NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 5, 2024
CONTACT: Paul Anderes, Union County Commissioner (541) 963 -1001, panderes@union-county.org
Grace Donovan, REV Center Executive Director (541) 962-3012, gdonovan@revcenter.org

Moving individuals and families out of poverty is the goal of a program Union County has been selected to be a part of. The county is one of only 10 rural counties in the nation to be part of the initiative. 

This is the first year of the program, called Rural Leaders for Economic Mobility. RLEM consists of teams of county elected officials and non-elected county leaders who have limited technical and staffing resources but who are deeply committed to building stronger and more resilient economies in their communities. RLEM was created by the National Association of Counties.

“I am excited to be participating with the REV in the RELM program to help current efforts in economic enhancement to benefit all of Union County,” said Paul Anderes, Union County Commissioner.

The Rural Engagement & Vitality Center, housed at Eastern Oregon University, assists communities across eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington to collaborate with local leaders to increase the prosperity of rural communities in Eastern Oregon.

“Since only 50% of today’s kids earn more than their parents did, compared to 90% back in 1945, this initiative focuses on using county resources to boost economic opportunities and living conditions for residents,” said Grace Donovan, Executive Director of the Rural Engagement & Vitality Center, and member of the Union County RLEM team. “As REV’s mission is to support the lives of the people of northeast Oregon, we are very appreciative to have Union County selected in the RLEM program.”  

Team participants will engage in virtual and in-person learning opportunities, receive technical assistance for program implementation, and funding provided by the to help local governments make decisions based on data and proven strategies. 

Based on NACo’s signature peer learning model, team members will explore economic mobility strategies and support one another in customizing and implementing strategies in their home jurisdictions. 

“The unique circumstances of rural counties – in this case counties with populations less than 50,000 – make it invaluable for local leaders in these communities to have an opportunity to connect and exchange around solutions to drive economic mobility,” said NACo President Mary Jo McGuire. “We look forward to sharing best practices from this group’s work for the benefit of all counties.”

The Rural Leaders for Economic Mobility program represents a continuation of NACo’s Counties for Economic Mobility initiative, which previously included the Economic Mobility Leadership Network. 

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Union County, in Northeastern Oregon, has a population of more than 26,000 people. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,196. Much of the county is within the Grande Ronde Valley, surrounded by the Blue Mountains and Wallowa Mountains. unioncountyor.gov

The REV Center serves 10 eastern Oregon counties with the purpose to create vibrant and prosperous rural communities by connecting local leaders with resources and talent present at institutions of higher education. www.revcenter.org

The National Association of Counties consists of nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings; and enrich the public’s understanding of county government. www.naco.org