​United Finance, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with 26 branch locations throughout Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Idaho, specializes in fast, affordable personal loans.  Founded in 1922, United Finance originally was an automobile financing business established by Ralph C. Parker.  In 1944, Mr. Parker joined a partnership, United Finance Company.  United Finance was incorporated on March 22, 1954 and Richard H. Parker became president in 1956.  Presently, Richard H. Parker, Jr. serves as Chairman of the Board with Richard H. Parker III serving as President and CEO.
 
With over a century of continuous family involvement, United Finance’s mission is to make consumer loans directly to individuals and to provide personal local service at each of their local branches.  With that comes a commitment to be part of the local community and serve customers in person.
 
As a consumer finance company, United Finance provides personal loans with a minimum of red tape in an expeditious manner at affordable rates.  This can be done on line, over the phone, or through one of their offices. They also provide financing of automobiles through the purchase of retail installment contracts from local auto dealers.
 
As part of United Finance’s commitment to serving their local communities, they currently support over 200 local and national organizations throughout all of their branch communities.  This is done through the R.H. Parker United Foundation, which was established in Oregon in 1994 by the Parker family.  The Parker family is dedicated to helping their branch communities grow and prosper, thereby making each community a better place to live and work.
 
With the Parker family’s dedication to the communities they serve, United Finance will continue to be a valued citizen of these communities into its next century.
 

​As Meet LGMSD draws to a close and you have met all of the amazing folks working hard to make lovely La Grande even lovelier, it is time to unmask the intrepid reporter behind About Town and all of the blogs and posts highlighting our wonderful Partners.

Joyce Coulson was born in Battle Creek, Michigan and raised in a wooded idyl about 30 miles from the nearest town, where she went to grammar and secondary school.  Of course, the minute she could, Joyce moved to Detroit to prepare herself for attending the University of Michigan.  It was the summer of 1967 and the Detroit riots started three blocks from her apartment, so she changed her major from English to journalism.

After her stint at Michigan, adding several more majors onto her journalism studies (political science and natural resources), Joyce ended up moving to Eugene, Oregon.  Not being able to find a journalism job that didn’t involve fashion or cooking, she evolved into a medical transcriptionist.  She did that for several years, and then decided to move to New York City.  Joyce lived in NYC for almost a decade, working as a hospital planner at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital.  During that time, she did freelance and ghost writing as well.
​
Joyce then moved back to Eugene and started her own transcription business. With small transcription services being bought out, she started her journey of working for various large transcription conglomerates until the pandemic hit and she was laid off. In the interim, Joyce had moved to La Grande to be closer to her sister. 

So, it was unemployment time and, after her unemployment benefits ran out, the employment specialist thought Joyce would be a perfect candidate for the Easter Seals/Goodwill SCSEP Program and that is how she came to La Grande Main Street Downtown.

Aside from learning new skills and stretching her writing legs, the thing that Joyce likes best about working with LGMSD is having the opportunity to meet and work with people she never would have encountered prior to LGMSD.  In particular, working with Monica and Mary Ann has been a joy!

In her non-LGMSD time, Joyce is editing and re-writing her contemporary rom-com series that will eventually be self-published thanks to the skills learned at LGMSD. In her non-writing hours, Joyce enjoys keeping up with British archeological finds and studying history, as well as going to local festivals and restaurants with her sister.  She also is the pet parent to her rather large cat family and the plant mom to a motley collection of geraniums and Pablo, the Ecuadorian rubber tree. 

​“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”
 
Nate Conklin State Farm, La Grande’s leading State Farm agency, exemplifies that credo.  They have a high-caliber team with almost 60 years of combined insurance experience.  Led by Nate, a La Grande native and graduate of Eastern Oregon University, the team includes Tess Taylor and Brittany Hanson, office representatives, and Tami Conklin, office manager.  They all work together to help serve their State Farm customers and the local community.
 
State Farm recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.  In that century, they have helped people rebuild neighborhoods, invested in communities, and supported education and safety initiatives in communities throughout the country.
 
Nate and his outstanding team have carried out this approach through their support of local causes and initiatives, sponsoring many community activities and organizations, including AYSO Soccer, Altrusa Festival of Trees, Ducks Unlimited, and the annual Farmer’s Banquet.  In 2017, Nate moved the office to Downtown La Grande and is now a supporter of La Grande Main Street Downtown.
 
Nate Conklin State Farm’s mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams.  Their goal is to keep carrying out this mission with even more excellence, as well as being of service to the La Grande community.
 
With their dedication and commitment, the Nate Conklin State Farm team will have no trouble meeting that goal!

​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 Monica McLaughlin, Executive Director of LGMSD.

​Born in Canada and raised in Georgia, Monica came to LGMSD from the Union County Chamber of Commerce, where she was the social media, tourism, and events coordinator.  Monica has an extensive background in hospitality, event planning, and sales, as well as team building and organization.  Through her involvement with World Lacrosse and as the head women’s lacrosse coach at Eastern Oregon University, Monica has demonstrated a talent for program development, negotiation, and problem solving.
 
