Laurel MacMillan
Community Development Coordinator
Sustainable Tourism
• About Me:
With a travel agent for a mother and a father who organized bareboat sailing cruises all over the world, I was destined to be a traveler from an early age. Now I try to explore at least once a month--be it short trips around Oregon or far off destinations around the world. When not traveling, I have spent the last eight years making Oregon the best place to live through my work in community and economic development. I have worked in a variety of communities and industries around the state, from traditional business recruitment and retention to grassroots community planning. Until recently, I was the community development coordinator for the Oregon Arts Commission, where I used art as a tool for community transformation and managed the Arts Build Communities grant program. In addition to community development, I have expertise in nonprofit management, grant writing, industry clusters, land use planning, historic preservation, and sustainable tourism planning.
I graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Architectural History and Historic Preservation and completed graduate studies in Urban and Regional Planning and Nonprofit Management at Portland State University. When I am not at work, school, or traveling, I am leading a girls music education and self esteem program called Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls through my role as co-chair of the board.
• What I do at RDI:
My career allows me to combine my two favorite passions: Community Development and Travel. As their Sustainable Tourism Coordinator, I assist rural communities in planning for tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of the place being visited – its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.* Like most staff at RDI, I wear other hats as well, such as a Lead Trainer for The Ford Institute Leadership Program, organizing organizational development programs, or other opportunities that come up.
*National Geographic Society’s definition of Geotourism.
• State where I was born:
California
• What I wanted to be when I was 8 years old:
An architect
• Interesting previous job(s) I've held:
Crew member of a 53 foot whale watching catamaran in Santa Barbara
• One of my personal goals for :
To buy less stuff.
• A place I want to visit at least once in my lifetime:
Everywhere! Really, the list is hundreds of pages long. High on the list is Japan, specifically Kyoto for the wonderful Japanese art and architecture. And Manchu Pichu. And India. And Mayan ruins in Central America. And…., well, I’ll stop there. But you understand—I have wanderlust.
• My favorite book and why:
World Atlas, because I love cartography and geography.
• My favorite board game:
Trivia Pursuit. It is fascinating to see the wacky knowledge some people store in their brains!
• The coolest thing someone has done for me:
Being born into a sailing family, I was taught how to sail before I could even walk.
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Community Development Coordinator
Sustainable Tourism
• About Me:
With a travel agent for a mother and a father who organized bareboat sailing cruises all over the world, I was destined to be a traveler from an early age. Now I try to explore at least once a month--be it short trips around Oregon or far off destinations around the world. When not traveling, I have spent the last eight years making Oregon the best place to live through my work in community and economic development. I have worked in a variety of communities and industries around the state, from traditional business recruitment and retention to grassroots community planning. Until recently, I was the community development coordinator for the Oregon Arts Commission, where I used art as a tool for community transformation and managed the Arts Build Communities grant program. In addition to community development, I have expertise in nonprofit management, grant writing, industry clusters, land use planning, historic preservation, and sustainable tourism planning.
I graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Architectural History and Historic Preservation and completed graduate studies in Urban and Regional Planning and Nonprofit Management at Portland State University. When I am not at work, school, or traveling, I am leading a girls music education and self esteem program called Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls through my role as co-chair of the board.
• What I do at RDI:
My career allows me to combine my two favorite passions: Community Development and Travel. As their Sustainable Tourism Coordinator, I assist rural communities in planning for tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of the place being visited – its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.* Like most staff at RDI, I wear other hats as well, such as a Lead Trainer for The Ford Institute Leadership Program, organizing organizational development programs, or other opportunities that come up.
*National Geographic Society’s definition of Geotourism.
• State where I was born:
California
• What I wanted to be when I was 8 years old:
An architect
• Interesting previous job(s) I've held:
Crew member of a 53 foot whale watching catamaran in Santa Barbara
• One of my personal goals for :
To buy less stuff.
• A place I want to visit at least once in my lifetime:
Everywhere! Really, the list is hundreds of pages long. High on the list is Japan, specifically Kyoto for the wonderful Japanese art and architecture. And Manchu Pichu. And India. And Mayan ruins in Central America. And…., well, I’ll stop there. But you understand—I have wanderlust.
• My favorite book and why:
World Atlas, because I love cartography and geography.
• My favorite board game:
Trivia Pursuit. It is fascinating to see the wacky knowledge some people store in their brains!
• The coolest thing someone has done for me:
Being born into a sailing family, I was taught how to sail before I could even walk.
> Click to Return to Staff Listing