Track A
Fundamentals
DAY ONE:
State and Federal FUNDamentals: What you Need to Know About Infrastructure Funding
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State and Federal FUNDamentals: What you Need to Know About Infrastructure Funding
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Does your community have an infrastructure project in need of funding? Then this session is for you! Get the insider scoop on navigating through the loan and grant application process from state and federal funders including Business Oregon, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and USDA Rural Development. We’ll cover everything you need to know from what planning documents are needed to American Iron and Steel requirements, and everything in between.
Moderator:
Chris Marko, Program Analyst, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Speakers:
Michelle Bilberry, Regional Project Officer, Business Oregon
Holly Halligan, Community Programs Specialist, Rural Development ~ Oregon, USDA-RD
Alexis Cooley, Project Officer, DEQ Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Building Infrastructure on Main Street that Supports Local Businesses
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Building Infrastructure on Main Street that Supports Local Businesses
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Creating vibrant and walkable main streets doesn’t just happen. There are many elements that need to come together, not the least of which are the infrastructure needs specific to historic commercial neighborhoods and downtowns. This session will explore how the City of Independence is leveraging new infrastructure to create economic opportunities, PBOT’s innovative Healthy Businesses program that allows temporary changes to streets to give people more space to conduct business safely, and the process the City of McMinnville is undertaking in planning and designing Third Street improvements with an emphasis on protecting the business community throughout the project.
Moderator:
Sheri Stuart, State Coordinator, Oregon Main Street
Speakers:
Shawn Irvine, Economic Development Director, City of Independence
Gena Gastaldi, Transportation Planner, Portland Bureau of Transportation
Heather Richards, Planning Director, City of McMinnville
Broadband Fundamentals
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Broadband Fundamentals
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So you need broadband in your community? First, learn the fundamentals of broadband such as why it is important, the benefits, how its accessed, and some key terms.
Speaker:
Diane Garcia, Regional Account Executive, Calix
DAY TWO:
Leveraging Infrastructure to Fuel Economic Growth: A Case Study of Maupin, Oregon
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Leveraging Infrastructure to Fuel Economic Growth: A Case Study of Maupin, Oregon
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Why are people moving to rural Wasco County? Because of long range, community-based planning and “thinking big.” While there’s no denying that high-capacity broadband has played a critical role in leveraging economic growth for Maupin, so have many other projects on the community 20-year plan. Come listen to Mayor Lynn Ewing tell the story of how thoughtful, engaged, and strategic planning led to the development of critical partnerships, funding opportunities, and project success.
Moderator:
Jason Carman, Rural Development Specialist – Oregon, Rural Community Assistance Corporation
Speaker:
Mayor Lynn Ewing, Maupin, Oregon
Financing the Future of Infrastructure
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Financing the Future of Infrastructure
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The goal is to inform elected leaders and public works directors about how to access affordable loans and grants for quality infrastructure projects, what kind of projects are eligible for funding, and what requirements to expect. This panel is comprised of state and federal financing program representatives who will discuss their agencies’ processes, timelines, and requirements.
Moderator:
Chris Marko, Program Analyst, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Speakers:
Oscar Orejel, Loan Specialist, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Jason Carman, Rural Development Specialist, Rural Community Assistance Corp.
Charlotte Bentely, Community Programs Director, USDA – Rural Development – invited
Jon Unger, Program & Policy Coordinator, Business Oregon
Track B
Evolving Topics
DAY ONE:
Advancing Equity Through Infrastructure
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Advancing Equity Through Infrastructure
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Expert panelists will discuss how equity, diversity and inclusion are advanced through infrastructure projects. The discussion will include policies and strategies to advance equity, advantages of minority and women business enterprise participation and community benefits targets into infrastructure contracts, importance of measuring progress, and how to maximize the chances of success. Speakers will provide their personal perspectives based on their wealth of experience, discuss success stories, and illustrate such aspects as capacity building and inclusive and equitable contracting through programs such as Construction Career Pathways and the PDX Next expansion of Portland International Airport. Short introductory talks will be followed by panelist dialogue and an extensive audience question and answer session.
