​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.
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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. 

​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.

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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.

​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 will 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 Bethany Barker, co-chair of the Crazy Days Committee.  She has also helped out on the Design Committee and the Promotions Committee in the past.
 

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Bethany was born in El Salvador and was adopted when she was two years old.  She grew up in Summerville and moved to La Grande when she was nine.  After graduating from high school, Bethany traveled around, gathering new experiences.  She moved back to La Grande ten years ago and started a housekeeping business.
 
Bethany decided she wanted to become more involved in her community and, lucky for LGMSD, she chose us! The thing she likes most about her involvement is seeing other people become as excited as she is about new changes in La Grande.
 
Bethany has a two-year-old son, Solomon.  She has always been interested in traveling to new places and is looking forward to sharing this with her son.  Her most avid hobby is photography.  She and Solomon are also pet parents to a little dog, Otis.
 
 

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 Renee Meckel, a member of the Outreach Committee.
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​Born in Oregon and raised in Kamiah, Idaho, Renee graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Master’s of Art in Elementary Education.  She enlisted in the active-duty Army while attending college at the University of Idaho, serving at Fort Hood, Texas and in Darmstadt, Germany.  After five years of active duty, Renee decided to go back to school full time and joined the National Guard in Arizona.  After spending some time in the civilian workforce and not finding job fulfillment, she returned to school to study elementary education.  She also decided to rejoin the military as an officer in the National Guard, which led her to Oregon to complete officer candidate school.  Renee was commissioned in August of 2013 and in 2019, she was offered a job in La Grande at the local armory.  Most recently, Renee was assigned to be the instructor of military science for the ROTC program at Eastern Oregon University.
 
Renee became involved with LGMSD at the suggestion of several friends who are part of various committees at LGMSD.  They encouraged her to join and she is now a member of the Outreach Committee. Renee enjoys the people that she has met so far and appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with them to make La Grande a great place to live and support the community.
 
Renee enjoys hiking, paddle-boarding, skiing, running, kayaking, and spending time with family and friends, as well as volunteering in her community.  She is married with two adult children.  She and her husband are also the proud pet parents of two energetic dogs that keep them on their toes!  They both enjoy the great outdoors and a good meal at the end of the day!
 
 

​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 Carolyn Dooley, a member of the Shop Local Subcommittee and Crazy Days Committee.

Carolyn Dooley, a member of the Shop Local Subcommittee and Crazy Days Committee, was born in New York and raised in Colorado, where she attended a private Amish school.  After being in the newspaper industry for approximately 17 years, she branched out into logistics, where she fell in love with the challenge of getting products from Point A to Point B, even when things seemed impossible. 

Carolyn and her husband, Rob, currently own Rob’s Speedy Delivery and Let ‘R Wrap.  Rob’s Speedy Delivery embodies Carolyn’s fulfilling the challenge of moving products, and her desire to make things happen for each client.

When Carolyn moved to the area in 2011, she wanted to be involved with the community and LGMSD was a great way for her to do that.  She left for a bit to focus on her businesses, but recently came back to serve on the Shop Local subcommittee because she loves being a part of LGMSD.  Carolyn enjoys seeing see businesses thrive and thinks the people she interacts with through LGMSD are “amazing.”  She thinks that every aspect of LGMSD helps our community to succeed.
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Carolyn enjoys cars, fine wine, and good food.  She and her husband, Rob, adore spending time and playing with their dogs, Perry, Benzy, Blaze, Baby Willow, Scout, and Yoda. Their fur babies (see picture) are their world.  They also try to take advantage of all of the great things Eastern Oregon has to offer and love being part of this 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.
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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! 

​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.

​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.