ORA Spotlight: Erin Lair
Highlighting the stories of ORA leaders.
Erin was elected to the Oregon Rural Action Board of Directors at the April 2021 Annual Meeting. She has lived in Eastern Oregon for most of her life, growing up in Baker City. Erin is currently the Director of Teaching and Learning at the InterMountain Education Service District. She and her husband are co-owners of a cherry orchard in Cove, Forest Cove Acres.
When did you first become interested in community organizing?
I have always been interested in community organizing - often spearheading efforts specific to the education space. After spending over a decade in education, I became increasingly interested in the advocacy side of policy and legislation relating to rural communication ties. To that end, I have spent the better part of the last 5 years really trying to find ways to elevate the voice of rural Oregon in the legislative process, especially relating to opportunity and access. The more we leverage community organizing, the more we are able to spread education and understanding, and broaden the possibilities to know and serve each other better.
Why is this work important to you?
Across myriad industries, the stories of rural communities are often misunderstood. The passion and advocacy for sustainable practices and equity are embedded in so many of the efforts of our communities. However, cohesion across efforts can be difficult in rural settings. What Oregon Rural Action offers is a uniting modality for connection. I really feel that the work in community organizing allows for stories to be shared and hard work to be done as we all move toward shared hopes for our future.
What changes would you like to see in your local community?
There is a lot of good work happening in silos and behind the public eye. I think our local community- and many rural communities- could work together to highlight the stories that showcase the incredible efforts coming from local producers, entrepreneurs, service industries, and others working toward bettering their community.
What’s something bringing you joy at the moment?
We recently purchased our cherry orchard- Forest Cove Acres. Although exhausting in a way I have never experienced, each day working toward our first cherry harvest brings me a sense of fulfillment I have never known before. Watching my family working side-by-side fills me with such profound joy daily.
Forest Cove Acres
ORA Spotlight: Mitch Wolgamott
Highlighting the stories of ORA leaders.
Mitch has been part of ORA for 10 years and currently serves as a Board Member and Board Chair. His experience includes about 30 years in environmental work, most of which was done in Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality. He served several years in management, ending as acting Administrator of the DEQ Eastern Region. Mitch’s experience working for the State of Oregon and extensive knowledge of regional environmental issues has been critical to ORA’s environmental and agricultural work. He lives on a ten acre wood lot near Summerville, OR with his McNab Border Collie, Mollie.
When did you first become interested in community organizing?
I became interested in organizing during the last few years of employment with the state. I realized that while all the statewide polls indicated broad support for protecting water and air quality, that did not translate into vocal local citizen support for local protection efforts in rural eastern Oregon. I knew that this did not indicate lack of interest/concern, but more likely that citizens didn't know how and when to get involved. And, unlike the westside, there didn't appear to be organizations that were helping local citizens organize and know when and where to focus efforts.
What is your “why”? Why is this work important to you?
This work is important to me because I am very much aware that the government agencies (state, local and federal) that nominally have responsibility for environmental stewardship simply cannot successfully do the work without citizen support. Without that, politics will play an outsized role. I want all people to have a voice.
What changes would you like to see in your local community?
I would like to see our communities in rural eastern Oregon to be able to come together and have productive conversations about mutual interests and how we can work together to both have a healthy economy and protect our shared resources. And I think that can be done, relatively easily, if we would stop screaming at each other and talk about shared interests.
What’s something bringing you joy at the moment?
Joy at the moment? It has been a rough year or more for all of us, what with political divisions and COVID control issues. On top of that are all our usual personal family/ health issues. When I start to get down, what brings me joy, is when my dog, Mollie, comes to me and demands that I get up and throw the damn ball.
ORA Spotlight: Abby Muñoz
Highlighting the stories of ORA leaders.
Obdulia “Abby” Muñoz joined the ORA Board of Directors in April 2019. She is currently the Migrant Education/Parent Involvement Specialist for the InterMountain Education Service District in Umatilla. Abby’s direct service experience and work with over 500 families have been invaluable to ORA’s campaign to amplify crucial COVID-19 related information to Spanish and indigenous language speaking families in Umatilla and Morrow counties.
