About Nancy
Nancy has lived in Oregon since coming to Eugene in 1973 to complete a degree at the University of Oregon. Over the last 30 years she has served Oregonians and the citizens of Lane County, most recently as Representative for House District 13. A list of her community and professional service is included below. In recognition of her service she was presented with the Lane Council of Governments Outstanding Elected Official Award, the League of Oregon Cities James C. Richards Memorial Award, and the West Eugene Wetlands Award. She lives in Eugene with her husband, Steve Robinson.
A personal message from Nancy:
I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. As a young child my parents taught me that "if a job is worth doing it's worth doing well," and made sure my brother and I had a good mix of study and play. My mother taught me a few steps that sparked a lifelong interest in dance starting at age 5. I took tap, jazz, and classical ballet for 12 years, and as a member of the Dallas Junior Civic Ballet even danced as a mouse in the annual Nutcracker Suite. (In Eugene I helped spread my love of dance and taught tap for several years.) As a Brownie and Girl Scout I learned the motto, “Be prepared.” Today I still hold that value and work to promote policies for responsible, common-sense government service and budgeting, like establishing a Rainy Day Fund.
After graduating from high school I went to Evanston, Illinois for two years at Northwestern University. I was impressed by a “big time” learning environment, the bitter cold wind blowing off Lake Michigan, and living in a dorm. I moved to Oregon to finish my degree at UO, and I was taken by the landscape, the neighborhoods, and the culture. Even though I missed my parents, younger brother and close-knit extended family, I was here to stay.
Enjoying the varied landscapes of Oregon, I've fished, hiked, and camped. Each summer my husband, Steve Robinson, and I pick blackberries for making jam and sauce; I wish I had time to continue making apple butter and pear preserves in the fall. (He's the athlete, I'm the cook.) Together we enjoy gardening, watching the backyard birds, tedious discussions about policy-wonk detail, snorkeling and educational and cultural travel.
My time shrinks as legislative activities expand, so some of the traditions get replaced with new opportunities to meet and learn. The calendar can get double-booked sometimes, but I try to keep up with regular events like the county fair, Eugene Celebration, Asian Festival, Art and the Vineyard, and even occasionally catch up with the First Friday Art Walk.
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Background
Born in Dallas, Texas 1951; moved to Eugene 1973.
Education
Hillcrest High School, Dallas Texas
Northwestern University, Evanston Ill.
University of Oregon, BS with Honors in urban geography. Phi Beta Kappa
Employment
Current: Resource Sharing Program Manager, Orbis Cascade Alliance (a consortium of 33 private and public college and university libraries in Washington and Oregon).
Previously: Supervisor, Database Maintenance Section, UO Knight Library Catalog Department. Also owned and operated Photoscapes, an entrepreneurial small business that manufactured and distributed framed scenic photographs and wood frames.
Civic Offices, Boards and Commissions
State of Oregon
Oregon State Legislature, House of Representatives, District 13. Elected 2006
Co-Chair, Joint Ways and Means Committee (JWM), 2007.
Other committees: JWM Subcommittee on Human Services. JWM Subcommittee on Public Safety. Joint Committee on Court Facilities, Co-Chair. Joint Committee on Court Technology, Co-Chair. OWIN Work Group. Education System Design Task Force.
Other Federal, State, Regional:
National League of Cities: Board of Directors, 2002-04; Municipalities in Transition panel (Chair 2002); Information Technology and Communication Committee (Chair 2001)
Federal Communications Commission, Local and State Government Advisory Committee
Public Safety Coordinating Council (Lane County)
Intergovernmental Human Services Committee
League of Oregon Cities Legislative/Resolutions Committee
Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (now known as Lane Regional Air Protection Authority), Board member
Lane Council of Governments, Board member
Metropolitan Policy Committee, alternate
Eugene Springfield Metro Partnership, Board member
TransPlan: transportation planning stakeholders group & Land Use Measures task force
Metropolitan Area Planning Advisory Committee
City of Eugene:
City Council, elected to three terms (1993-2004); President 1995.
Planning Commission, 1987-93, President 1989-90
City committees (partial list):
Parks, Recreation & Open Space, Chair 2002-04
Greater Downtown Visioning, co-chair 1999-2000
North End Downtown, chair 1998-99
Parks and Open Space, Chair, 1997- 2000
Intergovernmental Relations
Ferry St. Bridge Citizen Advisory
Telecommunications
Affordable Housing
Automation, Chair
Public Safety
West End Planning
Downtown Design Review
Political
Lane County Democratic Party: Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Canvassing Chair.
Democratic Party conference (Philadelphia mid-term), Oregon delegate, 1982
Civic Awards and Honors
Outstanding Elected Official Award, Lane Council of Governments, 2001
James C. Richards Memorial Award , League of Oregon Cities, 2004 (one of two awards statewide), given to elected officials who serve the citizens of Oregon through an “exceptional personal investment in intergovernmental affairs.” Cited for work in telecommunications policy at federal and state level.
West Eugene Wetlands Award presented by the Wetland Executive Team: City of Eugene, 2005. Participants in team included U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon Youth Conservation Corps, McKenzie River Trust, WREN, and The Nature Conservancy.
Other activities
League of Women Voters of Lane County; Lane [County] Women’s Political Caucus
League of Oregon Cities, Legislative Committee
Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County, Board member
Friends of the Museum of Natural History (UO), Board of Directors
Governor’s Housing Conference
American Planning Association meetings
American Institute of Certified Planners Urban Design Workshop
American Library Association, OCLC Users Group, Innovative Interfaces Users Group meetings
Tap dance instructor, Private studio and Community Center programs
Professional Committees and Special Projects
Library Staff Association, President 1978
President's Classified Service Recognition Award, University of Oregon, 1987
University committees: Status of Women on Campus; Library Planning, Library Expansion
UO Knight Library committees for information management and presentation; automation requirements; and materials preservation