Moderator:
Dr. Steve Nakana, Social Equity Manager, Port of Portland
Speakers:
Maurice Rahming, President & General Manager, O’Neil Construction Group
Raahi Reddy, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Manager, Metro
Kimberly Sutton, Small Business Development Program Manager, Port of Portland
Strategic Investments in our Infrastructure
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Strategic Investments in our Infrastructure
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Oregon is growing in population and travel. How are we investing in the necessary transportation and energy infrastructure to prepare Oregon for 2030, 2040 and 2050.
Moderator:
Alan Thompson, Investments Program Manager, Oregon Department of Transportation
Speakers:
Mary Brazell, Transportation Electrification Program Manager, Climate Office, Oregon Department of Transportation
Jillian DiMedio, Senior Transportation Electrification Analyst, Climate Office at Oregon Department of Transportation
Andy Lanier, Department of Land Conservation and Development
Intelligent and Integrated Transportation Systems
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Intelligent and Integrated Transportation Systems
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Key strategic planning efforts are in motion at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), including a major update to the Oregon Transportation Plan and implementation of ODOT’s Strategic Action Plan. One of the priorities of the Strategic Action Plan is to provide a modern transportation system that ensures all Oregonians can travel safely and efficiently. Focusing on preserving state highways, while important, is not enough. In order to meet the needs of the future, we must be relentlessly committed to creating a truly multimodal transportation system where we invest in and integrate all major modes of transportation. Implementing innovative technologies is a necessary component to achieve this vision for a transportation system that keeps Oregonians and our economy moving.
Speakers:
Galen McGill, Systems Operations & Intelligent Transportation Systems Manager, Oregon Department of Transportation
Adam Argo, Principal Planner, Oregon Department of Transportation
DAY TWO:
Diversifying the Construction Workforce – A Win for Everybody
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Diversifying the Construction Workforce – A Win for Everybody
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This session will offer proven strategies to increase the number and success of women and people of color in the construction industry. Speakers will share demonstrated ways to recruit, retain and advance women and people of color in the industry and discuss policy and other practices communities and employers can adopt to increase the diversity of the construction industry workforce.
Moderator:
Andrew McGough, Executive Director, Worksystems
Speakers:
Kelly Haines, Senior Project Manager, Worksystems
Speaker- Kelly Kupcak, Director, Oregon Tradeswomen
Speaker- Janine Weir, BSD High School Success Coordination & Development, Beaverton School District
Speaker- Aida Aranda, Training Director, Oregon and S. Idaho Laborers-Employers Training Trust
Building Broadband Access – Partners & Funds
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Building Broadband Access – Partners & Funds
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There is no one size fits all answer to building broadband access, each community has its own unique attributes. In this interactive discussion, you will hear from a panel of experts on a few ways you can build broadband access in your community leveraging funds you might have known existed. Bring your questions on State broadband fund, federal programs and partnership opportunities.
Speakers:
Jessica Epley, Regulatory & External Affairs Director, Ziply Fiber
Daniel Holbrook, Broadband Manager, Oregon Broadband Office-Business Oregon
John Holman, General Field Representative for Idaho, Oregon & Washington Rural Utilities Service – Telecommunications Programs, USDA-RD
Track C
Adaptation & Resiliency
DAY ONE:
Climate Change & Adaptation: The Big Picture
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Climate Change & Adaptation: The Big Picture
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Climate change and its resulting extreme events have hit Oregon hard during the past 18 months. Our landscape has experienced flood, drought, fire, and ice and many of our people—particularly the most vulnerable—have found themselves without homes, without work, and without food as a result. This panel discussion ties together the issues that often find themselves in siloes—water, land, health, housing, transportation—and suggests a way forward through the use of adaptation and resiliency policies. The panelists will bring updates from several climate studies and rule-makings to this round-table conversation.
