The longtime executive director of Travel Oregon, Todd Davidson, announced he is retiring today after three decades as a public employee.

While the timing appeared sudden, it came five weeks after the Oregon Journalism Project first contacted Travel Oregon about an investigation into complaints regarding Davidson’s outsized compensation and allegations of a toxic workplace. He earned $477,000 in take-home pay for fiscal 2024, far higher compensation than that of any other state agency director.

The news of Davidson’s retirement came one day before the CEO was scheduled to sit down for a long-delayed interview with OJP.

Travel Oregon, a semi-independent state agency with 73 staffers, is funded by the statewide lodging tax of 1.5% on hotel bills that brings in more than $40 million a year.

Travel Oregon maintains its chief executive’s departure was unrelated to OJP’s questions and public records requests.

Travel Oregon, also known as the Oregon Tourism Commission, exists to promote tourism, which generates $14 billion of annual economic activity and 120,000 jobs in Oregon.

An agency that once had scraped by on $3 million a year in state lottery funds grew into a powerhouse after lawmakers approved a lodging tax in 2003.

“Travel Oregon is one of the premier state travel organizations,” David Blandford, executive director of State of Washington Tourism, said in a recent interview.

As a semi-independent agency, Travel Oregon is exempt from state budget laws; personnel, salary and expense laws; and purchasing and procurement laws. Its budget is not subject to executive branch review, nor subject to approval or modification by the Legislature.

Davidson, a native of Iowa, has been Travel Oregon’s chief executive since 1996.

Davidson’s compensation and some deficient practices at the agency were widely publicized after the 2020 release of a critical audit by the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office.

Travel Oregon is overseen by a nine-member board of commissioners who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. Eight of the nine represent lodging and tourism sectors, and one is a public-at-large member.

Calls seeking comment from commissioners were not immediately returned Thursday.

The governor’s office confirmed Davidson’s departure but declined to comment.

OJP plans to publish its full investigation in the coming days.

This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the state.

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Some conservation groups are working to save spotted owl habitats in Oregon, Washington, and California.

On Wednesday, they filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit that was brought on by the timber industry.

In the lawsuit, the timber industry wants to reinstate a habitat rollback that was issued in the final weeks of President Trump’s first term in office.

SEE ALSO:

Back in 2021, it removed nearly 3.5 million acres from the more than nine million acres that were protected for spotted owls.

Then, ten months later, the Biden administration rescinded the final designation.

Conservation groups argue that the forests spotted owls depend on also provide people with benefits, including clean water, recreation, jobs, and climate resiliency.

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With a population of roughly 37,000, it’s little but mighty, and like most of Portland’s suburbs, it’s growing. Blue-collar Oregon City, Oregon’s oldest—in fact, it’s the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains—has shifted significantly in the past decade or so with a Canard here and a boutique there, but it still exudes a humble, welcoming feel. The city was founded by Dr. John McLoughlin (of boulevard fame) and became industrial, known for its lumber and paper mills and hydroelectric power—but long before that, and currently, the land and water have played a vital role in the lives of the several Native American tribes. The heart of the real O.C. feels highly walkable (extra thanks to the free, 70-year-old municipal elevator), so we thought we’d focus on that—here’s a quick jaunt, on foot, around the city.

Mosey Down Main Street

If you’re coming from Portland, you’ll likely swing over the Oregon City Arch Bridge and find yourself smack dab in the center of Main Street. Park your wheels and kick off your walkable adventure with a little shopping or window browsing. The Vintage Nest (507 Main St., instagram.com/thevintagenestantiques) contains nearly 20 vendors selling everything from speckled silicone baby bibs to rhinestone jewelry (this writer got a hand-thrown colander that’s on deck for holding garden tomatoes come August). Keep the vintage snooping up by stopping a few doors down at Maizee Mae’s Antiques (621 Main St., 503-657-3204, instagram.com/maizeemaesantiquesandtreasures) then over to Oregon City Records (603 Main St., 503-935-6662, instagram.com/oregoncityrecords). With vintage posters of Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith on the walls, carpets on the floor, and the faint scent of incense in the air, the shop has a certain late 20th century nostalgia. The walls are lined with boxes of used records ranging from classic hits in rock, pop and blues, and a chunk of CDs as well, while the middle of the store is lined with racks of vintage clothing. And don’t—I repeat, do not—skip the slim back room of books. Sitting in that beat-up leather chair by John Wayne’s cutout with an old paperback is a leisure afternoon adventure in itself.

Walk the Promenade

As you’re on Main Street and cross 7th Street, take a look about a block away. Notice that 130-foot elevator looming on the basalt cliffside, both futuristic and retro at once? The Municipal Elevator (6 Railroad Ave.) is one of just a handful of municipal elevators around the world (not the state, the planet) in service. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, this stately lift allows you to catch a ride between 7 am and 7 pm Monday through Saturday (it opens at 10 am on Sunday). On the top floor, the elevator opens to an observation deck with panoramic views of the area and, a few steps later, leads you to the McLoughlin Promenade, a fenced path along Singer Hill Bluff, with expansive views of the Willamette River, including Willamette Falls, the nation’s second-largest waterfall by volume, right behind the mighty Niagara. You might also eye the dilapidated, recently burned former Blue Heron Paper Mill—the property is part of nearly 24 acres purchased by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and is currently under demolition and restoration to build the future Tumwata Village. Don’t forget to turn toward the bluff, too, to catch a few historical markers, like the Páaxloo Weyíiletpuum Háham, or “Five Cayuse Men,” acknowledging and honoring the five Cayuse men tried and executed for the death of missionary Marcus Whitman in 1847 as measles tore through the Cayuse population. Their unmarked graves remain unfound.

Grab a Book

Speaking of educating ourselves—stick around Singer Hill and wander a couple of blocks over to the Oregon City Carnegie Library (606 John Adams St., 503-657-8269, orcity.org). Brass door handles, maroon cozy chairs, a welcoming fireplace (for the right season), and board games to check out—the library’s both gorgeous and inviting. Spend a little time in the two front rooms originally from 1913, then venture into the rest of the library from the 2016 expansion. And keep an eye out for the library’s book bike, out on the prowl. The hashtag is #ocplbookbike and at the time of reporting has zero posts—that first one could be yours.

Grab a Bev

A little parched from all your exploring? Just cross the street and pop by The Hive Social (602 7th St., 503–908-87500, thehivecatering.com) for a pristine cocktail or a bite. You’ll have to hoof it a little farther, but you’ve got two directions for your final stop: First, you can head south and land at the Highland Stillhouse Pub (201 S 2nd St., 503-723-6789, highlandstillhouse.com), a Scottish-influenced whisky bar and local treasure. The bar has more than 750 types of whisky, with a rotating selection of rare offerings (you can schedule a private tasting, too). You can also head north and trek over to Oregon City Brewing (1401 Washington St., 503-705-4805, ocbeerco.com) for a fresh pint from the tap. The brewery’s got food carts too, as does Corner 14 (508 14th St., 503-908-8789, corner14oc.com) across the street, which includes a wealth of carts, a stage for live music, and covered tables with mini fire pits for the chilly days, though you might’ve worked up a sweat from your jaunt.