golfing, etc.). Tourism introduced visitors to the community and some of those tourists eventually became locals – some even moved their businesses.

Capitalizing on the lifestyle amenities of a rural community is one way to Southern Oregon Business Journal

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prevent young people from leaving and can be a tool for attracting young families to that community.

Industry Composition Many rural communities are heavily dependent on just a handful of industries. This makes them particularly vulnerable to localized economic shocks and it can make it difficult for these communities to recover. In contrast, large urban areas are less dependent on individual businesses or industries. A local shock in one industry can be overcome by gains in a different industry.

Rural Oregon was hit hard during the most recent recession as a large share of their employment base was concentrated in wood product manufacturing. When the national housing bubble burst, the demand for manufactured wood products was greatly diminished. The result was massive layoffs in communities like Prineville, Klamath Falls, Madras, Roseburg, and Gilchrist.

Over 40 percent of rural Oregon employment is concentrated in natural resources, leisure and hospitality (tourism), and government. Together those three sectors only make up around 27 percent of the employment in urban Oregon. Many of the major industry sectors in rural communities continue to struggle, while the hot industries across the state, such as construction, professional and business services, and information are more heavily concentrated in major cities.

It would surprise few to know that rural Oregon has a high concentration of employment in the public sector with large swaths of public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, as well as a variety of state and county agencies. The public sector is a critical employer in rural Oregon; however it is not a growth industry. Just under one-quarter of rural jobs are in the public sector compared with around 15 percent in urban areas.

Government employment rose by 1.4 percent in rural Oregon over the past year; however, employment gains in the industry are largely tied to population trends. Ultimately, the public sector is important for providing critical services to the community, but it is not an economic engine.

Historically, rural Oregon's economy was dependent on resource extraction, such as logging and farming. There are nearly 20 million acres of forestland in rural Oregon. For much of the 20th century, Oregon averaged well over 7 billion board feet of timber harvested each year. Annual harvest dropped significantly in the 1990s with work on federal forestlands greatly reduced due to concerns around a variety of endangered species. Although timber harvests remain much lower than the historic average there has been a rebound in harvest levels back to pre-recession levels. Despite timber harvest levels recovering from the recession, rural Oregon's economy will never depend on resource extraction to the same degree as it did historically.

Rural communities will always struggle to maintain a diverse economy. By their very nature rural areas are small on people and large on space. That does not bode well for developing a diverse economic base. However, rural areas can be more responsive to the changing economic landscape. For instance, there are efforts in Prineville to expand their existing mountain bike trail network. Focusing on these recreational amenities will benefit their tourism industry, but it may also lead to more workers at the high-tech datacenters deciding to live in Prineville instead of commuting from Bend.

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Infrastructure The lack of critical infrastructure is one of the more observable challenges faced by rural communities. Many goods producing businesses depend on major freight corridors to transport their goods to market. The further a business is located away from these major corridors, the more expensive it can be to transport those goods. The only major truck transportation corridor in Oregon is Interstate 5 that runs north-south through the Willamette Valley. As a result we see a high concentration of manufacturing firms in this part of Oregon.

Another major freight corridor is through the Columbia River Gorge with Interstate 84, barge traffic on the Columbia River, as well as, the Union Pacific and BNSF Rail lines. This major freight corridor runs through the rural counties of Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Morrow, and Umatilla. Only six rural counties have recovered all jobs lost during the recession. It is no coincidence that four of those six counties are along the Columbia River (Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, and Morrow).

Among other things, access to critical transportation and freight infrastructure helped to lessen the impact of the recession and allowed those communities to recover quicker. However, much of rural Oregon is completely isolated from these major freight networks, making it difficult for them to attract more diverse good producing firms.

The United States economy is becoming more dependent on service rather than goods producing firms. The internet evens the playing field, allowing folks to work remotely and provide their services away from major populated areas. However, another major infrastructure challenge in rural communities is access to internet service that qualifies as broadband. The broadband definition is constantly changing as technology advances, but it is critical for internet-based businesses, online retailers, and other technology related firms. According to the National Broadband Map, only about 55 percent of folks living in rural areas have access to speeds that qualify as broadband, compared with 94 percent of the urban population.

The digital divide isn't quite that bad in Oregon; however, lack of broadband access is a critical challenge preventing many rural communities from drawing more businesses that rely on the internet to sell or distribute their services.

The last major infrastructure challenge facing rural areas is access to commercial air service. Just as many businesses require access to major freight corridors or fast internet speeds, other businesses need to be near airports in order to travel to their clients or transport their clients here to Oregon. There are currently only six airports in Oregon that offer commercial passenger service (Portland, Eugene, Redmond, Medford, North Bend, and Pendleton). By the time this is published commercial passenger service will be reestablished at the Crater Lake - Klamath Regional Airport in Klamath Falls, expanding rural Oregon's commercial air capacity. Close proximity to commercial passenger air service offer three benefits as highlighted by a study conducted by the Air Transport Action Group. First, it allows businesses to serve larger markets.

Second, air transport can make it easier to attract high-quality workers. Finally, air transport can help stimulate tourism by reducing the barriers to visitation.

Can These Challenges Be Overcome?

Not all rural communities deal with the same challenges. Places like Hood River are much different than Gold Beach or Lakeview. In general, rural communities are trying to address challenges, such as an aging workforce, lack of industry diversity, and an absence of critical infrastructure. However, each community needs to take stock of those challenges that pertain to their region and be realistic about their options.

Many of these challenges are overcome by variables that are outside the control of many within the community. Luck plays a major factor. For instance, Bend would not have developed into the thriving metro area it is today without the Cascades in its backyard or the Deschutes River winding through town. These natural amenities allowed outdoor-based tourism to fill the void left by the timber industry and eventually led to rapid economic expansion. Many communities do not have these amenities. Their answer for overcoming the challenges facing rural communities must be different or less ambitious than becoming the next Bend or Hood River. However, in my experience most rural communities don't want to become the next Bend. They simply want the community to maintain its character, job base, and homespun values.

Article By: Damon Runberg Regional Economist Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Klamath, and Lake counties damon.m.runberg@oregon.gov

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By: Monica Gil

Every year, Nielsen has the opportunity to reflect on the instrumental, increasing and evolving role Latinos play in the U.S. in our annually Series Hispanic Consumer From the Ballot Box to Perspective on Growing America, provided us to also consider how impact the future of this

HOW HISPANICS EMERGED AS AN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL POWERHOUSE

released Diverse Intelligence reports. This year’s report, the Grocery Store: A 2016 Hispanic Influence in with a unique opportunity Hispanics are going to great nation.

