April 25, 2001
P o rtla n d
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Business
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Page A3
(Tfye Jlorthntò (0beerurr
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Long Time Planner to Lead Portland Agency
First Up for New PDC executive is meeting with staff
and community leaders to hear their visions for the city
The Portland Development Com-
m ission, the c ity ’s m ost pow erful
agency for economic developm ent,
housing and revitalization efforts,
has nam ed D onald F. M azziotti as
its new executive director.
M azziotti has 30 years o f e x p e­
rience in local, state and federal
governm ents, non-profit co rp o ra­
tions and private sector o rg an iza­
tions. H e will bring skills in p lan ­
ning, econom ic and com m unity
developm ent, public ad m in istra­
tion, real estate and finance to his
new post.
H e plans to spend the next couple
o f w eeks m eeting w ith his PD C
staff, com m unity leaders and o th ­
ers to hear their visions for the city.
“ Don ’ s ski 11s are a perfect m atch
to those needed to bring PD C to its
next level o f effectiveness,” said
PDC Chairman Marty Brantley. “He
has well-rounded experience in both
the public and private sector and
w e are confident he can m ove the
agency forw ard on P D C ’s current
and future program s and projects
to reach the c ity ’s goals.”
M azziotti w as the form er
c h ie f tech n o lo g y o ffic e r for
O regon State governm ent and
telecom m unications advisor to
G ov. John K itzhaber. H e served
Donald F. Mazziotti
PGE Loans Employee to
Environmental Group
Portland G eneral Electric has
lo a n e d its e m p lo y e e E m m e tt
W heatfall to serve as a business
consultant for the Environm ental
Federation o f Oregon.
The federation is a coalition o f
32 conservation groups dedicated
to supporting O reg o n ’s natural en­
v ir o n m e n t
by
c o n d u c tin g
fundraising cam paigns in the w ork­
place.
“On b e h a lf o f PG E, I w ent to the
EFO to figure out where they needed
h e lp ,” sa y s W h e a tfa ll. “ T h e y
w anted professional support con­
tacting businesses about em ployee
giving opportunities to conserva­
tion causes.”
O fficials from both organiza­
tions say th ey ’re com m itted to en ­
couraging others to recognize the
im portance o f assisting environ­
m ental non-profits.
“W e were thrilled when PGE
offered their assistance to us,” said
Sandi Scheinberg, cam paign di­
rector for the EFO. “ W e’re a small
Emmett 1
office w ith a small staff. H aving
Em m ett on board helps us ex ­
pan d o u r c a p a c ity to b u ild
bridges w ith the business com ­
m unity.”
W heatfall has been em ployed
by PGE for 11 years and d e ­
scribes his new role as “aw e­
som e” . He will use the profes­
sional skills he developed at PGE
and expand them through his
work at the EFO. A ccording to
W heatfall, there are no dow n­
sides to this partnership.
Scheinberg also believes that
the relationship will be m utually
beneficial.
She says E FO w ill gain e x ­
pertise and W h eatfall w ill re ­
turn to his p o sitio n at PG E
w ith added inspiration, k n o w l­
edge and skill.
Minority Groups First to
Feel Brunt of Unemployment
U n e m p lo y m e n t a m o n g A f r i­
c a n A m e ric a n s, w h ic h fell to an
a ll-tim e lo w last y e a r, is su rg in g
o n c e a g a in in th is e c o n o m ic
d o w n tu rn .
In M a r c h , u n e m p lo y m e n t
a m o n g A fric a n A m e ric a n s sh o t
u p to 8.6 p e rc e n t - d o u b le th e
n a tio n w id e ra te o f th a t m o n th -
a n d u p fro m 7.5 p e rc e n t in F e b ­
ru a ry . T h e u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te
fo r w h ite s re m a in e d s te a d y at
3 .7 p e rc e n t in th e sa m e tw o -
m o n th sp an . T h e n a tio n w id e u n ­
e m p lo y m e n t ra te h a d b e e n in
th e ra n g e o f 3 .9 p e rc e n t to 4.1
p e rc e n t fro m th e fall o f 1999
u n til th e e n d o f 2 0 0 0 , an d c re p t
u p to 4 .3 p e rc e n t in M a rc h .
