Releases

Press Releases, Media Advisories, and Member Releases

The Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments’ works with the media and press to ensure that information about its programs and activities are made available to the public. Past Press Releases, Member Releases, and Media Advisories, as well as OCWCOG’s appearances in the Press are compiled below.

2024 Media Releases

CSC & OCWCOG Align to Strengthen Community Impact

Local Non-Profits Align to Strengthen Community Impact

On November 1^st, 2024, a new leadership alignment will officially begin at Community Services Consortium (CSC) and Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments (OCWCOG), two community service and stability organizations serving the local region for a combined 100+ years.

In September, the governing boards of both organizations approved moving forward with a new leadership structure to strengthen and enhance their collective administrative capacity and impact on the communities served by both agencies. While CSC serves a total of six counties—Linn, Benton, Lincoln, Polk, Marion, and Yamhill—both CSC and the OCWCOG share a legal service jurisdiction of Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties, which is where most of these impacts will be felt.

For many years, CSC and OCWCOG have worked closely together in collaboration and some overlap in the elected officials serving on both organizations’ fiduciary governing boards. The new alignment will create a unified administrative structure that supports both agencies more efficiently, while enabling each organization to remain fully independent with their own boards, staff, and operational missions.

While the agencies have notable similarities, there are also key differences between them. Making this alignment less of mirroring and more about fitting together like puzzle pieces, filling in the gaps of the other and bolstering the areas that do overlap.

Ryan Vogt, the current Executive Director for OCWCOG, will now lead both agencies (OCWCOG and CSC) while maintaining the integrity and independence of each, per the unanimous recommendation of the respective boards. “This is an exciting opportunity to bring together leading service agencies in the community to better integrate, leverage resources, and connect community members with accessible services they need to thrive,” shared Vogt.

Kayla Hatley, a valued member of the CSC team as the current Deputy Director, will step into the role of Agency Director for CSC, following the retirement of longtime Executive Director, Pegge McGuire at the end of this year. Recruitment for the OCWCOG Agency Director is soon to begin with the goal of fulfilling by early next year. Both CSC and OCWCOG Agency Directors will report to Ryan Vogt as the new joint Executive Director.

“Our organization continues to prioritize serving clients, investing $11.6 million into the communities we serve this past year,” said Kayla Hatley. “We have an amazingly dedicated staff, generous donors, and committed elected officials and volunteers governing our boards. Whether families need short-term help today or long-term support for tomorrow, CSC is here to help. This partnership will streamline administrative bandwidth and allow us to focus on what matters most, serving our communities.”

Claire Hall, a Lincoln County Commissioner and current Chair of both entities’ governing boards, said, “To see well-respected organizations partnering uniquely to better serve our community is exhilarating. There is a strong intersection between CSC’s broad suite of programs with an anti-poverty perspective, and with OCWCOG leading efforts to strengthen economic development, enhance transportation services, and keep older adults and people with disabilities independent, safe, and healthy. I am eager to see how these agencies continue to innovate and bring a greater continuum of services to our communities.”

The future will tell what other opportunities and outcomes will blossom from this seed, but it is an exciting change for CSC, OCWCOG, and the counties they serve. Between both organizations, programs serve individuals and families from infancy through senior age with a broad range of needs, creating the potential for a true lifetime of impact from these changes.

To learn more about services offered throughout the region, visit Community Services Consortium communityservices.us and Oregon Cascades West Council of Government ocwcog.org.