PROVIDING NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
December Forum Review Guest Panelists Discuss Community Recovery After COVID-19 and the Wild - fires at the Chamber of Medford & Jackson County Forum Rebecca Scott | RJS Writing Service | December 14, 2020 Virtual Forum with Dee Anne Everson, Executive Director for United Way of Jackson County; Caryn Wheeler, Assistant Professor of Practice for OSU Extension Service; Javier del Rio, Assistant Superintendent for the Phoenix Talent School District Moderated by: Michael Rondeau, CEO of the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe of Indians. Sponsored by: Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.
Two months after the catastrophic Almeda Fire, Southern Oregon continues to recover from the destruction and find a way forward. During the December Forum, three panelists discussed what this recovery may look like and the steps needed to achieve a healthy, successful future. Michael Rondeau, CEO of the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe of Indians, moderated the Forum. First, he asked each panelist about their personal experience with the fire. “I live in Talent. The experience of being there during the fire was overwhelming. Leaving town, we could see explosions from nearby propane tanks,” said Javier del Rio, Assistant Superintendent for the Phoenix Talent School District. It’s heartbreaking to see your town going up in flames and recognizing it will take a long time to recover, he added. His sentiment was echoed by Caryn Wheeler, Assistant Professor of Practice for OSU Extension Service, who lives in Ashland. She recalled attending a conference call early in the day. As the fire progressed, she realized how impossible it was to get out of Ashland during an emergency. “I was watching a friend’s pets and had to go to their house,” Wheeler said. “I was in traffic for an hour to go three blocks down a main road.” For Wheeler, the true emotional impact hit a few days later. “I slowed down long enough to see the devastation along I-5. I realized we have to re-evaluate our time and energy and how we spend it.” Dee Anne Everson, Executive Director for United Way of Jackson County, distinctly remembers the communication issues. “It was challenging to get any details; most of my information that day came from Facebook.” Rondeau then asked the panelists to identify any challenges they had seen or experienced. Everson said we must coordi- nate better in the future to avoid the communication problems that plagued so many people during the fire. According to del Rio, his biggest hurdle is how to properly support the students. He said 710 students lost their homes, and at Phoenix Elemen- tary School alone, 37% of students’ homes were destroyed.
“I don’t see those as numbers; every single one represents a story, a real person. Our community partnerships will be important as we help our students and their families.” So many people in the community will require continued support and help. With this in mind, Rondeau wanted the panelists to share what they saw as long-term needs. People in our community literally ran from flames, said Ever - son. The level of trauma is incredible; it’s real and we need to do something about it. I think we all must check in and pay attention to each other in a way we haven’t before, she added. Wheeler acknowledged the power of creative, out-of-the- box thinking. “We’re interviewing survivors being sheltered by the Red Cross, and there are people struggling to access technology to find housing. It’s going to be messy, but we have to be patient with each other and extend ourselves through kindness.” After so much devastation and loss, the time has come for action. Rondeau wanted to know what advice or sugges- tions the speakers had for local leaders as the community tries to heal. Everson said everyone is stepping up and she doesn’t know a single company or leader who hasn’t. “But we can do it better and more efficiently. We should set a community goal and do our best to reach it.” Wheeler’s advice was simple. It’s time to throw our play- books out the window and stop using the word “no”. For del Rio, he wants things to be equitable as we reach out to the community. “We have the opportunity to land in a better spot than we were in before this happened,” he said. n
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December 2020 | The Business Review
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