The juggernaut growth of the U.S. Hispanic population is well documented. Hispanics are now the nation’s largest ethnic demographic, making up 18% of the population. They are redefining the essence of American culture as multicultural in everything—from taco trucks to the record-breaking Broadway show Hamilton. That ambicultural influence—an embrace of both Latino and American identities—can only expand as almost a third of Americans will have Latino heritage by 2060, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Hispanics are also quietly reshaping the economic and political bedrock of American society, which has important implications as we advance into the 21st century. Consider this week’s presidential race. Hispanic voter registration across the country has soared this year, outpacing other demographic groups. Hispanics now make up 12% of November’s electorate, and 65% of those 27 million Latinos eligible to vote are under the age of 44.

Nearly a third of Hispanic voters identify themselves as Independent. Moreover, over half those Independents say they do not lean either Democrat or Republican. In other words, they are crucial swing voters who can make a key difference in the electoral outcomes in battleground states such as Florida and Nevada.

The economy tells a parallel story. With a population of 57 million, Hispanics contribute $1.3 trillion to the U.S. economy, or just under 10%. To put that in perspective, that’s larger than the GDPs of Australia or Spain. In fact, Latino purchasing power has increased 167% since 2000, more than double the 76% growth rate in non-Hispanic buying power over the same period.

That’s the clear result of rapidly rising Latino incomes. Almost half of Hispanic households with U.S.-born individuals now earn more than $50,000 annually. This trend has powerful ripple effects on our consumer-driven economy, as well as on measures of national stability such as home ownership. And it’s well on track to continue, with Hispanic buying power expected to hit $1.7 trillion by 2020.

Delving deeper into this trend, we find that this economic success is being driven by increasing levels of educational attainment. Hispanics are now the largest minority group on college campuses. The number of 18- to 24-year-old Hispanics enrolled in two- or four-year colleges more than tripled between 1993 and 2013. Most importantly, 74% of female Hispanic high school graduates enrolled in college between 2012 and 2014, outpacing both non-Hispanic whites and AfricanAmericans.

All the numbers add up to one thing: The U.S. Hispanic population is rapidly coming into its own, and its impact on America is going to be remarkable. Understanding these insights is critical for our clients; helping them to stay ahead of the latest trends and marketing opportunities necessary to grow is at the heart of what we do at Nielsen. If there’s one piece of advice I could offer our clients, it’s that without a strategy to connect with diverse consumers, you’re without a long term growth and sustainability strategy for your business.

Monica Gil is senior vice president and general manager of Multicultural Growth and Strategy at Nielsen.

Nielsen, a global information and measurement company

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OUR MISSION “To provide a reliable business information tool for the economically curious, professionally inspired, and acutely motivated.”

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CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are on an average 2 ½ inches taller than an average American ……... Not that they are not good at their jobs and not that physical height is their only strength. However, that does not take away the fact that physical appearance has an over-bearing and a disproportionate influence on selection process and that is not restricted to selection of CEOs alone. Neither is this restricted to America alone although I am not aware of specific research on this in any other country.

Unfortunately, halo effect of physical appearance is not the only reason why selection process often goes haywire and leads to wrong hiring decisions. There are several others.

This note is not about the halo effect in personal interviews created due to physical appearance. This is about the manner in which many of the personal interviews are conducted which lead to erroneous judgements.

There is undue emphasis on past performance without adequate attention to the competencies which led to past success.

Most of the personal interviews dwell on past accomplishments in a superficial manner where the interviewee is required to narrate her accomplishments in previous roles. While it gives a good description of the situations and even what was achieved, it throws very little substantive light on what role the candidate personally played in that accomplishment.

I would like to distinguish between mere narration of past accomplishments and an in-depth situation based analysis of the accomplishment. The former, as should be evident, is a mere narration of sequence of events that led to the accomplishment and hence is more like a vivid description of an event with a desirable outcome. An in-depth analysis of an accomplishment would mean breaking down the event into (i) the situation that existed prior to the event, (ii) the task that was required to be done, (iii) the specific actions taken, (iv) the results achieved, and (v) if one could turn the clock back, what would the candidate do differently to achieve a better result. This framework is typically called the STAR/ AR (Situation - Task - Action - Result /Alternate Result). In this manner it becomes very difficult for a candidate to pass off a vicarious accomplishment as one’s own. The details which the candidate is required to provide generally ensures that the candidate is able to describe only those accomplishments in which she/ he has been personally involved. Besides, it enables the interviewer to get a peek into the thinking process of the candidate and some glimpses of behavioral traits which would otherwise get un-noticed.

Relying too much on past accomplishments which may have happened at a different point in time and in a very different context and that too in a cursory manner, does not usually provide a very accurate picture. In an environment which is becoming increasingly complex and ever changing, relying on past accomplishments is no guarantee for future success unless we focus on the specific traits or behaviors of the individual during a particular event in the past. Maybe it is not merely a co-incidence that several people who have been phenomenally successful in a previous organization setting and in a different role, end up being utter failures in a different organization setting and in a different role.

The second issue with narrative description of past performance is that it usually hides a lot of nuances which may have led to the success. In a world where most industries faced similar challenges and external environment were not dramatically different across industries, this was not a problem. If an individual could perform well in one industry and certainly within the same industry in another company, the probability was very high that the same individual would perform equally well in another company if not another industry. That does not hold good any more in today’s world. Today, even within the same company there is no guarantee that someone who has been highly successful in the past would be equally successful in a different role because the circumstances can vary quite drastically. Hence the futility of this kind of selection process.

On the other hand, what has become extremely relevant today is to distil out the relevant competencies from previous accomplishments in particular and from overall experience in general. The essence of the interview process lies in distilling

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out the distinct competencies that the candidate has demonstrated in different situations which can be used in another organization or in a different role. The competencies which an individual possesses generally stand the test of time and circumstances whereas the specific achievements may not. For instance, if an individual has a high “drive for results�, the chances are that this person will demonstrate the same behavior in any context. However, if the person has exceeded his Sales Targets by 120% in one year in one company does not guarantee by any measure the ability of the person to repeat the performance in a different company, let alone a different industry.

Besides basing decisions on superficial description of past accomplishments, the other thing that interviewers need to be wary of is banking excessively on credentials- that is, the organizations the candidate has worked in or the university that the candidate has been to. Every organization is different and no matter how reputed an organization is, no one can guarantee that a successful executive in a very reputed organization would be successful in a lesser known company. Each one has its own culture and each one may require very different kind of competencies to succeed.

Just because a candidate has been a star performer in a reputed organization is no guarantee that she possesses all the competencies which may required in any other organization in any other context.

