Month: December 2014

Meet our RARE AmeriCorps Participant: Rachel Cotton

Posted on by Julia Havens

Rachel Cotton Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County (EDALC) RARE Resource Assistance for Rural Entrepreneurs AmeriCorps ProgramAbout Rachel Cotton

Rachel received her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with concentrations in Geography and Public Policy from Middlebury College.  After working as a Senior Web Programmer and Database Architect for NGP VAN.  Rachel then received her Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University.  Through the RARE-Resource Assistance for Rural Environments Program, Rachel hopes to put her Master’s degree to use and to further diversify her skill set.  After her year with the RARE AmeriCorps program, Rachel hopes to secure a position as a planner.

About Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County

The Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County (EDALC) is a nonprofit, public-private partnership dedicated to diversifying the Central Coast’s economy, and facilitating the creation of quality jobs locally.  EDALC serves as a “one stop shop” for businesses wishing to locate in Lincoln County.  EDALC specifically focuses their efforts on locating appropriate commercial or industrial sites, and offering referral information about utilities, business permits, rental property rates, employee training programs, and more.

Placed with EDALC, Rachel will carry out an array of economic development planning and implementation activities.  Specifically, she will work with the Chambers of Commerce to further determine internal economic development goals; work to develop a Marine Science sector by holding a trade show event, data research, and workforce assessments; complete an Industrial Sites Inventory and Business Database; and, develop a fully functional local businesses database.

Meet our RARE AmeriCorps Participant: Molly Bradley

Posted on by Julia Havens

Molly Bradley City of Gold Hill RARE-Resource Assistance for Rural Environments AmeriCorps ProgramAbout Molly Bradley

Molly received a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Environmental Studies with a certificate in GIS from DePaul University.  As a student, Molly interned with the Active Transportation Alliance (ATA) to assess the physical safety features and walkability of a city park. After attaining her degree, Molly interned with The Congress for the New Urbanism, assisting in planning and organizing their annual conference.  During her year with the RARE- Resource Assistance for Rural Environments Program, Molly hopes to apply and improve her skills while developing her leadership skills through relationship-building with Oregon’s community leaders.  Following her year with the RARE AmeriCorps Program, Molly plans to enroll in a Community and Regional Planning graduate program in the Pacific Northwest.

About the City of Gold Hill

The City of Gold Hill is located off the I-5 corridor between Grants Pass and Medford.  Gold Hill was founded in the early 1800s by miners looking to make it rich shortly after a large gold nugget was found in the area.  The Rogue River that borders the City of Gold Hill is perceived by many as being the future economic engine for the community.  The City owns over 100 acres of parks and a mix of natural areas.  Increasing recreational and river access and use and local economic development are primary initiatives being taken on by the city.  Currently, the City of Gold Hill has just over 1,100 residents and a City staff of 5.5 FTE.

Molly  will build upon a wide array of planning related projects for the City of Gold Hill.  Using existing momentum, she will spend the majority of her time administering and implementing a newly adopted Surface Water Management Plan.  Additionally, Molly will work to raise awareness of human impacts on water quality via the City’s website and the release quarterly newsletters focused on water quality related issues.  Finally, she work to with local partners to educate property owners through onsite riparian vegetation consultation.