Annette Liebe Takes on Creating Jobs with Enthusiasm
Hoping to ignite a storm of inspiration and enthusiasm amid Oregon’s still-slumbering economy, Governor John Kitzhaber appointed Annette Liebe this spring as his new regional solutions coordinator for the Central Oregon territory. The post is an effort to revitalize economic opportunities and provide feedback and unity from local citizens, business leaders and town governments to formulate an attack on job creation.
The continuing effort to jumpstart the economy has been challenging but Liebe has a decisive direction well in mind – helping Oregonians get back to work.
“I’m extremely excited and optimistic that the team can complete some projects that will help communities meet their priorities,” said Liebe. “Recovery helps to create stability and that is something we will strive for. A dynamic job market with growth coming from all areas and sectors is essential.”
Liebe and her family moved here from Portland at the beginning of June to oversee the Governor’s plan. She earned her law degree from the University of Oregon and for the last 17 years has worked for the Department Of Environmental Quality, managing the water quality permitting program. She has visited this area often and although new as a resident, is very familiar with the region’s recent history and understanding its ongoing and existing economic issues.
If this type of government-led intervention task force sounds vaguely familiar, it is. There was a previous office based in Madras under the banner of Economic Revitalization Team Coordinator, now replaced by this new division directed by Liebe, the next incarnation of a similar effort yet with hopefully a more effective and promising result.
The creation of the Regional Solution Center and its offices will be joined with staff from five other state agencies: Oregon Department Of Transportation, Department of Environmental Quality, Land Conservancy and Development and staff from Business Oregon and the Department of Housing.
The solutions center is co-located in Bend with Oregon State University’s Cascade campus in order to partner with higher education. This is designed to increase collaboration among the various state agencies and to be a central meeting place where representatives from the community can gather to bring their projects and ideas and obtain feedback.
“We’re also establishing an advisory committee with delegates from the private sector, higher education and city governments to gain priorities for the solution team and serve as a bridge to available resources, whether that be money or interns,” she explained. “The expectation is that the regional solutions teams will, through collaboration, deliver on these projects. Once we have projects identified we will draw from the student body and faculty of COCC and OSU to help implement and manage certain job-stimulating programs.”
“It’s all about jobs,” said Liebe. “I’ve been meeting with folks in the community to see what their issues are and a lot of attention is being placed on that one-on-one engagement with individuals to truly assess problems at the root level. I’m finding there are things that are common themes within the tri-counties zones – energy, availability and quality of water and land use. Fleshing out the main priorities first allows us to clarify where best to utilize our combined resources.
“The goal is to visualize and highlight strategic job and employment opportunities based on what is already in the works from other state and community-based grassroots programs,” she said. “We don’t want to duplicate the efforts of what has already been done, but complement and add some additional horsepower, making sure the state is not getting in the way of local revitalization efforts.”
Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) is a primary resource for business growth in Central Oregon and a private, non-profit organization that will benefit from Liebe’s taskforce with added manpower, direction and support. EDCO is dedicated to the welfare of our regional economy by attracting new investment and relevant jobs. Amid the realities of a frustrating and stubborn economic recovery process, EDCO has managed to assist in job creation and help other companies move to or expand into our region and prosper.
Eric Strobel, business development manager for EDCO, worked with the state’s former Economic Revitaliziation Team (ERT) and has had very good luck with these types of solutions teams.
“Annette’s solutions team is basically a group of different representatives from various state offices all under one roof, so if there’s an issue in a community, they would have the state-level expertise to solve whatever problem is presented,” he explained.
“They make regular visits to the communities and hear from councils and committees to be aware of what’s going on. The state also has a business development officer on the ground, right here in Bend and he can act as a vehicle to quickly present these issues directly to the governor’s solutions team. I see Annette’s goal as being very much the same as the previous support team, having a liaison to the governor’s office to matters that need immediate attention and to get something done about it. I know she’s taking her time and making sure there are just the right people on their advisory committee. We’ll offer any support and cooperation we can here at EDCO. They’re a vital asset and we’ll work with them hand in hand.”
Other directives, such as the Deschutes Economic Alliance’s 1,000-day economic recovery plan which launched its first phase on May 1, focuses on six specific initiatives to strengthen job networking and help reconfigure Central Oregon from “poverty with a view” to “possibilities with a view.” Something much easier spoken in civic speeches than actually done.
The 1,000-Day Roadmap to Regional Transformation & Economic Vitality carefully lays out a portfolio of strategies for regional economic vitality. The initial step of the program is the 100-Day Jumpstart to Recovery where six teams of community volunteers explore strategies for economic recovery and report their findings and progress to the community at an Action Summit planned for August.
Liebe added that Central Oregon’s appealing environment of numerous recreational and cultural activities is an important component of economic development.
“Tourism is one avenue for bringing people here, it’s a point of entry for families and individuals who might be interested in bringing their businesses here,” said Liebe. “Diversifying the economy and supporting all kinds of opportunities is key, not simply relying on the lure of tourism or construction as we’ve seen the troubling effects of those policies.”
Though based in Bend, Liebe’s territory extends past the three counties of Jefferson, Deschutes and Crook, but also Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klamath and Lake Counties.
“So far I’m really enjoying it here and am compiling a good understanding of the barriers that exist within the various state agencies where this type of intervention program has been initiated. I’ve met some really great people and hope to do some good for the Central Oregon economy.”
The Central Oregon Solutions Center is located at a Cascades Campus office in Bend and its optimistic goals of communal problem-solving will be put to the test over the next few months. Additional Regional Solutions Centers will be set up in the Willamette Valley, eastern and southern Oregon and the
Oregon coast.