Another aspect which many interviews do not pay adequate attention to is focusing on failures or mistakes. No matter how successful an individual may be, every human being makes mistakes and has some share of failure in his/ her career. Either interviewers do not ask any instances of failure or mistakes or interviewees gloss over them thinking that it may ruin their chances of selection.

Emphasis on failures or mistakes brings out two significant aspects in any interview - the more elaborately a candidate can describe a failure and learning from the same, the more self-aware is the individual and greater the self-awareness an individual possesses the greater emotional intelligence the person is likely to have which is a very good lead indicator of success in complex roles. The second reason is that analysis of failures helps bring out certain critical competencies which may not be apparent while talking of accomplishments alone. For instance, besides self-awareness, it can also demonstrate whether the candidate takes accountability for mistakes or failures. Someone who takes accountability for mistakes or failures is likely to earn trust of others which sometimes is sin qua non for success in complex roles.

To summarize, in my view, the need of the hour from selection perspective is to pay much more attention to interviewing process than is being done traditionally because the cost of a wrong hire or missing out on a right hire can be very high.

Article by: Kinjal Choudhary Senior Director & Country Head of Human Resources Featured in: India, Leadership & Management

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‘‘

DAVID BECAME AN

ICON OF THE POSSIBLE

David, by Michelangelo 1501-1504 Galleria dell’Accademia Florence, Italy

PERSEVERANCE

BY GREG HENDERSON

‘‘

FOR EVERY DOUBTER, FOR EVERY RELUCTANT DREAMER, FOR EVERY WISHFUL THINKER BEING TOLD NOT TO TRY BECAUSE FAILURE IS CERTAIN, THE STORY OF DAVID SAYS, ‘YES, YOU CAN’.

Perseverance is a trait common among great leaders. Perseverance is a steady persistence in a course of action regardless of difficulties, obstacles or discouragement. An individual who leads a group of employees, colleagues or another group of people needs to exhibit perseverance in order to successfully lead the team down the path to achieving its goals.

I

n his book, “For The Love of The Game: My Story”, Michael Jordan wrote: "There is no such thing as a perfect basketball player, and I don't believe there is only one greatest player either. Everyone plays in different eras. I built my talents on the shoulders of someone else's talent.

I believe greatness is an evolutionary process that changes and evolves era to era.

Without Julius Erving, David Thompson, Walter Davis, and Elgin Baylor there would never have been a Michael Jordan.

I evolved from them."

Underdog

impressive statues lined the walls.

Those larger and more dominant had special places centered in walkways and museum foyers. In honorable fashion tourists talked in hushed tones as though walking in a memorial park. Rounding a corner and gazing to a far end they became mute.

David.

Not just David, The David.

Michelangelo’s marble monument to the underdog.

The 3,000 year old story of David from the Old Testament tells us of a shepherd boy who volunteered to face Goliath, the most feared warrior of the Philistine army.

Goliath was a giant, perhaps 6’9” and as powerful as a Greek god. Goliath was covered in armor from head to toe, David only in ragged clothes he wore when watching his flock. David was armed with a sling made of a leather pouch attached to

Southern Oregon Business Journal

two strips of leather.

And five stones.

The same slingshot he used to protect the flock from predators, he would use to face Goliath.

We know David would defeat Goliath with a perfect shot to a small open space on Goliath’s forehead. David would become king. More important, David became an icon of the possible.

For every doubter, for every reluctant dreamer, for every wishful thinker being told not to try because failure is certain, the story of David says, “Yes, you can.”

We can. If there was a way to make us believe that small two-word sentence every minute in every day of our entire life, how much more could we achieve? How many more of us would make a confident effort?

It would be good to find out.

In this article about perseverance we will mention sports heroes often because of the publicity that has brought their names to our homes and offices. But, the sports heroes are not alone in their accomplishments. On every sidewalk we daily pass amazing people. These are every day heroes without trophies or grand publicity. It’s good to know they are here among us in our humble world. Good too, is knowing they are also looking at us wondering what kind of hero we might be.

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PHIL KNIGHT he was a runner.

In a time when athletes ran because it made them better at another chosen sport, Phil Knight ran because he enjoyed it. It also allowed him to run against himself without concern for defeating someone else.

Distance runners are often solitary athletes.

A good activity for shy or introverted people, running makes a fitness regimen into a sport.

The solitary activity of running also gives you time to think. Phil Knight ran a lot; he also thought a lot, about many things but especially running. How to run more comfortably, faster and longer and to discover the details of everything from his own stride, the impact of his shoes on the track and how that affected his health and athleticism, everything raced through his mind.

He became a student of coach Bill Bowerman’s mentorship. They couldn’t sleep at night because of the excitement of ideas that consumed them.

Entrepreneurs are like that.

Adrenalin can be addictive. Some will tell you if you don’t lay awake at night or if the first thing on your mind and in your daily conversation isn’t about your ideas and next-step planning, then you

may not be serious enough to pursue the dream. Knight and Bowerman both caught the bug.

Working on the details of the shoe, Bowerman and Knight discovered dozens of ways a shoe could be constructed and improved. Through tedious effort that took them to factories in Japan and across the U.S. they steadily built a shoe that became better with each experiment. It was as important to be better than yesterday’s model as to be better than the competition.

In fact, ‘being better’ was a mindset that would keep the focus on their product and that no matter how good it might become there would always be room for improvement. Well-positioned shoemakers of the time seemingly left no room for an upstart pair of entrepreneurs. It took twenty years of determination for Knight and NIKE to become an overnight success.

Tenacity and perseverance made it so.

“There comes a time in every life when the past recedes and the future opens. It’s at that moment when you turn to face the unknown. Some will turn back to what they already know. Some will walk straight ahead into uncertainty. I can’t tell you which one is right.

But I can tell you which one is more fun.”

— Phil Knight

NIKE world headquarters Beaverton, Oregon

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IT TOOK TWENTY YEARS OF DETERMINATION FOR KNIGHT AND NIKE TO BECOME AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS. TENACITY AND PERSEVERANCE MADE IT SO.

“We wanted, as all great businesses do, to create, to contribute, and we dared to say so aloud. When you make something, when you improve something, when you deliver something, when you add some new thing or service to the lives of strangers, making them happier or healthier, or safer, or better, and when you do it all crisply and efficiently, smartly, the way everything should be done but so seldom is — you’re participating more fully in the whole grand human drama. More than simply alive, you’re helping others to live more fully, and if that’s business, all right, call me a businessman.”

“Maybe it will grow on me.”

— Phil Knight, from his

On May 1, 1976 Mac Wilkins, a discus thrower on the University of Oregon track team broke the world record. Three times.

On the same day. His first record throw of 229-0 feet stood for only a few minutes.

