Boli Candidate Lou Ogden Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence

Non-partisan mayor and business owner honored by Tualatin Chamber of Commerce

TUALATIN, Ore. – Bureau of Labor and Industries Commissioner (BOLI) candidate Lou Ogden was honored today with a Lifetime Achievement award for Business Excellence by the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce. The annual event brings together local and regional businesses in the South Metro community and recognizes key leaders for business excellence, community volunteerism, engagement with the Chamber of Commerce, and business mentorship. Ogden has been an active chamber member both in his capacity as a small business owner and as Tualatin’s mayor of nearly 24 years.

“Anyone who knows Mayor Ogden knows the things people love about Tualatin, the livability of our community, and the city’s economic growth, are in large part due to Lou’s philosophy that local business and residents need to be partners in building communities we can all live, work, and play close to home,” said Cheryl Dorman, Columbia Bank’s vice president of private banking who presented the award to Mayor Ogden.

In her introduction of Ogden, Dorman cited the growth of Tualatin under his leadership. “With billions in increased asset values and 34,000 jobs inside the city limits, Lou’s been instrumental in Tualatin’s success,” Dorman said.

Ogden noted it was his involvement as a business owner in the Chamber which got him involved in local politics. “It was the people in Tualatin’s business community that asked me to step up as a leader nearly 27 years ago,” he stated. “The commitment of our neighbors to start and grow a business in their local communities needs to be rewarded, and that means government being a help, not a hindrance.”

In his role as mayor, Ogden has served Tualatin since 1995. Prior to that, he served on the city council. An active chamber member, Ogden has prided himself in focusing on the needs of business, so business can focus on hiring people in and around the Metro region. “Tualatin has about 27,000 residents but Tualatin businesses employ 34,000 people. We’ve focused on growing our industrial and healthcare clusters and worked on creating pathways for students in our K-12 schools to move into skills-based jobs,” Ogden said. “It means a lot that people recognize the hard work. It’s a commitment I’ll bring as our next Labor Commissioner – every community in Oregon deserves the kind of success we’ve had in Tualatin.”