O n e fa c to r c o n trib u tin g to th e
rise in A fric a n -A m e ric a n u n ­
e m p lo y m e n t c o u ld b e th a t A f r i­
c a n A m e ric a n s re p re s e n t m o re
re c e n t h ire s, a c c o rd in g to Ja re d
B e rn ste in , an e c o n o m is t w ith
th e E c o n o m ic P o lic y In stitu te , a
nonp ro fit, n o n p artisan th in k -tan k
in W a sh in g to n , D .C .
D u rin g th e re c e n t e c o n o m ic
g ro w th p e rio d , A fric a n A m e ri­
c a n s e n te re d th e w o rk fo rc e in
reco rd n u m b e rs - u n e m p lo y m e n t
fo r th is g ro u p w a s th e lo w e st
e v e r at 7.2 p e rc e n t in S e p te m ­
b e r.
A fric a n A m e ric a n s a n d o th e r
m in o rity g ro u p s a re th e first to
feel th e bru n t w h en th e e c o n o m y
u n ra v e ls.
H o w e v e r, B e r n s te in a d d e d
th a t “ th e sk y is n 't fa llin g y e t”
a n d A fric a n -A m e ric a n e m p lo y ­
m e n t, p a r tic u la rly in th e se rv ic e
in d u s trie s , re m a in s sta b le .
C o m p a n ie s th a t d o w n s iz e
th o se m o st re c e n tly h ire d w ith ­
o u t ta k in g d iv e rsity in to c o n s id ­
e ra tio n do th e ir b u sin e sse s a
g re a t d isse rv ic e , sa id W illia m
S p rig g s, d ire c to r o f th e N a tio n a l
U rb a n L e a g u e 's W a sh in g to n ,
D .C .-b a se d In stitu te fo r O p p o r -
tu n ity a n d E q u a lity .
T h e s e b u s in e s s e s c o u ld
b e ig n o rin g th e v a lu a b le le s ­
so n th a t w a s le a r n e d fro m
th e r e c e n t e c o n o m ic e x p a n ­
s io n - th a t A f r ic a n - A m e r i­
c a n a n d L a tin o w o r k e r s im ­
p r o v e p r o d u c tiv ity a n d a d d
to p r o f ita b ility .
(Bcßv/ie gjou DIG, get the DIRT.
as chief planner for the C ity o f
Portland's Bureau ofPlanningfrom
1973 to 1978 and m oved from
Portland to W ashington, D .C in
1978 to serve in the federal D epart­
m ent o f T ransportation.
Prior to returning to O regon in
1997, M azziotti w as chairm an and
president o f D elta D evelopm ent
G roup, a developm ent consulting
firm specializing in real estate d e­
velopm ent, com m unity planning,
project m anagem ent/im plem enta-
tion and econom ic developm ent in
C am pH ill,P enn.
A graduate o f D rake U niversity,
he holds a m aster’s degree in urban
planning and a law degree, both
from the U niversity o f Iow a.
“D on has dem onstrated ex cel­
lent leadership capabilities and is
highly know ledgeable in all o f the
areas in w hich PD C specializes,"
said M ayor V era K atz. “H e know s
the tools are available, both at the
federal and state level. He know s
how to com m unicate a vision and
build consensus and, m ost im por­
tantly as someone who helped shape
our city in som e o f its m ost form a­
tive years, he know s and loves
Portland.”
Mazziotti will assum e his role on
M ay 7 replacing former PDC H ous­
ing D irector Felicia T .ad er w ho
retired in January.
B aruti A rtharee, PD C H ousing
D irector, has served as Interim
E xecutive D irector since T rad er’s
retirement.
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