The second flew to a new record of 230-5, the third at 231-3. One day, one event, three world records, enough to become a legend. But not enough for a competitor like Mac Wilkins.

To him, like the team of Knight and Bowerman ahead of him, Mac Wilkins seemed to have one goal, be better. At the 1976 Olympics Mac Wilkins won the gold medal. An interviewer asked him what he had done to prepare himself to break the world record. In response to the interviewer Mac said that he had never worked to break the world record, he worked to break the Mac Wilkins record. That was all he could control.

Wilkins was a competitor. He loved it and the attention of a frenzied audience.

He was not alone. There was another who stole attention and made the crowd at Hayward Field go absolutely nuts. And all he did was … run.

PRE he ran like no other. intense, determined.

Steve Prefontaine was a kid who grew up on the Oregon coast in the town of Coos Bay and from there set national high school running records by practicing more and harder than anyone else. He ran because he lacked the size needed to play football or basketball. His personality demanded competition. Running would place him on center stage.

Highly quotable, ‘Pre’ said: “To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift,” and “Someone might beat me but he’s going to have to bleed to do it.” Never afraid of Goliath, Steve Prefontaine welcomed the most difficult challenges. Fear of competition has ruined many athletes and business leaders. Pre did not fear, he was feared.

“Some people create with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's style. It's doing something better than everyone else. It's being creative.”

— Pre

biography, “Shoe Dog”

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New York Sports columnist Mary Pilon describes Prefontaine as “the James Dean of American Track and Field”. Dean was the young actor in “Rebel Without a Cause” who captured the admiration of his generation in the early 1950’s.

His death in a tragic auto accident at age 24 sealed his place on the roll of movie legends. Pre also died at 24 in an auto accident … .

Malcom Gladwell in his book, “Outliers” talked about what it takes to be an expert at anything. He found that experts always practiced more than others. According to his research it would take 10,000 hours of practice to reach expert status. Champions commonly go well beyond 10,000 hours.

“Fame is fleeting in athletics”, says Mary Pilon, “except Steve Prefontaine.

People still talk about him 40 years after his death. He is a hero who bridged a communication divide between the two worlds of hippies and loggers in the turbulent sixties and seventies.” His actions and attitude spoke to everyone.

His determination, self-confidence and perseverance are admired still by all who knew or hear of him.

And then there’s …

MICHAEL JORDAN he became professional basketball’s icon.

But, he started out pedestrian. He was a skinny sophomore in high school who was cut from the varsity team. He grew, he worked, he practiced. Those who wondered early on whether he would become as successful as he did learned that work ethic was his greatest asset.

“The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle … The game of basketball has been everything to me. My place of refuge, place I've always gone where I needed comfort and peace. It's been the site of intense pain and the most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction. It's a relationship that has evolved over time, given me the greatest respect and love for the game.”

— Michael Jordan

By early 2016 Michael Jordan’s net worth was estimated at $1.1 billion.

“Practice like you’ve never won, play like you’ve never lost.”

— Michael Jordan

DON’T BE AFRAID TO GIVE UP THE GOOD TO GO FOR THE GREAT. — John D. Rockefeller

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“No matter how good you get you can always get better and that’s the exciting part.”

— Tiger Woods

In golf it is …

PERSEVERANCE,

BY ITS VERY DEFINITION, REQUIRES PATIENCE, PERSISTENCE AND CONFIDENCE IN THE GOAL.

TIGER tiger woods might have had

an advantage over many of those wanting to be champion golfers by having the full support of caring parents.

But, it also took Tiger’s effort and devotion to excellence.

“No matter how good you get you can always get better and that’s the exciting part.”

— Tiger Woods

The champions of life and sport freely offer examples and instruction to the remainder of us what it takes to be better. Experience, or practice, is always in the conversation.

Perseverance, however, may be the most difficult. By its very definition

it requires patience, persistence and confidence in the goal; three things that often lose their luster as time passes.

Highly public and successful people or businesses are often seen as having reached the apex of Maslow’s Pyramid. Many have.

What is often forgotten or ignored is the effort required to get there.

Whether you’re David being challenged

by Goliath, or Steve Prefontaine wanting to be the best runner on the planet, it is essential that by grasping a goal there is a commitment to achieving it. There should be much consideration given to the mental aspects of achieving a selected goal; are you truly committed, who is/are your mentors, will it instill in you enough consistent enthusiasm to keep you awake at night?

A fellow named Thomas Buxton said, “With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.” You are therefore qualified. Go for it.

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Southern Oregon Business Journal

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Leadership In The Six Counties of Southwest Oregon

Coos County

Curry County

Douglas County

Jackson County

Josephine County

Klamath County

The newly placed commissioners of the six counties of SW Oregon have many objectives in common.

The economic demographic of the region is quite consistent. There are challenges related to jobs and employment and business recruitment, enhancement and retention. Couple that with a need to provide exemplary education programs to fill the needs of a new industrial economy, and multiple other public demands, and we see the commissioners have their work cut out for them.

While revenue sources are stretched the want of funding doesn’t lessen. Private sector business support is a common theme of the commissioners. It will be a time of much consideration and collaborative brain-storming.

This business journal article introduces our readers to the new administration of county commissioners in this southwest corner of Oregon. Some of their thoughts and values are reflected in the brief introductions that will give citizens of the region much to be relieved about following ten years of our Great Recession.

While confidence in their leadership and decision-making talent is warranted, each citizen should make it a priority to be supportive in the renewal of efforts to grow economically, educationally, and politically.

Greg Henderson, Southern Oregon Business Journal

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Coos County, Established 1853 (541) 396-7539 www.co.coos.or.us

Population: 62,900 (2014) Square miles: 1,629

Coos County Commissioners

John Sweet

Bob Main 

Melissa Cribbins

Association of Oregon Counties:

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Belloni’s Boys Ranch

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-- Public Lands and Natural Resources -- Public Safety Steering Committee

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Local Government Advisory Committee

CCD Business Development Corporation

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Coos County Weed Board

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South Coast Development Corporation

Rural Development Initiatives -Vice Chair

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Council of Forest Trust Land Counties

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SW Oregon Area Comm. on Transportation

Coos County Urban Renewal Agency

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O&C Counties - Board of Directors

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Oregon Coastal Zone Management Assoc.

