Jessica Gomez Appointed New Board Chair Of Oregon Institute Of Technology Board Of Trustees

Rogue Valley Microdevices CEO Jessica Gomez was recently named board chair of Oregon Institute of Technology Board of Trustees, serving her second four-year term on the board through 2022; her first was as a member of the board, serving from 2014-2018.

As the governing body of Oregon's only polytechnic university, Oregon Institute of Technology (“Oregon Tech”), the Oregon Tech Board of Trustees is comprised of 14 individuals with varying backgrounds, from entrepreneurs and elected officials to CEOs, consultants and managers. Each member is appointed by the Governor of Oregon and confirmed by the State Senate.

As an advocate for STEM, Jessica hopes to further the mission of higher education in Oregon. She believes the students attending universities today will be the business leaders, engineers, and scientists of tomorrow. They will take on many of the worlds’ challenges, such as meeting an increased global demand for energy while developing new and innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Jessica has long thought it was important for business owners, companies and community members to get involved in programs that will inspire the next generation of engineers and innovators. For those who don’t know where to begin, even simply supporting STEM education in your own community has a positive impact.

“Technology has changed the course of my life,” said Gomez. “It has opened opportunities that I could not have imagined when I was in my teens, and that’s a major reason why I am so interested in STEM education at all age levels. Serving on the Board of Trustees of Oregon Tech is just one more way that I can give back to the community, supporting a public institution that offers exceptional engineering programs to people who want to parlay their passion for technology into a meaningful career.”

In addition to serving on the Oregon Tech Board of Trustees, Jessica has supported STEM throughout her career. During SEMICON West in 2018, Jessica and Rogue Valley Microdevices introduced members of Southern Oregon’s Team TNT, a FIRST Tech Challenge high school robotics team that competed in the World Championships, to SEMICON West attendees.

Because of this opportunity, the students were able to attend SEMI Foundation’s High Tech U and to showcase their robot at the Smart Workforce Pavilion and at Rogue Valley Microdevices’ booth.

Jessica believes that moments like these create a lasting impact on students in STEM and inspire others to learn more. That is why groups such as the Oregon Tech Board of Trustees are so important; they can help pave the way for future creators and leaders in the tech industry to have meaningful experiences in their field of interest.

Read more about Jessica’s new position as board chair on Oregon Tech.