our purpose

representing community leaders, business, education, workforce, and elected officials

who are we?

The core members of the Association are made up of the nine Executive Directors from each region.

How does this work?

The Oregon Workforce Partnership (OWP) is comprised of over 200 community leaders representing business, education, workforce, and elected officials from Oregon’s nine Local Workforce Development areas. These nine areas support locally-driven decisions and programs. Oregon has an integrated one-stop service delivery built on a standardized model to provide a flexible, unified workforce education and training system that consistently exceeds customer expectations. Both state and local workforce boards are committed to keeping Oregon business and industry competitive in the global economy.

Oregon is part of the workforce development system that is funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) which authorizes more than 550 local business-led workforce development boards that serve all fifty states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Territories to oversee workforce development services through a network of approximately 3,000 American Job Centers (also called One-Stop Career Centers).

Through WIOA, local civic, business, and workforce development leaders develop strategies that leverage funding and resources within their local communities to prepare and match the skills of workers with the workforce demands of businesses.

Select a county to visit its Local Area Board website.

Southern Oregon Workforce Investment Board Rogue Workforce Partnership Lane Workforce Partnership Northwest Oregon Works Worksystems Inc Clackamas Workforce Partnership Willamette Workforce Partnership East Cascade Works Eastern Oregon Workforce Board

Kyle Stevens

Douglas, Coos, and Curry counties

Bridget Dazey

Clackamas County

Kim Parker-Llerenas

Linn, Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties

Erin Carpenter

Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Grant, Baker, Harney, and Malheur counties

Ashley Espinoza

Lane County

Andrew McGough

Washington and Multnomah counties

Heather Ficht

Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Jefferson, Wheeler, Deschutes, Crook, Klamath, and Lake counties

Heather DeSart

Lincoln, Tillamook, Clatsop, Benton, and Columbia counties

Heather Stafford

Jackson and Josephine counties

responding to needs

Building and sustaining the skilled workforce needed to support a thriving community takes broad partnerships, creative thinking, smart policies and innovative solutions tailored to the specific workforce needs of people and businesses. Oregon’s Local Workforce Boards manage resources to fund programs and build partnerships that help get and keep people working. We maximize investments to build a workforce that meets the needs of key industry sectors and creates opportunity for those who need it most. We are committed to building a public workforce system that is accessible and effective for all. Our strongest asset is our network of partners. We bring together employers, labor groups, government, community colleges, high schools, community-based and economic development organizations, creating a network of collaborators you can’t find anywhere else. By working together, our economy grows, our pool of homegrown talent grows, and our competitive edge grows.