About Us
Scroll down or click the links below to find out more about us:
An Exploration
We’re exploring whether the time is right for a Democratic candidate from outside the political “system” to run for governor in the 2010 election.
Oregon Aspirations is about our collective hopes for Oregon’s future. We believe that real change in Oregon will take place only with the kind of leadership that facilitates a new level of engagement from all Oregonians.
Far too many of us have been sitting on the sidelines far too long. This website, our exploration, is one way of starting a higher level of engagement. We invite you to spend some time on the site and join the conversation. We want you to tell your friends about our effort, and we hope you’ll get as excited as we are about the promise of a bright future for our state.
Meet Steve Shields
By Barbara Weiss—Barbara is a writer by trade and a dyed-in-the-wool Oregonian by birth. She’s inspired by the natural beauty of the state and has never stopped learning to love rain.
If you ask Steve Shields what he gets passionate about, he will tell you the future. If you ask him what he is most concerned about, he will say short-sightedness and complacency.
It’s time to engage and stake out a new course for Oregon
The message from this former Hewlett-Packard executive is clear: there’s a lot of activity in state government today, but there’s insufficient progress around the issues that connect Oregonians to a shared vision of the future. Steve believes the state is at a critical juncture. To build a legacy for our future, Oregonians must energize around the complex issues facing the state. And we must have thoughtful, collaborative leadership.
“The promise of Oregon is Oregonians,” Steve says. “Oregon is running out of time to make crucial choices that will dictate the future of the state for years to come. As Oregonians, we all haven’t done enough lately.”
Raised in an Oregon timber town, educated in the Northwest
Marcola is a small former timber town located in the Mohawk Valley just northeast of Springfield, Oregon. Born in 1956, Steve grew up watching train after train carrying old growth timber rumble by on the tracks behind his parent’s modest home. He attended Thurston High School in Springfield and spent many days outdoors hunting, fishing, hiking and backpacking in Oregon’s wilderness. The first boy in his extended family to graduate from college, Steve stayed in the Northwest to get a bachelor’s degree at Oregon State University in civil engineering in 1979 and an MBA in finance from University of Washington in 1985.
An early desire for public service
Steve’s strong desire to serve in public office, in part, grew out of observing his father’s many years of tireless effort as the chairman of the local water board. Known to many as the unofficial “mayor” of Marcola, Steve’s father was a union member and electrical supervisor at Weyerhaeuser. “I realized there was a deep sense of service and integrity that my father held himself accountable for in that role. In all the years he performed this unpaid role, never once did I hear him seek anything but the best for the community.”
As a young man out of college, Steve landed an engineering job with the US Forest Service. He was assigned first to the Willamette and then to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest just in time for the massive eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980. In the aftermath of the May 18 eruption Steve paid close attention to how Washington’s governor cut through layers of chaos to make quick, deliberate and proactive decisions that controlled the impact of the disaster. “I noted the value of her political leadership to sharpen and direct efforts and debate to decide on a course of action. Even in the face of legitimate national, local and other interests, she was the source of ultimate leadership.”
At home in uncharted territory
After completing his MBA, Steve joined HP as a financial analyst, moving into a management position within a few months. Over the next 18 years he honed his ability to integrate disparate ideas and processes by employing his skills in strategic planning, organizational development and collaboration, taking on unproven roles and integrating large diverse organizations. Steve talks enthusiastically about the complexity of launching a new venture. He thrived on using his communication skills to engage team members and help them achieve the kind of alignment that allows everyone to move forward quickly with a shared sense of purpose. “I am at my best,” Steve says, “when identifying a valuable future and then opening the door so that others can discover their passion and expand what is possible.”
Committed to a valuable future
Since leaving HP, Steve has felt a consistent pull toward service in a statewide public office. Conversations with experts from across the political spectrum have indicated the timing might be right for a dark-horse candidate for governor in the next election—someone from outside the system, someone with fresh ideas who can reenergize Oregonians through thoughtful, proactive, collaborative leadership.
Our Team
Betsy Henning, Director. Betsy is founder and principal of AHA!, a marketing communications and strategy firm whose current and former clients include HP, Charles Schwab, Yahoo! and Autodesk. She has been a board member of numerous educational, cultural and environmental organizations in the region including The Columbia Land Trust and the Confluence Project. Betsy and her husband Tom moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1987 and are parents to two college-age daughters, Stephanie and Molly.
Natasha Shields, Treasurer. Tasha graduated from Oregon State University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in political science and a minor in history. She is currently employed by PacificSource Health Plans in Eugene.