Coos County Urban Renewal Agency

Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Board

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Oregon Solutions Steering Committee

Small Business Development Center

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Energy Trust of Oregon

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WOAH Community Advisory Council

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Land Conservation & Development Commission Board

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SCCF

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Association of Oregon Counties

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United Way of Southwestern Oregon Board

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Western Oregon Advanced Health Board

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National Association of Counties - Energy, Environment & Land Use

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Watershed Councils

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Coquille Rotary Club



Bay Area Sportsman Association

All Commissioners: CCAT 4-H Extension Service Coos County Library Service District Local Public Safety Coordinating Council

-- Legislative Committee Energy, Environment & Land Use --Co-Chair

Committee

Enterprise Zone - Bay Area and Coos County

Southern Oregon Business Journal

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Curry County, Established 1855 (541) 247-3229 www.co.curry.or.us

Population: 22,355 (2014) Square Miles 1,648

Curry County Commissioners

Tom Huxley – Chair Tom promised the voters that he would only accept compensation of $10,000 per year and would take no healthcare or other benefits.

Tom and his wife Kathy have been married for 46 years and lived in Brookings, Oregon since 2001. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology from the School of Engineering; Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA. Tom brings with him a corporate and small business background which includes full profit and loss responsibility for the operation of construction, manufacturing and service companies.

Court Boice In spending most of his adult life living in the beautiful Rogue River Wilderness at Paradise Lodge (including raising his family between there and on the coast at Gold Beach) Court has practiced sound environmental procedures, good health, efficient use of all resources, and faced the daily challenges of being very geographically isolated. All required daily improvisation.

Court has a broad experience in assisting Movie, Film, News and Documentary crews. He is a Treefaller, has raised cattle and grows orchards. He has performed numerous wedding ceremonies in the Rogue wilderness. He is an OSU Master Gardener and has been a 10 year NRA Member.

Sue Gold Sue’s background Information - BS Degree in Mathematics from the University of Utah, and a Masters in Education/Mathematics from the University of San Francisco. Sue has been a mathematics teacher in high school and currently teaching parttime at College of the Redwoods. She is also currently serving as a Brookings-Harbor Port Commissioner and Brookings-Harbor School Board member.

Her main goal as commissioner will be working towards more financial stability for Curry County.

Tom ran on a platform of proposing solutions other than more taxes. This included department consolidations and possibly outsourcing various departmental functions.

Southern Oregon Business Journal

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Douglas County, Established 1852 (541) 440-4201 www.co.douglas.or.us

Population: 109,385 (2014) Square Miles 5,071

Douglas County Commissioners

Gary Leif Gary Leif was a business owner for forty years and a property developer. Gary’s been on over 30 different boards and organizations where he has chaired over half of those.

Tim Freeman

Following the long-standing tradition of Douglas County Commissioners’ involvement in the Association of Oregon & California Land Grant Counties, (Assoc), Commissioner Tim Freeman was unanimously elected as President of the AssociaSince being elected in May of 2016, tion of O&C Counties at their annual I have donated 7 1/2 months of my meeting held on December 2, 2016 time to meet with all the Departin Eugene, Oregon. As we enter ments, meeting community into a new year and the opportunity Partners, talking with groups and to work with a new administration, citizens and their concerns, the Association of O&C Counties attending every meeting available, remains steadfast in its principles traveling outside Oregon to find and commitments. The Association solutions for Douglas County and will continue to pursue the action it educating myself on our great filed in Federal court earlier this county. I am so excited and year, challenging the legality of the honored to be taking office in 2017. new BLM resource management plan for the O&C Lands. However, it is important to underscore the willingness of the Association to work in earnest with our congressional delegation on legislation that will make litigation unnecessary.

Chris Boice Commissioner Boice has lived in Douglas County since 1994. His wife was raised in South County and their four children were all born here. He has owned and operated small businesses since 2002.

We can no longer promise county benefits and changes in county operations without also talking about how to balance our budget. His goal is to streamline government programs and ensure that we operate with a balanced budget.

He has also been a committed and consistent force for economic development.

Prior Governmental Experience: Housing Authority of Douglas County Board of Commissioners.

Local Public Safety Coordinating Council Chair (2015-Present) CCD Business Development Corporation Board member (2015Present) Also: Member of Douglas County Search and Rescue, Precinct Committee Person, Umpqua Valley Cal Ripken Team sponsor and coach. Past Member, North Roseburg Rotary.

Southern Oregon Business Journal

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Jackson County, Established 1852 (541) 774-6119 www.jacksoncounty.org

Population: 208,375 (2014) Square Miles 2,801

Jackson County Commissioners

Bob Strosser Bob is a retired police administrator of nearly 24 years, with a thoughtful understanding of the priority of public safety.

He began his career as a police officer in Pasadena, CA in 1966. He stayed in law enforcement, except for a small interruption from 1967 to 1969 when he served in the US Army and saw combat in Vietnam, retiring as a Division Commander in 1990. He moved to Jackson County, Oregon in 1990.

Bob is pro business, supporting both education and job growth. He is a champion of economic and business prosperity through both job development and retention.

He is frugal in his approach to budget management. He employed creative solutions as Division Commander to considerably stretch the budget of the Pasadena Police Department.

“Our kids are our greatest natural resource and we don’t want them leaving to be able to find a job.”

Southern Oregon Business Journal

Rick Dyer Rick Dyer was elected to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners in November of 2014 and sworn into office on January 5, 2015. He served as the Chair of the Board for 2016.

Commissioner Dyer came to Southern Oregon when he was in junior high and he graduated from Hidden Valley High School in 1982. Rick's family members are no strangers to hard work; Father, Dr. Walt Dyer, is the senior staff member of the Applied Physics Dept. at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore MD; his mother, Brenda Patton, has owned and run her own accounting firm in Grants Pass for over 35 years.

Rick has made his mark as well. At Hidden Valley High School, Rick played baseball and basketball, was elected the Senior Class President and was a member of the National Honor Society.

At Southern Oregon University, in 1987 he received a BS in Business Administration/Accounting. From there, Rick received his Juris Doctorate degree from Concord Law School. In 2011, and passed the Bar Exam on his first attempt.

Colleen Roberts Commissioner Roberts' vision for the County is a Government that truly is for, of, and by the people. She agrees with Thomas Jefferson’s statement: “No government can continue good, but under the control of the people.”

Commissioner Roberts is a native of Southern Oregon, born and raised in Klamath Falls and graduated from Rogue River High School. After raising her family, Colleen finished her degree 30 years later, followed by a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Colleen and her sister founded a fullservice custom bakery (Sensational Sweets) for over 20 years in Eagle Point.

She is also the Board liaison to the City Councils of Butte Falls, Eagle Point, Gold Hill, Rogue River, Shady Cove and Talent. She serves as liaison to the Bureau of Reclamation, Inland Rogue Advisory Committee, Jackson County Vector Control District, Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District, Rogue Valley and Mid-Rogue Metropolitan Planning Organizations, National Park Service, Rogue Valley Area Commission on Transportation, Rogue Valley Council of Governments, Transportation Advisory Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and is on the Board of the Association of O&C Counties.

