City of Newberg
Rachel Thomas currently serves as the City Recorder for the City of Newberg since August 2023. Previously, Rachel was the Public Art Manager for the Newberg Downtown Coalition and the Technical Resources Coordinator for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, where Rachel administered the Oregon Heritage Mentorcorps program. Extensive experience at George Fox University included roles as both Adjunct Professor of History and University Archivist, where Rachel managed various aspects of the archival program, enhanced community engagement, and developed a robust internship program. Rachel's academic background includes a Master of Arts in Early American and United States History from William & Mary and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Spanish from the University of Puget Sound.
City of Newberg
The City of Newberg is the governing authority of Newberg, a town with a population of 23,306 (2016) located in the beautiful Chehalem Valley (Valley of the Flowers) on the Willamette River, about 25 miles southwest of Portland, Oregon. The City of Newberg provides police, street maintenance, library, public improvements, planning and zoning, water and sewage treatment services. The City enjoys a highly diverse economic base. Many of the City’s “home-grown” businesses have become leaders within their respective industries, such as dental equipment, electronics and manufacturing. George Fox University, offering bachelor’s degrees in more than 40 majors, adult degree programs, and 12 master’s and doctoral degrees; a branch of Portland Community College; and Providence Newberg Medical Center are located in the City. Newberg is conveniently located near the many assets of the Portland metropolitan area, the community also retains a distinct physical separation from the metro region, buffered by a greenbelt of rural forests, rolling hills and agricultural lands. The community is on the threshold of some major changes. Construction of the second phase of the Newberg-Dundee Bypass, a major state highway project is underway. This project has been 30 years in the planning and will result in truck traffic being taken out of the historic downtown Newberg. With this will come the continuing renaissance of the downtown area. The City recently adopted the new Downtown Improvement Plan for re-vitalization of the downtown area. The Newberg 2030 (Urban Growth Boundary expansion) Plan along with an update to the Riverfront Master plan is also in the planning stages.