Moderator:
Brenda Bateman, Assistant Director/Chief Operating Officer, Business Oregon
Speakers:
Dan Thorndike, Corporate Counsel, Medford Fabrication; Former Chair of the Oregon Water Resources Commission and Former Chair of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
Jim Rue, Director, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
Gabriela Goldfarb, Environmental Public Health Section Manager, Oregon Health Authority – Public Health Division
Building Back Better; Helping Your Community Prepare for, Recover from, and Mitigate Risk for Future Disasters
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Building Back Better; Helping Your Community Prepare for, Recover from, and Mitigate Risk for Future Disasters
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Every disaster begins and ends locally. When disaster strikes, state and federal agencies only provide assistance when major disaster declarations are made at their respective levels and when the emergency exceeds the local resources. Communities are often left to figure out how to fill gaps in funding, deal with agency timeline differentials, and coordinate amongst stakeholders all in the name of recovery. As a former FEMA employee and current lead for RCAC’s New Disaster Recovery Services Initiative, Alan will show how the “Disaster Life Cycle” can be a tool to prepare for and respond to disasters in your region and will share stories from the field about how communities met with unprecedented conditions have bounced back to be better and more prepared for the next disaster.
Moderator:
Ami Keiffer, Rural Development Specialist – Oregon/Washington, Rural Community Assistance Corporation
Speaker:
Alan Nazarro, Rural Development Specialist – Colorado, Rural Community Assistance Corporation
Securing Our Community Lifelines: Strengthening Utility and Local Government Partnerships When Disaster Strikes
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Securing Our Community Lifelines: Strengthening Utility and Local Government Partnerships When Disaster Strikes
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Review a framework for how critical infrastructure partners can be better integrated into local government efforts across all phases of emergency management. The framework will be followed by a facilitated discussion between a local emergency manager and infrastructure partner to explore how better understanding of the other’s priorities, capabilities, and pain points can make all the difference for communities and customers before, during and after a disaster.
Speakers:
Jenny Demaris, Emergency Manager, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office
Adam Denlinger, General Manager, Seal Rock Water District
Matthew Lieuallen, Ready and Resilient Communities, Stantec Consulting Services Inc.
DAY TWO:
Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments: What are they and why are they important?
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Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments: What are they and why are they important?
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What does it take to recover from one of the most destructive wildfires in Oregon’s history? In 2020, a series of wildfires burned 1.2 million acres, destroying two communities and 4000 structures. For the last year, an interdisciplinary public-private team has been managing the environmental impacts of the disaster, including assessing and remediating contamination, ensuring regulatory compliance, and communicating with local governments and the public. Featuring speakers from the State of Oregon and several consulting firms, this panel will discuss how Oregon is balancing short-term needs with long-term vision for a more fire-resilient future. Topics will include facilitating inclusive and equitable communication in a post-disaster environment; innovations in data management for site assessment and cleanup; and the challenges of balancing responsiveness and agility with a complex and often hazardous work environment. Speakers will address how zoning codes, infrastructure design, and individual site design, impact fire resilience, and will discuss what the fire recovery experience reveals about managing built and natural environments in a time of climate change.
Speakers:
Michael Tarbert, Staff Engineer, Maul Foster & Alongi
Celinda Adair, National Flood Insurance Program Coordinator, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
Mapping Oregon’s Renewable Energy Future
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Mapping Oregon’s Renewable Energy Future
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With ever expanding demands on our state’s energy resources, planning for our communities’ future energy needs is more important than ever. Session attendees will hear an introduction and demonstration of Oregon’s statewide renewable energy resources mapping efforts and hear from state planners in how this information can be utilized by communities and energy developers.
