Donald Chance, PhD. hired by Baker City, Oregon

Vice Mayor, Baker City, Oregon

He has been a professional planner for over three decades, having served in both the public and private sectors in various planning capacities in five states – Oregon, Washington, Montana and the Appalachian regions of both Virginia and North Carolina. Dr. Chance holds degrees in Forestry and Wildlife Management, Urban and Regional Planning, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Planning and Design. Much of his professional experience has been focused as a planner in small cities and natural resource based communities. He also has a strong background in both the housing and wood products industries.

Chance stated, "We're delighted to have this opportunity to call Baker City our home and to do what we can to serve the interests of the greater community. For my wife and I, given our interests and history, it is just a perfect fit."

When asked what his initial impressions of Baker City were as a planner he stated,

"This may sound like a cliché, but there aren't a lot places left like Baker City – its friendliness and strong sense of community. Due to the ineffectiveness of most planning programs around the nation, jurisdictions seem to be either overrun by super-heated growth that is poorly managed, or they slowly wither on the vine due to economic stagnation. A wonderful town like Baker City needs to be spared both of these fates. It's clear that Baker City has a strong history of being able to pull together as a community to accomplish shared visions, for instance, the Sports Complex. There is a great deal of enlightened community leadership and citizen energy here. The challenge for me as a planner is to aid the community in defining for itself a shared vision of where it wants to go in a land-planning context. Once that target is clearly identified and a general consensus reached, I'm convinced that the community working together is capable of achieving whatever it sets its mind to - a Goldilocks planning outcome – not too hot and not too cold, but just right however people may define it"

Dr. Chance is scheduled to join the city staff February 1st as he concludes his current obligations at Virginia Tech.

Contact Information: Steve Brocato, City Manager, Baker City
541-524-2040 or [email protected]