With Meet LGMSD, we take you behind the scenes to introduce you to the folks who make us who we are—the Board, the Committees, the volunteers, and the staff.  Each week, we plan to introduce you to one of the many individuals who contribute so much to La Grande Main Street, ultimately making La Grande a vibrant, stable and beautiful place to gather, shop, eat, work, live, and play.
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This week, we continue our introductions with Jeremy Robertson, member of the Economic Vitality Committee.

Jeremy Robertson, Economic Vitality Committee member, was born in Northern California and raised in John Day.  He graduated from Grant Union High School and then earned a business degree from Eastern Oregon University.  He is now five years into his career at the Oregon Employment Department, currently serving as a business services representative for Baker, Union, and Wallowa Counties.

While working with Josh Annas and Mary Ann Miesner at WorkSource Oregon, Jeremy was referred to connect with Timothy Bishop and the Economic Vitality Committee.  When asked about what he likes most about working with LGMSD, he replied, “I love building relationships and supporting business owners in our community”.
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Jeremy delights in spending time with his wife, Marne, his daughter, Tullia, and his son, Teagon.  They all love exploring new activities and locations in our area and further afield.  Jeremy also enjoys pop culture from movies, music, pro wrestling, video games, and comic books.  Notably, he also revels in dropping epic dad jokes for all to chuckle or cringe at, depending on the mood of the room! 

                  
Established in 2011, Raul’s Taqueria, with the addition of the Cantina in 2021, serves up fresh and authentic Mexican food with excellent service in a friendly atmosphere.  Raul’s is truly a family enterprise, with the current part-owner and manager, Arturo Escamilla, being the son-in-law of the original Raul, who also runs Cinco de Mayo.  Arturo has had years of experience in the food service industry, starting as a cook and waiter, culminating with managing a restaurant in the Tri-Cities area, until being called back to La Grande to help with the family restaurants.
 
Arturo’s vision for Raul’s encompasses not only serving the highest quality authentic Mexican food at the best value, but also providing a welcoming inclusive atmosphere where customers feel at home.  Expanding on that, Arturo has a deep commitment to his community.  Not only is Raul’s involved in civic organizations and events, but Arturo also runs a “Students in Need” program that provides school supplies to less-advantaged students in our area.
 
Raul’s menu is wide-ranging, from the traditional to the more adventurous (Oregon burrito) and the Cantina offers a broad selection of cocktails and beers.  From tacos, burritos and quesadillas to huaraches, sopas and flautes de pollo, Raul’s serves up the full spectrum of Mexican food with eight different meat choices to customize your selections. In the Cantina, the choices are seemingly endless, with a dazzling array of specialty cocktails made with a broad choice of liquors from standard to top shelf, as well as a dizzying collection of beers, bottled and on tap, including local breweries.
 
Going forward, Arturo states that his primary goal for Raul’s is to provide the best customer experience ever, where people feel at home and welcome, keeping everything affordable.  He also wants to continue to hire young workers from the area to give them work and life experience to enhance their futures.
 
With Raul’s deep commitment to quality, affordability, and community, their motto, “Together is Better at Raul’s,” is spot on and will guide the family’s endeavors into the future.
 

​With Meet LGMSD, we take you behind the scenes to introduce you to the folks who make us who we are—the Board, the Committees, the volunteers, and the staff.  Each week, we plan to introduce you to one of the many individuals who contribute so much to La Grande Main Street, ultimately making La Grande a vibrant, stable, and beautiful place to gather, shop, eat, work, live, and play
 
This week, we continue our introductions with Corri Klebaum, a member of the LGMSD Design Committee and mortgage advisor for Advantage Mortgage.

​Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Corri Klebaum graduated from John Marshall High School in 1991.  With over 30 years in the financial industry, Corri started in 1994 assisting distressed consumers until obtaining her mortgage license in 2005.  She relocated to La Grande with her family in 2018 her oldest daughter graduated from Eastern Oregon University.
 
