FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Jan. 2, 20078

Contact: Dave Hauser, Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, (541) 242-2350 

Jean Tate, (541) 687-1457

Jessica Corcoran, The Ulum Group, (541) 434-7027

Eugene Chamber Names Jean Tate 2007 First Citizen  

Eugene, Ore.--- The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce has named Jean Tate the 2007 First Citizen. Noted businesswoman and community leader, Tate will receive the award at the chamber’s Celebration of Business on Wednesday, Jan. 23. The chamber has presented the award annually since 1938 to honor individuals who make outstanding contributions to the well-being of the community through business and civic service. Past winners include William Bowerman, Carolyn Chambers, Dave and Lynn Frohnmayer, and Jim Torrey. Tate is the 60th First Citizen.  

A native of Yakima, Wash., Tate graduated from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., with a degree in theater in 1951. Shortly thereafter, she married her husband, Wayne, and the couple moved to the Boston area briefly before returning to Oregon. Tate worked as a high school teacher periodically throughout the years.  

She went into real estate in 1969 during an economic downtown. Tate says she surprised her peers by selling three houses her second month in real estate, and seven houses her third month. She opened Jean Tate Real Estate in 1974 and steadily grew the agency, which held the rank of largest real estate agency in sales and volume in the area for 14 years. She retired in 1989, at which time she sold the business to eight of her salespeople.  

Throughout her career, Tate volunteered and assisted with fundraising efforts for numerous local nonprofit organizations, including Planned Parenthood, Girl Scouts, Looking Glass and Meals on Wheels, as well as local bond measures for libraries and schools. Additionally, she participated on various boards and committees, including serving as chair of the State Commission for Women; as a member of the Pacific University board of trustees; State Commissions on Capital Planning and Ethics; Federal Home Loan Bank advisory council; Sacred Heart Medical Foundation board; Oregon Bach Festival board; Eugene Hearing and Speech Foundation board; Lane County Taskforce for the Homeless; Lane County Boundary Commission; and the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors and Local Government Affairs Committee.

Upon her retirement, Tate became more involved in volunteer work related to affordable housing. She served as the board president for Metropolitan Affordable Housing Corporation (Metro), during which her most notable achievement was spearheading and moving forward Woodleaf Village, a 30-unit affordable housing development in southeast Eugene. With Tate at the helm, Metro went on to develop Greenleaf Village and Apple Orchard. Most recently, Tate served on the West Broadway Advisory Committee. She currently serves on the Opportunity Siting Task Team, the Southwest Oregon Advisory Council for the Oregon Community Foundation, and is a member of the International Women’s Forum.

Tate and her family have also opened their home to a number of people over the years, including exchange students, troubled youth and single mothers in their last months of pregnancy.

The Celebration of Business will also include naming winners of the Future First Citizen and Shining Star Awards, as well as an address from the 2008 chairman of the chamber’s board, Kartar Khalsa. Tickets for the event are available by calling the chamber at (541) 484-1314, or by visiting www.eugenechamber.com.

As the area’s leading business advocate, the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce works to create an environment in which business will thrive. The chamber works with partners in business, government and education to improve the quality of life for local residents.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Oct. 4, 2007 

Contact: Dave Hauser, Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, (541) 242-2350 

Jessica Corcoran, The Ulum Group, (541) 434-7027

 Leadership Eugene-Springfield Kicks Off 22nd Year of Inspiring Community Volunteers

Eugene, Ore.--- Leadership Eugene-Springfield will welcome its 22nd class on Wednesday, Oct. 11. The program, sponsored jointly by the Eugene and Springfield chambers of commerce, is a comprehensive leadership development program designed to give volunteer leaders the skills and information they need to effectively serve the community. This year’s 26 program participants were selected from more than 35 applicants. The program runs from October through May 2008. Since first launching in 1985, the Leadership Eugene-Springfield program has graduated more than 450 community volunteers. The following individuals have been selected for the 2007/2008 class: 

