Tag: RARE AmeriCorps Participants

MEET OUR RARE AMERICORPS MEMBER: Ethan Stuckmayer

Posted on by Julia Havens

Ethan Stuckmayer RARE AmeriCorps Resource Assistance for Rural EnvironmentsMeet Ethan Stuckmayer

Ethan received his Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies with a minor in Economics from the University of Minnesota. Ethan worked as the Community Development Coordinator for Beltrami Neighborhood Council, where he implemented projects and programs to get community members involved in bettering their neighborhood. Ethan hopes that the RARE AmeriCorps Program will allow him to obtain the knowledge, skills, and experience that he needs to build a solid foundation for achieving success. After his year with the RARE program, Ethan plans to obtain a Master’s degree related to the field of planning.

About Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments

The Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments (MWVCOG) is a voluntary association of over 40 local governments. Members include Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties, 31 cities, 7 special districts, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The MWVCOG’s purposes include pooling local resources to achieve efficiency and economy and to join together to address issues of common concern. Member services include economic and community development, transportation systems planning, SBA loans, GIS, mapping and census services and local government capacity-building services.

Placed with MWCOG, Ethan will work with the rural communities of Donald and Gervais in updating components of economic and housing needs components for  their comprehensive plans. Ethan will assist with a buildable land inventories for  residential and employment lands; assist with preparation of an economic opportunities analysis (EOA) and housing needs analysis, conduct community/public outreach and provide support to the city manager and COG planners, as needed. He will assist with drafting a comprehensive plan and development code update recommendations resulting from the data analysis and reports.Ethan will also serve as a contact on the project to city staff, the community, and to the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD).

MEET OUR RARE AMERICORPS MEMBER: Julia Reynolds

Posted on by Julia Havens

Julia Reynolds RARE AmeriCorps Resource Assistance for Rural EnvironmentsMeet Julia Reynolds

Julia received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Geography from the University of Iowa. After attaining her Bachelor’s degree, Julia worked for Kusamala Institute of Agriculture and Ecology in Malawi as the Community Mapping Coordinator, where she developed and ran community mapping workshops and trained Kusamala employees as community mapping facilitators. Now with the RARE AmeriCorps Program, Julia hopes to develop her leadership skills and learn how to motivate others for change through first-hand experience. Though she isn’t certain about what she wants to do after her year with RARE, Julia would like to obtain a Master’s degree in either Geography or Community Planning and work with others in the arena of food and environment.

About Oregon Food Bank

Oregon Food Bank’s (OFB) mission is to eliminate hunger and its root causes. Formed in 1982 as Oregon Food Share, the organization merged in 1988 with Interagency Food  Bank to become Oregon Food Bank, a nonprofit, charitable organization that serves as the hub of the OFB Network, a statewide network of 20 Regional Food Banks (RFBs) – four are OFB branches – and over 900 agencies and programs serving Oregon and Clark County, WA.

Julia is placed with Oregon Food Bank where she will conduct a comprehensive inventory of regional food systems and resources in Clackamas County. She will examine
local food self-sufficiency including local retail, livable wage farming, and local farmers markets. Julia 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.