HOW MEMBERS CAN GET INVOLVED

The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is multi-faceted with a variety of different opportunities for professional development amongst hospitality professionals, including board and committee service, program participation, and networking. For members looking to get more involved in your state association, view the following opportunities and reach out to us with any questions!

- The ORLA Team

ASSOCIATION BOARDS  |  COMMITTEES  |  LEADERSHIP TEAMS  |  EVENTS  |  WORKFORCE PARTNERS  |  HILL RUNNERS

Oregon Hill Runners
ORLA has created the Oregon Hill Runner Program in preparation for the 2025 Legislative Session. Our initial objective is to identify members who currently have working relationships with elected officials at any level of government. A key marker for us is an active member who communicates with an elected official regularly via cell phone and/or text messages. We define an active working relationship as cell phone communication at least every 2-3 months to provide updates to elected officials on the performance of your hospitality business.

Process and Next Steps: Read the one-pager on the program and fill out a short survey to share your current connections and learn how to develop new ones. Your engagement in this program will make a difference for us as we build momentum and bring value to ORLA’s ongoing advocacy efforts for the hospitality industry.

Government Affairs Committee and Sub-Committees / Working Groups
ORLA has an active group of members who meet at least once a month virtually to discuss advocacy issues impacting the industry in Oregon. Government Affairs meetings take place via Zoom from 9-10am on the last Friday of every month. During legislative sessions, government affairs meetings take place weekly at the same time on Friday mornings. At times active government affairs participants will be asked to vote on policy positions which are then forwarded to the ORLA Board of Directors for consideration. Items receiving votes include oversight of the 2-year ORLA Political Action Committee budget, support or opposition of ballot initiatives, and review/approval of policy positions featured in the Advocacy section of our website.

There are times when sub-committees and working groups are necessary to expand upon the work of the government affairs committee. For example, ORLA has an active Lottery Sub-Committee for our members who have contracts with the Oregon Lottery as retailers for their products. Working groups or task forces are occasionally formed when industry operators need to invest additional time to formulate action steps for the association.

Process and Next Steps: Being active on government affairs issues involves no formal application process. Simply fill out this interest form to join the government affairs committee calls and actively participate in the discussions. We also recommend emailing ORLA’s Director of Government Affairs Greg Astley to schedule a time to meet in person or via phone and share your interest in getting more involved.

Association Boards 
The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA) has three Boards of Directors who oversee three different entities making up broader association operations. The main ORLA Board of Directors includes 23 active association members with 10 representing restaurants, 10 representing lodging, and 3 representing Allied (vendor) members. The ORLA Board typically meets in person quarterly in conjunction with larger annual ORLA events available to members.

The ORLA Member Services (ORLAMS) Board of Directors includes 9 active members. The group meets 2-3 times a year to consider new vendor and supplier relationships as well as oversee existing relationships. The primary purpose of the board is to harness the collective purchasing power ORLA members can realize if individual members are part of a larger group under the association banner. Our best vendor and supplier relationships provide value to members within an ORLA group while also providing revenue to support the association’s operations.

The Oregon Hospitality Foundation (OHF) Board of Directors has 11 active members who meet on a quarterly basis. The board is focused on increasing connections between educators, workforce development boards, and industry employers. Two key functions of the foundation include statewide management of the ProStart program in 46 Oregon high schools as well as the Guest Service Gold customer service training / certification for hospitality professionals.

Process and Next Steps: The ORLA Board has a Nominations Committee with two restaurant and two lodging representatives who meet in the Spring and Summer of each year to consider candidates for open board positions. Similarly, the ORLA Members Services Board and Oregon Hospitality Foundation Board consider candidates for board service as vacancies arise. If you have interest in serving on one of the association’s board of directors please fill out the following interest form and you will be included as part of the board’s next scheduled meeting for consideration.

Both the ORLA and ORLA Member Services boards are voted on by all members present at the annual Member Meeting that takes place during the ORLA Hospitality Conference.  