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Josephine County, Established 1856 (541) 474-5221 www.co.josephine.or.us

Population: 83,105 Square Miles 1,641

Jackson County Commissioners

Simon Hare Simon Hare and his family have a long history and deep roots in Josephine County. His grandfather, Edward Hare, moved the family to the Illinois Valley and the "Oxbow Ranch" from the Napa Valley in 1958.

This fondness for a rural lifestyle played a significant role in his decision to attend Oregon State University.

During his Junior year he was honored to lead the prestigious choral department by being elected President.

In 2002 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business. He was a legislative intern in Senator Gordon H. Smith's Washington, D.C. Office. He spent 6 years with Rural Electric Cooperative Assoc., in the government relation's office, working on rural electric cooperative legislative issues.

Commissioner Hare took office after winning the general election for position #1 in January 2011. He's piloted very challenging times in Josephine County. He continues to be a proponent of small, fiscally responsible government, a long-term funding solution for the county.

Southern Oregon Business Journal

Dan DeYoung

Lily Morgan

Dan is a native of Grants Pass, a GPHS graduate, 4 years US Navy, small business owner for 35 years. For the last six plus years, I've served as a GP City Councilor and am on my third term as Council President. I've also served on the budget committee, Rogue Valley Area Commission on Transportation, and the Middle Rogue Metro Planning Org. My background is a solid basis to meet the challenges we face.

Lily’s past experience has prepared her to bring a business perspective to County government. As City Council President, she oversaw the hiring of a new City Manager, chaired a Charter task force, and served six years on the Budget committee. She is versed in government budgets, prioritization, labor laws and labor negotiations.

I was a service manager for a large HVAC company for six of the nine years I worked there. I started and ran my own business for 35 years before selling to the employees and retiring.

I've kept the company above water through downturns in the construction industry by retaining key employees forward thinking. I have been on the GP City Council for almost seven years and the Council President for the last three terms. I've always been a problem solver.

We have watched our Sheriff, Juvenile Justice, and the Jail deteriorate right before our eyes. It concerns me that this might be the "normal" from here on out. An audit of all departments is needed to insure they have the tools to do the jobs we ask of them.

Our goals need to be safety, jobs, and respect. Josephine County needs to find stable funding for the criminal justice system. We need a joint economic development plan between all government agencies, providing a community-minded approach to strategic planning and economic growth and to serve in a way that builds transparency and trust.

All agencies in Josephine Co. should come together to form a co-op where they work as one. By combining resources and working towards common goals, we can provide better services to all of our citizens. Working together in recruitment of companies that provide family wage jobs, gives hope for our children to be able to remain in the area. In turn, we can provide the workforce in order to bring in businesses with more jobs.

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Klamath County, Established 1882 (541) 883-5100 www.klamathcounty.org

Population: 66,910 Square Miles 6,135

Klamath County Commissioners

Kelley Minty-Morris Kelley serves as the chair of the Klamath County Board of Commissioners. Elected in 2014, she is committed to improving economic opportunities in Klamath County, making county government more effective, and fostering a greater connection between Oregon Tech, and the Klamath Basin. Commissioner Morris was appointed

by Oregon’s Governor to serve as a Trustee for Oregon Tech and was selected by her colleagues to Chair the search committee for a new University President in 2016.

Kelley was also elected to the Board of the Association of O & C Counties, to the Chair the South Central Oregon Economic Development District and was appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to serve on the Southwest Oregon Resource Advisory Council for the Bureau of Land Management.

Commissioner Morris serves as the Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the Blue Zones Project. Klamath Falls was chosen as the first Blue Zones project demonstration community in the state.

The Blue Zones project incorporates both built environment and policy changes to improve community health outcomes.

Kelley grew up in the Willamette Valley and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Business.

Southern Oregon Business Journal

Donnie Boyd Donnie Boyd is a proud, third generation native of the Klamath Basin. He attended Roosevelt Elementary, Ponderosa Jr. High, Mazama, and Klamath Union High School.

Donnie was awarded the Eagle Scout Badge in high school.

Donnie attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. While at PLU, he met his future wife, Julie. He completed his Associates of Arts in Accounting at Oregon Institute of Technology.

He eventually took over as owner of Floyd A. Boyd Co., in 2006. Donnie grew the business from one location in Merrill, to 5 locations throughout southern and central Oregon, and northern California. Donnie and Julie sold their business to Pape’ Machinery in 2014 and Donnie now serves in an executive management position for Pape’.

Derrick DeGroot The image of our county begins with our leadership and our elected officials setting the proper tone. We must eliminate the current perception that Klamath is not business friendly.

I do not believe in large government or tax increases. From time to time the citizens of ay community need to be asked what level of services they want and can afford.

A ballot is the way to go about that, as we are a government of, by, and for the people.

The primary function of any leader is to inspire and draw the best out of the citizens within the community they serve.

Donnie has always been active in a wide variety of Basin community activities. He was elected as a member of the Klamath Falls City School Board for three terms and served as board chairman for three of those years. He was one of the key organizers of the Bucket Brigade that took place in Klamath Falls during the water cut off crisis of 2001. And in 2014, he was honored to serve as the Grand Marshall of the annual Snowflake Parade. Donnie and Julie are members of Hope Lutheran Church.

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Oregon Cross-Laminated Timber Makes International Design Debut at Design Miami New York-based Digifabshop creates intimate pre-fabricated CLT rooms to showcase solo exhibits

by Gareth Mason, Kim Simonsson and Beate Kuhn MIAMI, Florida (Dec. 14, 2016)—Last week, U.S. manufactured cross-laminated timber stepped into the spotlight at the international design show Design Miami, exposing the game changing building material to the world’s leading taste makers.

to see this product be embraced by the architecture community and that folks like Digifabshop are using it to do something new. Exposure at Design Miami puts CLT on the map and hopefully front of mind for designers thinking about sustainable building.”

New York-based digital fabrication company, Digifabshop, used CLT to build three pre-fabricated, flat-packed, and rapidly re-assembled freestanding rooms to house internationally known ceramics gallery Jason Jacques Inc.’s solo exhibits by Gareth Mason, Kim Simonsson and Beate Kuhn.

“Design Miami is a place to do something new and interesting, and to have a lot of design community eyes on it,” said John Tompkins, Digifabshop president. “This exhibit was an opportunity to showcase U.S. manufactured cross-laminated timber, which we think is going to be a real game changer in the years to come. We’re proud to have partnered with the Jason Jacques gallery and Oregon-based D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations to bring this ambitious project to fruition.”