Corri found her way to LGMSD through a Facebook post for the Design Committee.  To her, it seemed like the perfect fit.  Learning about La Grande’s history and getting to know the downtown business owners are two of the aspects of working with LGMSD that she appreciates most.
 
Corri and her husband of 31 years, Kirk, together have four children ranging in age from 15 to 30, along with two delightful grandchildren.  They are also the doting pet parents to a couple of slightly demented German shorthair pointers, as well too many cats, goats, and sheep to count. 
 
In her free time, Corri loves antiquing, gardening, sewing, and DIY projects around the house but, more than anything, she enjoys spending time with her family.
 

​“It’s not about the loans we do; it is about the hearts we change and the people we help.”
 
            Steve Jacobson, Founder and CEO,
                        Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
 
Teri Champlin, a lifelong resident of Union County and Branch Manager of the Fairway Mortgage office for our community, exemplifies this credo.  Whether one is looking to buy, build, or refinance a home, she is there to help.  She has been in the mortgage industry for more than 20 years and has the depth of experience to explore all loan options.  She can thus help her clients achieve home ownership with the speed and service they desire, finding the right loan with great rates, terms, and costs to meet each client’s specific needs.
 
Teri is an active and involved member of the La Grande community.  She has served as the chair of the Grande Ronde Hospital and Clinics Board of Trustees.  She joined the Board in 2014 and had served as vice-chair and secretary prior to becoming the chair.  During her tenure on the Board, she also served on numerous hospital committees.  Teri is also an alumnus of Eastern Oregon University.
 
Since financing a home is one of the biggest commitments one can make, Fairway Independent Mortgage’s mission is customer service.  They are dedicated to finding the best rates and loan options with some of the fastest turn-around times in the industry, especially in this ever-changing and volatile market.
 
Teri’s goal is to be a trusted advisor who provides highly personalized service to help each client through every step of the loan process, from application to closing and beyond.  She strives to exceed expectations, provide satisfaction, and earn trust.
 
With her deep roots in our community, vast experience in her profession, and dedication to service, Teri and Fairway Independent Mortgage Company are valued assets to the greater La Grande community.

​With Meet LGMSD, we take you behind the scenes to introduce you to the folks who make us who we are—the Board, the Committees, the volunteers, and the staff.  Each week, we plan to introduce you to one of the many individuals who contribute so much to La Grande Main Street, ultimately making La Grande a vibrant, stable, and beautiful place to gather, shop, eat, work, live, and play
 
This week, we continue our introductions with Mike Craig, owner of Blue Mountain Outfitters and a member of the Economic Vitality Committee.

​Mike Craig, a member of the Economic Vitality Committee, currently owns Blue Mountain Outfitters, home to everything an adventurer needs to begin or continue their own quest.  He was born in Northern California and has worked in the outdoor industry for over 25 years.  These varied roles have included winter spots product manager at Scott Sports and bike and ski sales representative, as well as in retail.
 
As a business owner, the mission and goals of LGMSD piqued Mike’s interest and he chose to become involved with the Economic Vitality Committee.  Aside from the business-centered events LGMSD holds, Mike appreciates our support for independent retailers.
 
As would be expected, Mike loves skiing and mountain biking, but he also enjoys cooking.  Mike, his wife, Trier, and his daughter, Olive, are the devoted pet parents to a St. Bernard, four cats, two goats, one lamb, and six chickens.

If you are scrolling through social media and catch some Eastern Oregon-related story, it is almost certain that it’s from Elkhorn Media Group.  Elkhorn is the largest privately held radio group in the Pacific Northwest.  Elkhorn Media Group started in 2012, when Randy McKone, then General Manager, purchased KCMB and KWRL from the Capps family.  Since then, it has grown to include 15 radio stations, 9 FM translators, 2 mobile apps, 4 content-driven Facebook pages, a website that receives over 350,000 visits per month and an award-winning video department.

