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About The Dalles chronicle. (The Dalles, OR) 1998-2020 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 2020)
TheDallesChronicle.com S P E C I A L Weekend of March 7-8, 2020 A5 S E C T I O N in the company of excellence Outlook Building dreams for Main Street Don Warren Connections key in building downtown vitality Mark Gibson The Dalles Chronicle Don Warren, president of the The Dalles Main Street Program board, has been making connections throughout his working life. It started in 1984, when he started work as a software engineer back in the “floppy disk” age of computers, putting together software implementation management tools, he explained. “It was software that allowed the prediction of the costs of putting a system into the marketplace,” he explained. “It let the company know what the costs would be.” He then began setting up such systems himself, working for ISC Systems Corp. of Spokane to help develop and setup hardware and software for the banking industry. ISC made it, and developed it, and Warren put it together. “It was everything you needed to run a bank branch, all of the banking equipment,” he said. After a time, he returned to school, and actually worked at a bank in the Seattle area. It was familiar territory, but not for him. “I hated it,” he said. “I wondered how I would do as a computer salesman.” Not bad, but he eventually went back to Spokane and worked as a contractor. It was while doing a contract that he met his wife, Terry Lee, and in 1992 became a “functional analyst” working with Boeing, creating digital plane manuals. Such manuals are extremely detailed, he said, and have to account for every part in a jet. “Every part in a plane is in there; the manual keeps track of every bolt.” He then shifted to writing technical manuals for the F-16 fighter jet. “I always told myself I wouldn’t do weapons,” he said, but was offered double pay. The work didn’t sit well, however, Don Warren, president of the The Dalles Main Street Program board, stands outside the program’s office on Second Street downtown The Dalles. and he quickly found work with Nordstrom in the “infrastructure work group,” making sure all the systems worked together; setting up power and cable management at their facilities, teaching the technical staff how to maintain and troubleshoot the equipment. Stores, warehouses and catalogue systems were all in the mix. He became a “corporate technological infrastructure expert” and in 2000 went to work for Microsoft, where he stayed for 10 years. His role shifted and changed: from connecting and linking technology, he began working with people as part of a mergers and acquisitions group. “People fail to be pragmatic and realistic,” he said, as they are deciding whether or not to buy a property or merge with a company. “I helped them pull together a process,” he said. He described it as business architecture, aided by technology. These days, Warren is partially retired, working in web development for United Parcel Service. “I’m back to my roots; I’m a programmer again,” he said. That job leaves him time to use his technical and corporate experience as a volunteer with The Dalles Main Street Program. You could call it community building, aided by technology. But not overwhelmed by it. Sometimes technology becomes intrusive or causes problems, he said, but it has its place. “Technology is a tool. If you hand somebody a hammer, there are always people who will hit themselves in theforehead. It’s a matter of use and fit.” Social media is that way, he said. During the city’s recent bid to be featured on the program “Small Business Revolution,” social media was an important tool in getting the word out about The Dalles. It expanded the reach and power of Creating Healthy Smiles For A Lifetime! Mark Gibson photo the community voice, he explained. But social media can’t do everything. “People need to talk more face to face. There is limited expression in a text or email. There is no voice, no tone, no body language, no facial expression,” he said. “We have to make time to get together and talk to each other.” Social media can be a great tool to market the community, drawing people together face to face. That need for a community to “get together and talk” has become a cornerstone of the vision Warren and other members of the Main Street Program board have been pursuing over the past year, with programs aimed at beautification, revitalization and downtown improvements coupled with business/community events. Warren is confident Main Street can help increase the vitality of downtown and the historic district by continuing to help business source grants for exterior building improvements and generally make the town more beautiful. Then it’s just a matter of drawing more people into that space. “How do we do that? We do big things that are regionally interesting.” He said The Dalles has a thriving art community, and as that becomes visible through public art displays their vitality will grow. “Nothing generates more interest than a thriving art community.” A committee is being created to add downtown murals, and find more places for artists to display their work. “We will get to be known as a town of art, a town of artists. We’ve proved the community can do that, we just need to keep everyone involved and inspired and we will do big things together. “Our town proved it’s capable of getting together and mobilizing. The connections between everyone here is truly heartwarming.” Whether you’re on your mobile phone, notebook, tablet, or PC, now you can access helpful information instantly. Like us, tweet us, and check us out online for tips, news, and events. www.tricountyrecycle.com www.facebook.com/TriCountyRecycle 541-506-2636 TOP LOCAL GREEN PICKS 2020 Maggie Anderson, DDS J. 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