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About The Dalles chronicle. (The Dalles, OR) 1998-2020 | View Entire Issue (March 14, 2020)
A2 Weekend of March 14-15, 2020 S P E C I A L TheDallesChronicle.com S E C T I O N in the company of excellence Quality Gorge Academy of Cosmetology Professional training for the beauty industry opens doors of opportunity JIM DRAKE For The Dalles Chronicle Students work with instructors on providing salon services to customers at Gorge Academy of Cosmetology Jim Drake photo Since opening, Weed said she constantly received calls from people seeking out massage therapy training opportunities. In 2019 Weed wrote up a curriculum and With hard work and enthusiasm, Gorge Academy applied to the Oregon Board of Massage Therapy. of Cosmetology owner Kerri Weed is going three “We got approved and we have been developing a years strong on providing opportunities for students program; it’s really exciting,” Weed said. interested in learning about careers in beauty. The first enrollment opportunity started in February “We are here to increase the professionalism in the of this year. beauty industry. Hairdressers, nail technicians and With family roots in The Dalles, Weed’s 16 years of estheticians are all listed in the top 20 best careers to experience working for the Paul Mitchell Systems hair have without a college degree,” Weed said. care company as a marketing specialist put her in direct The academy provides professional instruction and a contact with salons and schools throughout the coun- real-life teaching salon environment for hair design, es- try. Now, she has brought her expertise to help students thetics, nail technology and barbering in downtown The experience the education and training that is needed to Dalles. With more than 20 students currently enrolled, be successful in the beauty field. completion of a particular program can give students “This is where my passion is; I love this industry,” the state-required hours of work and training needed for Weed said. taking state licensing exams. Besides being involved in developing all the programs “There’s so much freedom and flexibility and reward at the academy, Weed said that she was hands-on with in this industry. You can go anywhere in the world with some of the construction that went into renovating the a license in your pocket. You can open your own historic downtown building. business, you can travel, you can even work on the “The building is on the historic registry. When we Hollywood runways. The sky’s the limit,” Weed said. bought it we needed 100 percent new electrical, Now, after three years, Weed says the academy is plumbing, and then we realized the downstairs space expanding into massage therapy training. wasn’t up to code. I worked with Adams Construction and brainstormed how to make the downstairs space usable,” Weed said. Now, the academy’s esthetics room is downstairs, along with individual booths for the massage therapy program. Repurposed handrails lead the way to a student lounge, a conference room and storage lockers. “We took the old electrical conduit out and I cleaned it up and rehabbed it,” Weed said. Even some of the old tongue and groove wood used for trim and shelving upstairs came from the family farm; an example of Weed’s commitment to reusing and recycling as much as possible. Weed said it took many long hours to write the business plan and a lot of persistence to get bank funding to start the academy. “Bankers asked me why I wanted to start a beauty school in a rural area. It didn’t come to fruition until a local banker actually went home and talked to his wife, and he learned about how important the connection was that people develop with their hairdresser, and the impact on the economy it had,” Weed said. The academy now provides jobs for seven instructors, and frequently brings in guest artists to teach more specialized topics. Custom Fabricated Solid Surface Countertops Mark Gunter, Owner 541-298-ROCK Cell 541-980-0125 Schooter Collins, Karen Carlin, Tracer Collins, Schøøner Collins, and Wade Collins If you are in need of a weekend portable toilet for a small family gathering or are planning a large event ... Call us! 3630 CRATES WAY, THE DALLES • MARK@GORGEGRANITE.COM Office: 541-298-2727 • Cell: 541-993-8668 c.r.pottys@gmail.com • www.craffordableportables.com FARM & RANCH Farming and ranching have always been a cornerstone of life in the Gorge. This publication celebrates those who form the rural backbone of our economy, exploring their lifestyles and the challenges they face as they work the fields and orchards of Wasco, Sherman and Hood River counties. Tonya Brumley, Armando Quintero, Jared Barnes, Travis Davis, James Gibson, Scott Ellickson, Alan King, Aaron Westfall, Will Hart. Proudly serving our customers for 160 years nwnatural . com Service Line 1-800-422-4012 24 Hour Emergency Line 1-800-882-3377 RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY! CONTACT TAMARA, TOM, SUZETTE, NIKI, JODY & CHELSEA! THE DALLES CHRONICLE 541-296-2141 gorgesalesteam@eaglenewspapers.com 315 Federal Street, The Dalles
