BOARDMAN, Ore.-Amazon celebrated 15 years in Eastern Oregon with a luncheon to recognize and thank its community partners on September 25.
Amazon staff, local leaders at the city and county level, and community partners, including utilities, parks and recreation departments, local businesses, Chambers of Commerce, and more attended the event at the Sage Center.
The invite-only event featured four large display panels full of information about data centers and Amazon’s work in Eastern Oregon, covering Amazon’s economic and regional impact, sustainability, commitment to local education and training, and Amazon’s hyperlocal impact in Eastern Oregon.
A virtual reality (VR) experience also allowed attendees to put on a VR headset and take a virtual tour of a data center.
Amazon’s 15 years of growth and development in Eastern Oregon have impacted employment, education, community projects, and volunteerism throughout the region, and AWS representatives provided an overview of those efforts.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years,” said David Tanner, of Pendleton, Director of Infrastructure Operations for Amazon, who was hired as AWS’ first local employee in 2011. “We haven’t just built data centers, we’ve grown together.”
Tanner highlighted the progress that has been made as Amazon and communities in Umatilla and Morrow Counties have grown, including City Halls, libraries, roads, and other infrastructure projects, as well as workforce programs.
“A kid growing up in Hermiston, Boardman, Umatilla or Pendleton can look at AWS and see a future,” said Tanner. “They can build a career right here and we’re not done; we’re going to keep investing. This is home and we’re just getting started.”
Jordan Richards, Regional Operations Leader for AWS talked about the economic impact Amazon has in the area, including 2,500 directly employed and over 7,500 indirect jobs supported.
Richards also spoke about the three workforce programs supported by Amazon, including the Data Center Technician Program now available at Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC), and the over $700,000 in scholarships awarded to more than 180 students in the past 15 years.
“We’re not just building in the community, we’re part of the community,” said Richards. “We give our sincere thanks to all the cities of Umatilla and Morrow Counties. You took a chance on us 15 years ago and we hope a day like today makes you as proud as we are.”
Other AWS staff spoke about past and active construction projects undertaken by Amazon and the economic impact that has on the region, as well as Amazon’s clean energy and sustainability efforts.
“We take pride in being clean and reliable,” said Paul Garrett, Senior Energy Strategy Manager with AWS, of Amazon working toward net-zero carbon by 2040.
Garrett also highlighted the partnership that AWS enjoys with Umatilla Electric Cooperative (UEC).
“It’s a collaborative relationship and they look out for their ratepayers,” said Garrett.
In regard to water usage, Qiandru Deng, Water Strategy Manager for Amazon, spoke about how Amazon procures a sustainable supply of water, while increasing local water infrastructure.
Amazon only uses water to cool its data centers about 7% of the year and is working on becoming water positive by 2030.
Deng also highlighted the fact that Amazon returns 955 million gallons of water a year and has committed $400 million to water infrastructure in Eastern Oregon in the past 15 years.
“We invest early, partner broadly and build more than is needed,” said Deng.
Ben Harvey, AWS Community Engagement Manager, closed the luncheon by speaking about how Amazon strives to be a good neighbor in Eastern Oregon, in both word and deed.
Amazon has provided over $9 million to local causes in Eastern Oregon since 2021, with over 200 projects receiving funding from the Community Fund.
Harvey also highlighted the 10 solar projects completed in Morrow and Umatilla Counties, the Think Big Spaces and STEM experiences in local schools, as well as Amazon’s volunteer efforts in the region, which amount to more than 10,000 hours since 2020.
“We couldn’t do it without our partners and collaborators,” said Harvey. “Thank you for your support. We’re excited to work for you and with you for years to come.”
To celebrate 15 years in Eastern Oregon with the community, Amazon also hosted a free Community Day at the SAGE Center featuring food, ice cream, family-friendly activities, and raffles on Saturday, September 26.
