| OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program |
|
|
 |
| Web Brief (Mar 06) |
|
ODOT Spurs Economic Development for Tribal Businesses
A Conversation with Jessie Hunt at glyphFusion
Jessie Hunt, the owner of glyphFusion printing and design, has a long-standing desire to help American Indian communities capitalize on new opportunities.
As a member of the Haida and Tlingit tribes, Hunt has found a strong ally in her work to empower American Indian communities: the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). The agency has been working with Jessie’s company to create advertisements for a variety of publications, including those for tribal audiences. The ads highlight opportunities for minorities and women to begin a career in construction through work on the state’s 10-year, $3 billion Oregon Transportation Investment Act (OTIA) program.
According to Hunt, by reaching out to and partnering with American Indian businesses, ODOT is empowering tribal communities to generate new sources of income, launch small businesses, and develop new skills that can be marketed for years to come.
“ODOT has made the effort to get involved in native communities, work with American Indian-owned businesses, and create opportunities for tribal members,” said Hunt. “They are becoming more than just good partners, they are becoming tribal brothers.”
One of ODOT’s major goals for the OTIA program is to create and sustain jobs in the broadest cross-section of the state’s workforce. Through its OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program, ODOT is working to maximize the participation of minority groups, women, and emerging small businesses.
The result will be a more diverse, skilled, and experienced workforce that will be an asset for Oregon long after the bridge program is completed.
“Creating economic opportunities for minority communities is an essential part of the OTIA program,” said Heather Catron, bridge program manager. “We are developing a stronger workforce.”
Hunt is proud of her work for ODOT. She believes these projects have begun a circle of collaboration that will continue to create strong relationships in the American Indian community. Hunt hopes that other American Indian-owned businesses and women-owned businesses will seize the opportunity that ODOT has presented to them. She is optimistic that they will.
“Building trust and relationships is the best form of advertising,” Hunt said. “This is an opportunity we don’t want to miss.”
OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program
The OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program is part of ODOT’s 10-year, $3 billion OTIA program. During the next decade, OTIA funds will repair or replace hundreds of bridges, pave and maintain city and county roads, improve and expand interchanges, add new capacity to Oregon's highway system, and remove freight bottlenecks statewide. About 18 family-wage jobs are sustained for every $1 million spent on transportation construction in Oregon. Each year during the OTIA program, construction projects will sustain about 5,000 family-wage jobs.
# # ODOT # #
|
|
|
|