Regional Leadership Teams
ORLA currently has five regional leadership teams that meet both virtually and in person on an as needed basis. The purpose of these groups is to stay active on industry issues appearing at the city and county levels of government. In addition, regional leadership teams can get more involved with their regional workforce boards and build stronger connections between workforce development programs and industry employment opportunities. Current groups exist on Oregon’s central and north coast, in central Oregon, and in Portland under the names Portland Lodging Alliance and Portland Kitchen Cabinet. 

Process and Next Steps: To get involved with a regional leadership team in your area please reach out to Makenzie Marineau who serves as ORLA’s Regional Leadership Teams Coordinator. If you think your region needs a regional team, let us know that too. Reach out to Makenzie via email.

​Oregon Hospitality Foundation Workforce Development Programs
The Oregon Hospitality Foundation (OHF) is laser focused on workforce development initiatives to do what we can to build bridges between hospitality industry employers and workers seeking employment opportunities. Our professional staff focuses their work to highlight our ProStart Culinary and Management curriculum in high schools, engage in job and career fairs organized by partner organizations, coordinate speaking opportunities for ORLA members in high schools, and amplify leadership vacancies as they occur amongst Oregon’s 9 regional workforce development boards. These volunteer opportunities exist for industry operators interested in connecting with future employees for their operations. 

Process and Next Steps: Fill out the Workforce Engagement Form or contact Courtney Smith, ProStart Manager, or Ella Sturdevant, Workforce Development Coordinator.

ORLA Annual Events
The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association provides numerous opportunities to participate in annual events, giving members a chance to engage with fellow industry members, leaders, and potential customers to discuss key issues and best practices. We encourage members to actively participate in events as attendees, sponsors, hosts, and/or contributors – we rely on industry donations for our One Big Night dinner and auction. ORLA's Annual Member Meeting typically occurs during the Hospitality Conference in the fall where members hear an overview of the association's accomplishments, challenges and strategies for the year ahead. Members also vote on the ORLA Board of Directors and ORLAMS Board.

One unique event is our annual ProStart Championships for high school students which requires a significant number of judges and volunteers from the industry. If you have an interest in helping with this event, please reach out directly to Courtney Smith.

Process and Next Steps: View ORLA’s annual events here where you'll find registration links and more details for each upcoming event as they are solidified. If you’re interested in getting involved with one or multiple annual events make a plan to register in advance as some events can sell out. 

Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy
In partnership with Travel Oregon and the Oregon Destination Association, ORLA has developed and administers the annual Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy for industry professionals. The program is focused on building stronger relationships between tourism and hospitality professionals operating in different areas of the state. Each year the program supports 20-22 industry professionals who participate in four multi-day gatherings taking place in four of Oregon’s seven tourism regions. Our goal in administering the program is to build strong working relationships with tourism leaders who are in a position to help lead industry initiatives and provide ongoing advocacy for hospitality and tourism where they live and work.

Process and Next Steps: The Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy has its own webpages devoted to program components, expectations, and frequently asked questions as the time commitment is significant for program participants. The best first step is to subscribe to updates. Applications for the academy are reviewed by an Advisory Committee in conjunction with our program partners at Travel Oregon and the Oregon Destination Association once a year in preparation for the following program year.

Get Involved Without Having to Show Up In Person
ORLA has a number of opportunities to get involved if you are not in a position to show up in person at events, programs, or leadership meetings. Here are three opportunities you can take advantage of right now to get involved and make a difference:

• Sign Up for ORLA Advocacy Alerts – When a pressing industry issue arises we need real stories shared with elected officials and government staff. You can sign up for advocacy alerts on your cell phone by texting the word ‘ORLA’ to ‘52886’ or complete the form here.
• Share Your Story – ORLA is working to collect raw footage from hospitality professionals sharing their career journey with us through their mobile phone or computer cameras. The goal of this project is to utilize authentic footage from real industry members within broader video and campaign projects designed to support and promote the value of working in Oregon’s hospitality industry. For more information on this effort, visit OregonRLA.org/shareyourstory.
• Submit an Award Nomination – Hospitality is a large and diverse industry employing more people in Oregon than any other industry except health care. One of the best things we do is provide recognition for our best and brightest who exemplify hospitality in all its forms. If you know of someone deserving of recognition you can get involved today by submitting an award nomination on their behalf. Read more on how to submit your nomination today.