—Natasha Garrison, Business Services and Recruit HIPPO Manager, Southern Oregon Workforce Investment Board

In 2019, the Southern Oregon Workforce Investment Board launched Recruit HIPPO (Helping Individuals Pursue Professional Opportunities) to guide regional high school juniors and seniors toward work readiness and a viable career. Offering personal assessments and mentoring as well as practical experience, HIPPO gives at-risk high school students in Gold Beach, Pacific, Bandon, Powers, Myrtle Point, Coquille and Winter Lakes a chance to explore career options and prepare themselves to succeed in the workplace.

“We noticed a lot of young people coming in who had resumes with no experience or who had a large resume of very small jobs,” says Natasha Garrison, the program’s manager. “They were struggling to find jobs because businesses didn't want to hire somebody with no experience after graduation, or with 10 jobs after that. When we started evaluating what we could do to support these young people, we realized we might need to start in the high schools.”

The program placed youth employment advisors at high schools in Coos, Curry and Douglas counties. Although early efforts were hampered by COVID-19, Recruit HIPPO was still able to give roughly 4,000 students opportunities for practical work experience, personalized one-on-one mentoring, job shadowing and industry tours.

“Our focus was on students who didn't know what direction they wanted to go after high school,” Natasha explains. “Especially in really rural areas, some students aren't quite ready to go to college. We wanted to put them on a pathway where they could earn a livable wage while working for an industry or a business that was going to help move them forward.”

Regional businesses have been essential partners, helping students can get a feel for the skills a specific career path requires. “Businesses were just waiting to figure out how they could be a part of assisting their community,” Natasha says. “And this is a really easy part

for them, because it's something they do on a regular basis when they bring in a new employee. It's been really fantastic to see the response we're getting from them.”

Natasha gives an example of how transformative this support was for a disadvantaged student in rural Douglas County: “One of our youth employment advisors worked with a student who was homeless; he was couch surfing for the most part, just staying with friends as he could. Our advisor got him into a more stable situation where he was able to focus a little bit more. And he decided he was interested in culinary work; he was able to get some experience through a restaurant, and he discovered that this was a love of his. Our youth employment advisor was able to connect him to some great scholarships, and he recently graduated from the culinary program at UCC.”

With support from BDCF and other donors, Recruit HIPPO was able to hire a new full-time advisor to serve remote rural schools in northern Curry and southern Coos counties. “If you incorporate drive time and the number of schools they were having to hit, advisors didn't get to spend a lot of time in each school,” Natasha says. “With Bandon Dunes’ contribution, we were able to create a position that hit those really rural schools on the South Coast.” Thanks to this new employee, HIPPO was able to connect with 178 new students who might otherwise have fallen through the cracks — an increase of 258%.

Natasha looks forward to new opportunities in the coming years, including building the regional workforce in crucial areas like maritime and health care professions: “A lot of what we're doing is just allowing them to have the confidence to move forward with the things they're really interested in. We’re giving them the space to dream big and then giving them the tools to actually move forward with that dream.”

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—Lehi Dowell, Community and Economic Development Director, CCD Business Development Corporation

CCD Business Development Corporation is one of Oregon’s 12 federally designated economic development districts, serving Coos, Curry and Douglas counties. CCD partners with small-business owners to provide capital for business launches and expansions while also connecting them to communication networks and training opportunities. During the pandemic, CCD was a lifeline for small businesses on the South Coast, distributing roughly $11 million across nine funding sources. Beyond business development, CCD drives community growth by championing infrastructure projects and offering technical assistance to local and regional governments.

“It’s about getting funding to upgrade wastewater treatment plants, modernize clean water treatment facilities and get pipes in the ground,” says Lehi Dowell. CCD’s community and economic development director. “Cities, municipalities and special districts may have the desire to apply for grants, but they often aren’t prepared to navigate the process. That’s where we come in: We provide the capacity they need to apply for and administer grants, from writing the application to ensuring compliance with state and federal labor standards and environmental reviews. It’s what we excel at; in the past three years, we’ve secured $25 million for our region’s infrastructure needs.”

Remarkably, CCD manages this complex, high-stakes work with a dedicated team of just four people. “It’s a small nonprofit in rural Oregon,” Lehi laughs. “Everyone wears multiple hats, right?”

With encouragement from BDCF, CCD recently expanded its focus to include source water protection. In 2024, CCD secured nearly $1 million in funding for regional source water protection projects, with an additional $3.3 million contingent on the successful completion of planning grant phases.

“We’ve always thought about pipes in the ground,” Lehi notes. “But we hadn’t given as much thought to where our water comes from, whether that means protecting watersheds or moving a water intake three miles upriver to prevent saltwater infiltration.”

Lehi emphasizes that resilient and adaptable infrastructure is a multigenerational investment: “Most of our infrastructure was built with timber money back in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Those systems were designed with a 50-year lifespan, and now we’re seeing the consequences of aging infrastructure. We need to approach these updates with the next 50 years in mind.”

