Tigard's "Late Night" State of the City address |
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Packed full of creativity, Tigard's staff once again found a way to entertain, while informing its residents during it's "State of the City" address, also known as "Late Night in Tigard."
Held virtually this year, Mayor Jason Snider talked socially distanced with a number of business owners and community leaders.
The topics included the Public Safety Advisory Board, an anti-racism plan, consolidating city services, and caring for the community during the pandemic.
During "Late Night," Tigard business owners spoke about how they benefitted from Tigard CARES, a financial assistance program.
The event also highlighted lacking facilities at Tigard's Police Station and City Hall, which were built in 1986.
It was obvious by the conversation that Tigard is outgrowing it facilities, especially the police station, which was built for a staff of 35, and now it has nearly 100 employees.
The Mayor interviewed Tigard's Community Development Director Kenny Asher.
Asher spoke about the hopes of consolidating city services into one building in Tigard's downtown and making better use of the 13.5 acres the city owns.
He mentioned the possibility of selling off some of the city's downtown property for housing and redevelopment.
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Jobs returning slowly - the latest local employment numbers are in |
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Since the pandemic hit the economy in April of last year, jobs have slowly been making a come back with each passing month.
Oregon Employment Department Workforce Analyst Brandon Schrader reports 41.4% of the jobs lost in April of 2020 have been recovered in Washington County.
Lynn Wallis, a workforce analyst for the Oregon Employment Department, reports Clackamas County has seen 24% of its jobs return.
The latest reports are for data from February 2021, which shows Washington County's unemployment rate was at 5.4% and Clackamas County's at 6%.
These figures are a slight drop from January's data.
Both Wallis and Schrader report the leisure and hospitality industry is leading the way in bringing jobs back.
Both analysts shared this "Peak to Pandemic," article which reviews employment during the pandemic.
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Changing seats - the Washington County Visitors Association gets new president & CEO |
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Dave Parulo is departing the "windy city" to arrive in the Tualatin Valley in June as the next Washington County Visitor Association's (WCVA) President and CEO.
Parulo will be succeeding Carolyn McCormick, who has been the organization's president and CEO since 2012.
“It has been a pleasure and honor to be a part of shaping Tualatin Valley as a great place to visit," said McCormick.
With 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Parulo has most recently been the president of Meet Chicago, a tourism and travel organization in the northwest part of Chicago.
“Dave brings a strong background in meetings and convention sales and an extensive knowledge of the hospitality industry, which will help Washington County as we emerge from the global pandemic,” said KL Wombacher, general manager of the Hillsboro Hops and chair of the WCVA’s board of directors.
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LRS becomes the largest women owned architecture & design firm in the PNW |
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With Janice Sanada and Michelle Startt joining Trish Nixon, Dan Purgiel, and Paul Boundy as majority owners in LRS Architects, the firm has become the largest women owned architecture and design firm in the Pacific Northwest.
“When I started at LRS Architects over 20 years ago, the industry was very male-dominated. I was one of only four women on the architectural staff. Since then, the landscape has changed dramatically, and I’m proud to say that LRS Architects is now almost 50% female,” said Startt.
The LRS team takes pride in designing projects that positively shape human experience through the physical environment and address the needs of everyday life - the spaces and places where people live and work.
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The pandemic has been hard on mental health. The Standard offers some tips on how to help employees during this time. KGW also provides some ideas on how to adjust to the transition into a new normal.
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Congratulations to Comcast in celebrating its 10 year anniversary of Internet Essentials and helping 340,000 Oregonians have affordable internet access.
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PGE is offering newly expanded bill assistance programs to help customers get caught up on their electric bills and have a fresh start. These are matching and direct financial assistance programs that augment assistance from state and federal aid. If you or someone you know would benefit from these programs, click here.
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If you missed the North Plains "State of the City," there is an updated version to view on YouTube.
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Congratulations to WEA member Wendy Watson from Kaiser Permanente, who is honored as part of the Portland Business Journal's "Women of Influence."
- Kudos to All4Oregon - our healthcare members of Legacy Health, Kaiser Permanente, OHSU, & Providence for passing the 300,000 vaccination mark at the Oregon Convention Center.
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Mon. 4/12 at 12:00 p.m. - A Virtual Forum with Riahana Ansary, John Southgate, and John Tapogna, talking about the current economy and the economic development outlook as we go into economic recovery mode. Click here to register by Sunday.
Wed. 4/14 at 7:30 a.m. - The Transportation Committee will meet virtually. All members are welcome. For more information, contact Pam Treece.
Mon. 4/19 at 6:00 p.m. - Washington County is hosting a virtual State of the County address. Click here to learn more.
Wed. 4/21 at 12:00 p.m. - The Land Use & Housing Committee will meet virtually. All members are welcome. For more information, contact KC Reinhart.
Wed. 4/28 at 7:30 a.m. - The Board of Directors will meet virtually.
* Items in bold are WEA events.
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