Grace Kaplowitz

Email: gracekaplowitz@ci.oakridge.or.us
Organizations: City of Oakridge & Good Company
Community: Oakridge, Oregon
Population: 3,205
County Served: Lane

Meet Grace Kaplowitz (she/her/hers):

Grace was born in Dexter, Oregon and has lived in Lane County ever since. She loves small towns and big trees and has always had a passion for community and relationship building. Grace graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.A. in Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM) and has been in the RARE program ever since. Other than community development and serving rural, Grace is also passionate about exploring Oregon and sharing good food and meaningful conversations with friends and family.

Community and Organization:

The City of Oakridge is nestled in the heart of the Willamette National Forest surrounded by stunning views and abundant natural resources. Oakridge is known as the “Mountain Biking Capital of the Northwest” and is surrounded by 500 miles of trails. Located at the confluence of two beautiful rivers, there are abundant opportunities for fly-fishing, hiking, and mushroom foraging. The City of Oakridge is a full service city offering administrative services, fire and EMS, a library, police department, municipal court, economic development, planning/zoning, and public works.

The Good Company is a consulting firm based out of Eugene, Oregon that focuses on environmental and sustainability work. Using a triple bottom line approach they help clients measure, manage, and market the people, environment, and finances that make sustainability work. Good Company is the project manager for the Oakridge Air program, a 5-year air-quality improvement project happening in Oakridge that is funded by an EPA targeted airshed grant.

Project:

As the Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Oakridge and Project Manager for the Oakridge Air program, Grace wears many hats as she divides her time between city hall and Oakridge Air. Her economic development projects include addressing housing challenges, industry, business, and workforce development, and tourism/outdoor recreation. For Oakridge Air, Grace focuses on partnership and resource development as well as supporting ongoing outreach and engagement efforts.