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The GTA is excited to announce that we are now accepting nominations for our annual awards program to recognize outstanding achievement among the Tech Leaders and STEM Educators of the Gorge. Nominations must be submitted by November 20th, 9:00 a.m. to be considered.   The winners will be announced at the GTA’s Winter Party and Awards Ceremony on Dec. 12.   Only complete nomination forms will be considered.  Contact Jason with questions.

Tech Leader Award

Tech Leader of the Year recognizes the outstanding achievement over the last year (Oct 1, 2022 to Sept 30, 2023) on the part of an individual or company that principally provides technology products, services, or support in the Columbia River Gorge. This award will be presented to the nominated tech individual or tech company with the largest positive impact on the tech community in the Columbia River Gorge, as determined by the GTA Board of Directors.

Criteria that will be considered:

• All technology sectors are eligible, as are sectors not traditionally characterized as technological if the individual/ company has an extraordinary commitment to innovation or using technology.
• All accomplishments over the past year will be considered, such as successful new product introductions, community involvement, and impacts on industry trends.
• The individual or company should be recognized as a leader in the Columbia River Gorge and should be in a position to both accept the award and to represent the tech community in the Columbia River Gorge in a positive light for the foreseeable future.
• Individuals or companies are not required to be GTA members to be eligible.
• Companies that are nominated must derive the majority of their revenue through provision of products or services that would be considered technology-based. Service providers, even those who provide services to companies in the technology field, are not specifically eligible, unless they have an extraordinary commitment to innovation or using technology.
• Nominated individuals must work and companies must be headquartered in the five- county Columbia River Gorge or have the majority of their activities or revenue generated from activities (manufacturing, development, etc.) from within the region. A major division or business unit of a company headquartered elsewhere may apply, in which case they will be judged based upon the activities of the local division.

2022 saw no nominations for Tech Leader of the Year.  Our 2021 winner was Columbia Gorge Community College’s Career and Technical Education Department, for pioneering new ways to provide our current and future workforce with the skills it needs for successful employability in industries across the Gorge. The incredible and tireless work from everyone in the department helped make the opening of the Regional Skills Center in Fall 2021 a reality.  Additional Technology Leader of the Year finalists honored were: Nick Anderson from Overwatch Imaging and Mary Kramer from CGCC.

Nominate the GTA’s 2023 Tech Leader of the Year Here!

STEM Education Leader Award

STEM Education Leader of the Year recognizes an individual for outstanding achievement over the last year (Oct 1, 2022 to Sept 30, 2023) for their contributions to the advancement of STEM (science, tech, engineering, and math) education in the Columbia River Gorge.   Nominations should describe (with specifics!) why the person is being nominated for such recognition. This award will be presented to the nominated individual who has made the most transformative impact through the advancement of STEM education in the Columbia River Gorge over the last year, as determined by the GTA’s Board of Directors. The winner will receive $1000 donation to their STEM program.

Criteria that will be considered:

• The individual should be recognized as a leader in STEM education in the Columbia River Gorge through their/his/her involvement with some facet of STEM education in the Columbia River Gorge. The Gorge covers the five-county area of the GTA (Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Skamania and Klickitat Counties).
• The individual should be in a position to accept the award and to represent the STEM education community in the Columbia River Gorge in a positive light for the foreseeable future.
• Individuals are not required to be GTA members to be eligible for nomination.
• Any Individual who teaches students of all ages and all forms of education (public, private, after-school, etc.) is eligible.

Our 2022 winner was Sally Anderson, Hood River Valley’s Mobile STEM K-5 Educator, who coordinated to bring the STEM Fab Bus to schools throughout the district. 

Nominate the GTA’s 2023 STEM Educator of the Year Here!

Nominations must be received by 9: 00 a.m. on November 20, 2023 to be considered.  The winners will be announced at the GTA’s Winter Party and Awards Ceremony on December 12.  Contact Jason with questions. 

We’d like to give a big Thank You to the team at SIGMA DESIGN for putting together this video!

Our first selection this year, Ximena Santillan, has received a full scholarship award and as a result, the Corwin Hardham Scholarship funds are now available to help another graduating Hood River Valley High School student, Andrea Lachino, to continue with her college education. 

Andrea will be the first generation in her family that attends college, and as the child of Mexican immigrants who came to Hood River as orchard workers, she appreciates the opportunities that a college education will open up in her life.

One of Andrea’s teachers describes her as, “a self-starter and a persistent problem solver, with the time management skills, habits of mind and intellectual ability to be a true asset to her future college community.” Andrea is fascinated by the creativity that computer programming offers: “I was intrigued by the fact that coding could accomplish almost anything!” One of her favorite activities in computer science class was making interactive apps because she enjoys their creative nature.

