The board
About SOWIB
The Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board is the Local Workforce Development Board for Coos, Curry and Douglas Counties. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, a partner in the American Job Center network, and it funds the training its region needs rather than delivering that training itself.
What it runs
One board, several portfolios
SOWIB carries more than workforce funding. The South Coast Regional Early Learning Hub sits inside the same organization, which is why its staff directory runs to 28 positions across five programs.
- WIOA Title I adult, dislocated worker and youth programs
- Recruit HIPPO Youth Services
- Registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship initiatives
- Sector partnerships
- Business engagement services
- South Coast Regional Early Learning Hub
- Regional economic development projects
- Competitive grant-funded initiatives
Governance
Who governs it
The board
16 of 20
Seats are filled; 4 are vacant. Federal law sets the composition, so a majority of seats belong to employers. The roster and every meeting since 2015 are on Board & Records.
The elected officials
3 counties
A Chief Local Elected Officials consortium, one commissioner per county, is the board’s public counterpart: John Sweet (Coos); Jay Trost (Curry); Chris Boice (Douglas), chair.
Staff leadership
The directors
9 of the 28 positions in the directory carry a director title. The rest, including the youth advisors assigned county by county, are in the full directory.
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Sara Stephens
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Yolanda Brumfield
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Natasha Garrison
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Laura Pumphrey
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TJ Cooper
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Tina Carpenter
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Rena Langston
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Jessica Porter
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Vera Maas
Funding
Where the money comes from
SOWIB is funded through the U.S. Department of Labor and the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Office of Workforce Investments. It is an equal opportunity employer and program. Accessible formats and communication supports are available on request; see Accessibility.
519 S. 7th St., Coos Bay, OR 97420