The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) is a 23-member staff of professional employees with broad duties and skill-sets. Each team member helps make AOC the success it is today. Here is an opportunity to meet a member of your AOC team.
Meet AOC County Road Program IT Trainer & Communications Specialist, Robert Yde
Robert Yde joined the AOC team in February of 2023 as IT Trainer & Communications Specialist. In his role, Robert primarily supports the public affairs and communication needs of the County Road Program (CRP). He also serves as the first point of contact and trainer for CRP’s Integrated Road Information System (IRIS).
After graduating from college, Robert spent five years in the U.S. Army as a public affairs specialist, including a 15-month deployment to Baghdad, Iraq. Following his time in the army, he relocated to Oregon and continued to work in public affairs, first at the Oregon State Hospital, then at Samaritan Health Plans in Corvallis. In 2018, Robert changed careers and began his first year of teaching middle school language arts and social studies courses in Albany, which he continued to do until joining AOC in early 2023.
Robert holds a Bachelor’s degree in sociology from North Carolina State University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in education from Oregon State University.
AOC County Road Program
Robert’s position is housed in the CRP department of AOC.
The AOC CRP was established in 1990 as a cooperative with the OACES to provide advocacy, education, and cost-effective solutions as a trusted central resource for information and technical assistance for Oregon’s county road departments. The purpose of the CRP is to enhance county road management capabilities with programs of shared technical assistance. The core functions of CRP include: advocating for the county road system; providing education and information to road officials; providing cost accounting software – IRIS – for county road departments; and staffing OACES.
Why Robert Loves AOC
“County government is often overshadowed by federal and state government, however, county governments provide essential services to their citizens and the communities within them. Something that I love about AOC is how the organization works hand-in-hand with our county partners to offer tools, resources, and information to further empower our local governments to best meet the needs of their citizens.”
What Interests Robert in His Work
“Although I’ve always been interested in journalism and an avid follower of the news, I found my way into the public affairs world by chance when I joined the Army. My first choice of jobs was not available at the time, and public affairs was offered to me instead. As I learned the job, the part that really resonated with me was being able to tell the story of individual soldiers and the work they were doing. The opportunity to meet a wide-range of people, hear their stories, and be able to share these stories with a wider audience is still my favorite aspect of public affairs.”
What Robert Wants to See in the Future for AOC
“I truly believe that being able to address issues and find solutions at the local level is more important than ever. The decisions and actions of local governments often have the greatest impact on peoples’ daily lives, and I’d like to see AOC continue to work closely with counties to find efficient and effective solutions that improve the quality of lives for Oregonians across the state.”
Outside of AOC
Outside of AOC, Robert enjoys playing guitar and listening to music (preferably live), watching sports, and playing video games with his 14-year-old son. Additionally, when it is not raining, Robert likes to spend time outdoors with his wife and their two dogs.
Contributed by: Megan Chuinard | Public Affairs Associate