LA GRANDE — The small notice would have been easy to miss.

Forty-four years ago Margaret Davidson, now executive director of Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, spotted a small help wanted ad in a La Grande newspaper. It was for a job as a data entry clerk with an organization named the Eastern Oregon Community Development Council. Davidson, without giving it a second thought, applied and was hired.

She had little inkling of what awaited.

“I was a student at Eastern Oregon University and I needed a part-time job. I had no idea I was launching a rewarding career,” said Davidson, noting that the Eastern Oregon Community Development Council later became Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, an agency that serves those in need.

The career ignited by that 1978 help wanted ad will be ending soon, for Davidson is retiring at the end of April. She said her tenure has been as rewarding as it has been fulfilling.

“I have really enjoyed the journey,” said Davidson, who first worked for Community Connection for one year, then left for three years because of budget cuts before returning and dedicating another 39 years to the organization.

Community Connection has grown tremendously during Davidson’s 25-year tenure as executive director. The agency had a budget of $2.3 million in 1997, and last year it reached $14 million, a direct reflection of the growth in the services it provides.

“She has done a fantastic job,” said Steve McClure, chair of the Community Connection of Northeast Oregon’s board. “She knows the organization from top to bottom and is very, very inclusive and listens to input.”

‘Master communicator’

Frank Thomas, who worked under Davidson at Community Connection for 21 years, credits Davidson with having a forward-thinking nature.

“Margaret has remarkable vision. She was able to see several years ahead with an accurate understanding of what Community Connection needed to be as an agency and the personnel and skill sets that would be necessary to effectively serve,” said Thomas, who now works for the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Communication skills are another part of Davidson’s skill set, Thomas said.

“Margaret is a master communicator. I’ve seen her convey complex topics on everything from economics to policy and engineering specifications on a housing project, and always in a way that’s accessible to a broad audience,” he said.

Still, Thomas said that what has impressed him most about Davidson is that she never forgets what is most important — the people Community Connection is serving. He said this was most apparent when a bus passenger, a senior meal diner or someone else receiving Community Connection services would come into Davidson’s office, sometimes unannounced and start talking with the executive director. Davidson always spent considerable time greeting and listening to the visitors.

“Margaret saw the conversations as the reason for her work, not an interruption in it,” Thomas said.

Davidson said she embraces such conversations because they are the essence of what Community Connection — which serves people in Union, Wallowa, Baker and Grant counties —is about.

“The only reason Community Connection exists is to serve people,” she said.

‘Flagship programs’

Davidson said most people know Community Connection for its transportation and meal programs because they are visible and serve many. Community Connection’s Northeast Oregon Public Transit program has provided more than 300,000 rides to the public in Union County over the past two decades, and its senior meals and food bank programs serve hundreds of people daily across the region.

“They are our flagship programs,” Davidson said.

She noted, though, that Community Connection provides a variety of services, many that have been added or greatly expanded in the last two decades. They include a housing rehabilitation program that provides loans for home improvements, a housing resource center that helps first-time home buyers, a rental assistance program and in-home services for veterans.

Recent major expansions made by Community Connection include a new and much larger food distribution center in Island City for the Northeast Oregon Regional Food Bank it operates. The 8,500-square-foot remodeled former Pendleton Grain Growers building is eight times larger than the food bank’s previous storehouse.

The new distribution center is making it possible for Community Connection to store its food longer. The total cost of the new food center project was $1.064 million, which included the purchase price of the building. The funding has been provided by grants, by Community Connection and by donations from individuals and businesses.

The Northeast Oregon Regional Food Bank provides food to about 18 pantries in Union, Wallowa, Baker and Grant counties, plus additional sites including Department of Human Services offices. The food bank provided 1.3 million pounds of food in 2020.

Davidson said she loves the challenges and problem-solving opportunities the executive director position has posed for her.

“I like solving puzzles,” she said.

Calling it a career

Davidson said much of Community Connection’s growth is due to its excellent staff.

“Years ago I recognized that our agency’s staff members are our greatest assets,” Davidson said. “I believe in treating my staff as people first and employees second.”

Her concern for staff members is reflected in the opportunities she provided them for career advancement. Thomas said Davidson developed career ladders for employees, making it possible for people to rise to high positions in the agency while acquiring skills that would serve them well if they moved on from Community Connection.

“I’m not alone in having Margaret to thank for the skills and opportunity that took me on to a happy career in public service after Community Connection of Northeast Oregon,” Thomas said. “The system of continuous improvement she developed and the encouragement she offered to at least three generations of public servants is now paying dividends all over the state, and likely all over the country.”

Davidson said she will miss not seeing employees and those her agency serves on a daily basis.

“Saying goodbye is extremely difficult,” she said.

Davidson will be succeeded by Connie Guentert, who has served as director of Wallowa County’s Community Connection programs for the past eight years.

“I’m confident that Connie will do an excellent job,” Davidson said.

“The system of continuous improvement she developed and the encouragement she offered to at least three generations of public servants is now paying dividends all over the state, and likely all over the country.”

— Frank Thomas, of former boss, Community Connection’s executive director, Margaret Davidson

A retirement party for Margaret Davidson will be conducted Friday, April 22, at the Union County Senior Center, 1504 N. Albany St., La Grande. The party, open to the public, will start at 3 p.m.