Email: ellie@cityofestacada.org
Title: Outreach and Engagement Coordinator
Organization: City of Estacada
Community: Estacada
Population: 5,750
County Served:  Clackamas County

Meet Ellie White (she/her):

Ellie White is a graduate of the University of Oregon with a Bachelor’s in Public Policy, Planning, and Non-Profit Management with a minor in Spanish. She is a lifelong Oregonian and a second language Spanish speaker with experience working in local non-profits, education, and state government. She is passionate about protecting the environment and making sure that its preservation is not at the cost of vulnerable communities.

Community and Organization:

The City of Estacada lies along the Clackamas River, approximately 28 miles from downtown Portland. The city was originally founded as a timber town, with its historic city hall (still in operation today) constructed in 1938. However, since the mill shut down in 2007 nature tourism has grown to become one of the town’s major industries. Due to the number of people being priced out of Portland and the amount of land available for development in Estacada the city has experienced 25% growth in population over the last five years. This has given the employees at city hall (including Ellie) plenty of work to do to help the town grow with intention and sustainability in mind. To accomplish this, in conjunction with RARE, the city is working to increase public engagement on water quality issues and implementation of their TMDL

Projects:

As the Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, Ellie will play a pivotal role in fostering community awareness and involvement in initiatives aimed at improving water quality and executing the city’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan. She will work with diverse stakeholders to promote strategies to improve water quality, the importance of water conservation, pollution prevention, and compliance with environmental regulations. Additionally, Ellie will facilitate communication between government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the public, building partnerships and fostering collaboration to enhance water quality protection efforts. She will use tools such as social media, traditional media, digital content, and events to create public awareness and encourage water protective behavioral changes. Through effective outreach and engagement efforts, Ellie and the city hall team will empower the community to take collective action in safeguarding water resources and preserving environmental health for future generations.