The corporate offices of Elkhorn Media Group are in La Grande, but there are also offices in Baker City, Pendleton, Walla Walla, John Day, and Burns. Their offerings currently include radio, digital, social media, and videography services.  Elkhorn Media Group includes some of the most visited radio stations in our area—KCMB, KHKO, KJDY, KVBL, and KWRL, covering Baker City, Burns, John Day, La Grande, and Prairie City.  They also have a large radio presence in Hermiston, Pendleton, and Walla Walla.
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The mission of Elkhorn Media Group has always been to provide entertainment for their listeners and results for their advertisers.  They take pride in being involved in the communities they serve and they strive to deliver relevant and relatable content.
With their dedication to entertainment, involvement in their communities, and productive outcomes for their advertisers, Elkhorn Media Group will certainly achieve their goal of providing relevant and relatable content for their audience.

​With Meet LGMSD, we take you behind the scenes to introduce you to the folks that make us who we are—the Board, the Committees, the volunteers, and the staff.  Each week, we introduce you to one of the many individuals who contribute so much to La Grande Main Street, ultimately making La Grande a vibrant, stable, and beautiful place to gather, shop, eat, work, live, and play.
 
This week, we are featuring Jacque Harvey, the Sponsorship Chair of the Oregon Beer Festival.  (Tickets now on sale at http://www.eobeerfest.org/).

​Jacque Harvey, currently the Sponsorship Chair of the Oregon Beer Festival, was born and raised in La Grande.  She attended La Grande High School and Eastern Oregon State College.  Jacque is currently employed with Greg Blackman Farmers Insurance, having been an insurance producer for over 20 years. 
 
Jacque has always volunteered for many different things over the years.  Now she is the President of Soroptimist International of La Grande, having been a member since 2014.  She also has been a member of Armed Women of America since 2022.
 
Mary Ann Miesner initially piqued Jacque’s interest in LGMSD and she became involved with the Oregon Beer Festival.  Jacque says that she is incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunities LGMSD affords to help the La Grande community support local businesses.  She is particularly excited about all of the new activities on the LGMSD calendar this year—Women in Business, Touch-a-Truck, and the Community Harvest Festival.  Of course, she is also looking forward to LGMSD’s tried and true events, Crazy Days and Safe Trick or Treating.
 
Jacque is the proud mom to her grown daughter, Breanna, and son-in-law, Jacob. They have a 4-year-old son, Mason, who is her well-loved honey. She also is a loving pet parent to her cat, Marshmallow.  When not giving her time and efforts to her community, Jacque also loves planting and cooking.

​As co-owners of RE/MAX Real Estate Team in La Grande, Shawna and Randy McKinnis both bring almost 30 years of experience each in real estate.  That, combined with Randy having grown up in the area and Shawna a 1993 transplant, gives them a depth of knowledge about the local housing market and all our area offers that is unrivaled.
 
The mission of the RE/MAX Real Estate Team centers on enhancing their clients’ lives by becoming their real estate solution source by providing client education, investment strategies, superior service, and exceptional results for each individual client.

​The highly professional RE/MAX agents and staff are dedicated to making the real estate experience memorable and enjoyable.  Their agents live, work, and serve in our local communities and have the experience to get the job done in today’s market, with each client paired with the right agent for their unique needs.  In addition to exceptional marketing strategies to help a client sell their home quickly, the RE/MAX Real Estate Team offers the latest technology to make the process of finding a home easier than ever.  Each client will gain access to cutting-edge map search technology, their state-of-the-art app, current market status reports, and much more.
 
Shawna and Randy are also very involved with the community and believe in strengthening the community on a personal, as well as professional level.  Shawna, in fact, serves on LGMSD’s Board of Directors as its secretary, along with being the Chair of the Promotions Committee.
 
The ultimate goal of the RE/MAX Real Estate Team is to create lasting personal relationships, as well as to be lifelong advocates for each client.  With their experience, tools, and know how, the RE/MAX Real Estate Team will continue to have as their top priority making the process of buying and selling a home as simple and stress-free as possible in the years to come.

