Drive Oregon taps Jeff Allen as first executive director

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Jeff Allen starts his job as executive director for Drive Oregon on Dec. 1.

Drive Oregon will announce today that it hired Jeff Allen as its first official executive director.

The electric vehicle industry association, which this year landed $1.2 million in state funding from the Oregon Innovation Council, also announced the opening of a Portland office in space leased by Portland State University.

Allen was most recently the acting director of the Medford-based Sustainable Valley Technology Group. He also spent 10 years as the executive director of the Oregon Environmental Council.

"The best thing he brings is in-depth experience running environmentally oriented nonprofits," said James Mast, former senior project manager with the Portland Development Commission, who helped form Drive Oregon and served as its interim operations director.

Barry Woods served as interim executive director of Drive Oregon. Allen takes over on Dec. 1.

Allen's job will be to see to it that Oregon is able to garner at least $1.5 million in electric vehicle-related investment.

"We have to prove we can leverage outside money, that this was a good investment for the state to make," Allen said. "I'm cautiously optimistic we can beat that goal."

Allen is also on the hook to deliver 50 association memberships, an annual conference and the creation or retention of at least 20 industry jobs.

Allen, who also serves on the board of directors for Sustainable Northwest, said Sustainable Valley is close to announcing the hire of his replacement.

@SustainableBzOR| christinawilliams@bizjournals.com | 503.219.3438