Commissioner Craig Pope Biography

Commissioner Craig A. Pope

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• Born June 14, 1956 in Albany, Oregon.
• Lived in the mid-Willamette Valley my entire life.
• Went to Corvallis schools. Graduated high school in 1974. Completed some OSU courses in mechanical design and engineering.
• Grew up on my family grass seed farm, where I worked until I was 30 years old.
• Married Dina Mosher in 1983. We have 4 great kids.
• Started my own small manufacturing business in 1988. Agriweld, Inc. had grown to supply niche market agricultural solutions across the U.S. and some overseas. Sold the business in December 2010 after winning election to Polk County Commissioner.
• Involved with FFA at the local high school. Served as an advisory committee member for several years to three different ag instructors. Received several FFA citations and awards.
• Volunteered with the local fire district (PCFD#1) as a volunteer firefighter and Station Captain for more than 25 years. Chaired the district volunteer firefighter association for eight years and was directly responsible for fundraising and association management. Awarded “Firefighter of the Year” in 1998. Retired from the District as a volunteer captain in charge of three rural stations. Received several citations, certifications, and awards during my duty.
• Elected to PCFD#1 (Fire District) Board of Directors in 2003.
• Became Chairman of the PCFD#1 Board in 2005-2006. 4-year term ended in July 2007. Was instrumental in developing and passing a local bond levy for upgrades to fire and ambulance apparatus and services.
• Elected to Director of Oregon Volunteer Fire Fighters Association in 2000. Served two years as Vice President.
• Adjunct instructor at Chemeketa Community College for Farm Equipment Rescue Operations for fire fighters.
• Became a reserve police officer for the City of Philomath, Oregon after finishing top in my class in the Polk County Sheriffs Reserve Academy in 1983. Spent two years as a reserve city police officer.
• Appointed to Polk County Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) by County Commissioners in 2002. Became Chairman of CCI in 2003. Served until 2006.
• Elected to the Board of Directors of Luckiamute Domestic Water Cooperative 2005. Served as the Coop Vice-President and Security Committee chair until 2011.
• Instrumental in the 1999 development of the Willamette Valley Ag Expo held each year in Albany, Oregon. Served as the Chairman of the Board of this 501c6 organization for ten years.
• Joined the Mid Willamette Valley Metals Consortium (MWVMC), a three county based metals industry group, in 2006. Served as Chairman of the Board. My primary goals were focused around workforce recruitment and education for manufacturing in Oregon.
• Was appointed by the MWVMC membership in November 2006 to sit on the Executive Board of Manufacturing 21, a Portland-based manufacturing coalition.
• Member of Associated Oregon Industries (AOI) as a business owner. Served in an appointed role to the AOI Employment Practices Committee.
• Business member of the Strategic Economic Development Corporation (SEDCOR).
• Became Metals Industry Technical Consultant for Willamette Education Service District in September 2007. Advisory capacity for educators in Career and Technical Education.