OEN NewsMeet OEN’s next Executive Director

Maggie Finnerty will be joining the OEN staff in September, and officially taking on the role of President & Executive Director in January 2017. Our current President & Executive Director, Linda Weston, will be retiring in December, marking the end of an extraordinary 17 years of leadership.

Maggie brings over 12 years of corporate law, seven years of economic development, and ten years of business development and marketing experience to the job, with a proven track record of building and leading programs and teams in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors.

She currently serves as Client Relations and Marketing Manager for Perkins Coie LLP. She previously served as Vice President of Investor Stewardship at Greater Portland Inc. (GPI) and Executive Director of Lewis & Clark Law School’s Small Business Legal Clinic (SBLC), which she launched and ran for over five years.

Learn more about what Maggie looks forward to in her new role and how she likes to spend her Sunday afternoons:

What about your new job makes you most excited?
OEN’s mission. I spent nearly a decade promoting the growth of small businesses in Oregon and I am thrilled to be able to focus on driving economic development in Oregon again. I’m also really excited to work with OEN’s incredibly strong board and volunteers.

Are you a morning or night person?
Definitely a night person!

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
This question is making me think about that weird movie Lobster…I have no answer!

What’s the most life-changing book you’ve read in the last three years?
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown. It’s a must-read in today’s world of never ending requests, with everything seeming to be a priority.

When it comes to snacking, do you trend sweet or salty?
Depends on the time of day (and whether there’s wine involved)!

Which bad habits drive you crazy?
Bad grammar/spelling. I’m also a big fan of “please” and “thank you.”

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
We are traveling to Paris with my partner Don’s parents this Fall—Don’s mother (Nicole) is French and Don grew up there. I am thrilled to visit the city with native Parisians, especially since Nicole had a big health scare last year—we almost didn’t get this chance.

Name one thing you miss about being a kid:
My mom. She was the best and we lost her last summer.

What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?
Go to the park with my son Max and Don, then take a family nap! Somehow this doesn’t happen very often though!

You’re in a talent show—what’s your talent?
A friend I used to teach with at Lewis & Clark Law School and I used to be able to do a pretty funny rendition of “My Humps” (by the Black Eyed Peas) as a duet on karaoke night. He was hilarious and brought out the best in me—that would have probably won us a few votes in a talent competition!

See our official press release here.