​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 Board Member and Promotion Committee member Tori Gandy.

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Tori was born in Salem, Oregon and has lived in La Grande for over 30 years. She graduated from Portland State University.  Tori is a partner at Elkhorn Media Group and works with many local and regional businesses. She has served on the Union County Chamber Board, the Tiger Booster Board and the La Grande Downtown Development Board (before the name change), as well as being an active member of Soroptimist International of La Grande.  She has been in marketing for over 30 years. She began her career with an agency in Portland and, when she moved to La Grande, she went to work in radio.
 
Tori became involved with La Grande Main Street because she believes this community has the potential to have an even more thriving downtown that is inviting to locals and tourists alike.   She is currently a member of the Board of Directors and serves on the Promotions committee, as well as working on the Crazy Days Sub Commitee.
 
Tori says that the most fun thing about being involved in La Grande Main Street is that she gets to work with a great group of people who all want to see downtown La Grande be vibrant and thriving. She says that they all see the potential and are working to share that vision with the community and visitors alike.
 
Most weekends, Tori and her husband spend time with their 3 dogs, two mini-Aussie heelers (Ace and Butch) and one huge Golden Doodle (Mac), exploring Eastern Oregon’s campgrounds and lakes.  Some of their favorite camping spots include Olive Lake, Jubilee Lake and Wallowa Lake.  They also like hiking the trails at Anthony Lakes and MERA.

​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 Board Member and Promotion Committee Member, Angie Brown Harris. 

Angie Brown Harris was born and raised in La Grande and is a lifelong resident with a career in the health and wellness industry, first as a licensed massage therapist for over 20 years.  She is currently a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner at Be Well Studio in La Grande, providing wellness coaching with diet lifestyle modifications to supplement traditional health care practices.

As an adult community member and a business owner, Angie wants those who live and visit here to experience the assets, services, and culture that are often overlooked.  She feels that her perspective, personality and skills are serving the Board and community well.
So far, Angie’s favorite part of being a part of La Grande Main Street has been connecting and growing relationships with the other Board and committee members.  Creating fun, unique, and health-focused events has been very fulfilling to her as well.  Right now, that includes the organization of the inaugural Shamrock Shuffle 5K/10K event to be held on Saturday, March 18th.

More info:  Go to:  https://ShamrockShuffleLaGrande.itsyourrace.com/register ​
 
Angie is a passionate runner and health and fitness enthusiast. Some of her more notable achievements include finishing 35 half marathons, 9 marathons, and 2 triathlons, as well as running 40 miles on her 40th birthday.  Angie, her two teenage daughters, and her husband, Mark, enjoy hiking and mountain biking in their free time.  

​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 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 Board Member and Chair of the Outreach Committee, Nicole Felty.

​There is a vibrant and enthusiastic new face on our Board—Nicole Felty. 
 
Nicole grew up in Albion, Indiana and attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.  She has also done graduate work at Missouri State.  Nicole, her husband, Blaise, and their young son, Harrison (Harry) recently relocated to La Grande from Southern California, along with their 5-year-old cocker spaniel, Murphy. She holds a remote position in Human Resources and Business Administration. 
 
Nicole and her family are excited to be starting a new chapter here along with exploring what Eastern Oregon has to offer. In her free time, she enjoys decorating, crafts, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.
 
Nicole is looking forward to meeting new people and getting involved in the community. She chose LGMSD because she felt she could impact La Grande’s future in a positive way by serving on our Board and as the Chair of the Outreach Committee.
 

​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 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 are featuring Carol Summers, community member and dedicated volunteer.

​Carol has served on the LGMSD Board since 2009, when La Grande Main Street began, and has participated on numerous committees throughout her tenure.  Presently, along with serving on our Board, she sits on the Outreach Committee and the Design Committee, as well as the steering committee for the Eastern Oregon Beer Fest.
 
Born in and raised in La Grande on a farm, Carol can trace her lineage on both sides of her family back to original Oregon Trail settlers.  She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in music education.  Carol moved to San Jose, California where she taught middle school music, social studies, language arts and choir for 40 years.  Upon retiring, she and her family moved back to La Grande to be near all of her family and enjoy small town life.
 
Carol has been involved in supporting La Grande businesses and local activities for many years.  She wants to help give La Grande the vibrancy and cohesiveness she remembers our town having when she was growing up here.  Carol even remembers a time not so long ago when there was a “passeggita” in La Grande, which is a traditional evening stroll in a central plaza or a main street by a town’s residents.
 
When Carol is not volunteering to help make La Grande a lovelier place, she enjoys golf, gardening, and playing bridge.
 

 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 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, beautiful place to gather, shop, eat, work, live, and play.
 
Today we are featuring Suzannah Moore Hemann, the Treasurer of our Board of Directors.

​Suzannah was born and raised in La Grande and graduated from Eastern Oregon University with graduate and undergraduate degrees.  She has previously served on La Grande Main Street’s Board of Directors from 2013 to 2019, organizing the Eastern Oregon Beer Festival for a portion of that time, and was the executive director of the Union County Chamber of Commerce from 2019 to 2021.  Suzannah is currently the Assistant Director of Scholarships and Stewardship at Eastern Oregon University.
 
