BUSINESS
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021
Heppner banker enshrined at recent symposium
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
Jeff Bailey, of Heppner, is now a
hall of famer, having been recently
inducted to the Oregon Bank-
ers Association Hall of Fame at
December’s Oregon Bank Leader-
ship Symposium. The symposium
was Dec. 6-7.
For Bailey, this is a great honor,
he said. In a phone interview with
EO Media Group on Friday, Dec.
17, Bailey, the president and CEO
of the Bank of Eastern Oregon in
Heppner, said his induction puts
his name on a list of other excel-
lent bankers. Three other bankers
in his bank’s history have achieved
this recognition, he said, and he
reported feeling good about the
association.
That said, he added the honor
is also humbling. Fellow honorees
include people who have devoted
themselves to their communities
and have done well by their cus-
tomers, he said. He stated that he
also strives for the same excellence
achieved by those other bankers.
A press release, dated Thurs-
day, Dec. 16, includes quotes from
people who attest to Bailey’s merit;
he deserves this honor, they state.
According to the press release,
these comments were read aloud
by OBA President and CEO Linda
Navarro at Bailey’s induction.
Comments
about
Bailey
included a quote from Gabrielle
Homer, a member of the bank’s
board of directors, who said, “I
have always appreciated Jeff ’s
open door — both as a customer
of many years and when joining
the board last year. He has always
been responsive and helpful. He is
a friendly, patient voice of reason.
He is incredibly knowledgeable
and he is dedicated and loyal.”
Other comments, from other
peers, credited Bailey’s “strong
moral compass. Another banker
referred to him as a “great leader”
who “truly cares about employees
and customers.” And a third banker
praised Bailey for having “a holis-
tic view of situations and is com-
mitted to making the greater good
succeed.”
Oregon Bankers Association/
Contributed Photo
Jeff Bailey holds his award for being
inducted into the Oregon Bankers
Hall of Fame, Dec. 6, 2021.
Bailey history
Looking back, Bailey said his
history in banking goes back to his
early childhood. Born in Enter-
prise, he had family members who
were bankers. Also, he started his
fi rst bank account when he was
very young. That account, he said,
was a savings account, which was
built on money earned from sell-
ing night crawlers and mowing
lawns. He was a good saver, even
his youth, he said.
“It was instilled in us at an
early age that you have to save for
a rainy day to provide for yourself
and your family,” he said.
He added that he carried that
ethic into his adulthood.
Bailey earned a degree in agri-
culture business from Eastern
Oregon University and began
his career as a grain buyer in
Portland, according to the press
release that announced his hall of
fame induction. Also, it stated that
he was a commercial loan offi cer
in Gilliam County with the Bank
of Eastern Oregon, which was
“the beginning of what has been
25 years of service to the bank.”
At the Bank of Eastern Oregon,
from 2003 to 2009, he served as
chief credit offi cer, then president
and CEO.
His service is not just inside
the bank, though, as Bailey has
worked as a past chair of the OBA
and has “recently started a two-
year term as the chair of the Com-
munity Banks of Oregon, a sis-
ter entity of the OBA that serves
as a unique voice dedicated to
banks headquartered in Oregon,”
according to the press release.
It also states he is active in the
Willow Creek Valley Economic
Development Group, the Hep-
pner Chamber of Commerce and
“many other civic and nonprofi t
groups.”
The Hall of Fame
The OBA promotes the Ore-
gon Bankers Hall of Fame as “the
highest honor bestowed peer-to-
peer within the Oregon banking
industry.” It was founded in 1987
and includes 81 individuals.
“It recognizes the outstanding
contributions inductees have made
to the Oregon banking industry,
to the OBA and to the communi-
ties in which they live and work,”
according to the press release.
$40M approved for forgivable disaster loans for Oregon farmers
Oregon Farm Bureau
vice president thinks a
profi table 2021 is still
‘out of reach’ for farmers
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
EO Media Group
Oregon farmers who’ve
suff ered from drought and
other disasters will gain access
to $40 million in forgivable
loans under a legislative pack-
age approved Dec. 13.
The money will serve as a
“bridge” to keep farmers afl oat
while they wait for USDA
assistance, but the loans will
be forgiven if growers don’t
qualify for federal disaster
relief.
“We’re telling farmers and
ag workers across the state that
we acknowledge how hard it’s
been to survive this year,” said
Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo,
before the House fl oor vote.
Throughout 2021, farmers
have been plagued by winter
storms, drought, heat waves,
insect infestations, wildfi res
and fl ood damage, all during
a global pandemic.
“It’s been the hardest year
for natural disasters in many
Oregon producers’ memories,”
said Mary Anne Cooper, Ore-
gon Farm Bureau’s vice presi-
dent of public policy, during a
legislative hearing on the bill.
The forgivable loans are
intended to allow farmers to
stay in business, but won’t
actually result in a profi table
year, she said. “I just think
that’s out of reach for the 2021
year.”
The Oregon Farm Bureau
estimates about $75 million
was made available to disas-
ter-affl icted growers in the leg-
islative package, which was
passed during a Dec. 13 spe-
cial session.
The idea for forgivable
loans sprang from concerns
that niche Oregon farmers
face “gaps” in USDA disaster
programs, which are primarily
designed for major commod-
ity crops.
For example, damage from
the ice storm and heat wave
this year may not directly kill
hazelnut trees or nursery stock.
However, yields and market-
ability are adversely aff ected.
