Amy Tracewell, director of Pacific University's Master of Nonprofit Leadership program, has been appointed to the Oregon Heritage Commission by Gov. Tina Kotek.
Tracewell will serve a four-year term representing the Portland metro region on the commission, which supports heritage projects and provides funding for preserving and interpreting Oregon history. The commission is part of the State Historic Preservation Office. She was appointed in November.
A Forest Grove resident since 2016, Tracewell has a background in archaeology, earning her bachelor's degree from Oregon State University in 1996, according to a press release from the Rotary Club of Forest Grove. Her coursework included a field school at Champoeg State Heritage Area.
"I asked to serve on the Oregon Heritage Commission because my whole career has been about people, place, and stories," Tracewell said in an email to News in the Grove. "I’ve seen how powerful it is when local people have the support they need to care for the places and histories that define them," she added.
She took over as director of Pacific's nonprofit leadership program in 2024, having earned her master's degree from the same program that May. She has 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and management.
"I hope to bring that nonprofit and rural leadership perspective to strengthen the capacity of heritage organizations, reduce barriers for smaller and under-resourced groups, and help ensure that more Oregonians see their stories reflected in our shared heritage," Tracewell said.
Tracewell served as president of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove in 2023-24 and has been a Rotarian since 2003. She serves on the club’s steering committee for Concours d'Elegance and as co-chair of District 5100's Learning & Development Committee. Locally, she previously served on the city of Forest Grove Public Arts Commission, along with past roles as chair of Rural Development Initiatives and as president of the Rotary Club of Cottage Grove.