Suzannah’s experience encompasses administration, accounting, community and economic development, and nonprofit leadership.  She also has a background in organizational development, lean/six sigma strategies, and event planning.  In her free time, she enjoys golfing, cycling, sunning, home renovation projects, cooking, hiking, volunteering, and spending time with friends and family.
 
Additionally, in her role with Eastern Oregon University, Suzannah is very passionate and committed to focusing on the town-gown connection, bridging gaps and building relationships between Downtown and Eastern Oregon University, thus ensuring every possibility of leveraging this connection to the benefit of everyone.

Each week, 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 plan to introduce you to one of the many individuals who contribute so much to La Grande Main Street and ultimately making La Grande a vibrant, stable, beautiful place to gather, shop, eat, work, live, and play.

Today we are featuring Shawna McKinnis, the Secretary of our Board of Directors and Chair of the Promotions Committee..

​Shawna McKinnis, our Board secretary, is Principal Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Real Estate Team with her husband Randy.  They have been real estate brokers for nearly 28 years and opened RE/MAX Real Estate Team in 2002.  In 2019 they moved their office from Island Avenue to 1214 ½ Adams Avenue, remodeling a building that had been vacant for several years. Her favorite part of her job is the satisfaction of meeting her clients’ needs whether they are buying or selling. 
 
Shawna grew up on a farm in Idaho, lived in Alaska for several years and moved to La Grande in 1993.  She actually worked part time for the Downtown Association for a time.  Shawna and Randy have four children and six grandchildren.  In her ‘spare time’ she enjoys quilting, working in her yard, being at Wallowa Lake on the deck or kayaking, and spending time with those grandkids! 
 
Shawna has a love of Downtown La Grande, as she feels it is the heart of our community and a vibrant downtown is imperative to a thriving community!
 

​Last week, La Grande Main Street took 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 plan to introduce you to one of the many individuals who contribute so much to La Grande Main Street and ultimately making La Grande a vibrant, stable, beautiful place to gather, shop, eat, work, live, and play.
 
This week, we continue our introductions with the Vice-President of our Board of Directors, Joshua Annas.

Bringing his wide-ranging background and creativity to La Grande Main Street Downtown, Josh currently serves as Vice President of our Board of Directors.  He works at CHD in La Grande where he is a supported employment specialist in charge of helping local community members obtain gainful employment.  Josh graduated from Eastern Oregon University with a Bachelor of Science degree in multidisciplinary studies with a major in education and business.  
 
In addition, since October of 2021, Josh has turned his love of and skill as a photographer into Beyond the Lens Photography.  His extensive portfolio contains highlights from all over Oregon with a special focus on Northeastern Oregon.  He especially enjoys capturing people living life and expressing their true selves against the breathtaking beauty of our region.
 
Along with his passion for photography, Josh also enjoys attending his kids’ sporting events, visiting his family, going to the beach, exploring the outdoors, hiking in Eastern Oregon, and eating good food.
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Josh values the opportunity to serve his community through his participation in LGMSD.  He is also an active member of our Economic Vitality Committee, which works closely with the La Grande Urban Renewal Agency.  Josh believes in supporting the Downtown area and directs his efforts toward making La Grande Downtown sustainable and vibrant for future generations. 

​In the upcoming weeks, La Grande Main Street will take you behind the scenes and introduce you to the folks that make us who we are—the Board, the Committees, the volunteers, and the staff.  Each week, we will feature one of the many individuals who contribute so much to La Grande Main Street, ultimately making La Grande a vibrant, stable, beautiful place to gather, shop, eat, work, live, and play.
 
This week, we will start off with the President of our Board of Directors, Mary Ann Miesner.

​If you have spent any time around La Grande, you have probably heard of Mary Ann Miesner.  She has been an active booster and contributor to our community in many and varied roles since she landed here in the 1970s.
 
Having served on our Board since 2009, Mary Ann is currently the Board’s new President.  Over the years, she has spent countless hours working with groups of enthusiastic volunteers on different projects including Safe Trick or Treat for Halloween, the Holiday Parade, Eastern Oregon Beer Festival, Crazy Days, and flower baskets, just to name a few.
 
In her capacity as Board President, Mary Ann looks forward to continuing to contribute to La Grande’s growth and success. She is a semi-retired computer instructor for the Training & Employment Consortium, and brings multiple skill sets to her role with La Grande Main Street. 
 
Throughout her years of community involvement and service, Mary Ann has received many accolades, the latest of which is the Leadership on Main Award from Oregon Main Street’s “Excellence on Main” awards given out at the annual Main Street conference in October of 2022. 
 
Mary Ann also is a member of the La Grande City Council, Position 4.  In addition to serving her community, she loves gathering with her family, reading mysteries, and keeping the Timber Cruisers classic car club organized.