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MICHAEL DUNNE: I’m Michael Dunne. Chambers of commerce tend to be catchalls in a community. Yes, of course, they’re there to support and build up businesses and economic growth, but they also often act as a kind of go-between, linking the business community with government. In Eugene, the chamber doesn’t just provide that conduit. It actively works to bring more businesspeople into the political arena.
Today on the show, we talk with the chamber’s CEO, Brittany Quick-Warner, about its efforts to recruit and train business leaders to become political leaders. The goal is to provide more diversity of views when it comes to making laws. We also ask her about the chamber’s position on the proposed Amazon fulfillment center and what it could mean for economic growth in the region.
Brittany Quick-Warner is the president and CEO of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. Brittany, always great to see you. Thanks for coming in.
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: Thanks for having me, Michael.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I think a lot of people understand that a chamber’s role is to attract and retain businesses in a community. But can you talk about the work you do to integrate the business community into the governmental leadership structure?
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: Yeah, thank you. I appreciate that. Our chamber — and a lot of chambers across the country — plays a really unique role. We get to sit between government and our public partners, nonprofits and private business.
We take our role seriously as a connector between those different worlds, and for a long time we’ve been active in civic conversations around issues we believe benefit or impact the local economy. Our mission as a private nonprofit organization is to improve the local economy. We want to create a community where people can thrive — economically, health-wise — there’s a lot that goes into creating a healthy community.
So we do step into political conversations when we feel there’s a role to play in bringing a business voice or a private-sector perspective. A lot of times, we’re also representing nonprofits. There are many conversations we’re happy to be part of.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Do you have a formal program to recruit business leaders to run for office or serve on committees or boards?
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: Over the last several years, we’ve really ramped up our efforts to make civic engagement less intimidating. We talk to a lot of people who don’t know where to start — not just business owners, but community members in general.
Two years ago, we launched a five-year strategic economic and community development initiative called Elevate 28, which I talked with you about at the time. One of its priorities is improving the overall business and economic climate of the community. Early on, we identified that to do that, we need people at elected tables who have a pro-growth, pro–economic development mindset.
We decided we needed to build more infrastructure to make that participation easier.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I can imagine how those conversations might go. You take a business leader out for coffee and say, “I’d love for you to run for office,” and especially small business owners might say, “I’d love to, but I can’t — I’m running a business.” How do you explain how that can work?
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: Most people’s first response is, “Have you lost your mind?” It’s not easy to be an elected official, and I don’t downplay the amount of work it takes.
But people who run businesses have a lot of skill sets — leadership, experience navigating economic and policy landscapes, firsthand knowledge of what makes it harder or easier to do business. They understand what their employees are struggling with, especially in small businesses, where it often feels like a family environment.
Even when people can imagine themselves serving in office, many can’t get over the hurdle of running for office. It’s intimidating, especially for people who don’t want to be career politicians. They’re interested in policy, not politics.
That’s why we decided to step in and create additional support. One of those efforts is a political action committee called Lift Lane, which we launched last year. It creates infrastructure to help people run for office — fundraising support, access to trained campaign professionals, and training so candidates know what to say when they’re knocking on doors, what issues matter to voters, and what the scope of local and state governance really looks like.
Our goal is to make running for office more accessible for everyday business owners, neighbors and young professionals.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Looking at your board, you have CEOs and business leaders. But is it sometimes easier or more beneficial to recruit people a level or two down, who might have more time?
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: Absolutely. We talk with business leaders about encouraging their employees to be civically engaged — whether that’s running for office or simply voting.
Nationally, there’s a lot of effort around encouraging civic engagement through the workplace. Data shows people tend to trust their employers and the private sector more than government right now. Employers can play a role by giving staff paid volunteer hours or allowing time off for things like a city council work session.
Many people are humble. They don’t immediately see themselves as candidates. Sometimes they just need encouragement.
MICHAEL DUNNE: There’s often a critique that government should run more like a business. Is there a kernel of truth there — the idea that having a diversity of skills and perspectives is the sweet spot?
