Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek kicked off her plan Thursday to jump-start Oregon’s economy alongside some of the state’s top business and industry leaders as the state continues to battle unemployment and slow economic growth.
The 16 members of Kotek’s “Prosperity Council” represent different Oregon regions and sectors such as labor, technology and construction, with businesses from a wireless health tech startup based in Eugene to the well-established Port of Portland. Kotek and newly-appointed Chief Prosperity Officer Tim Knopp, a former Republican state senator, joined them at the World Trade Center Portland, home to the state’s economic development agency, Business Oregon.
Kotek officially announced the council in early December ahead of the annual Oregon Business Plan convention and in the face of Oregon’s economic growth lagging behind the national average for the past four years. The council she convened could offer her administrative or legislative policy change recommendations by June 30…