The value of CCD’s forward-thinking approach to coastal infrastructure is especially clear in a changing climate. "I want this conversation to be at the forefront of every single grant we apply for," Lehi says. "Climate change will impact our industries, agriculture and tourism. If we’re not addressing it in our grant applications, we risk losing the foresight it takes to mitigate those challenges."

Working at the intersection of economic vitality, infrastructure and climate change may seem overwhelming, but Lehi sees the interconnectedness of small coastal communities—including partnerships between funders like BDCF and CCD—as an advantage urban areas often lack. “We have this incredible networking ability because that’s just how rural America works,” he explains. “Decision-makers are our neighbors. It’s part of our culture, it’s part of what we’re proud of, and—if you think about it—it’s how America was built back in the day. That’s why CCD is so successful at moving projects forward.”

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—Kelly Timchak, Curry Soil and Water Conservation District/Lower Rogue Watershed Counci

With funding and other support from BDCF, the Lower Rogue Watershed Council and the Curry Soil and Water Conservation District is nearing completion of its restoration design plan for critical rearing sites in the Rogue River estuary, which will expand and improve available habitat for coho and other native juvenile salmonids along with resident and migratory species like beavers and waterfowl. Restoration work is expected to begin in 2026 and will focus on increasing floodplain connectivity, nutrient cycling, biodiversity and stream complexity.

“Everything seems to be moving along really smoothly!” says Project Manager Kelly Timchak. “We're currently getting some permits underway, and we’ve already finished the cultural resources survey.” The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, which served on the Technical Team to assist with project development, is also working with the Forest Service to facilitate a tree donation. “It's about 125 trees that the Tribal Council supported for removal, and then we work with the Forest Service for final approval,” Kelly says.

Freeman Rock, Inc. — owners of the area and long-time partners in the restoration effort — have already begun excavating gravel from the site, which means that some of the necessary preparation work is getting done ahead of time. “It’s a symbiotic relationship,” Kelly says. “Freeman Rock needs gravel and we need habitat, so we're working together to hit both of our goals. It’s a great thing to be able to highlight, because industry folks may not know that this kind of win-win partnership is an option.”

Further emphasizing that environmental restoration, community health, and economic development need not be at odds, the Lower Rogue Watershed Council is looking at recruiting unemployed or underemployed people in the timber industry. “We need people with certain skill sets, so we are trying to figure out how to plug them into a restoration economy — like this habitat enhancement project — and keep it fruitful for them, too,” Kelly notes.

For Kelly, the best part of the project is the opportunity to expand — rather than simply restore — this invaluable habitat. “Usually, we're only able to enhance the quality of our estuaries,” she explains. “That we’re actually increasing the quantity is still mind-blowing to me! And we will likely gain another 10 to 14 acres in future phases, too, because Freeman Rock came back and said, ‘You can actually use about 25 acres in this

area.’ So over the next 10 years, we're looking to add extra channels to the newly created sloughs and capture a few more estuary acres — all on the same property!”

Kelly expects the major work — including revegetation — to get underway next year. “That's when we're going to be putting in new channels, tidal benches, smaller tributaries, and large wood placements, and then connecting to the main God Wants You Slough,” she says. As an added benefit, this work will aid in climate mitigation: “Scientists have found that estuaries have a lot of carbon storage in their sediments and organic matter, so we’re adding to carbon storage through estuary expansion as well as providing a release for flooding with future climate events.”

Kelly is grateful both for BDCF’s early support of the program as well as its ability to attract additional funders. “Early money is the best,” she observes. “It gives you time to not feel so pressured about finding grant funds, because often these projects are so big that you will use several different resources with different timelines and reporting requirements. They are big, complex projects.”

“The most exciting thing is learning that we’ll have more acreage to work with in the future,” Kelly concludes. “We can expand the footprint over the next five to 10 years, and as we continue to learn from this project, we can integrate that new information into the next project.”

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Even with Aaron’s exceptional math and science skills, getting a college degree was a relatively bold dream for someone from his background. If he succeeded, he would be the first member of his family in four generations to complete college. “I've always been in a poorer household,” he explains. “And there was a portion of time where my dad was incarcerated and my mom was basically a single mother for her three kids.”

Despite these challenges, Aaron was inspired to pursue his goals by teachers and classmates in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) program at Brookings Harbor High School.

“I joined the robotics club because I wanted to see what it was all about,” he recalls. “I helped build the robot we used for the national robotics competition, and we actually won the Oregon regionals. Later, I was voted in as the team captain, so for pretty much the entirety of high school, I was part of the robotics team. That's when I gained my love for engineering.”

