NEWPORT — Running the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County is typically a one-person job. But this year, the alliance is getting some help from AmeriCorps’ RARE (Resource Assistance for Rural Environments) program.
Rachel Cotton, with a master’s degree in urban and rural planning from Portland, was interested in working in a rural community.
“That’s what brought me here to Lincoln County,” she said. “Newport really stood out for me. This just seemed to be the best fit for me.”
RARE, administered through the University of Oregon’s Community Service Center, provides underserved communities with a full-time member who does community service, such as economic development and food security, for 11 months. There are 25 RAREs around the state.
Here in Lincoln County, Cotton is helping Economic Development Alliance Executive Director Caroline Bauman work on a variety of projects.
Her main focuses are on the marine technology that is “taking off in Lincoln County,” affordable housing, listing available industrial properties on a database to help attract companies, working on the alliance’s 10-year economic update and assisting the community with keeping Newport’s Coast Guard air facility.
Originally Published in News Times
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