Month: June 2020

A new era for IPRE

Posted on by Robert Parker

By Bob Parker

After 20 years, I step down today as Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Research & Engagement. I’m delighted to hand the reigns over to Dr. Rebecca Lewis and Dr. Ben Clark who will take over as co-directors and lead the organization into its third generation. Josh Bruce will serve as Associate Director of Applied Research and will take on a lot of the program development and administrative functions that I previously had. Titus Tomlinson will lead RARE into year 27 and beyond. Michael Howard, Aniko Drlik-Muehleck, and Victoria Binning will keep the programs going and Julie Foster will continue to serve as the glue that holds the entire operation together.Bob Parker

I could not have asked for a more capable team to lead the organization into the future. IPRE/CSC has been my life’s work up to now—continuing the legacy is a gift to me from the entire IPRE team. What we built is unique in higher education and stands at the intersection of the three pillars of UO’s mission: education, research, and engagement. Our work is important and impacts students, organizations, and communities throughout Oregon and beyond while making significant contributions to basic research.

It has been a privilege to lead the Institute and to be part of the larger PPPM community. While there are way more people than I have the time to thank here, I want to specifically thank Rich Margerum head of PPPM for his support and insight. Working with the dedicated faculty and staff of PPPM has been a pleasure. Interaction with elected and appointed officials and community members is in education in itself and has kept me sharp all these years. Working with the hundreds of students has been a joy.

Alas, the adventure is not yet over. Circumstances have convinced me that a phased retirement is necessary—which probably doesn’t come as a surprise. Starting tomorrow, I’ll take on a new role as Director of Strategy and Technical Solutions for IPRE.  A big part of my focus for the next two years will be on community and economic recovery from COVID-19. It’s going to be a long road to recovery and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and continue to contribute to the overall effort. Moreover, I’ll continue my work with ECONorthwest.

I’ll close with a big thanks to all my colleagues in the fields of planning and public administration. The work we do is important and underappreciated. The people who do it are dedicated, courteous, knowledgeable, and fun. I look forward to continuing the journey.

 

Adopting the Klamath Basin Resilience Mentality

Posted on by vbinnin2

By Lydia Ivanovic, Rural Tourism Coordinator, Discover Klamath

Crater LakeRural life is characterized is often characterized as slow and even at times stagnant, but then again many folks who don’t live in rural places don’t see the work that community members and the speed at which they can organize around the development of their hometown. In the wake of COVID-19, I have seen my community suffer economic losses that strain small town business and threaten the emerging tourism market. But, I have also borne witness to the very resilience that defines the Klamath Basin, and the opportunity to be a part of that. After the cancellation of the biggest outdoor recreation events for several small Oregon-California border towns, a $4 million loss to be precise, it seemed the bounce-back just wasn’t in our vocabulary. But, I was proven wrong. The event was rescheduled for a few more months out and we were on to the next, pushing along a marketing campaign, and installing the very first Quilt Barn panel on the Tulelake Cold Storage building, a shining beacon for the multi-panel quilt trail to come.

I quickly adopted the Klamath Basin way and resilience became my M.O., too. No longer able to host the first ever community float event bringing visitors to our waterways? We now have the opportunity to construct an industry leading event for community members themselves to the float the waterways and engage in a multi-stakeholder conversation on what story we want to tell to visitors and lift the voices in our community through the connection we have with water.

Rural Klamath CountyNo longer able showcase local producers in food trucks at the upcoming Oktoberfest event? Instead, we will create the first local food guide in the Klamath Basin and take on individual outreach to connect farmers and foodies.

Maybe we can’t showcase the restaurant procuring local products in a highly trafficked restaurant weekend right now, but come fall time, an open air market might be just the thing to give local restaurants the spotlight they deserve.

In a matter of weeks, much of the work that I came to do in my community became impossible, stalled in the planning phase. But just as quickly, we came together to identify new gaps and “offline” opportunities and new strategies were put to the test. As a RARE member, I have been at the front lines of this creative thinking, leading all team meetings, researching regional examples of the work we want to accomplish, and always serving as a a point person for every comment, query, and the occasional complement.

About the author, Lydia Ivanovic: Lydia completed her undergraduate studies at Smith College in western Massachusetts, majoring in Economics. Having worked on her school’s food sustainability campaign, Lydia is excited to see her food systems organizing skills put to work in developing the Basin’s agritourism network, among other projects. While Lydia hails from the big apple, she is excited to embrace the close-knit nature of rural communities and work alongside grassroots organizations to inspire real change. When not in the office, Lydia loves rock climbing, hiking, and playing the saxophone.