Moderator:
Jennifer Casler, Senior Associate Geologist, Hart Crowswer
Speakers:
Andy Lanier, Coastal Natural Resource Specialist, Oregon Coastal Management Program
Kaci Radcliffe, Project Manager, Oregon Renewable Energy Siting Assessment (ORESA)
Janine Salwasser, Oregon Explorer Program Leader, Institute for Natural Resources
Shannon Souza, PE, Executive Director, Oregon coastal Energy Alliance Network (OCEA)
Track D
The Blue Economy & The Big Topics
DAY ONE:
What is the Blue Economy?
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What is the Blue Economy?
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Are you interested in the sustainable use of resources for economic growth? Do you want to attract jobs and gain business efficiencies through innovation? Are you committed to upholding ecological health, equality and quality of life in your community? If so, you are a fan of the Blue Economy already! This emerging, forward-facing and meaningful concept encompasses all economic sectors and many activities, from the obvious (science, shipping and commercial fishing) to the not-so-obvious (smart technology, manufacturing and workforce development). Attendees will engage with a panel of Oregon Innovation Hub’s multi-disciplined representatives over how they are aligning diverse stakeholders, collecting data, assessing need and devising a strategy to define ‘What is the Blue Economy’ for Oregon.
Moderator:
Melissa Murphy, Regional Development Officer, Business Oregon
Speakers:
Robert Cowen, Director, OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) – Marine Innovation Lab
Mark Farley, HMSC Strategic Initiatives and Communications Manager & Oregon Ocean Innovation Hub (O2IH)
Gil Sylvia, Vice President, Port of Newport Commission & Retired OSU Professor at Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES)
Laura Furgurson, Blue Economy Catalyst, Regional Accelerator & Innovation Network (RAIN)
Paul Schuytema, Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County
Katie Pettinger, Impact Catalyst, OSU Accelerator
The Challenge of Resilient Ports
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The Challenge of Resilient Ports
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The year 2020 taught organizations that being adaptable and flexible in the face of changing conditions is a must moving forward. This means organizations must apply lessons learned to infrastructure assets. Stakeholders with interest in building capacity and resilience are strongly encouraged to attend this session. Attendees will first hear from the State of Oregon’s Resilience Office, about challenges the Oregon Resilience Plan anticipates across major freight and transportation systems. Next, the Port of Portland will share insights into establishing a Resiliency Program and building resiliency into essential assets. Finally, attendees will engage with a Professional Engineer who helps public and private sector entities improve their disaster resilience through cost benefit assessment and decision making. By the end of this session, stakeholders will know when and how to communicate about critical investments in long term infrastructure resiliency.
Moderator:
Art Spillman, Facilities, Assets and Infrastructure Senior Manager, Port of Portland
Speakers:
Mike Harryman, State Resilience Officer, State of Oregon
Alex Howard, Resilience Program Manager, Port of Portland
Keith Porter, President, SPA Risk. LLC
Economics of Infrastructure and Place
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Economics of Infrastructure and Place
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Coming soon.
Moderator:
Melanie Olson, Regional Development Officer, North Coast, Business Oregon
Speakers:
Jacob Cain, Director of Engineering, Port of Morrow
Paula Miranda, Port Manager, Port of Newport
Gary Dehlinger, Port Manager, Port of Brookings-Harbor
Olga Kaganova, Port Manager, Port of Cascade Locks
DAY TWO:
On Land or in Water: Asset Management Fundamentals
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On Land or in Water: Asset Management Fundamentals
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Is your organization responsible for infrastructure assets on land? How about in water? Are these assets in need of maintenance? Possibly, a lot of maintenance? Are you overwhelmed and do not know where to start? This session is for you! Stakeholders will first hear from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, about the fundamentals of asset management and the importance of asset management in capital improvement planning, budgeting, and system sustainability. The U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, will then showcase the development of the federal agency’s Waterfront Asset Management Tool, the first of its kind for in water infrastructure. The tool will assist public and private port districts in establishing risk based, asset management plans. Taken together, stakeholders will understand how to prioritize maintenance projects and justify the spending scare resources for maintenance and/or resiliency priorities.
