About Mike

A former business leader, Mike Brosius has been an active member of our community for the last decade.

Mike grew up in northern Minnesota, the son of a truck driver. He began working at age 10, unloading trucks alongside his father. While working full-time, he attended the University of North Dakota, earning a degree in Business. After graduating, he moved to Denver, where he met Laura, his wife of 42 years.

A few years later, Mike landed his dream job – joining Costco here in Oregon. Over a 36-year career, he worked for the company in leadership positions across the country, as well as internationally. It shaped his commitment to inclusion, adaptability, and respect for all people. Mike retired in 2022.

Laura and Mike first visited Astoria in 1985 and always planned to retire here. They bought a home and carefully refurbished it. Mike and Laura chose to do more than live in Astoria, but to be engaged, give back, and serve their community. Mike’s volunteer work has included:

Working with Clatsop Community College and local businesses to better align training programs to help residents find high-paying jobs.
Helping the Columbia Memorial Hospital Foundation expand the hospital to add more emergency room and surgical capacity, while prioritizing its resiliency in the face of potential natural disasters.
Pushing to preserve food assistance through the North Coast Food Web in the face of federal funding cuts.
Serving on the board of the Liberty Theatre and launching the Kids Make Theatre program, which has reached 1,800 local students through their programming in under two years.
Pursuing the Oregon Film Museum Expansion with the Clatsop Historical Society to help attract tens of thousands of additional tourists to Astoria each year.

Mike and Laura raised three children. A product of the American Dream, Mike is running for County Commissioner to ensure every family in Clatsop County has the same opportunity to succeed.

Mike’s Work in the community

Mike’s work as a proven business leader has put him in a unique position to do important work in our community. He served in leadership at Costco, where he delivered results to complex problems and managed budgets of up to $20 billion with accountability and efficiency. Now, he’s delivering for Clatsop County.

Mike brought together Clatsop Community College with local businesses to help create more pathways to workforce training in needed jobs including welding and health care.
To help address our housing shortage, Mike is working with local partners to assess the feasibility and logistics of constructing high-quality, prefabricated housing that will both create jobs and provide housing that is affordable to residents.
As a foundation board member, Mike has been an active part of the Columbia Memorial Hospital expansion that will add needed emergency room and surgical capacity, as well as investing in its disaster resiliency and preparing it to serve as a recovery shelter after an earthquake or tsunami.
Working on the finance committee of the Clatsop Historical Society, Mike helped support the expansion of the Oregon Film Museum.
Through his volunteer service as treasurer of the Liberty Theatre, Mike is helping preserve this historical treasure and help 1,800 local students access their programming.
Pushing to preserve food assistance through the North Coast Food Web in the face of federal funding cuts.
Mike is also active in the Heritage Square project to build a public plaza in the heart of downtown Astoria.
Mike has been an active part of work with City of Astoria, Columbia Memorial Hospital, and local nonprofits to improve Astoria’s community health, strengthen preventative care, and improve longevity.