Couple enjoyed stint as grand marshals

Jack and Jan McGowan's strategy as Grand Marshals of Portland's Rose Festival Parade took its toll.

They chose to engage with the cheering 500,000 spectators and their arms are still sore, after all the handshaking and waving. Plus, they were smiling for the entire two hours it took to traverse the 4.3-mile parade route on June 6.

The McGowans and Travis, their 21-year-old son, road in a 1971 Pontiac Catalina Convertible. The car was a block long, Jack said.

The Sisters couple were named as Grand Marshals because of their long service as co-directors of SOLV (Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism). SOLV was started by Oregon Governor Tom McCall in 1969 to stimulate volunteers from all walks of life to clean up local communities.

By 1990, the organization had fallen on hard times, and the McGowans took over. Jack recalled that they had no office, no staff and $12,000 in the bank. He was offered a salary of $10,000 per year and took it because he loved Tom McCall.

When he retired last year, SOLV had a staff of 26 and a budget of $2.2 million. It is world-renowned for its outreach and cleanup programs.

McGowan said he traveled to all parts of Oregon, covering over 400,000 miles during his tenure. He said the program coordinates 80,000 volunteer work days per year in 250 communities.

The couple purchased 17 acres on Indian Ford Road. They continue their commitment to the environment by removing debris from a three-mile stretch of the road. It's a great way to stay in shape, Jan said.

The couple were married at Lake Creek Lodge at Camp Sherman in 1986 and had their prenuptial dinner at Hotel Sisters (now Bronco Billy's Ranch Grill and Saloon).

Jan plans to continue as a non-profit consultant and focus on the Central Oregon area. She is presently a volunteer for the Sisters Parks & Recreation District and the Warm Springs Museum.

Jack is a board member for Oregon 150, the group planning for the Oregon Sesquicentennial. He just did the narration for an Oregon Public Broadcasting special on invasive species management and has taught university classes.

He plans to do motivational speaking and more television narration.

McGowan, 60, says he has no political aspirations, although he has been approached about his interest.