People Who Collaborate

Change-makers emerge from our collaboratives—a dynamic group of individuals bringing diverse backgrounds and unique talents together.

Whether they call Harney County home or come from beyond its borders these dedicated people share a passionate commitment to strengthenin southeast Oregon's frontier communities, economies, and ecology.

The nine individuals featured in our 2024 profiles represent just a glimpse of the hundreds who work together through HDP's network of collaboratives each contributing to our collective vision for the region. Read their profiles.

Pictured left to right: Andy Swingle, Derek Shoun, Bryce Tiernan, Joe Sullivan, Janelle Wicks, Erin Toelle, Greg Green, Dominic Bachman and Karen Moon.

Building a Working Together Culture

Througout 2024 we've been sharing each month the essential components of HDP collaboration. This entry marks the final installment of this series culminating with how a mature HDP collaborative functions. To view a summary of HDP's collaborative model, check this out.

A mature HDP collaborative thrives on trust. As partners work together over months and years a mature collaborative forms. The collaborative culture becomes self-sustaining as participants consistently demonstrate shared values through their actions and decisions. Trust enables open dialogue, constructive conflict, and innovative problem-solving.

Leadership emerges organically across all levels, with participants stepping forward when their expertise is needed. Information flows freely, resources are shared willingly, and successes are celebrated.

The partners adapt to new challenges by drawing on its accumulated wisdom and strong foundation of mutual respect. Regular reflection and evaluation become routine, allowing the group to refine its approaches while maintaining its core identity.

As new participants join, they are welcomed and brought along with the collaborative culture that has emerged over the years and are encouraged to contribute fresh perspectives while embracing the collaborative's established ways of working together.

Illustration by Carrie Van Horn, Heartwood Visuals.

Thank you Oregon Community Foundation

Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) and their Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant is making a difference in Harney County.

Harney Food Systems hosted their first farm-to-table dinner at The Palace, featuring an elegant multi-course meal made with local ingredients from various Harney County producers, bringing the community together to celebrate local food and sustainable practices.

Harney Food Systems is an initiative working toward building sustainable food practices for Harney County and the Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant supports local food producers by connecting them to five different opportunities to market and sell their products locally. These opportunities include: the Burns Farmers Market, CSA boxes, Farm to School contracts (local food producers secured contracts to sell their products to the school), catering for local events and selling to the Harney Hub (senior center). One producer was excited to sell out the remainder of her pork this year when she secured a Farm to School contract.

As a previous recipient of this funding, we thank OCF for their continued support with their 3rd year of support. Thank you Ann J. and William Swindells Fund of Oregon Community Foundation.

Thank You Oregon Community Foundation AGAIN

In addition to the Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant we want to thank Oregon Community Foundation for also supporting High Desert Partnership and collaboration with a Community Grant of $25,000. This funding from the Eva Chiles Meyer Fund #2 and Robert W. Chandler II Fund, both Oregon Community Foundation funds will provide much needed capacity for HDP to support collaboration in southeast Oregon. Thank you Oregon Community Foundation.

Welcome Anna Gahley

We are incredibly excited to welcome Anna to the HDP team as the Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative Coordinator. A resident of Harney County since age four, Anna parlayed her OSU Business Management degree and entrepreneurial spirit into both government service with the Bureau of Land Management and running her own mobile DJ business.

Her passion for fostering local business growth led her to volunteer with the Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative and serve on the High Desert Partnership board and fortunate for the small business community of Harney County, she is now bringing her talents to HDP full-time. Learn more about Anna.

Anna can be reached at anna@highdesertpartnership.org.

Thank you Business Oregon

Frontier businesses in 5 counties in southeast Oregon have recently been awarded $350,000 from Business Oregon in a Economic Equity Investment Program grant. High Desert Partnership and the Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative are partnering with EUVALCREE, the Burns Paiute Tribe, Northeast Oregon Economic Development District, Oregon Frontier Chamber of Commerce and Launch Pad Baker to provide technical assistance to their respective communities in an effort to help small businesses in these rural counties develop, grow and thrive.

Christmas Jamboree Coming Up!

Saturday, December 14, local shopping and fun including local Harney merch for sale. Make your way to downtown Burns for a festive time.

Thank you Weyerhauser Family Foundation

Through their Sustainable Forests and Communities Initiative the Weyerhauser Family Foundation has once again awarded $25,000 to the Harney County Forest Restoration Collaborative for their work in the southern Malheur Forest.

As 2024 draws to a close, we at HDP find ourselves reflecting deeply on what makes Harney County special: our remarkable culture of collaboration. This spirit of cooperation isn't just a happy accident—it's woven into the very fabric of our frontier community, where rural life has long depended on neighbors helping neighbors.

Our collaborative culture didn't emerge overnight—it grew gradually, through countless individual interactions and meaningful conversations. Today, we continue to nurture and strengthen these connections, building upon the strong foundation laid by those who came before us.

As the support engine for collaboration in our community, we are profoundly grateful for: the dedicated individuals who keep these vital conversations going, our multiple funders who provide crucial financial support and every community member who contributes to our shared success

We invite you to explore our 2024 Year-in-Review magazine, where you'll find: highlights of what we've accomplished together, expressions of gratitude and our collective hopes and aspirations for 2025.

Together, we're proving that when community members join forces, extraordinary things happen—one conversation, one connection, one collaborative effort at a time.

All our best to you this holiday season.
~Brenda Smith, High Desert Partnership Executive Director

HDP 2024 Year-In-Review

Land Water Sky Soul | Harney County

2024-25 Upcoming Events

Wednesday, December 11 | Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative Meeting

Tuesday, December 17 | Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative Meeting

Wednesday, December 18 | High Desert Partnership Board Meeting

Wednesday, January 15 | High Desert Partnership Board Meeting

Wednesday, January 21 | Harney County Wildfire Collaborative Meeting

Tuesday, January 28 | Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative Meeting

Tuesday, January 28 | Youth Changing the Community Collaborative Meeting

Friday, February 14 | Happy Anniversary High Desert Partnership—18 years

Wednesday, February 19 | High Desert Partnership Board Meeting

Tuesday, February 25 | Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative Meeting

Wednesday, February 26 | Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative Meeting

Thursday April 10 - Sunday April 13 | Harney County Migratory Bird Festival

Check out High Desert Partnership's event calendar.

Six Collaboratives Supported By

High Desert Partnership

HDP Website

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