Grace Kaplowitz

Meet Grace Kaplowitz (she/her/hers):

Grace was born in Dexter, Oregon and has spent her whole life in the Willamette Valley. She loves small towns and big trees and has always had a passion for building community and relationships. Grace graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM) where she was the president of the Student Community Organization, a member of the PPPM Student Advisory Board, and completed internships on campus and with the cities of Veneta and Springfield. After discovering her interest in local government, Grace was excited to apply her education to direct service work in her beloved State of Oregon.

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 also 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 being funded by an EPA targeted airshed grant.

Project:

As the Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Oakridge and the Project Manager and Outreach Coordinator for the Oakridge Air program, Grace wore multiple hats as she divided her time between her office at the City and her work with the Oakridge Air program. In her role in economic development she created momentum to help the City of Oakridge meet their goals through convening partners, establishing resources for local businesses, conducting marketing and outreach, supporting recreational tourism initiatives, and assisting with infrastructure and resource development.

For the Oakridge Air program Grace ensured that the many program strategies each moved forward on relevant timelines for their independent and collective success. She supported internal, local, and regional partner meetings and collaboration that moved forward all of the major tasks in the Oakridge Air program including home heating upgrades, the community firewood program, air filter distribution, community and school education, and code enforcement.