About Doris
Idaho native Doris Penwell began her career during the tumultuous 60’s learning the ins-and-outs of politics through work with two political icons: Senator Frank Church in Washington D.C. and later Oregon Governor Tom McCall. Her political education was rounded out by moving to the Oregon legislature to work for Speaker Phil Lang.
Doris has worked for state agencies including Workers’ Compensation and Oregon Economic & Community Development (now Business Oregon). She retired in 1999 but continued to represent economic development issues at the legislature. In 2004, she began work as a policy analyst with the Association of Oregon Counties. There she helped develop resource tools for infrastructure financing and business incentives for attracting quality jobs to communities. Additionally she worked on building capacity in communities, rural counties in particular, and became fully immersed in the state’s policy work for energy conservation and development, including developing tools and special resources that would attract new business and help utilities to comply with Oregon’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, a law established in 2007.
Doris served on the board of Rural Development Initiatives, Inc., and is current President of her PEO Chapter DM (a national women’s philanthropic and service organization) in Salem.