Port of Umpqua commissioners approved Donna Train as the new manager for the port at a Dec. 19 meeting - a little more than a year after she was hired as the assistant to the former manager.

Train and her husband, Michael, both grew up in Reedsport. After living away from the area for about 15 years, they moved back. Michael worked at International Paper until it closed; Donna worked at Reedsport Machine and Fabrication and Salmon Harbor Marina.

Train said that during her tenure at Salmon Harbor, the fuel dock was installed, she helped with the development of the East Spit, and the first phase of the RV park was completed.

Then IP closed. The Trains had to relocate.

They headed first to Arizona, then to Vancouver, Wash. It was in Vancouver that Train gained experience in the financial world, working for two different credit unions.

“I have a diverse background,” Train said, “in economic development and some in finance.”

It was family, though, that influenced the Trains' decision to return to the area: Her parents and his parents still live here.

Train has been interim manager since former manager Margie Earhart left in May and she plans to continue furthering the port's mission of assisting in creating jobs and businesses and activities and working with other agencies to create a better quality of life for the port district.

The port already is facing problems related to obtaining funding for dredging the channel of the Umpqua River. It's also been instrumental in efforts to establish a wave-energy park in the ocean off Gardiner.

Biofuels - another alternative energy project - has been added to the port's list of ventures.

Recently, the port has been trying to get grant money for a study that would look at the feasibility of biofuel production in the area.

“We're looking at Scottsburg, Smith River, Ash Valley,” Train said. “Could (a biofuel) be an agricultural production? Could it be something we could get from wood products? We just don't know.”