Our Team

Staff

Lisa Dawson
Executive Director

Pronouns: she/her
[email protected]
541-426-3598 x1

Lisa enjoys helping small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs learn business planning concepts, focusing on their customers and the financial viability of their business. She has helped dozens of nonprofits and cities develop, fund and manage projects and facilitated meetings and strategic planning sessions. She grew up on a farm in Wallowa County and brings her love of the region to her work. She holds a B.A. in economics and has worked for NEOEDD for over 30 years. She was the founding chair of Oregon Economic Development Districts and is a member of the National Association of Development Organizations board. She has been named “Economic Development Finance Professional” by The National Development Council and “Leader in Entrepreneurialism” by the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce.

Sara Miller
Deputy Director

Pronouns: she/her
[email protected]
541-426-3598 x2

Sara has assisted dozens of entrepreneurs to plan, capitalize, and run small businesses, and is a skilled facilitator and grant-writer, with more than 20 years of experience providing technical assistance to non-profits and municipalities. She helped to found the Oregon Community Food Systems Network with more than 60 nonprofits collaborating in cross-sector food systems change. Sara enjoys supporting capacity building around equity and inclusion. She has training in Systems Change for Equity, Leading for Equity and Inclusion, and was a participant in the statewide Equity Capacity Builders Learning Collaborative. She is certified in Storytelling for Community Building. She co-owns Bunchgrass Enterprises.

Chantal Ivenso
Economic Development Specialist and Wallowa County Rural Regional Main Street Manager

Pronouns: she/her
[email protected]
541-426-3598 x4

Chantal holds a M.S. in physical geography, with a focus on environmental management and planning. In 2020, her passion in community development and DEI guided her to serve as a RARE-AmeriCorps participant with NEOEDD. She provided capacity by coordinating, connecting, and engaging community members to determine COVID-19 impacts and identify priority projects for recovery efforts and planning. Hired as an employee in 2021, Chantal enjoys providing resources and services to our customers and continuing recovery & resiliency efforts in our region.

Picture of Emily George wearing a smile and business casual attire
Emily George
Entrepreneur Outreach and Communications Specialist

Pronouns: she/her
[email protected]
541-426-3598 x5

Emily graduated from Oregon State University in 2020 where she earned a degree in Agricultural Business Management and a minor in Leadership. After graduation she moved back home to Wallowa to enjoy the community and outdoors. She started at NEOEDD in March of 2023 to focus on communications and entrepreneurial development. She enjoys working with the community in a different capacity, such as talking to local business owners.

Erin Donovan
Fiscal Officer

Pronouns: she/her
[email protected]
541-426-3598 x3

Erin moved to Wallowa County in 1990, and after living off-grid on the Zumwalt for 8 years, moving into Enterprise and raising her children while working in family advocacy and catering/restaurant cooking, decided to take a leap into the wonderful world of numbers at NEOEDD.

Mike Ogan
Loan Officer

Pronouns: he/him
[email protected]
541-519-7699

Mike Ogan has been in the banking and finance industry for more than thirty years, and is an experienced commercial and agricultural lender. He is based out of Baker County, where he has lived for most of his life, is active in youth sports and community events, and has a passion for economic growth in the region.

Board

Anyone interested in volunteering to serve on the NEOEDD is welcome to contact [email protected]

  • Lea Hoover, Board Chair – Lea is the Director of Member and Strategic Services at Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative
  • John Hillock, 1st Vice Chair –  John is a Wallowa County Commissioner
  • Matt Scarfo, 2nd Vice Chair – Matt is a Union County Commissioner
  • Susan Roberts, Treasurer – Susan  is a Wallowa County Commissioner
  • Bruce Nichols, Executive Committee – Bruce is a Baker County Commissioner
  • Robert Strope, Executive Committee – Robert is the La Grande City Manager
  • Donna Beverage –  Donna is a Union County Commissioner
  • Shane Adlerson – Shane is the Chair of the Baker County Commission
  • David Comfort – David is the mayor of Island City
  • Don Hanna – Don is a retired hospital executive
  • Patrick Lattin – Patrick is the mayor of Richland
  • Suzannah Moore-Hemann – Suzannah is the Assistant Director for Scholarships and Stewardship at Eastern Oregon University
  • Madeline Lau  – Madeline is General Manager of Wallowa Lake Lodge
  • Jennifer Piper – Jennifer is the Executive Director of the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce
  • Tim Seydel – Tim is Vice President of University Advancement at Eastern Oregon University
  • Paul Anderes (alternate) – Paul is a Union County Commissioner
  • Curtis Martin (alternate) – Curtis is a Baker County rancher

Project Submission Form: Baker, Union, and Wallowa Counties

Please use this form to submit projects for potential inclusion in the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Once projects are included, you can use the CEDS to demonstrate that your project has been listed in a regional plan. Projects should have a positive impact on economic or community development.

To be included in the CEDS, projects must have a public or non-profit sponsor. Private projects should not be submitted and will not be included in the CEDS.

You may submit multiple projects by returning to this page. The space for providing answers will expand. Please rank the projects that you are submitting, with 1 being your first priority, 2 your second priority, and so on.

The NEOEDD board will consider new project additions at their quarterly meetings.