Shannon Tissot - Michael Held for Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation Board Position #1

Dear Editor,
I support Michael Held for the Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation Board. MIchael is a native West Virginian, he knows the hard-scrabble nature of rural people and places and is keenly aware that to get things done in small towns you have to get your hands a little dirty. After high school, he attended West Virginia University and graduated with a degree in Social Work. He worked two years as a crisis worker before moving to Oregon to pursue graduate school at the University of Oregon where he earned a Master of Public Administration. Through his career in community and economic development, he has worked in dozens of communities and regions across the Pacific Northwest, leading complex projects and initiatives that have created jobs, built wealth, and enhanced the environment.

He first came to the community in 2011 as a Resource for Rural Environment (RARE) AmeriCorps worker and continued living and working in the community through 2016. He worked for 5 years at Rural Development Initiatives serving as its Director of Policy and Economic Services.

Currently, he works for Business Oregon, the state’s economic development organization covering Wasco, Hood River, and Sherman Counties. Within this capacity he helps communities, public jurisdictions, and businesses connect with the agency’s resources. He's has helped secure funding for large, multi-million dollar capital infrastructure projects or helping an entrepreneur connect to capital to hire their first staff.

Michael is a regular speaker and trainer at community economic development related conferences and gatherings including topics such as: main street revitalization, youth retention, rural wealth building, workforce development, and broadband.

He believes every voice matters and will listen our ideas. Anything can be accomplished when we find common ground and work together.

Sincerely,
Shannon Tissot