When did you first become interested in community organizing?
I’ve done community organizing through my work. I’m the Parent Involvement Specialist for the Migrant Education Program. I talk to parents about their needs, empower them to find resources, and organize events for the community. Community organizing isn’t new to me, but being a board member of a nonprofit organization is new.
What is your “why”? Why is this work important to you?
I love helping others, I love helping my people find resources and guiding them to the right person. I just want people to feel comfortable knowing that I’m here to help them in whatever I can.
When you first came to the United States, did you have people that helped you?
I grew up with my grandparents in Mexico. After my grandpa passed away it was just grandma and I. My aunts decided we couldn’t stay in Mexico by ourselves since we didn’t have a male figure at home, so we moved here. When I first came here [to the United States], it was towards the end of 5th grade, I was part of the migrant program since my aunts were farmworkers.
What changes would you like to see in your local community?
I’m passionate about justice. We have a lot of families that need food. We live in a rural community where resources are limited and the resources that are here have too many regulations or barriers that limit access. For example, we have a lot of families who don’t have a car to go pick up food from the food bank. Anything that can better the system and can better programs for our families - I’m all for it.
What’s bringing you joy at the moment?
I think it’s a combination of everything - I have two daughters, one is 21 and married and has an almost six month old girl, which is my joy right now. She is in her last year at Portland State University. My youngest just graduated from high school; it's her first year at Western Oregon University. Those are the main people that bring me joy, plus my husband. And overall, my work brings me joy - being able to help others, and organize events with ORA and Ana Elisa - being there for the community, and connecting families to resources. Through my work, I organize resource fairs where we collect used clothes and put tables out on the school parking lot for parents to come in and pick up what they need, and I work with agencies to deliver food to families. It’s all rewarding.
Obdulia “Abby” Muñoz se unió a la Junta Directiva de ORA en abril del 2019. Actualmente , ella es Especialista en la Educación Migrante / Participación de Padres para el Distrito de Servicios Educativos InterMountain en Umatilla. La experiencia del servicio directo de Abby y el trabajo con más de 500 familias han sido invaluables para la campaña de ORA y para ampliar la información crucial relacionada con el COVID-19 para las familias de habla hispana y de lenguas indígenas en los condados de Umatilla y Morrow.
¿Cuándo se interesó por primera vez en la organización comunitaria?
He organizado la comunidad a través de mi trabajo. Soy la Especialista en participación de padres del Programa de Educación Migrante. Hablo con los padres sobre sus necesidades, los capacito para encontrar recursos y organizo eventos para la comunidad. La organización comunitaria no es algo nuevo para mí, pero ser miembro de la mesa Directiva de una organización sin fines de lucro, sí lo es.
¿Cuál es tu "por qué"? ¿Por qué es importante este trabajo para ti?
Me encanta ayudar a los demás, me encanta ayudar a mi gente a encontrar recursos y guiarlos hacia la persona adecuada. Solo quiero que la gente se sienta cómoda sabiendo que estoy aquí para ayudarles en todo lo que pueda.
Cuando llegó por primera vez a los Estados Unidos, ¿tenía personas que lo ayudaron?
Crecí con mis abuelos en México. Después de la muerte de mi abuelo, solo éramos mi abuela y yo. Mis tías decidieron que no podíamos quedarnos solos en México ya que no teníamos una figura masculina en casa, así que nos cambiamos para aquí. Cuando vine por primera vez aquí [a los Estados Unidos], fue hacia el final del quinto grado, yo era parte del Programa Migrante ya que mis tías eran trabajadoras agrícolas.
¿Qué cambios le gustaría ver en su comunidad local?
Me apasiona la justicia. Tenemos muchas familias que necesitan comida. Vivimos en una comunidad rural donde los recursos son limitados y los recursos que están aquí tienen demasiadas regulaciones o barreras que limitan el acceso. Por ejemplo, tenemos muchas familias que no tienen coche para ir a buscar comida al banco de alimentos. Cualquier cosa que pueda mejorar el sistema y mejorar los programas para nuestras familias, estoy totalmente de acuerdo.