* Adrian J. Amen, SELCO Community Credit Union-Springfield * Edward Bortz, Weyerhaeuser Company * David Castillo, SAIF Corporation * Amy K. Delaney, Pacific Continental Bank * Brian P. Erickson, Chambers Construction Co. * Matthew Favreault, Sacred Heart Medical Foundation * Julie Grossman, Eugene Family YMCA * Tracey Keffer, Oregon Community Credit Union * Carole Knapel, City of Springfield * Shelly Krehbiel, Royal Caribbean International * Val Major, Lane Events Center * Brie S. Malarkey, Winestyles * Steve Mangan, Eugene Water & Electric Board * Michelle O. Meador, Pacific Continental Bank * Michael Milbradt, U.S. Bank * Seth Revoal, Pacific Benefit Planners * Mark R. Richards, M. R. Richards Engineering, Inc. * Charlett Sessions, Lane Transit District * Stephanie Seubert, Evans, Elder & Brown, Inc. * Sarah-Kate Sharkey, HIV Alliance * Tonya Silke, Western Title & Escrow Company of Lane County * Barry Smith, Thorp Purdy Jewett Urness & Wilkinson PC * Jeff Taylor, LibertyBank * Kari G. Turner, PIVOT Architecture PC * Brittany Wright, Oregon Medical Group * Kimberly A. Young, City of Eugene Past graduates of the Leadership Eugene-Springfield program include Tammy Fitch, Springfield city councilor, former LTD Board member and Willamalane Park and Recreation District Budget Committee, class of 1988; Dean Kortge, member of LTD’s Budget Committee and former LTD Board member, class of 1989; Jennifer Solomon, Eugene city councilor, class of 1992; Jenny Ulum, past-president for the United Way of Lane County Board of Directors, class of 1988; and Alan Zelenka, newly elected Eugene city councilor, class of 1991.

Leadership Eugene-Springfield is the only comprehensive community training program offered in Lane County. Leadership participants learn a variety of skills, including how to advocate for and represent the community as a whole; to value the interaction of government, business and charitable institutions in creating a healthy Eugene/Springfield economy; and to be involved in creating a positive future for their community. As the area’s leading business advocate, the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce works to create an environment in which business will thrive. The chamber works with partners in business, government and education to improve the quality of life for local residents. For more information, call (541) 484-1314 or visit www.eugenechamber.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 25, 2007

Contact: Chris Nystrom, Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, (541) 242-2355
Jessica Corcoran, The Ulum Group, (541) 434-7027

Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce Names Emerald Award Winners

Eugene, Ore.--- The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce honored this year’s Emerald Award winners on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the fourth annual awards ceremony. More than 400 local business and community leaders attended the event at the Hult Center. Selected from nearly 90 nominations, the following winners were announced in four categories:

• Emerald Award for Community caring sponsored by Smith Barney and KEZI-TV: PacificSource Health Plans for its commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the local communities it serves. Examples include commitments made through its foundation, promoting employee community involvement and support of United Way.
• Emerald Award for Environmental values sponsored by Weyerhaeuser: Café Yumm! for incorporating sustainability and preservation into every aspect of its enterprise. The company uses a wide variety of recycled and Earth-friendly products in its construction and design, and common restaurant elements are created from recycled agricultural waste.
• Emerald Award for Growth sponsored by Bank of America and KMTR NewsSource 16: Bow-Tech Archery for adding 141 jobs from January 2005 to December 2006, offering excellent employee benefits and demonstrating revenue growth.
• Emerald Award for Innovation sponsored by Endeavor Law Group: Life Technologies, LLC, for developing assistive technology software to improve the lives of more than 13 million Americans with cognitive impairments. The company enhances independent living and improves quality of life for people throughout the world.
  
  Wildish Land Company was previously announced as the winner of the newly added Emerald Award category, Business of the Year, sponsored by Detlefsen Nel & Associates LLC. Wildish was selected for its strong community leadership and demonstrating a long-standing commitment to sustainable business practices.

The presenting sponsor of the 2007 Emerald Awards is Isler CPA.

The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce developed the Emerald Awards program to honor businesses in the Eugene and Springfield area that contribute to our community’s vitality and quality of life by implementing sustainable business practices. Each award represents a core principle of sustainability and demonstrates the important connection between the success of local businesses and the quality of life in Eugene/Springfield.