In addition to excellent grades, Andrea has been a wonderful communicator and continues to put herself in leadership roles. She has been voted for by her class and then the whole school, to represent them as an elected position in Student Government for the past three years.

Andrea’s combination of coursework, extracurricular participation and work history shows her intentions and determination to attend college in order to create a better future for herself that will realize her parents’ dreams. The GTA was pleased to select her for the annual Corwin Hardham Memorial Scholarship to fuel her future at Oregon State University and majoring in Computer Science.

Read more about the GTA’s Corwin Hardham Memorial Scholarship here.

Gorge Tech Alliance members and sponsors recently had the opportunity to vote for new Board members in an online election. Congratulations and welcome to our two newest Board members: Jaime Mack, CEO/CTO of Zepher Inc. and Rachel McKay, VP of Product Operations at Overwatch Imaging.

• Jaime has been an active member in the Gorge technical community for many years. She was originally drawn to the Gorge to work in the composites industry, but quickly transitioned to Insitu, becoming one of the first 50 employees. Her career has grown with the Gorge and her businesses: Zepher and Zepher Flight Laboratories. As an engineer turned CTO then CED, Jamie has firsthand experience of the rapid growth, both technically and economically, in our community. She has supported both friends and colleagues in their efforts to grow their own businesses and expand into new markets. As a business owner, she experiences the triumphs and challenges of running a high-tech community in a rural area amid the economic boom/bust times, in addition to the challenges of the COVID pandemic. She volunteers in the community and proudly assists with the MakerSpace in White Salmon. Through grants, she has developed and sustained a non-profit STEM program that incorporates science education and sailing, the Gorge Junior Sailing program.
  
  
• As the VP of Product Operations at Overwatch Imaging, as well as in her prior role as the Chief Systems Engineer at Insitu, Rachel worked to connect, support, and develop our tech community in the Columbia River Gorge. She has exhibited this commitment within the industry through coaching and mentoring employees and co-workers, internationally during speaking events within the Leading Ladies of Aerospace group, as being on the Board for Aviation Women Inspiring the Next Generation (AWING). Locally she volunteers her time as the Chief Science Officer for a STEAM group at Wy’East Middle School and prepared content for the local Gorge Career Challenge last year. Rachel is excited to take a more formal step in supporing the high-tech cluster of the Gorge by serving on the GTA Board.

These two new members will add even more talent and skill to the GTA Board, and we are thrilled to have them on the team. A special thank you to three Executive Committee Board members who are completing two terms this year and have been integral in achieving the goals of our strategic plan: Steve Olson, SightLine Applications, Greg Davis, Overwatch Imaging, and Lori Nelson, Housecall Providers.

This funding opportunity, from East Cascade Works, was designed to support your company in both employee retention and recruitment. Employee Advancement and Assistance Grants are for employers within the ten counties EC Works serves, including Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, and Gillam Counties, who are looking for resources to support training and upskilling for their current workforce. EC Works will fund applications (until funds are depleted) that present an opportunity for employers to build and maintain a quality workforce while creating new employment opportunities.

This opportunity will pay particular attention to training that provides current employees an opportunity for advancement and wage gains within their company, as well as those that create opportunities to backfill positions with new employees. Employers are encouraged to partner with their local WorkSource center to identify potential candidates for backfill opportunities.

Click here to learn more and apply for this grant

If you weren’t able to make it to the special Human Resources virtual meeting this month, it doesn’t mean your company has to miss out on the amazing information we shared! We connected with Kim Curley, Commute Options, and Kathy Fitzpatrick, Gorge TransLink Alliance, about alternative commuting options for employees in our region and exciting upcoming subsidy opportunities. Below you will find information about vanpools, carpools, and more that are available (or will soon be available) in our region.

Recruiting and retaining employees can be a challenge, and work satisfaction today plays a big role. That includes the commute, which for many onsite employees has become longer and more costly. Bring your workforce a smarter way to commute with vanpooling. Vanpools let employees (typically 4-15) who live near each other and have longer commutes (about 20+ miles) share the ride to work and the costs. It’s a win-win that makes employee commutes better, serves as a retention and recruitment tool, and helps achieve other business goals.

• Vanpool – Commute Options – This is an example program that explains the vanpool subsidy in Central Oregon (Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson counties). This is the TYPE of program that will be coming to the gorge later this year through The Link and CAT. 
• Get There Oregon – Find and share a ride! – Free to anyone over the age of 18 who lives/works in Oregon. Individuals register on the tool and can utilize the trip planning for transit, carpool, and bike/walk trips. You can further engage using Get There by signing up for the Get There Rewards program (for worksites in Oregon) where employees earn rewards for choosing transportation options (TO). 
• Home – Get There Southwest WA – The service area for this program is still being researched and will be announced soon!

If you’d like more information, you can download this PDF or reach out via email to Kim or Kathy.