Digifabshop used 4” thick Douglas Fir panels from D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations to create intimate 8’x8’x8’ and 8’x8’x16’ rooms to showcase the ceramics. The CLT panels were assembled using waterjet cut and powder coated custom hot rolled steel brackets, and then set on 12" x 12" hemlock beam bases. The rooms were first assembled at the Digifabshop facility in Hudson, NY, where they were then disassembled and loaded onto a flatbed truck, before ultimately being re-assembled inside the Design Miami tent.

“Cross laminated timber really is on the forefront of design,” said John Redfield, D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations chief operating officer. “It is exciting Southern Oregon Business Journal

Displays designed using 4” thick Douglas Fir panels from D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations (Riddle, Oregon) to create intimate 8’x8’x8’ and 8’x8’x16’ rooms to showcase the ceramics.

Architects around the world are using mass timber construction systems to build tall buildings as well as prefabricated structures. Mass timber buildings use cross-laminated timber and glu-laminated beams as the building structure, often times to replace conventional materials like steel, masonry and 29

concrete. Mass timber buildings have a substantially lower environmental impact than traditional building methods.

The Digifabshop team used the Design Miami exhibit to not just debut cross-laminated timber, but to announce that is expanding its services into pre-fabricated construction.

“This is our natural next step,” said Tompkins. “We’re coming upon our 10th anniversary building architectural interiors. We have the craftsmen, the machinery and the skills. Cross-laminated timber opens up a whole new scale for us. Design Miami was our first foray into pre-fab building for clients. And we're excited to continue to push the concept further from here.”

About Digifabshop Founded in 2007, Digifabshop is a highly agile digital fabrication company specializing in custom architectural interiors, displays, and fixtures. With in-house teams specializing in CAD, 3D modeling and scripting, CNC machining, woodwork, metal work, solid surfaces, upholstery, and finishing, Digifabshop has a unique ability to produce a vast array of custom work, while reducing coordination demands and increasing precision and speed to completion on it's customers' projects. In the years ahead, Digifabshop will explore making at a new scale as well, as it delves into building construction and looks to leverage it's same melding of digital and craft.

About D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations is the first company in the U.S. to receive APA/ANSI certification to manufacture structural cross-laminated timber panels. Founded in 1951, D.R. Johnson is a second-generation, family-owned wood products manufacturer located in Riddle, Oregon – the heart of Oregon’s timber country.

An affiliated company, Riddle Laminators, was built at the same location in 1967 to manufacture gluelaminated beams. Going forward, both the glu-lam beams and the cross-laminated timber panels will be manufactured and sold under the business name D.R. Johnson.

Submitted By: BECCA THOMSEN | Senior Account Manager | Quinn Thomas 5 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 570 Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035 (503) 709-3172 becca@quinnthomas.com

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Jordan Cove Announces Community Grant Awards in Southern Oregon Coos Bay, OR – Jordan Cove presented community grants to seventeen local non-profit organizations in southern

Oregon. Recipient programs covered a variety of community benefits, including funding expansion efforts at local food banks, creating a class dedicated to teaching computer coding to girls, and supporting much-needed veterans services.

“We are so proud to support these incredible organizations and their missions,” said Betsy Spomer, CEO of Jordan Cove LNG. “In a hard-hit economy, non-profits play a vital role in providing social, cultural and educational services that align closely with Jordan Cove’s commitment to being a responsible neighbor.”

Organizations received grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the scope of the initiative. The grant program began in 2014 and since then has awarded nearly $250,000 in community funding. Non-profit organizations from Coos, Douglas, Jackson and Klamath Counties are eligible to apply and awards are generally made twice per year.

“We are grateful for Jordan Cove and their support of veterans in southern Oregon,” said Thomas Benz of Southwestern Oregon Veterans Outreach. “Every penny of the grant is going toward helping those who fought for our country and need basic services to support them when they’re home.”

"With a 40% poverty rate for Coastal Douglas County, nearly half of our community suffers from hunger or food insecurity and 54% of our clients are senior citizens and children, our most vulnerable population,” stated Susan Martin of Project Blessing Food Pantry. “This grant will allow us to purchase a new, large refrigerator to distribute more fresh produce and provide nutritious foods that are too expensive for our clients to purchase. " As part of the current round of community grants, Jordan Cove awarded grants to the following organizations: 

The Ark Project

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Project Blessing Food Pantry

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South Umpqua Historical Society

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South Coast Family Harbor

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Southwest Oregon Regional Airport in Partnership with Bandon Fire

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South Coast Hospice & Palliative Care Services and Thrift Store

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T.H.E. House

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Star of Hope

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Southwestern Oregon Veterans Outreach

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The Friendly Kitchen/Meals on Wheels

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Bay Area Enterprises

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Lighthouse School

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Jefferson Public Radio (JPR) Foundation, Inc

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Malin Rural Fire Protection District

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North Bend Senior Recreation and Activities Center

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The Nancy Devereux Center

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Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board

Southern Oregon Business Journal

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Jordan Cove LNG Intends to Re-file with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Coos Bay, OR – Jordan Cove LNG has finalized its optimized project design and intends to file a new application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“While the decision on Friday was disappointing, we remain committed to this project,” said Betsy Spomer, CEO of Jordan Cove LNG. The 2015 Final Environmental Impact Statement remains valid and has already concluded that the project is environmentally responsible. According to Spomer, the plan is getting even better. “Through feedback from stakeholders and extensive engineering work, we have designed a more efficient facility that does not require a power plant, and will reduce overall environmental impacts.”

On Tuesday, December 13, Jordan Cove LNG withdrew its application with the Energy Facility Siting Council to build a 420-megawatt power plant. Removing the power plant from the plan will result in a facility that can be more efficiently and effectively operated with a smaller infrastructure footprint.

“I am excited to hear Jordan Cove intends to re-file and is committed to bringing thousands of family-wage jobs to rural Oregon,” said Oregon State Senator Arnie Roblan. “Jordan Cove’s investment will rank among the largest private investments in Oregon’s history. The project will generate hundreds of millions in tax revenue for schools, infrastructure improvements and public safety that will take the burden off the backs of local taxpayers.”

As Jordan Cove LNG readies the applications for re-filing, important agreements stay in place, including commitments to provide clean natural gas to southern Oregon homes and businesses through the local pipeline network.

For more information about the Jordan Cove LNG project, please visit www.jordancovelng.com.

MEDIA CONTACT Michael Hinrichs Phone: 503-4328153 Email: mhinrichs@jordancoveenergy.com

Southern Oregon Business Journal

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FERC Issues Final Denial of Jordan Cove LNG Export Plan

Coos Bay's North Spit. Photo by Alex Derr.

