The Eugene Airport: What is the Price of Sanctuary?
Time: Noon to 1:15 pm
Venue: WOW Hall
291 West 8th
Eugene, Oregon
97401
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We will meet at the WOW Hall, 291 W 8th. Learn more: https://wowhall.org/about-us/. Walk, ride a bike or take the bus. You may park on the street or in the parking lot of FOOD for Lane County's Dining Room, across 8th from the WOW Hall. A freewill donation acknowledging the Dining Room's generosity may be made at the meeting.
Lunch will be available for $15.
Topic:
In April of this year, the City of Eugene missed the deadline to execute a $5M FAA Airport Terminal Program (ATP) grant, unable to sign the grant agreement due to language that conflicted with Oregon’s Sanctuary Promise law. The decision to forgo FAA funding, at least temporarily, was due to a letter from the US Secretary of Transportation, which reads in part “…DOT expects its (grant) recipients to comply with Federal law enforcement directives and to cooperate with Federal officials in the enforcement of Federal immigration law.” This directive conflicts with Oregon’s Sanctuary Law.
A total of $14 million in four federal grants this FAA funding cycle was at risk at the Eugene Airport (EUG). A court injunction later allowed two of the four grant agreements to be signed, and this fall the U.S. DOT reinstated the $5 million ATP grant, allowing the $21.5 million expansion of EUG’s Concourse A to move forward. A fourth energy-focused $400,000 grant was rescinded by the DOT.
EUG is Oregon’s second largest commercial service airport, contributing $1.6 billion into the regional economy annually. This program presents information about the importance of FAA funding, the economic impacts of the potential loss of that funding, and the conflict between Oregon’s economic needs and its tradition of providing sanctuary.
Speakers
Title: City of Eugene Ward 6 Councilor
Organization: City of Eugene
Website:
Biography:
The following biography is provided by the panelist and edited for length/proofreading
Greg Evans has served as City of Eugene Ward 6 Councilor since January 2013 and currently serves a Council President. His city council committee assignments include Budget Committee, Human Services Commission, and the Lane Transit District Planning Committee. Greg retired as Associate Vice-President for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at Lane Community College in Eugene. Greg’s career as an educator includes 28 years as a classroom instructor, program coordinator, lecturer, workshop facilitator, and consultant. Greg is the founder and program director of the award-winning Rites of Passage Summer Academies for underrepresented and underserved student populations at Lane Community College. He became the first African American President of the League of Oregon Cities in its 94-year history. Greg founded the League of Oregon Cities Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative, which led to the establishment of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, the People of Color Caucus, and the Women’s Caucus.
Title: President and CEO
Organization: Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce
Website:
Biography:
The following biography is provided by the panelist and edited for length/proofreading
Brittany Quick-Warner is the President and CEO of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, where she leads efforts to strengthen the region’s economy through bold initiatives in economic development, housing, workforce development, downtown revitalization, and civic leadership. She co-founded A.C.T. Now Lane, a cross-sector coalition working to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring in Lane County. She serves on the boards of the Western Association of Chamber Executives and the National Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and is active on local boards of directors including Travel Lane County, the Eugene Airport, and Looking Glass Youth Services. She earned a BS in Atmospheric Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at the University of Missouri.
Title: Director
Organization: Eugene Airport (EUG)
Website:
Biography:
The following biography is provided by the panelist and edited for length/proofreading
Cathryn Stephens, A.A.E., came to Eugene Airport in January 2007 and now serves as airport director, overseeing its day-to-day operation. An Accredited Airport Executive, Cathryn is a member of the Board of the American Association of Airport Executives and chair of the AAAE Diversity Committee. She serves on the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies Airport Cooperative Research Program Oversight Committee, on the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council, and on the Travel Lane County board. She earned a BS in Technical Journalism from Oregon State University and an MS in Applied Information Management from the University of Oregon.
