OBI Selects Mark Johnson as President & CEO
Oregon Business & Industry (OBI) has selected Representative Mark Johnson (R-Hood River) to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Oregon’s statewide business association. Johnson has served in the Legislature since 2011 and is known for his ability to work across party lines and his advocacy for education and workforce development. He also is chairman of the Hood River County School District Board and owns a construction business specializing in residential homebuilding.
OBI was created in July by the merger of Oregon’s two major business associations, Associated Oregon Industries (AOI) and Oregon Business Association (OBA). Johnson will lead the association, with 1,650 member companies of all sizes from all parts of Oregon, as it works to continue to unify the Oregon business community and support public policy that promotes a healthy, prosperous and competitive Oregon.
“Standing before you tonight as the President & CEO of OBI is a tremendous honor and a humbling privilege for me,” Johnson said Tuesday night at the 2017 Statesman Dinner, where he made his first public comments since accepting the position Friday.
Striking a theme that other Statesman Dinner speakers continued, Johnson emphasized the need for all Oregonians to work together, and for OBI to help make that happen. “It is my hope and belief that, with OBI unified behind a common vision linked to measurable outcomes, we can clearly communicate that vision to all corners of our state and make a positive difference in the lives of all Oregonians,” he said. “We can provide the solutions-oriented leadership that our state needs so badly right now.”
OBI Board Chair Sam Tannahill said Johnson brings the type of experience and perspective needed to forge collaborative solutions. “As a state representative, Mark Johnson clearly demonstrated the ability to work with both sides of the aisle on issues critical to Oregon such as fiscal policy, environment and education,” said Tannahill, founder of A to Z Wineworks. “As a longtime resident of Hood River County and owner of a residential construction company, he understands the concerns of rural Oregon and small businesses. As an almost lifelong Oregonian, he values our quality of life. At OBI he will work with us to strive for a prosperous, healthy and educated Oregon.”
Johnson plans to start at OBI November 1. He plans to continue to chair a Columbia Gorge recovery task force, created in the wake of recent wildfires, and to remain on the Hood River County School District Board.
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