Lydia Ivanovic
Meet Lydia Ivanovic (she/her/hers):
After graduating Smith College in 2019 with a bachelors degree in Economics and experience working on campus food network initiatives, Lydia moved out west via cross-country road trip to serve with RARE as a Rural Tourism Coordinator with Discover Klamath in Klamath Falls, Oregon. While working she tackled numerous regional tourism projects spanning the realms of outdoor recreation, cultural heritage, and agritourism. After exploring the southern Oregon high-desert wonders of the Klamath Basin, Lydia again sought an entirely new adventure: the most Northwest corner of Oregon. Swapping an average of 340 days of sunshine a year for dense temperate rainforests, Lydia was excited to bring her skills in regional coalition building, developing local food system education and programming, and strategic planning to her work as a Rural Economic Recovery Analyst in her new Clatsop and Tillamook Communities. When logged off, Lydia enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, and playing the saxophone.
Community and Organization:
The cities of Astoria and Tillamook are located on ancestral Clatsop-Nehalem, Tillamook, and Chinook land. The Columbia-Pacific Economic Development District (Col-Pac) is a private non-profit organization established to assist in diversifying and strengthening the economy and livability of Northwest Oregon counties, including Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook and the western part of Washington County. While commercial fishing and seafood processing drive much of the regional economy, Astoria and Tillamook have vibrant tourism sectors, attracting visitors to explore the unique natural environment, vibrant cultural communities and rich heritage resources. For visitors and community members alike, the north coast region is beloved for its dramatic seaside views, lush forest hiking, and great local seafood and craft brews.
Project:
Serving as the Rural Economic Resilience Analyst with Col-Pac EDD, Lydia acted as a facilitator and project lead on numerous community initiatives that spanned the realms of COVID-business relief, resilient economic planning, and local food system development. Her projects crossed the Clatsop-Tillamook county border, engaging in strategic regional coalition, community outreach, and comprehensive planning. She worked with community leaders at the Port of Astoria to finalize and implement their Capital Investment Plan, outlining the project opportunities and avenues for financial sustainability to ensure a community-centered port. She also worked with North Coast Food Web, Food Roots, and Visit Tillamook Coast to devise and promote new supply chain connections and technologies that bring regional food systems to the fore of economic resiliency and community development.