Benton County, Oregon
Karen Vaughn is an experienced procurement and contract analyst currently serving as the Contract and Procurement Analyst for Benton County since February 2022, where responsibilities include issuing and processing contracts, managing solicitations, and providing procurement expertise. Prior experience includes roles as a Buyer for Paradigm on behalf of HP Inc., where timely procurement for new product development was a focus, and as a Purchasing Manager at Georgia-Pacific LLC, overseeing procurement services and inventory management with proven cost-saving strategies. Earlier positions include Senior Buyer and Buyer at Georgia-Pacific LLC, and supporting engineering and product development at Hewlett-Packard. Karen earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Oregon State University and is currently pursuing further education at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business.
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Benton County, Oregon
Perfectly placed in the Willamette Valley, 90 miles south of Portland and 40 miles north of Eugene, Benton County has easy access to urban areas with ample opportunities for cultural activities. Combined with outdoor recreation galore in the Cascade Range 80 miles to the east and the Coastal Range and the Pacific Ocean 50 miles west, the county’s 90,000 residents like to say they “have it all.” Voters elect three County Commissioners and a Sheriff to four-year terms. The District Attorney is also elected to a four-year term and is a state official. The County Commissioners are assisted in their administrative responsibilities by the County Administrator, who is responsible for implementing County policy, managing operations, budget, and supervising Department Directors. With a ’21-’23 total budget of approximately $349.8 million and 564 employees, Benton County provides a breadth of services through its departments of Assessment, Board of Commissioners, Community Development, District Attorney, Fairgrounds, Records and Elections, Financial Services, Health Centers, Health Department, Human Resources, Information Technology, Juvenile, Natural Areas and Parks, Public Works, and the Sheriff’s Office. In addition to Oregon State University and local entrepreneurship, Benton County’s economy is driven by the tech and health industries and regional agriculture. Traditionally, county Ag has focused on grass seed, Christmas trees, wine grapes, seed crops, organic produce, lumber, sheep, cattle and dairy, but recent years have seen large upswing in hazelnuts and marijuana. The community’s passion for supporting a thriving local economy allow the county to boast chefs, restaurateurs, winemakers, brewmasters and distilleries committed to locally grown ingredients with a strong focus on sustainability.