HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/30/14 - City Council Newsletter
City of Eugene
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thnd
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.eugene-or.gov
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
January 30, 2014
IN THIS EDITION
‘LABORATORY’ CREATES ENVIRONMENT FOR LEADERS TO CONNECT AND THRIVE
BIKE SHARE FEASIBILITY STUDY TOPIC AT FEBRUARY 12 OPEN HOUSE
CITY OF EUGENE AND TRAVEL LANE COUNTY PRESENT ACCESSIBILITY WEBINAR
“ECOPSYCHOLOGY: UNDERSTANDING OUR NEED FOR NATURE”
ENTREPRENEUR JIM COONAN TO LEAD REGIONAL ACCELERATOR & INNOVATION NETWORK (RAIN)
AROUND THE CITY
‘Laboratory’ Creates Environment for Leaders to Connect and Thrive
Thirty-three City of Eugene employees received their “diplomas” on Jan. 21, marking the culmination of their participation
in a year-long Leadership Laboratory. The 2013 program was the most recent leadership academy experience, building
upon the past seven programs starting in 2004.
As has been the case in
every program, the
Leadership Laboratory
was made up of
participants from all City
departments. Employees
were invited to apply to
their department
leadership teams, who
then chose a select
number of people to
attend the leadership
program and form a
unique cohort of
participants. Recognizing
that leaders exist at all
levels in the organization,
participants ranged from
line staff to managers;
represented and non-
represented, exempt and
non-exempt. Each participant identified a personal project at the beginning and used the 11-month program to pursue the
projects and fulfill personal leadership development goals.
A critical aspect of this program is the valuable networks and connections that participation creates, which exponentially
increases the organization’s capacity to deliver services to the community. Once-a-month sessions included topics such as
emotional intelligence, trust in leadership, leading through discomfort, change, and the unique “lab days” where
participants designed compelling one-hour presentations on an aspect of leadership for the rest of the group.
“This group excelled in creative thinking, learning application and connections,” said Denise Smith, the City’s human
resource manager and co-organizer of the leadership trainings. “They are ready to contribute in new and exciting ways to
the organization and community.” For more information, contact Denise Smith at 541-682-5731.
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January 30, 2014
Bike Share Feasibility Study Topic at February 12 Open House
There will be an open house to review and discuss components of the bike share feasibility study on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at
6 p.m., at the Lane Community College Downtown Campus (101 West 10th Avenue) in Room 112. Bike share is a
transportation solution that offers bicycles to system subscribers
for short trips. Recently, new bike share systems such as Citi Bike
in New York City and other successful systems such as Capital
Bike Share in Washington, D.C., have been making headlines and
generating enthusiasm for bike share in smaller communities
throughout the United States.
The City of Eugene and Lane Transit District have contracted with
Toole Design Group to prepare a feasibility study for developing a
bike share system in Eugene. The open house will provide an
opportunity to engage in a conversation about bike share with
national experts and increase understanding of bike share and its
potential in the Eugene area.
Bike share station in Boulder, Colorado
For more information on the feasibility study, visit www.eugene-or.gov/bikeshare. People who cannot attend the meeting
are asked to consider taking a short survey or suggest locations for bike share stations. For additional information, contact
Reed Dunbar, associate transportation planner, at 541-682-5727.
City of Eugene and Travel Lane County Present Accessibility Webinar
Adaptive Recreation Services and Travel Lane County are teaming up to present a webinar for meeting planners that will
focus on accessibility issues. The webinar will be available to meeting planners throughout the U.S. and beyond, providing
an opportunity for them to learn more about the City of Eugene’s nationally recognized
Adaptive Recreation program and the Eugene, Cascades & Coast’s award-winning
accessibility programs, infrastructure and advocacy. The webinar will be held on
Thursday, Feb. 20, at 10 a.m.
Adaptive Recreation Manager Andy Fernandez is the City’s accessibility expert. He will
team up with Travel Lane County’s Vice-President of Convention Marketing, Janis Ross,
to co-present: “Accessibility Uncovered: How to Provide Full Access to Your Meeting.”
Attendees will learn how to develop a well thought out plan that builds accessibility
into every aspect of a meeting.
