Blake Helm received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from The University of Texas, Austin. After attaining his Bachelor’s degree, he went on to complete a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in GIS from Penn State University before moving on to work with Lane Council of Governments, Willamalane Parks and Recreation, and the Army Corps of Engineers on an array of GIS related projects. Needless to say, Blake is more than efficient when it comes to GIS. Blake applied to RARE AmeriCorps – Resource Assistance for Rural Environments in hopes of further developing a skill set that will allow him to find work in his most desired career field – planning and community development. Following his year with the RARE Program, Blake plans to apply to the University of Oregon’s Community and Regional Planning graduate program.
Blake is placed with Port of St. Helens, which is a special district focused on the creation and sustainment of jobs, primarily through the use of transportation infrastructure, land sales and leases, and access to bond finance. The Port of St. Helens’ mission is not only to recruit new businesses but also to help industries that currently exist. The Port of St. Helens works with numerous businesses as Port tenants that provide hundreds full-time jobs. Approximately 2,600 acres of property split between a general aviation airpark, a public marina, and a combination of light and heavy industrial zoned sites exist within the Port’s boundaries.
With the Port of St. Helens, Blake will carry out an array of planning activities. Specifically, Blake will use GIS to develop a more sophisticated mapping of Port properties for marketing and development efforts, provide vital assistance with the complex permitting process needed for further development of the Port Marina, assist with compiling various grants, and help address an increasing need to develop more robust Emergency Management Plans.
Organization: Port of St. Helens
Community: Columbia City, Oregon
Population: 49,351
County: Columbia