Clay Downing named Superintendent
SUPERINTENDENT NAMED
The Board of Directors has tapped Newberg resident and City of Newberg Planning Manager Clay Downing as the new superintendent of CPRD.
At its meeting on Jan. 23rd, the Board of Directors voted to offer Clay Downing the superintendent position and to offer the written terms which had just been discussed in executive session. The motion was made by Lisa Rogers, seconded by Jason Fields, and aye votes were cast by Matt Smith and Jim McMaster; Gayle Bizeau abstained. Clay accepted and signed on with an effective starting date of Feb. 15th, thus stepping into highest-level staff position in the agency.
Clay has already been involved in shaping the community. Clay served as Interim Community Development Director for City of Newberg over last winter. He received the City's Rookie of the Year Award in 2023. He has also been serving as the City's board member for the Yamhill County Affordable Housing Corporation.
Clay is also involved civically; he serves on the board of Newberg City Club, serving in the role of Communication Chairman.
He holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) from California Luthern University in Thousand Oaks, California. Before that, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Indiana University.
Clay said, "I was drawn to this position because it lets me combine multiple pieces of my professional background, and to do it right here in the town I already live in. Working with Chehalem Park and Recreation District, I get to leverage my prior experiences from elsewhere to make sure that residents and visitors have great experiences through parks and programs. Since 2015, I have been working in local government and land use planning - most recently at the City of Newberg's Community Development Department. However, for more than ten years prior to that, I unique and fulfilling experiences working in outdoor recreation and education including managing visitation and volunteer programs at a private nature preserve, directing adventure programs for a concessionaire at a national park, teaching outdoor recreation classes for Indiana University, and working as an environmental education specialist for the Peace Corp in Nicaragua.
"As a resident, I already have a handful of parks and programs that are special to me. To the extent that I can, I want to steward and enhance these special places and activities, but keep in mind that we need to make sure everyone inside the District gets to discover their own special places that resonate with them. For me and those aspirations, that means I am excited to see CPRD bring Sander Estate Park in Dundee to fruition, that I want this year's Camellia Festival to be a community highlight following the completion of the Cultural Center's fantastic renovations, and it means ensuring projects like the Newberg-Dundee Bypass Trail become a regional amenity that we all get to fall in love with."
CPRD Board of Directors President Matt Smith said, "I am thrilled to bring Clay Downing on board as the new Superintendent to lead our district. Clay has had outstanding reviews from everyone he has worked with or for. He’s an excellent communicator who builds teamwork and transparency everywhere he goes. We are excited to see him modernize our district and use his incredible skillset to address the challenges we face as we move forward. It is a new day at the Chehalem Park and Recreation District, and our future is bright with Clay at the helm."
