Gary Stewart
Senior Regional Community Development Coordinator
• About Me:
I am a fourth generation Oregonian with roots in both the Willamette Valley and
Northeastern Oregon. I have a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from
Oregon State University and recently completed a Master’s in Adult Education
at OSU.
For most of my professional career I worked as a journalist, as a television
news producer and radio reporter in Eugene and Seattle, highlighted by leading
the reporting of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. In 1985 I started the Northwest
Ag News Network, providing daily radio programs for three states. I traveled
many of the back roads of the Northwest reporting on rural communities, and the
natural resource industries as founder of the Northwest Ag Information Network,
a network of 70 radio stations carrying daily programs I produced.
My experience in working with rural communities and leadership started as an
Oregon FFA State Officer in 1969. I was struck by the warmth of folks who invited
me into their homes from Joseph, to Alfalfa and Astoria to Sutherlin.
My wife Claudia and I live in Newberg on a small farm and woodlot raising sheep.
We have two grown children.
• What I do at RDI:
My primary responsibilities at RDI include managing the Ford Institute Leadership
Program, including scheduling of communities and staff, curriculum development,
training delivery and coordination with our partner, the Ford Institute for Community
Building. Additional key responsibilities include management of the policy activities
related to CORE, Rural Oregon Days and development of the RDI Rural Governance
Institute.
• State where I was born:
Oregon
• What I wanted to be when I was 8 years old:
Farmer
• Interesting previous job(s) I've held:
Farm Broadcaster reporting on agriculture and natural resource issues in the
Pacific Northwest.
• One of my personal goals for
:
Reline my “nest” now that the kids are gone to allow more time with
my wife and farm.
• A place I want to visit at least once in my lifetime:
China
• My favorite book and why:
Failing Forward, an inspirational book that encourages taking chances and learning
why some things don’t work, but that’s o.k.
• My favorite board game:
Monopoly
• The coolest thing someone has done for me:
Called out of the blue to say thank you.
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