About Simon Benson: Lumber King, Civic Leader, Visionary
Presented by: Sig Unander, Jr.
Multnomah Falls…the Historic Columbia River Highway…Portland’s
iconic “bubbler” fountains…the Benson Hotel....Benson Polytechnic High
School….the Forestry Building….these priceless public assets exemplify the
dedication and generosity of Simon Benson.
A poor Norwegian immigrant, Benson’s life was a cross-section of
Oregon’s development, a story of incredible achievement. He revolutionized the
Northwest logging industry by pioneering steam power, logging railroads and
perfecting huge seagoing log rafts. He led the movement to build good roads and
was first Chair of the Oregon State Highway Commission. Benson was honored as
Oregon Citizen of the Year at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in
San Francisco.
Author, filmmaker and historian Sig Unander, a fourth-generation
Oregonian, tells how this humble, hardworking woodsman overcame daunting
challenges to become Oregon’s Lumber King, then worked just as diligently
giving back to his adopted state and country.
About the Speaker:
A professional communicator and community leader, Sig is a native
of Portland, Oregon. He began his career working in broadcast and print
journalism at media outlets in New Mexico, Minnesota and Georgia and as a
freelance writer. Returning to Oregon, he worked for KYTE and KLLB, Portland,
helped launch the annual Rose Festival Air Show, worked as a communications
specialist, ran a fine art publishing company and edited a business magazine.
More recently he held positions as Director of Public Relations with Latin
Media Northwest and Project Development Director with Eravision, a Los Angeles
film production company.
Sig owns Presentations That Inspire, a public speaking,
writing, editing and consulting business located in a Portland suburb. Known
for meticulous writing and research, he works with businesses, nonprofits,
government agencies, libraries and private clients on diverse projects. He is a
member of Authors Guild, Willamette Writers, the Society of Professional
Journalists and Northwest Writers & Publishers Association.
A strong advocate of public service, Sig has served as an elected
city councilor and an appointed commissioner on several county government
boards and committees. He has served as Vice-President of the Public Affairs
Forum, President of the Simon Benson Fund and a board member of several other
nonprofits. He is active in chambers of commerce and civic organizations and
writes editorials and opinion pieces highlighting current issues.
Sig holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from Pacific
University and served as President of its Alumni Association board. He also
holds a post-baccalaureate degree in Latin American Studies from Portland State
University.
