News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Caprielle Foote-Lewis.
Sisters-area resident Caprielle Foote-Lewis has taken the post of Sisters economic development manager.
Economic Development for Central Oregon announced the hiring last week. The program is a partnership of the City of Sisters, Deschutes County, local businesses and EDCO. In her role, Foote-Lewis will manage recruitment efforts to attract new companies, work to help local traded-sector companies grow, and coordinate ongoing industry development efforts in the Sisters area. Foote-Lewis' employment with EDCO began November 4.
She told The Nugget that the timing was right for her to take on the position.
"I was at the point where I was looking for something new in terms of advancing my own career aspirations," she said. "I can use my traded-sector experience to help local businesses in my own community. I'm excited about that."
"Caprielle brings a unique perspective to the position and EDCO team in that she has actually been a local traded-sector business owner," said Eric Strobel, area manager for BBSI, who led the recruitment.
Most recently, Foote-Lewis was VP and co-founder of M-Press Packaging, Inc., a Redmond-based manufacturer of thermoformed paperboard products for the foodservice industry. Prior to that venture she gained experience in medical device and pharmaceutical sales and account management, serving as an account executive for Bergen Brunswig/Durr Medical and sales executive with BioGenex Laboratories. Earlier in her career she worked in supporting roles in the medical and veterinary practice fields.
Foote-Lewis will work as an independent contractor in the three-quarter time position. She will have an office at Sisters City Hall, and she plans to be very accessible.
"I will be where Sisters needs me to be," she said.
Her priorities are to create a clear mission statement for economic development in Sisters, and she said she plans to form an advisory committee immediately.
Foote-Lewis sees business recruitment as being tightly tied to a thriving downtown.
"We have to have a main street. We are a tourist community. I also believe we are a creative community... We absolutely need a beautiful, attractive main street," she said, noting that her own family was drawn to Sisters because "we were inspired by the community."
She told The Nugget that she is confident that Sisters can attract traded-sector companies if the focus of recruitment is well-defined.
"There are incentives in place for companies to take a very serious, comparable look at Sisters," which she believes will help the city recruit "qualified, sustainable business that really does tie in with our heritage and provides family-wage jobs - create wealth in our community."
"We've had three rounds of quality candidates since June and Caprielle is the person we've been looking for to fill this important role. We have a lot to do and I'm eager for her to get started," said Sisters City Manager Andrew Gorayeb.
Foote-Lewis is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a BS, ASCI (pre-med/pre-vet).
She has been a resident of Sisters since 2005.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
Reader Comments(0)