Tigard Chamber of Commerce Endorses Candidates for November 2020 General Election
September 3rd, 2020 – For Immediate Release
(Tigard, Oregon) – The Candidate Endorsement Committee (CEC) of the Tigard Chamber of Commerce, has determined its list of endorsements for the upcoming Tigard City Council and Metro Council race in the 2020 General Election. The Committee consisting of local business owners, community leaders, and members of the Chamber Board of Directors came together to go through a non-partisan process to consider candidates for endorsement who align with the Chambers’ core values/mission, legislative agenda and who support public policy that strengthens the business community and free enterprise system.
“This is an unprecedented time for those running for public office” said Debi Mollahan CEO of the Tigard Chamber. “These decisions, while never easy, need to be made in order to move forward in the best direction for Tigard businesses. We looked for candidates who support collaborative, open communication and problem solving between business and government. We recognize how challenging running for public office can be and appreciate the drive exhibited by all the candidates.” said Tim McBratney Candidate Endorsement Committee Chair.
The Candidate Endorsement Committee for the Tigard Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce their unanimous endorsement of the following candidates for the 2020 General Election held November 3rd, 2020.
Tigard City Council: Heidi Lueb
Heidi Lueb has been an appointed member of the Tigard City Council since 2019 and is seeking her second term. Heidi is a strong supporter of business as evidenced by her voting record in support of funding for Tigard CARES initial program phases and the upcoming phase 4 funding allocation as well as funding for the Economic Development Manager.
Heidi would like to see more business come to Tigard and thrive here and has supported the addition of industrial and employment land as Tigard expands through annexation and making zoning changes. She views that current business and new business will play a critical role in the future development of the Tigard Triangle and is an advocate for public /private partnerships to help make that happen. She has made herself visible with both the general community as well as the chamber business community, engaging with our local businesses. With a work background as a financial Controller, Heidi brings a business mind to problem solving within her role as City Councilor. We find her well qualified to represent the interest of business as a Tigard City Councilor.
Tigard City Council: Kevin Wright
Kevin Wright impressed us with his grasp of complex issues facing both the City of Tigard and business. Kevin’s business background and experience in business development and strategy, learned at both start ups and Fortune 500 companies and across a mix of industries gives him good insight and understanding of the challenges business can face generally and insights into how city government can be a part of the solution.
Leveraging his own business background and based on his answers to our questions, we see Kevin will bring some out of the box thinking to Tigard City Council on ways that the City can support our businesses in their recovery from a COVID inflicted downturn and grow beyond that.
Kevin’s relatability to a broad section of our community, his ability to communicate cross- generationally and his ability to listen, gather data and make informed decisions should serve both the community and business well in a role of Tigard City Councilor.
Metro Councilor District 3 – Tom Anderson
Tom Anderson has over a decade of public service in a variety of forms that make him well suited to represent the needs of this district at Metro. Tom served on the Tigard Planning Commission from 2007-2013, the last two years as president. He has been a Tigard City Councilor since 2016. In that time, he has participated in many projects that have helped shape Tigard into what it is today.
With his Planning and Council experience, Tom understand budget issues, land use planning as it relates both to business and community, how parks are funded and what resources are being used to plan the SW Corridor project. He has additional experience with being on regional committees regarding water and light rail. With Tigard’s recent expansion into River Terrace, Tom has added to his portfolio and understanding of how the Urban Growth Boundary works, how lands are added or subtracted from the UGB inventory and what it takes in terms of process and cost for jurisdictions to add land to their communities. All of these experiences and expertise make Tom the best candidate for the complex role of Metro Councilor in District 3 representing seven different cities across two counties.
Aside from his public service, Tom owns his own real estate business, so he understands the challenges of running a business, the intersection of government with business and how government can help or hurt business. He will provide a reasoned business voice at the table in the Metro Councilor District 3 seat.
“We greatly appreciate all of the candidates that took the time to go through our confidential in-depth questionnaire and took time out of their busy schedules for our in-person interviews” said Ethan Frelly, Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. The Committee and Chamber agree that voters need to do their due diligence and cast their votes this November.
About the Tigard Chamber of Commerce
Mission – Building & Connecting Businesses, Growing Leaders and Shaping Our Community
Vision – Business + Community = Prosperity, Vibrancy & Diversity