Adaptive Recreation Services at Hilyard Community Center provides year-round,
community-based, recreational, social and educational programs for Eugene area
children, teens and adults with disabilities. It is nationally recognized for its innovative
and inclusive programs.
Travel Lane County, doing business as Eugene, Cascades & Coast, is a private, nonprofit association that provides
destination marketing for Lane County. The webinar is part of the Destination Marketing Association International’s
EmpowerMINT series. The series offers industry-wide, collaborative marketing opportunities that connect planners to
destination marketing organizations.
For more information, contact Recreation Manager Andy Fernandez at 541-682-5311.
“Ecopsychology: Understanding Our Need for Nature”
The Downtown Eugene Public Library will host a free talk on “Ecopsychology: Understanding Our Need for Nature” by Dr.
Patricia H. Hasbach on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m.
Dr. Hasbach will introduce the emerging field of ecopsychology, which explores the relationship between people and
nature. She is co-editor of the books “Ecopsychology: Science, Totems, and the Technological Species” and “The
Rediscovery of the Wild.” She is also a member of the editorial board of the journal Ecopsychology.
The premise of ecopsychology is that human beings need nature for physical and psychological well-being. As a species,
human bodies and minds came of age interacting with abundantly diverse and wild nature. In the modern, urban,
technological society, however, most people are disconnected from the natural world.
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January 30, 2014
Ecopsychology addresses questions including: What are the costs of this change? How might
people find their way back to a closer relationship with nature? Can the “ecological self” and the
“technological self” be integrated into a healthy balance? How can society hope to conserve native
habitats if it doesn’t know or care about them? What effect does screen-time and virtual worlds
have on one’s sense of belonging and place?
Patricia H. Hasbach, Ph.D. is a licensed professional counselor and clinical psychotherapist with a
private practice in Eugene and a faculty member at Lewis & Clark College and Antioch University
Seattle. Her writing has appeared widely, including in The Utne Reader and The New York Times
Sunday Magazine. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-
or.gov/library.
Entrepreneur Jim Coonan to Lead Regional Accelerator & Innovation Network (RAIN)
Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and Corvallis Mayor Julie Manning – the co-conveners of the Regional Accelerator & Innovation
Network (RAIN) – announced the hiring of Jim Coonan, a successful entrepreneur and former CEO and investor, to lead the
RAIN program. Coonan will begin his involvement with RAIN as a consultant who will oversee
the incorporation of RAIN as a 501(c)(3) coordinating entity and finalize the work plans and
metrics to measure the success of the program. Coonan started his work with RAIN on Jan. 13
and will maintain offices in both Eugene and Corvallis.
“I am very excited to join the regional collaboration to advance innovation and
entrepreneurship,” Coonan said. “I think this is a great opportunity to harness the resources of
higher education and the broader business community to support the region in a dynamic
fashion.”
Coonan’s track record for success is also recognized by Eugene’s Mayor Piercy, who commented,
"Jim Coonan is a great fit for the RAIN project. With his entrepreneurial background, he has
proven leadership ability to attract talent, energize our growing tech startups and deliver
results. We look forward to working with him.”
Coonan served as venture catalyst manager at Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO). As a small business
leader, Coonan is currently chair of Peak Audio Group, and he is the former chairman and largest shareholder of Kentrox,
LLC, and Hotel Software Systems, Ltd. He also served as CEO and chairman of Portland’s OECO Corporation. Coonan serves
as an advisor to several local funds including Mount Hood Equity Partners and Northwest Technology Ventures. Previously,
Coonan served in executive marketing positions for Van de Kamp’s Frozen Foods, The Pillsbury Company and General Mills
Inc.
The Regional Accelerator & Innovation Network (RAIN) is a consortium of government, higher education and the business
community created to advance the formation and growth of tech-based startups in the South Willamette Valley. RAIN
brings together business, community members, government and higher education in a concerted effort to accelerate the
formation, growth and retention of technology businesses and regional jobs by linking the accelerator programs at the
University of Oregon and Oregon State University with regional innovation resources.
For more information, contact Laura Hammond, laura.a.hammond@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-6021.
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January 30, 2014