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: I don’t think it’s realistic for government to run exactly like a business. There are real barriers. But there are principles that could be adopted more widely.
Government could be more entrepreneurial and more nimble. Years of layered regulations can make innovation difficult. Private industry thrives on adapting to new technologies and ideas.
Business also understands concepts like return on investment. Our community is facing budget challenges, and we need to invest in areas that will generate long-term returns. Sometimes that means playing the long game — something business leaders are very familiar with.
I’m not saying everyone should come from business. It’s about balance and having people at the table who understand the responsibility of signing the front of a check and how decisions impact local businesses.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Without naming names, what characteristics make someone from the business community especially suited for elected office?
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: For us, it’s a pro-growth mindset — understanding community values while also asking how we grow the economy and create good jobs.
One example is our former board chair, John Barofsky, who is running for Eugene City Council. He owns a small local business and has deep community involvement. Small restaurant owners, in particular, are incredibly resilient.
MICHAEL DUNNE: And we should say he owns Beppe & Gianni’s, right?
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: Right. John didn’t step into this out of nowhere. He’s served on the Budget Committee, the Planning Commission, and a neighborhood association. That blend of public engagement and private-sector experience is exactly what we’re looking for.
We also encourage people to apply for committees and commissions. That experience often becomes a pathway to elected office.
MICHAEL DUNNE: What about nonprofit leaders? They’re sometimes treated as a separate category, but they’re running organizations too.
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: Absolutely. I like to say nonprofit is my tax status, not my business plan. There’s a lot of leadership experience in running a nonprofit.
What matters to us is whether someone values growing the private sector and sees opportunity and prosperity as assets for the community. We don’t care if someone comes from a nonprofit, is retired, or is returning to the workforce. What matters is experience and perspective.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Let’s switch gears. There’s been news about a proposed Amazon fulfillment center. We’ve heard from opponents, but what’s the business community’s perspective?
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: We understand the issue is complex and people have strong opinions. Our approach is principled. We need economic expansion, and we need to develop the industrial land brought into the urban growth boundary nearly 10 years ago.
A fulfillment center is a transportation and logistics operation that fits into our existing ecosystem. It provides an entry point for workers and creates a pipeline for other local industries — manufacturing, distribution and wood products — that need drivers and logistics talent.
We also need consistency. The Clear Lake industrial area has an overlay zone with strict standards for emissions and operations. This proposal meets those standards. If we keep moving the goalposts after businesses comply, we send a message that we’re not open to growth.
We’re not saying we should have the lowest standards. We’re saying that if businesses meet the standards we set, we should welcome them.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Does this fit into the broader Silicon Shire vision and potentially attract other businesses?
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: Yes. Someone has to be first. Getting that initial business established makes it easier for others to follow.
It also creates networks and connections to the tech industry. Companies tend to cluster, and that helps retain talent locally. Expansion in innovative industries benefits the whole community.
MICHAEL DUNNE: She’s Brittany Quick-Warner, president and CEO of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. Brittany, thanks for coming in.
BRITTANY QUICK-WARNER: Thank you so much, Michael.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Yesterday we spoke with Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson about protests in Eugene, but we didn’t have time to discuss the city’s plan to replace CAHOOTS. For the final minutes of today’s show, we’ll turn to that.
KAARIN KNUDSON: This is hot off the presses. The city of Eugene has released a request for proposals for a new citywide alternative response provider. This work has been underway for about eight months, since the gap opened in our social safety net when CAHOOTS services ended in Eugene.
This RFP is for peer navigation and alternative response. It’s about closing the gap between public safety and health and human services. Lane County Mobile Crisis remains focused on high-acuity needs, but this new program would serve people who don’t need law enforcement and aren’t in crisis, but still need connection to services and support.
MICHAEL DUNNE: That was Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson discussing a potential replacement for CAHOOTS. That’s our show for today. All episodes of Oregon On The Record are available as a podcast at KLCC.org.
Tomorrow, we’ll talk with a reporter from The Oregon Journalism Project about how lower-than-expected revenue from legal cannabis is affecting mental health programs. I’m Michael Dunne. Thanks for listening.
