St. Helens, Oregon—February 14, 2022 —The new, and first, Columbia County Business Resource & Small Business Development Center (BR/SBDC) has its first Director and business advisor, it was announced today. The Columbia Economic Team (CET), which spearheaded establishment of the Center, has named Scappoose resident Jason Moos to lead the Center’s development. Moos emerged as the top candidate from a field of thirty-six applicants from across four states, screened and interviewed by a panel of six evaluators that included local business owners, Columbia Economic Team, and the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network (Oregon SBDC). 

“One of the founding pillars of this Center was ‘localness’ — locally driven, locally supported and, if possible, locally staffed and managed,” said Paul Vogel, Columbia County Economic Team Executive Director. “A local person was not presumed, particularly with the quality of applicants for the position. We’re fortunate that Jason was interested, has the skills and experience required, and has absolutely the right commitment and approach to building relationships and a strong business community among his greatest qualities,” Vogel added.

The new Columbia County Business Resource & Small Business Development Center in Columbia County is the first new center formed in Oregon since 2013. It marks the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network’s 20th Center offering core business advising services in the state of

Oregon and the first of its kind, as a local center unaffiliated with a community college. The BR/SBDC will share offices with Columbia Economic Team, thereby providing collaborative services for businesses of all sizes and types.

Combining the Columbia County SBDC in a newly formed Business Resource Center (BRC), will colocate small business advising and coaching with economic development, business retention, recruitment and expansion, and tourism. The Center and staff will have access to all programs, protocols, systems, training, and software within the Oregon SBDC to augment its already considerable capacity. In addition, the new Columbia County SBDC director will collaborate with BRC partners to conduct outreach and client recruitment that will serve every community throughout Columbia County. The advising services provided will be consistent with the other Oregon SBDC offerings, which include—as mandated by the federal SBA—no-cost advising and coaching to any business.

The Columbia County SBDC will be operated under the direction of Columbia Economic Team (CET) Executive Director Paul Vogel and coordinate with Sierra Trass, Director of Keep it Local – a CET program, and will also benefit from a Small Business Advisory Board in addition to OSBDC Network inclusion. 

The Center is expected to be permanently housed in the County’s John Gumm Building, centrally located in St. Helens and currently under remodel. For the near term, Jason will principally work remotely, as does the rest of the Economic Team, with an emphasis on getting out into every community and meeting with business owners where they work and live. 

“I’m very pleased to have been offered this opportunity. In many respects I feel I’ve been preparing for this throughout my career,” said Moos. 

Moos, a military veteran, has accrued extensive experience in business banking, product and team development, marketing, and business and community development, most recently for InRoads Credit Union. “For the most part, I’ve been fortunate that my career opportunities found me,” Moos added. “I made a conscious decision to move my family to Scappoose several years ago, and the opportunities to help grow small businesses of many types like wardrobe shops, tree services etc, and community have been many, and very fulfilling. I couldn’t be more pleased to be asked to lead with such a direct role in our county’s small business future.”

The Columbia Economic Team and Oregon SBDC reinforce their appreciation for the many state and local partners and investors that ensured the funding for the Center’s four year startup phase. These partners include Columbia County Board of Commissioners, Columbia Pacific Economic Development District (Col-Pac), the City of St. Helens, the City of Scappoose, the City of Clatskanie, the City of Vernonia, the City of Columbia City, former Oregon Sen. Betsy Johnson, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, the Columbia Economic Team, and Tammy MarquezOldham, PCC SBDC Director. The City of Rainier REDCO board also recently recommended budgeting a funding share for its next fiscal year.

ABOUT THE OREGON SBDC

The Oregon Small Business Development Center Network is a preeminent provider of effective and innovative business services to include advising, training, online courses, and resources for businesses in the state of Oregon. With 20 Centers conveniently located throughout the state, the Network’s core mission is helping to build Oregon’s best businesses by assisting small businesses in every aspect of business development and management.

ABOUT THE COLUMBIA ECONOMIC TEAM

Columbia Economic Team (CET) was founded in 2010 as CCET (Columbia County Economic Team).

CET is a private and public membership organization created to serve the entirety of Columbia County, Oregon. The Team’s mission is to promote the creation, retention, growth and attraction of business and industry throughout the county.