​With Meet LGMSD, we take you behind the scenes to introduce you to the folks that make us who we are—the Board, the Committees, the volunteers, and the staff.  Each week, we introduce you to one of the many individuals who contribute so much to La Grande Main Street, ultimately making La Grande a vibrant, stable, and beautiful place to gather, shop, eat, work, live, and play.
 
This week, we are featuring Tisha Comer, the secretary of the Eastern Oregon Beer Festival and co-planner of their VIP event.

​Tisha was born in La Grande and moved with her family to Montana at age five.  She landed back in La Grande to attend Eastern Oregon University, but returned to Montana upon her marriage.  Tisha has had a varied career path, ranging from making donuts in the middle of the night to working for a climbing and rescue gear manufacturer.  She currently works for the Circuit Court, which brought her back to La Grande two years ago.  She also works for her previous employer, the Bellingham branch of GeoEngineers, evenings and weekends as needed.
 
When Tisha first moved back to La Grande, a co-worker suggested that she volunteer as a beer pourer for the Eastern Oregon Beer Festival to meet new people.  This year, she is the Beer Fest’s secretary and co-plans the VIP event with Stephanie Hansen.  Besides being closer to family, Tisha says that one of the main reasons she moved back to La Grande was to be involved with the community. Along with her contributions to Beer Fest and LGMSD, she is also a member of the Liberty Theatre Board.
 
Along with giving back to the community she loves, Tisha says that another highlight of being involved with LGMSD was that she was introduced to our Executive Director, Monica McLaughlin.  Tisha is excited to be working with Monica and feels that Monica has been working tirelessly to revive downtown La Grande and possibly bring the Beer Fest to downtown next year
 
Tisha’s two children are grown, with one living in Washington, and the other just finishing their junior year of college in Pennsylvania.  Most of her family live in La Grande, including her parents, both sisters, an aunt, and more.  Tisha is an avid outdoor enthusiast.  In the summer, she enjoys backpacking and hiking, and winter finds her skiing and snowshoeing.  Her favorite indoor pursuit is reading, often losing herself in a book for hours.  She also enjoys cooking and entertaining.
 
Tisha says the only thing missing from her life is a dog. Until she finds the perfect home to buy, she lives vicariously through the fur babies of her friends and family.

​Allied Mortgage Resource is a division of Mann Mortgage, which is a family-owned company that emphasizes community relationships, honesty, and integrity.  Founded in 1989 by Don Mann, the company has been committed to hometown values, solid partnerships, streamlined processes, and cutting-edge technologies.  Above all, they are committed to helping qualified borrowers in their communities obtain the dream of home ownership.
 
From a single loan officer in the late 1980s, Mann Mortgage has expanded to include 55 branch locations with 500 employees in 12 states and 12 states that are licensed states.  These co-op branches enjoy a strong reputation built on depth and breadth of expertise, as well as enduring industry partnerships.
 
The mission of Allied Mortgage Resource is bound up in the ethos of the founder of Mann Mortgage, Don Mann.  He modeled his mortgage company after a 1950s era farming co-op.  With the pooling of resources, lending could be kept personal and local.  Based on Don Mann’s original business model, the mission emphasizes sharing collectively, thus benefitting everyone.
 
Allied Mortgage Resource offers a full complement of mortgage options from conventional loans to VA loans and FHA loans, as well as construction/renovation loans and reverse mortgages.  They take pride in their many five-star reviews, as well as being named as an MPA 2021 Top Mortgage Employer, a USDA Top RD Lender, and a 2021 Outside Best Places to Work recipient.
 
Allied Mortgage Resource is also integrally involved in the local community through civic organizations and nonprofits.  With the emphasis on a culture of working together with the community and their clients, their goal of helping more people own homes is being realized.
 
With Allied Mortgage Resource’s dedication to community and its reputation as a superior workplace, the future is increasingly bright as they strive toward fulfilling their mission and meeting their goals.