Monica has a Master’s Degree in Applied Sport Psychology from Adams State University along with a Bachelor’s Degree in general studies with a concentration in Marketing and Management and a minor in psychology from Georgia Southern University.
 
Since joining LGMSD last November, Monica has gone about forging relationships and planning exciting events highlighting Downtown La Grande.  Her favorite part of working with LGMSD is getting to know the downtown business owners, as well as working to bring the community together through great events.
 
In their leisure time, Monica and her husband, Will, enjoy camping and hiking and are pet parents to their three cats and several chickens.  Monica is also an avid plant collector.  She loves cooking and restoring hopeless furniture into beautiful objects.

​For nearly four decades, Nature’s Pantry has been the go-to place for healthy food and health care products.  Starting out in a 750-square-foot portion of the Foley Building, Linda and Dennis Clayville moved Nature’s Pantry to their current location on Fourth Street shortly after. Over the years, the store has evolved and grown, becoming part of The Marketplace and having its storefront and surrounding area enhanced.  Inside, the range of products has expanded and a deli and juice bar were added.
 
Nature’s Pantry’s mission and mantra has always been “good for you, good for your community.”  With the many products and services they offer, Nature’s Pantry encourages people to invest in their health, because “health is the greatest wealth.”
 
With this, Nature’s Pantry is now Eastern Oregon’s premier natural food store, offering a wide range of organic groceries, vitamins and supplements, organic produce, bulk foods, herbs and teas, and a juice and smoothie bar and deli.  They also have a certified nutritionist on staff who performs health consultations.  Nature’s Pantry also offers the Vibrant You Health Show podcast and the Vibrant You Health Challenge, as well as cooking classes and gifts.
 
Because of their dedication to our community and the wide range of services and products offered, Nature’s Pantry will continue to be Eastern Oregon’s most complete and unique natural food store for many years to come. 

​There was so much to do on Saturday at Crazy Days this year that even two Virgos with a spreadsheet couldn’t get to everything…but we tried! Our first stop, after we checked in at the LGMSD office for any new developments, was to head over to Merlyn’s Over-the-Top breakfast.  One has to keep one’s strength up for the day ahead!  Omelets, with a handpicked choice of fillings, were the order of the day, which where stylishly prepared in front of you.  Utterly delightful, generously portioned, and reasonably priced.
 
Properly fueled for our endeavors, we cruised around Depot Street to take in the various vendors and their unique offerings. Top of our list was Two Country Design out of Seattle, with colorful and beautifully-made baskets and other items from sub-Saharan Africa.  There were lots of lovely jewelry offerings and even a bookseller (Yuri’s Books).  Rising Tide Soulpothecary, home of small-batch soy candles and wild and regionally-sourced botanical remedies, was a delightful stop.  

We made note that Becky’s Burgers was there for a lunch stop and carried on up Adams Avenue to Farmer’s Market, which had a Kid’s Market just for Crazy Days.  My sister purchased a chocolate brownie from an earnest young sales lady and we carried on, checking out the sidewalk chalk art, the sales, and the entries in the window decorating contest.  Rosewood Cottage had some fantastic Fiesta Ware on sale and we popped into Fitzgerald Flowers to check out the socks.  Community Kindness hosted footie soccer training and a British photo booth.
 
The Timber Cruisers had cars lined up in rows on Adams, which made easy to view all of the incredible vehicles spanning motoring history from the Model T era to now.  It was a journey through our childhood and teenage years for my sister and me, including the 1956 and 1957 Chevy Bel-Airs that everyone in our hometown seemed to have, the 1966 Impala from driver’s ed. in high school, and the early iterations of the Corvette that were the epitome of cool.

​And OMG, the windows!  Our merchants and professional services really went all out for LGMSD’s Window Decorating Contest with gorgeous art, whimsical designs, and incredible creativity.  The winner was Lush Boutique and Salon with Red Cross Drug Store coming in second and Adams Avenue Barber Shop placing third.  A special shout out to Connected Professional Accountants, who made the best use of an entry door to a second floor office with an inspired and resourceful design. 
 
Along the way, we checked out the demonstration by Copperhead Jiu Jitsu and watched a bit of the cornhole competition hosted by Tap That! Growlers.  I’ve always been impressed with skills that involve coordination and depth perception, since I have neither.  Throughout all of our meanderings, there was music provided by Direct Music Source, Peter Wordelman and Justin Gardner, capped off by Phillips Bluegrass Band, throughout the afternoon. 

​There were a lot of things we missed—the So You Can Dance event, the Fly Fishing Casting Competition, the Paper Airplane Contest, the Pie Baking Contest, and the Shower Tower, to name just a few.  The Shower Tower was a little late getting to Crazy Days because the La Grande Fire Department had to fight two fires, but the young people I talked to later really enjoyed it. Also, to my regret, I just didn’t have the legs to go down to Birddog Glass, but I am told that it was a lot of fun.
 

​There was so much to do that we just ran out of time.  Everyone I have spoken with since gave this Crazy Days rave reviews.  A standing ovation to the Crazy Days subcommittee and our Executive Director, Monica McLaughlin, for putting on a Crazy Days like no other that I have seen in my almost 20 years of residence in La Grande!