Great news arrived today (12/9/2016). The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a final denial of the proposed Jordan Cove LNG (liquefied natural gas) export terminal on Coos Bay’s North Spit. This may not be the final conclusion to the story, but it is a major breakthrough for the coalition that has opposed LNG development for so long.

What FERC actually did was deny the request by Jordan Cove Energy Project and Pacific Connector, which would build and run the associated pipeline, for a re-hearing of the original denial last March. Even better, FERC also denied Jordan Cove’s request to add information to the record. That means that if Jordan Cove does attempt to appeal the decision, it will have to be based on the information available when FERC originally denied approval, not on any alleged new need for the project.

The original denial was based on Jordan Cove and Pacific Connector not having demonstrated sufficient market demand to establish necessity for the project that would outweigh damage to the interests of landowners affected by the pipeline construction. Jordan Cove had come up with some vague, non-binding agreements with potential purchasers since March, but FERC has now rejected these dubious new claims.

The project is dead as far as FERC is concerned. Jordan Cove/Pacific Connector now has 60 days to appeal to federal circuit court (either the 9th Circuit, here on the West Coast where the project is located, or the D.C. Circuit, where FERC is headquartered—their choice). If Jordan Cove appeals, Oregon Shores will be in the thick of it, but, very unusually, on the side of FERC. Meanwhile, we will continue working to persuade state agencies to issue permit denials, as well, so that LNG development on this unstable spit, in an earthquake and tsunami zone, will be permanently blocked, even if Jordan Cove should appeal to the courts and win on appeal.

While this decade-long battle isn’t necessarily over, the FERC denial is a key victory for all the groups that have opposed LNG development. This has been a major focus of Oregon Shores’ Coastal Law Project for most of a decade. It is important to celebrate victories when they come, before girding for future battles, so for today, two cheers!

Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition PO Box 33, Seal Rock OR 97376 503-754-9303

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Oregon Seeking a Grand Bargain By: Gary Conkling

Op—Ed

Oregon lawmakers will return to Salem next February with a $1.7 billion budget hole staring them in the face and no discernible plan to address major causes of the budget deficit -– rising Medicaid and the Public Employees Retirement System costs.

Backers of Measure 97 hoped the projected $3 billion per year gross receipts tax on large corporations would make the budget hole disappear. Voter rejection of the measure nixed that idea.

After spending millions to defeat Measure 97, some business leaders were non-committal to sit down with state policy makers to look at a compromise tax plan. However, the sentiment expressed at the Oregon Business Leadership Summit in Portland in December was conciliatory. Economist John Tapogna captured the spirit by calling for a grand bargain that included new revenue and significant spending cuts.

In contrast, Governor Kate Brown took the stage and informed business leaders any plan based on PERS cuts was dead on arrival in Salem next year. She then challenged the business community to come up with a plan to address Oregon’s budget woes.

Brown’s brusque dismissal of any action on PERS and her challenge to business leaders drew negative editorial commentary throughout Oregon questioning her leadership.

Meanwhile, legislative Republicans say Democrats control the governorship, Senate and House and therefore should be the architects of a plan to put Oregon’s budget on a more sustainable path. Since Democrats lack supermajorities in either the House or the Senate, they will need at least a handful of Republican votes to pass any meaningful tax hikes.

Knotty problems like this often dominate pre-session talk. Oregon has faced budget challenges before and found solutions.

However, there are some major differences this time.

While state revenues have continued to grow, spending for PERS and Medicaid has risen faster. A future economic slowdown is inevitable, which will flatten or reduce income tax proceeds – Oregon’s primary source of General Fund revenue.

But an economic downturn could have the opposite effect by driving up PERS and Medicaid spending.

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Prior attempts at grand bargains and PERS spending cuts have failed. Public employees were guaranteed pension benefits and courts have said those guarantees are inviolable. Oregon’s Medicaid expansion is intertwined with a complex set of agreements with health care providers who have made commitments to find cost savings in the health care delivery system, often making expensive and long-term investments. Tossing people off the Oregon Health Plan could force people to get more expensive care in emergency rooms and hospitals to write off the expense as charity care. That, in turn, could shift some of those unreimbursed costs onto businesses that provide health insurance to their employees.

The bottom line is that business, unions, the general public and state leaders would be better off if they could find acceptable ways to close the budget gap through a smart combination of additional revenue and spending cuts.

That may be what eventually happens. But it may take a lot of political kabuki theater to get there. Brown faces re-election again in two years. There are at least two potential challengers in the Capitol – newly elected Secretary of State Dennis Richardson and Rep. Knute Buehler – who have every reason to point out wasteful spending and heap pressure on Democrats to come up with a plan, which may not please its core constituencies.

Like any good play, the drama precedes the resolution. Most lawmakers understand the state’s budget trajectory is unsustainable. The dream of a Measure 97 revenue bailout has been dashed. All that’s left is a big-time compromise.

The question isn’t whether a compromise will come, but how long it will take to start looking for one – and who is willing to do the looking.

Gary Conkling is president and co-founder of CFM Strategic Communications and leads the firm's PR practice. He is a former journalist who has worked on Capitol Hill and represented business and nonprofit clients at the Oregon legislature

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Listen Effective communication is an exchange of information with the expectation that the act of communicating will achieve predicted results. If I say one thing but you hear something different, we are not communicating effectively. If what I say and what you hear are the same, then we can believe our communication is effective.

There will be conversations over dinners and family celebrations for decades about the year we’ve just finished.

2016 was the introduction of opinion on a massive scale. We now realize the potential of media influence on our lives. Social media has run amok.

The challenge now is to assemble the details of incredible volumes of communication and make it into a workable and trustworthy tool. The disagreements on social media emphasize the need to develop a system that will ensure ways to verify accuracy, identify intentions or sort data into understandable volumes that can offer the exchange of ideas and opinions without creating volatile and unsafe conditions. It is work that scholars must be laboring over now. Let them work quickly.

Rumor and gossip have been problems since man decided to share his cave. Man makes gestures and sounds much more frequently than he successfully understands them. Maybe it’s the problem of having two ears and one mouth but using them as though there were two mouths and one ear.

America has a new Whitehouse occupant moving in but we also have new leaders in our local communities. If everyone makes a priority of effective communication and avoids the hazard of unintended consequences that poor communication can cause then perhaps our successes will outnumber our failures in the new year.

The advent of computerization and the internet has redefined speed. Moore’s Law says computer processors double in complexity every two years. Human minds have a hard time keeping up with that kind of pace.

So, a cooperative attitude and a mindset that we can collaborate on many important things to a positive end should get us through another year.

For now, Happy New Year!

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“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins, not through strength but by perseverance.” ― H. Jackson Brown Jr.

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