LETTER: Judith Huck (5/1/26)

Read Judith’s letter to the editor in the Astorian

May 1, 2026

BROSIUS: ‘PRACTICAL, COMMUNITY-ROOTED LEADERSHIP’

Clatsop County has a workforce problem hiding in plain sight: good-paying, career-track jobs that go unfilled because residents simply don't know they exist. Mike Brosius, who is running for Clatsop County Commissioner, is already doing something about it.

I know Mike personally, and what sets him apart is that he doesn't wait for a title before getting to work. Working with Clatsop Community College, he helped redesign the welding program so that students can earn a certificate in as little as 90 days — with scholarships fully funded by local businesses, so they walk out debt-free into jobs starting around $65,000 a year, with a career path to $100,000.

He didn't stop there. When Mike sat down with the maritime industry and asked what they needed, the answer was striking: 300 jobs — not in the future, but today. Tugboat operators, river pilots, bar pilots — positions starting at $85,000 a year, with career earnings reaching well into six figures. The seamanship degree that qualifies candidates is already offered right here at Clatsop Community College.  Its availability and associated opportunities need far better promotion.

The key insight driving all of this is simple but powerful: No one had been asking local employers what they actually needed, and then connecting those needs to the college. Mike is building those bridges — between business, education, and the people who live here and want to build a future here.

That's the kind of practical, community-rooted leadership Clatsop County needs. I encourage you to learn more about Mike Brosius and what he brings to this race.

Judith Huck

Astoria, Oregon