By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews
The director of the Waldport Chamber of Commerce is leaving that position at the end of the month to work for a new marine economy program based at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.
Laura Furgurson has been splitting time between the Waldport and Depoe Bay chambers for the past year under a three-year economic development grant from Lincoln County.
The two chambers are each advertising for a half-time person to replace Furgurson, but would prefer to hire one person for both positions.
Furgurson has started working half-time for a Eugene-based nonprofit which is sharing a three-year state grant with Oregon State University’s innovation lab in Newport to help develop the maritime economy on the Oregon coast.
Furgurson is the first industry-specific hire by the Eugene-based Regional Accelerator & Innovation Network, a nonprofit organization founded in 2014 to help people form or grow businesses in mostly rural parts of Oregon. The organization, which goes by the acronym RAIN, is run by business people and angel investors to connect entrepreneurs with resources to start and grow their ventures.
The effort by OSU/Marine Science Center and Rain is called the Oregon Coast Blue Economy. It is funded by a $600,000 federal grant and matching funds from the state of Oregon, OSU and Rain.
The group said Furgurson’s hiring is to help launch the maritime innovation efforts on the Oregon coast, initially concentrating on the area from Nehalem to Reedsport. To start, she will host events to spread the word about marine innovation, and help connect businesses to the new innovation lab at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. An online open house to explain the program is scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 23.
“I am thrilled to join the RAIN team and support OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in their efforts to build the ‘blue economy’ on the Oregon coast,” Furgurson said in a statement announcing her hire. “This new role fits perfectly with my passion for coaching entrepreneurs and launching start-ups for long-term success.”
Furgurson is a long-time entrepreneur and business coach having held leadership roles in six start-ups, including both for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
The county’s initial grant and Furgurson were the driving forces behind the revitalization of the Waldport chamber, including its first office downtown. She said she still plans to help with a more recent county grant to launch a business catalyst center, add to a “pop-up shop” inside the new office, and search for a commercial kitchen.
“There’s a lot of potential for Waldport to grow,” she said.
Furgurson said she wasn’t looking for a new job, but someone approached her about the RAIN program and “as I kept hearing more about it I got more excited.”
“This is all about creating jobs and building businesses in this rural economy that desperately needs jobs,” she said. “Rural appeals to me. That’s where I’ve spent my life. I’m passionate about helping rural areas.”
Sue Woodruff, a longtime chamber board member, said as the chamber’s first executive director Furgurson was a great advocate for Waldport businesses “and really got us going in the right direction … she helped us refine our vision, identified projects that promote the community, and secured grant funding to move us forward.”
The board now wants to move to the next phase of development, Woodruff said, and find a new executive director to build on that foundation.
“A vibrant business community is essential for our local economy, and an active chamber of commerce can help local businesses thrive,” said Ron Remund, Waldport Chamber Board
President and co-owner of Waldport/Newport KOA. “With the right leadership, we can help our community recover from the effects of the pandemic and come back even stronger than before.”
The chamber is asking the community to help discover their next leader and contact Woodruff at suewoodruff@peak.org “If you or someone you know might be the perfect fit for this part-time position.”