Announcement: CDC Board Role Changes

The McKenzie Community Development Corporation (McKenzie CDC) is pleased to announce some board role changes to better meet the evolving needs of our community as we continue to recover and rebuild.

With the new realignment, Jeff Dehne will assume the role of President of the CDC, representing the McKenzie CDC board in the larger community, focusing on organizational needs and relief outcomes through supervising our efforts and managing the organization’s changing needs in the aftermath of the Holiday Farm Fire.

Tim Laue will assume a role as Project Manager leading the Holiday Farm Wildfire Recovery Team. Reporting to Jeff and the Board of Directors, Tim will keep the team informed of the rapidly changing circumstances and CDC initiatives to assist in the long-term needs of the McKenzie as we begin to ‘build back better.’ Within this role he will focus on securing the resources needed to support valley residents in overcoming the substantial challenges they face in rebuilding.

In the aftermath of the Holiday Farm wildfire, the McKenzie CDC has engaged in continuing grassroots efforts through:

• Direct support of community members who lost homes and incomes.
• Supporting Relief Centers in distributing food, goods, information, and communications.
• Consumer protection, insurance assistance, and navigating the complex regulatory environment.
• Storytelling to document the strength and resiliency of McKenzie people and communities.
• Providing an active voice for local stakeholders and advocating the views and interests of the community so that no decision about them is made without them. Presenting the perspective of ‘Nothing about us without us’ to get McKenzie voices to the table when local, regional, and national decisions are made affecting our futures.
• Facilitating and forging strategic partnerships between not-for-profits, public and private stakeholders, and funding bodies.

As we move forward from emergency response operations towards longer-term recovery and rebuilding, the McKenzie CDC is determined to engage with residents to find the most effective ways of supporting the economy, community and environment of the McKenzie Valley.

A key component of this work going forward is to advocate on behalf of these communities to secure resources for key infrastructure projects which will be essential in “building back better” over the coming months and years. An example of this is how communities such as Blue River and Leaburg are currently hampered by outdated sanitation systems that are no longer fit for purpose. The hope is that in advocating for viable “shovel-ready” projects that simultaneously support the communities, environment and economy of the region, we can provide vision and a blueprint for scaling such improvements, rolling out similar initiatives to the entire valley.

The McKenzie CDC’s mission remains to foster and support economic, environmental, and community well-being for the McKenzie River, working together to craft the area’s bright future by fostering environmentally responsible and economically sustainable communities. In order to do this, we would like to engage in an ongoing dialogue with residents and stakeholders on the evolving needs of the community. Please email us with feedback and thoughts at mckenziecdc@gmail.com