With help from the Jim Seeley award, Aaron is now pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in aerospace. “I was originally planning to attend OIT and take out student loans,” Aaron says. “But because I got this full scholarship, I ended up accepting an offer from Oregon State, which is where I am now.” 

Through OSU’s MECOP Program, Aaron was selected to receive a prestigious six-month internship at Boeing’s massive facility in Everett, Washington: “It was fascinating to see the internal structure of Boeing planes and the inner workings of that manufacturing environment. I just kind of knew that's what I wanted to do.”

Boeing’s final appraisal concluded that Aaron’s internship had exceeded the company’s expectations. “That’s the highest rating you can get,” Aaron notes. “It worked out really well, so now I'm going back for a second internship.”

As excited as Aaron is to work with Boeing, he’s also eager to help gifted but isolated rural students whose prospects are jeopardized by generational poverty and low expectations. “It's so important for youth in these communities to have aspirations and to know what they want to do with their lives,” he emphasizes. “One of the bigger things I want to accomplish personally is to strengthen the connection between Boeing and FRC. The key to getting great engineers is to reach people while they’re still figuring out what they want to do—especially in high school.”

“If hadn’t gotten the Seeley scholarship, I would’ve had to work all throughout college,” Aaron concludes. “I wouldn't have had time to do an internship. But now, I’ll have a year of engineering experience plus all the connections I was able to make. That’s so much more important than a piece of paper that just says, ‘I went to college.’

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“I did not know I was even in the running for this scholarship! My principal set up a Zoom meeting with me and my parents and told me that I had gotten it. To hear that you're getting a scholarship of that magnitude is — you know, it’s life-changing. And as far as education goes, it really gives you an opportunity to just set yourself up for success.”

—Layne Converse, Jim Seeley Memorial Scholarship recipient

When South Coast native Layne Converse graduated from Pacific High School in Sixes, his goal was to become an engineer. “Pacific High had AP-equivalent, dual-enrollment courses where you could get some college classes done, so I dove into the math and science classes they had available,” he recalls. “I really enjoyed that, so I chose Oregon State for its engineering program, and I was heading down that route when I started my first year of college.”

Layne was helped along that route by a renewable $80,000 award from the first annual Jim Seeley Memorial Scholarship, which Mike Keiser and his family launched in 2020 to honor the late executive director of Wild Rivers Coast Alliance (now known as Bandon Dunes Charitable Foundation). Each year, the award goes to two exceptional South Coast students like Layne.

Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic broke out just as Layne was starting college, and he soon found himself attending online classes instead of doing hands-on work in his chosen field. “A lot of things changed for me,” he laughs. Although remote learning gave him a better understanding of the conceptual side of engineering, he also found the field less engaging than he had in high school. A new interest was sparked when he took classes on political science and legislation.

“I kind of dove into public policy and wound up changing my major to that,” Layne explains. “From the outside, they're very different fields. But one of the common things in those two fields — and something I really thrive on — is in-depth problem-solving. In engineering that’s a scientific or engineering process, and in public policy it's a legislative processes. But you still have those processes of identifying your issues, brainstorming solutions, and designing those solutions to make real-world sense.”

Layne notes that his choice of major was also influenced by his experiences growing up on the South Coast. “I have a special interest in the complexities or the specific challenges of working and living in a rural area,” he says. “These are important areas of the state that you don't want to neglect.” While he acknowledges that the lack of economic and career opportunities often pulls youth away from coastal communities, he also emphasizes the strengths that rural communities impart: “I think it really does give you a sense of personal autonomy. Because you don't have as many resources available, you have to find what you need to accomplish your goals. It does instill a kind of do-it-yourself attitude that’s good for building personal resiliency. But also, you really develop strong bonds with your own family and with other families and friends in the area. And you come to appreciate the ties that a small community can have. And I think it's important — whatever the term ‘success’ means to you — that as you reach your goal, you look back and reinvest in those people that invested in you initially.”

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Naomi emphasizes that although the South Coast can be isolated and lack resources for youth, its tightly knit communities and committed school counselors make all the difference for students like her. “The sense of community in Bandon is really great,” she says, noting that Bandon High School staff — particularly academic adviser Erin Robertson and behavior specialist Mariah McMonagle — gave her essential support throughout the application process.

Especially for medical students, who are often saddled with tremendous student debt at a young age, the Seeley scholarship broadens possibilities and aspirations — including the option of staying local. Like every community along the Oregon coast, Bandon has a shortage of medical providers, and Naomi sees herself helping to change this. “I currently have my CNA license,” she says. “I got it last summer. After graduation, I will be moving back to Bandon and hopefully working as a CNA for the next couple of years while I'm gaining my clinical hours. And then after PA school, I feel like I would probably come back to Bandon.” Looking farther ahead, Naomi likes the idea of someday being able to extend a helping hand to other local youth by creating her own scholarship fund: “I just think it would be pretty amazing if I got to the point where I was successful enough to be in that position!”

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