“Assistance is needed to
help producers with losses
not covered by federal pro-
grams,” said Megan Kemple,
director of policy advocacy for
the Oregon Climate and Agri-
culture Network nonprofi t.
Farmers with adjusted gross
incomes of less than $500,000
will qualify for loans of up to
$125,000 under the bill.
The loan money cannot
increase their total income
beyond 90% of the three-year
average of what they earned
in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Due
to volatility associated with
the coronavirus outbreak,
2020 was excluded from the
calculation.
Rep. Jami Cate, R-Leba-
non, objected to the limits of
$500,000 on adjusted gross
income and $125,000 in loan
amounts, arguing that larger
farms are still family-owned
“mom and pop businesses,”
she said.
When their expenses are in
the millions of dollars, farm-
ers must also have revenues in
the millions, Cate said before
the House fl oor vote. “Having
bigger farms or higher-value
crops just means you’re play-
ing with higher stakes.”
The rules will be diff er-
ent for “historically disad-
vantaged” farmers identifi ed
by the Oregon Department of
Agriculture, which will over-
see the program.
Historically disadvantaged
farmers will qualify for loans
of up to $150,000 if they had
an adjusted gross income less
than $350,000 in 2021. The
loans can’t raise their total
income beyond 95% of their
three-year average revenue.
They also allocated $6
million to several drought-af-
fl icted irrigation districts, $5
million for grasshopper and
cricket suppression and $8
million for Klamath Basin
drought assistance, among
other programs.
The loans will be disbursed
by banks that are under con-
tract with the ODA, which will
rely on their experience lend-
ing to the farm industry.
“This is a new program
unlike anything we’ve done
before,” said Jonathan Sandau,
special assistant to ODA’s
director. “This will not be live
next week, and it will take time
to get right.”
Farmers who ultimately
receive fi nancial help from
USDA must repay enough
of the loans to bring them
below 90-95% of their aver-
age annual income.
“Recipients will not be
made whole or profi table
under this program,” Sandau
said during a hearing.
The overall $400 million
legislative package focused
on housing rental assistance,
drought relief measures and
Afghan refugee resettlement,
among other issues.
The forgivable disaster
loan program was the largest
component of the $100 million
allocated for drought relief.
Lawmakers
dedicated
more than $11.6 million to
Oregon Watershed Enhance-
ment Board grants aimed at
drought resilience and irriga-
tion modernization.
26 th Annual
Christmas Spirit Award
Presentations
Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation
is pleased to announce the following as the
2021 Christmas Spirit Award Recipients:
Tom & Abbie Ditton
Tom and Abbie have a long, and mostly quiet, history of helping
people in need while also being very active within our community.
They serve in a variety of capacities at St. John’s Episcopal
Church. Tom, a local attorney for 39 years before retiring in 2013,
served on the school board for many years and continues to be an
active member of the Kiwanis Club. Abbie is the current president
of our local P.E.O. Chapter CV that provides support,
scholarships, loans, and grants to women pursuing educational
goals.
They have mentored and supported local high school and college
students with encouragement, support, and personal financial
assistance. They are quick to contribute their time and energy
without recognition or praise. Tom is known to occasionally pick up hitchhikers and help them
when they are in distress. Frequently, he takes people to medical appointments in Hermiston
and Tri-Cities. After retirement from his law practice, he volunteered to play his long-forgotten
trumpet in a horse mounted band for the Round-up parade. Abbie too has been no less
influential in supporting local causes.
Tom and Abbie raised two generous children that have contributed to their communities in their
own ways as well. The Ditton home is always ready to welcome family and friends. The extent
of their generosity is known and appreciated by those who have received their gracious support
within the community.
It is for these reasons that Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation, which strives to
make our community a better place to live, has selected Tom & Abbie Ditton as 2021 Christmas
Spirit Award recipients.
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Scott & Melissa Purswell
Scott and Melissa are long-time believers in helping other people.
They often turn individual contacts with others into personal
friendships and relationships.
Scott and Melissa’s efforts include providing meals to those in need
and those that are celebrating milestones, giving recognition for hard
work, and developing special bonds in diverse settings. They spend
endless hours serving others in distress with a can-do attitude and
mentality. Their advocacy on behalf of others has changed lives. Their
warmth and friendliness are a blessing to all. These characteristics
have been shared with their two boys that live life full of heart.
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Scott has spent much time and effort with our local LaCrosse league and Melissa has led the way in
creating and implementing kindness campaigns that will impact our community for good for many
years to come. They infuse our community with professionalism and can-do attitudes. Our area ball
fields, gyms, special projects, and service organization events are replete with the name of Purswell
Pump listed as “sponsors” or “supporters.” The family, including their business, is dedicated to the
success of Hermiston and its residents.
Hermiston is Scott and Melissa’s village. They feel strongly about youth, families, and are
instrumental in building strong relationships to foster individual care for all. They are highly sought
after for their expertise in a variety of capacities and their willingness to support is infectious. They
are true role models and examples to those around them.
It is for these reasons that Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation, which strives to make our
community a better place to live, has selected Scott & Melissa Purswell as 2021 Christmas Spirit
Award recipients.
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The Foundation mission is to enhance the quality of life and general health of residents living in
West Umatilla and Morrow County communities by raising funds and giving to community projects.
Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation reviews funding requests and makes awards for
worthwhile projects twice a year. The next deadline for submitting grant applications to the Foundation is
January 31, 2022. Groups or individuals interested in making a donation or being considered for funding
are encouraged to call the Foundation office at 541-667-3419.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season!
