New Economic Development Manager Appointed for Washington County

Matt Craigie named new economic development manager for Washington County

County Administrator Tanya Ange announced that Matt Craigie has been selected as economic development manager for Washington County. Craigie served previously in a variety of key positions across the region, including assistant regional planner for Metro, economic development manager for the City of Woodburn and most recently as a senior project manager for ECONorthwest.

As Craigie assumes his new role on March 8, he will work to create and implement economic development plans, programs and services which promote economic prosperity. While supporting a strong, equitable and inclusive economy countywide, programming will focus on unincorporated Washington County and its smaller cities, recognizing that larger cities have their own economic development staff. Building wealth in historically disadvantaged communities is also a priority.

“Matt has a proven track record in creating and implementing the type of equity-centered economic development and recovery strategies that the Board of Commissioners has identified as one of their top priorities,” said County Administrator Tanya Ange. “With his project management skills and ability to build collaborative partnerships among a wide variety of stakeholders, we’re very fortunate to have Matt join the leadership team.”

Craigie holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Earlham College and a Master of Arts in geography with specialization in urban planning from Binghamton University. He received a Graduate Certificate in real estate development from Portland State University. He also spent two years with the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic as a water and sanitation development volunteer. Craigie had this to say about his appointment, “I am excited to take on this new role with Washington County. I look forward to building relationships and working collaboratively with communities across the county to advance an equitable approach to economic development.”

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