Page 42 - Southern Oregon Magazine Spring 2020

neck of the woods | prof ile

train 20,000 people across rural Oregon in child sexual abuse
prevention, and we have reached that goal.

Q – WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO CREATE VITAL
COMMUNITIES?

ANNE – The whole structure of the economy in Southwest Oregon
has changed dramatically in the last generation. In Douglas County,
timber used to account for 8,000 jobs. Now it’s barely 4,000. In 1980,
the median income in Douglas County equaled 99% of the state—today
it’s 78%. These are devastating losses of employment that haven’t been
replaced. We’re really focused on how to create community economic learned that people are very welcoming. I’ve been taken by the devotion
vitality. Most of the businesses in rural areas are small businesses, so we to community in rural Oregon. Whether you’re in Roseburg, Glendale,
support small business development centers. We support accelerator Butte Falls, Kerby, or Port Orford, the sense of community is strong.
programs for businesses and assistance for new entrepreneurs. Residents really want them to be great places to live and raise their kids.
I’ve just been kind of bowled over by that. It’s an appreciation for the
We invest in community building, which is leadership development. We bring beauty and the way of life that they love. Now I talk about the way of life
people together to envision their future and develop a plan to improve their that “we” love because this is my home too. That’s the good news.
communities. For example, we’ve been supporting the Illinois Valley Vision
20/20 project. Our support consists of grant money, sometimes staff time, The bad news is that I’ve been taken back by the amount of poverty in
and sometimes technical assistance as they work to carry out their vision. Southwest Oregon. It’s not the image that Oregon has on the national
stage. Nobody would know that we’re number 48 of 50 states in terms
Q – WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY? HOW DID YOU of high school graduation. People don’t think of homelessness in rural
GET TO ROSEBURG, OREGON? communities, but we see it in Roseburg. We see it in Coos Bay and even
smaller towns. Multigenerational poverty has led to social issues that
ANNE – I moved here from Manhattan, New York City. Logical, we have historically associated with inner city poverty. It has to do with
right? My father worked for the U.S. State Department as a foreign substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness, child abuse, and spousal
service officer. I grew up living in developing countries in Asia and abuse. But wherever I go, I find people who are taking the initiative to
Latin America. At a very early age, I saw the incredible disadvantage make life better. It’s because of them that we have such vital rural com-
of people in very poor countries. That’s what got me on the road to munities. I’ve been amazed at the energy and the passion that people
working on reducing poverty and improving the well-being of kids have to improve their communities in rural Oregon.
and families. I’ve always worked in the philanthropic sector. The first
part of my career was doing that internationally. I worked for the Q – WHAT’S CLEARER TO YOU NOW?
other Ford Foundation, the one that’s based in New York, from the
Ford Motor Company. I worked on economic development and social ANNE – I’m clearer about the state systems and the state policy envi-
welfare issues in Latin America and West Africa for several years. Then ronment, and how it attends or does not attend to what’s happening in
I came back to the United States and worked on poverty in the U.S., rural communities. Because our mission is “vital rural communities,” we
focused primarily on urban poverty. have a responsibility to lift up what’s happening in rural communities
and shine a spotlight on it so that people who are in Salem or Portland
I ran a program at the Aspen Institute, which is a policy research think understand the reality of what’s going on. For this state to thrive, we
tank. Our Roundtable on Community Change was a clearinghouse for have to have a better discussion about Oregon’s rural needs. That is
lessons about how to revitalize distressed inner-city neighborhoods. clearer to me now.
I was doing evaluations, writing books, and giving speeches. When I
got to my mid-50s I thought, I want to go some place where I can try Q – WHAT IS CHANGING IN SOUTHERN OREGON?
to put into practice what we’ve learned about improving outcomes
for children, families, and communities. The Ford Family Foundation ANNE – I’ve been noticing the Latino revitalization of rural Oregon.
happened to be looking for a president. The Foundation’s mission was In many of our communities, as the white population ages and their
totally in line with my passions, and Oregon was so beautiful that I had children leave for Portland or New York, who is moving in? The people
to move here. The best job in the world in the most beautiful part of moving here are largely the Latino population. They are working, buy-
the country? I think this is going to work. I’ve been here for almost ing houses, sending their kids to local schools, and running for school
seven years and it’s been a great seven years. boards. This is a new vitality for rural Oregon that brings hope for the
future. At the community level we should be saying, “Come on in. You
Q – SO WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT SOUTHERN want to work hard? We welcome you!” This is an important revitaliza-
OREGON IN YOUR TIME HERE? tion that we should welcome, embrace, and get excited about.

ANNE – Oregon has been my introduction to rural America. I’ve
www.fordfoundation.org

40 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | spring 2020