Meet RARE AmeriCorps Participant: Timothy Smith

Timothy Smith RARE Participant Resource Assistance for Rural Environments Coos Bay, Oregon

Timothy received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a Minor in Photography from Doane College. After attaining his Bachelors Degree, Timothy served with Peace Corps in Zambia where he worked as an Agroforesty Extension Agent on an array of rural community development projects. Via RARE, Timothy hopes to gain experience working in the local food arena. Ultimately, he sees the RARE Program as a stepping stone that will allow him to return to his home state of Nebraska with the purpose of increasing sustainability at the local and state levels. Following Timothy’s year with the RARE AmeriCorps  Program – Resource Assistance for Rural Environments, he plans to attend graduate school in sustainability.

Timothy is placed with the South Coast Development Council (SCDC) in Coos Bay, Oregon. SCDC’s mission is to promote and support businesses that provide quality jobs through responsible development on Oregon’s south coast. The 501(c)3 organization was incorporated in 2000. It has a Board of Directors of approximately 20 members, representing county and community government, private industry and economic development partners from Business Oregon, the Southwest Regional Airport, the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and more.

Timothy’s workplan includes conducting a comprehensive inventory of regional food systems and resources in Coos County. He will examine local food self-sufficiency including local retail, livable wage farming, and local farmers markets. Additionally, Timothy will work to form partnerships with the local farming and agricultural community as a means to increase involvement, and to increase the ability to produce and market locally grown products. 

Organization: South Coast Development Council
Community: Coos Bay
Population: 15,967
County: Coos

Meet EDAUC GTF: Tristan Nighswander

Name: Tristan John Nighswander Tristan Nighswander PhD Economics Environmental and Labor Economics Economic Development Administration University Center (EDAUC) Community Service Center

Where were you born and where do you call home?  I was born (and call home) Catawba Island in Northern Ohio.

In which graduate program are you enrolled?
I’m enrolled as a PhD student in Economics and I intend to focus my research on Environmental and Labor Economics.

What Community Service Center program(s) are you working with?  Economic Development Administration University Center (EDAUC)

What are you doing for the Community Service Center (CSC)?
I will be working with Dr. Stone and his class of honors economics students to develop research projects that aid local governments, non-profits, and businesses to better understand the short and long term impacts of projects they are considering implementing.

What are some of the outcomes are you hoping to gain when your project ends?
My goal is to help my students further their understanding of the economic modeling process while maintaining our responsibility to our clients.

How does your involvement with the Community Service Center relate to or inform your education?
I study economics because, first and foremost, I am interested in people. I am fascinated by what motivates individuals and communities and what attributes can lead to greater personal and social success. Involvement with the CSC fits perfectly with my goals of viewing real world issues through an academic lens. By staying connected to communities through my involvement with the Community Service Center while continuing my education, I hope to maintain my earnest desire to better the community and world around me.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpower to be?
If I were a super hero, I would want the power to perfectly re-create every sound I’ve ever heard. I know that’s not on the typical list of superpowers, but I’ve always been terrible at impressions and I think pulling off a perfect impersonation of Sean Connery alone would be almost as cool as flying. It would be pretty amazing to be a one-man symphony too… or more realistically to be able to make animal sounds indoors and just confuse people.

Coffee or tea?
Do some people actually choose?

Where can we ‘cyber-stalk’ you?
My Facebook page: Tristan Nighswander