Moderator:
Stephanie Prybyl, Ports Programming, Business Oregon
Speakers:
Chris Marko, Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Travis Black, Office of Ports & Waterways Planning, U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration
How to Get the Most out of Your Outdated Planning Documents
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How to Get the Most out of Your Outdated Planning Documents
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Water Master Plans and Wastewater Facility Plans are not intended to gather dust on storage room shelves. These planning documents are key to identifying needed capital improvement projects. When advantageous state or federal funding opportunities arise, those communities able to identify shovel ready infrastructure projects will be poised to benefit. This session will cover the basics of water and wastewater planning efforts and identify available funding resources when these plans need to be updated. An exciting new infrastructure and community facility inventory initiative will also be unveiled.
Speakers:
Jon Unger, Program & Policy Coordinator, Business Oregon
Jay MacPherson, Region 2 Plan Review Coordinator, Oregon Health Authority
Brian Daily, P.E., C.E.M., Oregon State Engineer, State Environmental Coordinator Tangent Office, Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture
Allison Field, OCED, Regional Development Officer, Business Oregon
Mitigating Hazards to Critical Infrastructure
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Mitigating Hazards to Critical Infrastructure
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This session will explore natural hazard mitigation tools as they apply to infrastructure development and protection. The Alameda Fire and Umatilla County floods of 2020 will serve as a backdrop for understanding hazards to decentralized rural infrastructure systems, demands on urban infrastructure systems during emergencies, and lessons learned by the City of Talent and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation about natural hazard impacts and recovery. This session will be useful for attendees interested in learning about interagency and multijurisdictional coordination, and integrating plans, as well as existing tools and resources to plan for and mitigate hazard impacts (such as but not limited to Natural Hazard Mitigation Plans) to infrastructure systems. Attendees representing Eastern Oregon and Tribal jurisdictions are encouraged to attend.
Moderator:
Leigh McIlvaine, Economic Development Specialist | Community Service Division, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
Speakers:
Tricia R. Sears, Natural Hazards Planner, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
Patty Perry; MSF, AICP, Senior Planner/Planning Program Manager, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Jamie McLeod-Skinner, Consultant, (Former Interim City Manager, City of Talent)
Keynote Speaker
Josh Bruce
Associate Director for Applied Research
Institute for Policy Research and Engagement, University of Oregon
“Obtaining Critical Mass – Achieving Infrastructure Resilience in Oregon”
This session will present 14 months’ worth of research and engagement with leaders across the state about what infrastructure resilience might look like and how we can get there from here. From “hunting as a pack” to “fixing the funding cycle” the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement team at the University of Oregon has documented a list of tangible actions that property owners, developers, community leaders, regulators, financiers, and service providers in Oregon should start doing. Today! With a growing list of disaster events and multiple state and federal funding streams being funneled toward infrastructure projects, we have both the urgency and capacity to act. What could we do? What should we do? What will we do, together, to achieve infrastructure resilience in Oregon?
Josh Bruce received his master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon in 2002 and holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of California, Davis (1996). He maintains professional certification with the American Institute of Certified Planners and has achieved professional accreditation in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the United States Green Building Council. Bruce serves as the Associate Director for Applied Research in the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement the University of Oregon. In that capacity, he is responsible for overseeing IPRE’s on- and off-campus applied-research, experiential-learning, community capacity building programs.
Mr. Bruce has professional experience in land-use permit review, zoning administration, land entitlements, site design, housing development, green building, and sustainable business practices. For the past 12-years, he has assisted communities throughout Oregon with a variety of natural‐hazard mitigation, disaster recovery, and community resilience related planning projects. His research interests include the identification, development and use of integrated, multi-objective approaches to achieve community resilience.