For more information call:
Nathaniel Brown, communications director:
nathanielbrown@oregonbusinessindustry.com or 971-219-5561
View video recordings of the event.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
About 300 members of Oregon Business & Industry (OBI) gathered virtually on Oct. 7 to salute retiring public servants state Rep. Caddy McKeown of Coos Bay and Congressman Greg Walden from Oregon’s 2nd District, both of whom received OBI’s highest honor, the 2020 Statesman of the Year award.
“In keeping with our OBI tradition, we are recognizing two individuals who, in decades of service to our state, have exemplified the character of an Oregon statesman,” said OBI Board Chair Karen Vineyard as she introduced the honorees. “They are individuals who, time and again, have shown true leadership, taking on the tough issues and working across party lines to make Oregon a better place for all the people who live here.”
The Statesman Event also featured a panel discussion led by 2018 Statesman honoree Kerry Tymchuk, executive director of the Oregon Historical Society, with former U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, who now leads the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington, D.C. Sen. Smith and Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden were the first-ever Statesman honorees.
Sen. Smith, Congressman Walden, and Rep. McKeown spoke at length about the many crises our communities have faced this year, including COVID-19, the ensuing economic recession, social unrest and unprecedented wildfires.
The event also included a video of Mark Ganz, CEO of Cambia Health Solutions, reflecting on the resiliency and generosity of Oregon’s business community in the face of COVID-19 and the recent wildfires, as well as a video featuring more than a dozen emerging leaders throughout Oregon speaking about what leadership qualities our state needs in a 21st century statesman.