Chantal Ivenso

Population: 49,922
County: Wallowa, Union, Baker

Meet Chantal Ivenso (she/her/hers):

At the University of Cincinnati (UC), Chantal completed her undergraduate studies in Geography and Biology. She continued at UC to complete her graduate degree in Physical and Environmental Geography, with a focus on environmental management and planning. When she is not studying or working, Chantal often seeks volunteer opportunities that allow her to be active and supportive in various communities. In addition, Chantal enjoys various outdoor activities (such as rowing and hiking), tabletop games, dancing, and crafting.

Community and Organization:

Wallowa County is spectacularly beautiful with populated areas located at the foot of the Wallowa Mountains. The canyons of Imnaha and Snake Rivers are located east of the valley. There are numerous outdoor recreation activities including skiing, water sports, mountain biking, ice skating, hiking, horseback riding, etc. The Eagle Cap Wilderness and Hells Canyon National Recreation Area offer public access to many thousands of acres. A variety of arts and cultural activities are available throughout the year including lectures; films; workshops and classes; galleries; musical and dance performances; a movie theater; community theater; festivals; eateries and pubs. Terminal Gravity is a well-known brewery located in Enterprise which is a popular gathering spot especially in the summer months with its outside seating. The area has mainly natural resource-based economy (farms, ranchers, fisheries, timber) and a popular summer season tourist destination.

The Northeast Oregon Economic Development District is formed as a unit of local government by Baker, Union and Wallowa counties. It is also a 501{c}{3} nonprofit. NEOEDD’s primary funding is through grants and service contracts. NEOEDD operates a revolving loan fund and offers Individual Development Accounts primarily for microentrepreneurs and post-secondary education. They provide training workshops for entrepreneurs and small businesses. NEOEDD is engaged in the Oregon Community Food System Network and supports local food initiatives. They also provide grant writing, grant administration, project management and capacity building services to cities, counties and non-profit organizations within their service territory. NEOEDD prepares and updates the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the region.

Project:

Chantal provided capacity to help build connections between entrepreneurs and resources. Her responsibilities included coordinating, connecting, and engaging community members to determine COVID-19 impacts and identify priority projects for recovery efforts and planning. In addition, she assisted with developing and delivering rural economic recovery and resiliency trainings to small businesses and with improving the region’s business ecosystem.