Matt Penberthy

Email: mpenberthy@unitedwaylane.org
Title: Rural Disaster Resilience & Recovery Coordinator
Organization: United Way of Lane County
Community: Lane County/McKenzie Valley
Population: 381,365 (county)
County Served: Lane

Meet Matt Penberthy (he/him/his):

Matt was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. Passionate about the environment and addressing climate change, he graduated from SUNY Brockport in 2018 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. Matt enjoys working on climate change issues in an interdisciplinary manner, de-tangling the complex science, policy, economic, and social components involved. He recently received his M.A. in Global Environmental Policy from American University, where he learned to navigate these complexities. He brings mixed experience having worked on carbon tax policy, EU policy, and collaborative environmental development. He is excited to grow and apply his skills at a local scale and to learn how to manage disaster-related challenges. In his free time, Matt loves the outdoors especially running, hiking, and biking; learning languages; and trying new recipes – though he often forgets a few ingredients and attempts to improvise!

Community and Organization:

Lane County stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascade Mountains with Eugene/Springfield and the Willamette Valley in the center. It is the fourth most populous county in the state. Much like other counties in Oregon, Lane is home to several unincorporated communities. This position heavily involved with such communities in the McKenzie River Valley to aid in recovery efforts from the Holiday Farm Fire (September 2020). This includes Walterville, Leaburg, Vida, Nimrod, Blue River, Rainbow, and McKenzie Bridge.

United Way of Lane County (UWLC) functions as a branch of the international organization, United Way. United Ways are often the backbone financial support within many communities. They administer grants and funds, support non-profit connections and programming, and mobilize volunteers. Each branch can set their own priorities relevant to the community. UWLC’s priorities center on ensuring healthy and successful lives for the youth of Lane County. UWLC achieves this by fostering healthy and stable families, kindergarten preparedness, elementary success, and youth skill-building. Climate change is influencing these priorities. Hotter temperatures, weather extremes, and disaster events critically shape the health and stability of families. Thus, UWLC is growing its commitment in these areas and has specifically provided nearly $900,000 for the fire recovery efforts.

Project:

As the Rural Disaster Resilience & Recovery Coordinator, Matt will help build UWLC’s involvement on these environmental concerns. The McKenzie Valley Long-Term Recovery Group (MVLTRG) was formally incorporated in May 2021 and is spearheading recovery efforts of last year’s fire. Matt will facilitate internal coordination of the MVLTRG and support recovery efforts, such as conducting a needs assessment. He will also research and present best practices for the long-term sustainability of the MVLTRG. Matt will work with the McKenzie Community Development Corporation to support community-wide recovery and resilience. Matt will build relationships across rural Lane County to administer a disaster-preparedness training and co-learning series for community-based organizations.