PNWER names Sen. Arnie Roblan as its president for upcoming year, July 27

Sen. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay) took the gavel as president of the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER), a preeminent bi-national advocate for regional, state and territorial economic issues across the region. A life-long public servant, Roblan was elected to lead the organization based on his public service background and collaborative successes in the Oregon Legislature. He was inducted as president on Tuesday at the 27th-Annual PNWER Annual Summit. “PNWER has proven itself to be an ideal vehicle for identifying shared regional problems and crafting solutions that serve the people we represent,” Roblan said. “Cooperation and collaboration among our members has proven to be key to both exploring new ideas and crafting meaningful solutions.” A former math teacher and high school principal from Coos Bay, Ore., Roblan’s commitment to his community long precedes his election to public office. He is a founding member of the Friends of New and Sustainable Industry in his community and has served on the board of directors for several local organizations. He has served in the Oregon Legislature for more than a decade, having served as House of Representatives Co-Speaker during a historic session in which there was an equal number of Democrats and Republicans in that chamber. In 2011, the Oregon Business Association named him Statesman of the Year. In 2012, he was honored by Governing Magazine as Public Official of the Year. PNWER is a public-private partnership chartered by the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington; the western Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan; and Yukon and the Northwest Territories. The organization is dedicated to encouraging global economic competitiveness and preserving the region’s world-class natural environment. PNWER is recognized by the federal governments of both the United States and Canada as the “model” for regional and bi-national cooperation, due to its proven success. More than 800 state and provincial legislators and business leaders from the Pacific Northwest and western Canada currently are engaged in the annual summit, which runs through July 27 in Portland, discussing sustainable economic development in the Northwest, climate change, invasive species, forestry, energy, water policy and more. “The transcendent cooperation and collaboration facilitated by PNWER has resulted in the provision and sharing of key infrastructure, education, entrepreneurial expertise and state and federal funding that has made possible the successes we in Oregon are experiencing,” Roblan said. “As PNWER’s president, I will look to sustain this successful collaborative model – the spirit of the people in our region – but also to explore unique opportunities for cooperation and collaboration.”