Register Now for Vision Oregon

Don’t miss the 2023 Vision Oregon Event, which will be held Oct. 25 at the Portland Art Museum. This year’s agenda is particularly full and will feature:

• The presentation of this year’s Oregon Visionary Award to the Families First Childcare Center and the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC R&D). Established by Boardman Foods and supported by area employers, the Families First Childcare Center provides high-quality care at affordable monthly rates for more than 80 children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 12 years. The center is the culmination of a nearly two-decade effort by Boardman Foods and Chief Operating Officer Debbie Radie to address the shortage of child care options for working families. OMIC R&D combines the efforts of industry and academic partners to develop advanced metals manufacturing technologies and processes while training the sophisticated workforce needed by current and future manufacturers. It provides hands-on training at its facility in Scappoose. Learn more about this year’s honorees here.
• A keynote address by futurist Steve Brown, who will talk about the things businesses should know if they want to survive and thrive in the artificial intelligence era. Brown, who has worked for Intel and for Google’s DeepMind initiative, has called artificial intelligence the biggest transformation since the development of the internet.
• Following Steve Brown’s keynote address, he will moderate a panel discussion involving business leaders who will discuss their experience with this transformation. Panelists include:
  • Graciela Gomez Cowger, chief financial officer, Schwabe
  • Mariah Robbins, vice president for people and operations, A-dec
  • Dan Drinkward, vice president, Hoffman Construction Company
• The announcement of the winner of the inaugural Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest, a partnership with Here is Oregon to celebrate the state’s vibrant and innovative manufacturing sector. The contest will encourage the public to nominate and to vote on the coolest products made in Oregon. Learn more here.

The event also will feature a reception during which OBI members can network with business and civic leaders.

The Vision Oregon Event (previously known as the Statesman Dinner) is one of Oregon’s most important annual gatherings of business and civic leaders. The evening allows attendees to spend time together and listen to a keynote speaker or a panel of experts who reflect on challenges and opportunities facing our state. It typically takes place in the fall.

The event also is an opportunity for Oregon’s business community to reflect on the importance of bipartisan collaboration to build a stronger Oregon. We bestow OBI’s highest honor, the Oregon Visionary Award, on people whose work reflects those values. Past honorees have included the late U.S. Sen. Mark O. Hatfield, former Gov. Barbara Roberts, retired Sen. Margaret Carter, and the late businesswoman Gert Boyle.

In 2022, OBI presented the Oregon Visionary Award to Scott Hamlin, founder of Portland-based Looptworks, and Grants Pass-based Dutch Bros. You can watch our Scott Hamlin video here and our Dutch Bros video here.

If you’re interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Patti Winter at pattiwinter@oregonbusinessindustry.com.

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