​ 
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 Scott Newman, member of the Economic Vitality Committee.

​Born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Scott Newman attended high school in Watertown, Wisconsin and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin/Oshkosh. He is currently the Director of the Union County Chamber of Commerce.
 
Scott became involved with LGMSD through his position with Chamber of Commerce.  He is most appreciative of all of the friendly people who are always willing to help and volunteer.
 
Scott and his wife, Kimberly, enjoy camping, hunting, and traveling to find new places. They have three grown children, with the youngest about to finish high school.  Scott has a passion for music and public address announcing.  He currently indulges this passion by helping with many athletic events and at Eastern Oregon University.  Scott and Kimberly also enjoy their new-found friends in Union County since moving here.

​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 Amanda May, member of the Design Committee.
 

​A Union County native, Amanda May was raised on a farm in Cove, Oregon.  She graduated from La Grande High School and received her bachelor’s degree in English from Eastern Oregon University.  Amanda joined RE/MAX Real Estate Team in 2012 as the office manager and quickly developed an interest in real estate.  Since earning her license in 2013, she has sought several educational opportunities to improve her ability to serve her clients.  Amanda has her e-Pro certification, as well as her GIR, SRS, ABR, RENE, PSA, and CRS designations.
 
Community involvement has always been incredibly important to Amanda.  When she saw an opportunity to join LGMSD’s Design Committee, she felt it was the perfect chance to give back by contributing to beautifying La Grande’s downtown, which she loves and where she works.
 
Amanda loves working side by side with other downtown business owners and people who care about La Grande as much as she does.  She says that LGMSD gives her a new behind-the-scenes picture of town management that helps her appreciate the nuances of “our sweet home.”
 
Amanda and her husband, Dino, have two children, Ellie and Noah, who they spend endless hours chauffeuring to baseball and softball games, wrestling tournaments, and music lessons.  She loves to travel and enjoys camping, water sports, hiking, winter sports, and spending time with her friends and family.  Amanda considers herself incredibly blessed to call Eastern Oregon home, as it offers her abundant opportunities to do the things she loves so much.

​M.J. Goss Motor Company celebrated its 100th Anniversary last year as Eastern Oregon’s one-stop-shop automotive facility.  As the region’s family-owned Chevy, GMC, and Buick dealer since 1922, they know how to provide an exceptional buying experience.
 
The mission of Goss Motor Company is to provide a stress-free and straightforward customer service process, respecting the wants and needs of each customer throughout the steps of buying a vehicle, as well as maintaining that vehicle throughout its life.  The Goss Motor Company’s sales team is equipped with knowledge and expertise in all of the company’s inventory. In addition, the pre-owned vehicle selection has undergone a rigorous inspection process, ensuring the best value for money.
 
Toward that end, they offer WARRANTY FOREVER, which provides great peace of mind and is offered on vehicles with less than 100,000 miles. Goss Motor Company also has a fully-equipped mechanic shop that is staffed with ASE Certified GM technicians and is the only GM-equipped body shop in the region. Their parts department features genuine GM parts and accessories, as well as used parts.  There is also a fleet of rental cars on offer for that special vacation or to fill in when there are repairs needed.
 
Throughout their 100-plus-year history, Goss Motor Company has given back to the local region through various community-centered events, such as the Food Drive co-sponsored with Elkhorn Media.
 
With their inherent respect for each individual customer and the value they place on that customer’s time, budget, and needs during each phase of the process of buying and caring for a vehicle, M.J. Goss Motor Company has ensured its success into its next century of service to the region.

​Established in 2018 by a group of six experienced realtors in Union County, Blue Summit Realty Group serves Union, Baker, Wallowa, and Umatilla counties.  These realtors are all well connected and established in the community and they are a team of the highest producers in the region with decades of proven experience.
 
Blue Summit Realty Group’s stated mission is to provide their clients with the best and most comprehensive real estate services available in Eastern Oregon.  They are full-time realtors who are energized and determined to help their clients achieve their dreams of home ownership.  They are competent, organized, and confidential in their dealings with each client. The realtors of Blue Summit also take pride in and look to serve the community through volunteerism and sponsorships.
 
On offer at Blue Summit is a wide range of services from comprehensive market analysis and listing and buying agencies for all types of real property to staging assistance, and much more.  The Blue Summit team is expert in all areas of real estate, including homes, land, commercial, farms, and ranches.
 
Ever innovative and creative, Blue Summit’s goal is to help each and every client achieve their dream of home ownership.  Toward that end, they are completely networked in the community with relationships that assist their clients.  They are on top of the latest technology in order to facilitate seamless and professional transactions.  Most importantly, the realtors at Blue Summit Realty Group are honest and confidential and will handle their clients’ real estate business with care and consideration.
 
Given Blue Summit Realty Group’s motivation, connectedness, professionalism, and ethics, they will continue to deliver the ultimate in real estate sales and service in Eastern Oregon for many years to come.