¿Qué te trae alegría en este momento?
Creo que es una combinación de todo: tengo dos hijas, una tiene 21 años, está casada y tiene una niña de casi seis meses, que es mi alegría en este momento. Está en su último año en la Universidad Estatal de Portland. Mi hija menor se acaba de graduar de la escuela secundaria; es su primer año en la Western Oregon University. Esas son las principales personas que me traen alegría, además de mi esposo. Y en general, mi trabajo me da alegría: poder ayudar a otros y organizar eventos con ORA y Ana Elisa, estar allí para la comunidad y conectar a las familias con los recursos. A través de mi trabajo, organizó ferias de recursos en las que recibimos ropa usada y colocamos mesas en el estacionamiento de la escuela para que los padres entren y recojan lo que necesitan, y trabajo con agencias para entregar alimentos a las familias. Todo es gratificante.
ORA Spotlight: Norm Cimon
Highlighting the stories of ORA leaders
Norm is a founding member of Oregon Rural Action and has served as chair of the board for our regional organization, Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC). He has worked for the EPA, the US Forest Service and is currently self-employed as a systems analyst. Norm is passionate about clean energy and a strong advocate for distributed generation of locally produced renewable power.
When did you first become interested in community organizing?
I was friends with an organizer for the Service Employees International Union local in Las Vegas. I've worked on political campaigns in Nevada and Oregon. We were involved in the effort to prohibit any additional nuclear plants in Oregon until such a time as there was a nuclear waste repository. For a long time, I've been part of many different organizing efforts to develop responsible and ecologically sound policies for managing public lands, as well as the air we breath, and the waters that plants and animals depend on, including the human animal.
What is your “why”? Why is this work important to you?
All important social changes happen from the ground up. It's only when endless pressure is applied where people live that real change happens.
What changes would you like to see in your local community?
La Grande is a different place than when we first moved here. Understandably for a mountain valley that can feel very isolated in the wintertime, the political and economic landscape were closely held when we first arrived in 1980. The politics have become more open, and decisions are more likely to be scrutinized these days. There still needs to be a recognition on the part of our political leadership that they need to reach out to everyone in the community on an ongoing basis to confirm their decision making. That is especially true for decisions that will affect the economic and social well-being of residents.
What’s something bringing you joy at the moment?
Bike riding! The town is very quiet right now and it's enjoyable to cruise along the streets. Everyone seems very considerate also. Maybe a result of the thought we have for our fellow citizens these days?
ORA Spotlight: Jan Marrs
Highlighting the stories of ORA leaders
Jan was recently elected to the ORA Board at the Annual meeting in April. She owns Almosta Farm in Cove, OR, where she lives with her wife and two children. Jan has a passion for food systems and teaching people how to grow their own food and offers a unique perspective on urban/rural life.
When did you first become interested in community organizing? I have worked in various aspects of community organizing and citizen lobbying for over 30 years.
What is your “why”? Why is this work important to you?
I was born and raised in rural Oregon but spent most of my adult life in metropolitan areas in the Northwest, Midwest and Southeastern United States. My family decided to return to a rural community to enjoy our retirement and to raise our children. The disparity in the urban experience versus rural has highlighted the importance of lifting the voices of rural Oregon.
What changes would you like to see in your local community?
I would like to see more collaboration between all impacted parties on the critical issues facing us. There seems to be a significant amount of polarization with a lot of people with strong opinions but not very many people who want to listen to understand the issues and then collaborate to solve them.
What’s something bringing you joy at the moment?
Wow so much joy! My kids and wife bring me great joy as does the work we do on our small farm. We host guests here, both through Airbnb and through Harvest Host and I get great joy introducing guests to all aspects of our farm- milking goats, harvesting their own food, making cheese, harvesting honey. The importance of locally sourced food and food distribution systems is very important to me and every guest who is here gets to learn first hand why we think it is important!