EDCO announces tech, Sunriver-La Pine post hirings
Economic Development for Central Oregon announced on Monday the hiring of Teri Hockett as Tech Industry Coordinator, effective immediately, and Steve Parnell as Sunriver/La Pine Area Economic Development Manager, effective December 19.
Teri Hockett, Tech Industry Coordinator
In this role, Hockett will be responsible for helping businesses grow, network and prosper by providing leadership, administration and event planning, and training to support the tech and bioscience industry clusters.
Hockett moved to Bend from the Bay Area in 2015. A business professional with strong leadership and a versatile skill set, Hockett has experience as a recruiter, office manager, and Founder/CEO (What’s For Work). As a career strategist and national speaker for What’s For Work, she worked with clients, both corporate and startup, to craft their brands, grow market share, gain clarity, coordinate marketing events, and create business opportunities.
“Teri’s recent experience, initiative and internal drive to build strength in tech and bioscience made her a clear choice for this role,” said Roger Lee, EDCO Executive Director. “Her proven ability to create a community that encourages members to work together, inspire and help each other is exactly what these industry clusters are looking for.”
Hockett has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from California Polytechnic State University and has also taken graduate business courses from California State University Hayward. In her free time, she enjoys many of the outdoor activities that Bend has to offer – hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, paddle boarding, snowshoeing, and snowboarding.
Steve Parnell, Sunriver/La Pine Area Economic Development Manager
In this role, Parnell will be responsible for executing the plans and programs of business retention, expansion and recruitment within the La Pine and Sunriver communities and assisting in creating and retaining employment in South Deschutes County. Additionally, Parnell is responsible for working with area leaders to assist in projects, initiatives and activities that directly or indirectly make the community an easy, cost effective and friendly place to do business.
Prior to this position, Parnell spent 11 years teaching business, marketing and customer service classes at La Pine High School. He also has more than 25 years of private industry experience in natural gas, water and electric utilities, computer software, and publishing with an emphasis on customer service, quality assurance, maintenance, marketing, management training, process improvement, documentation, purchasing, and inventory control.
“As a former teacher at La Pine High School, Steve is very familiar with the opportunities and challenges of the area,” said Lee. “He’s already integrated into the community and that will be a huge asset to capitalize on South County’s economic potential.”
Parnell has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Point Loma Nazarene University and an MA in Teaching from George Fox University. He was a past member of the Oregon FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) State Advisory Board, OACTE (Oregon Career Technical Educators) and a past national member of PMI (Project Management Institute). In his free time, Parnell enjoys the Oregon Coast, Broadway plays, local theatre, his sons’ bands, getaways with his wife, and church.
BBSI conducted a professional search on behalf of EDCO for the Technology Industry Coordinator position, while Express Employment Professionals conducted the search for the La Pine/South County Manager. In both cases, a hiring committee representing different community and business perspectives reviewed and interviewed the finalists.
“I want to thank both Eric Strobel and Sarah Lindsey of BBSI as well as Connie Druliner and Karen Turner of Express for their outstanding work on our behalf,” noted Erin Chaiet, EDCO Operations Manager.