As the area’s leading business advocate, the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce works to create an environment in which business will thrive. The chamber works with partners in business, government and education to improve the quality of life for local residents. For more information, call (541) 484-1314 or visit www.eugenechamber.com.

 Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce Recognized for

Promoting and Supporting International Trade

Eugene, Ore.--- The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce has received an Export
Achievement Certificate from the United States Department of Commerce’s U.S.
Commercial Service.
 
One of four organizations in the region to receive the award, the chamber is being recognized for efforts to promote and support international trade in Eugene, Springfield and southern Oregon.
 
“We do a number of things to stimulate international trade in our region, such as holding International Trade Roundtables, a regular series of seminars on international trade and marketing topics, and helping local companies set up international distribution and marketing efforts in countries such as Europe, China, Mexico and others,” says Chris Nystrom, director of business assistance for the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. “We’re very pleased to receive this award for our support of the international business community in Eugene and southern Oregon.”
 
The Export Achievement Certificate recognizes a company's export excellence
in dramatically increasing export sales or opening new international markets. The Department of Commerce also issues a certificate in appreciation of the efforts of organizations/companies that support the local business community in their international marketing efforts. 
 
Other regional award recipients include Burley Design of Eugene; Kwaplah
International of Corvallis; and Moss Adams LLP of Eugene.  Moss Adams
received the award for its support of international trade as a primary sponsor of and participant in the chamber’s series of seminars on international trade topics and for being a key resource for Oregon firms on international taxation issues.
 
The chamber's international trade efforts, including business outreach and
assistance, are sponsored in part by a grant from Lane County funded by
state video lottery dollars earmarked for regional economic development.
 
As the area’s leading business advocate, the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce works to create an environment in which business will thrive. The chamber works with partners in business, government and education to improve the quality of life for local residents. For more information, call (541) 484-1314 or visit www.eugenechamber.com.

Contact:            
Dave Hauser, Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, (541) 242-2350
Jessica Corcoran, The Ulum Group, (541) 434-7027

As the Legislature debates the future of the state’s enterprise zone business investment incentive program, Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce President Dave Hauser says businesses are making good use of the program locally.

Fourteen businesses are investing more than half a billion dollars ($549 million) and creating 293 new jobs through the city’s enterprise zone program. 

"With these investments, we are able to increase our community’s economic diversity and support those businesses that in turn are generating the new jobs and taxes we need to make our community more livable," Hauser says. 

Under the statewide program, businesses must create new, high quality jobs and make capital investments which generate long-term benefits to communities in exchange for a three- to five-year property tax exemption. In Eugene the exemption has been limited to three years. 

Eugene’s enterprise zone is located in west Eugene. 

The vast majority of the local investment – $500 million and 91 jobs – is due to a major upgrade of the Hynix Semiconductor Manufacturing plant. 

Even without the Hynix expansion, the enterprise zone program is working as intended, Hauser says, pointing to growth plans by 13 other local companies that will create more than 200 new jobs. 

A bill pending before the Legislature, Senate Bill 151, would extend the program from 2009, when it is now scheduled to expire, to 2021. The Eugene Chamber supports the extension. 

The state has 55 enterprise zones that last year created nearly 6,000 jobs paying $47,000 a year in average total compensation, according to The Business Journal in Portland. 

"Businesses that qualify to participate in the enterprise zone program typically provide greater than average annual wages," Hauser notes. According to Hauser, the average manufacturing wage in Lane County is almost $40,000 ($39,903), which is 24 percent higher than Lane County’s average annual wage level. 

Lane County is home to six enterprise zones that are located in Springfield, Cottage Grove, Florence, Harrisburg/Junction City and Oakridge in addition to west Eugene. 

Companies in Eugene that have applied for enterprise zone benefits are Hynix, Heli-Tech, Golden Temple Foods, H2O Bottling, Imagine Graphics, Petersen-Arne, Oregon Precision Industries, Bulk Handling Systems, Lanz Cabinets, BowTech, Tyree Oil, Flappin Flags, Valley Tel Service, and Eugene Sign & Awning. 

For more information on the enterprise zone program visit www.econ.state.or.us/enterthezones <http://www.econ.state.or.us/enterthezones> .