e a s t c o u n t y l e a d e r
october 2013
4
Every community has its drumbeat-
ers — those who are able to build public
support for a cause through their actions
and leadership.
Troutdale Mayor Doug Daoust is a
drumbeater. He actually plays a snare
drum with Portland’s famed One More
Time Around Again Marching Band. But
he is also the master of a more symbolic
drum — the one he champions to en-
gage others in what is near and dear to
his heart.
“I love this community,” Daoust said,
referring to the city he’s proud to call
home and represent. “We have a lot to
o er as the Gateway to the Gorge and we
have a lively volunteer spirit here. at
makes for a high standard of livability in
Troutdale.”
Daoust is a quiet man, with an easy
grin, gentle nature and a twinkle in his
eyes that borders on the mischievous.
He is a thinker, who could be accused
of over thinking issues before acting on
them. Yet his thorough attention to de-
tail and enthusiasm makes him easy to
trust and follow.
Daoust carries a nearly two-decade
long list of civic involvements, spread
among several city committees and
councils, and considers himself “per-
sistent, not bull-headed” when it comes
to his leadership. Politically, in the year
since his election, Daoust has capitalized
on his rapport with other city leaders to
reunite the city council and re-establish
a positive relationship with the sur-
rounding cities.
But at his core, Daoust holds a pas-
sion for Troutdale and its citizens.
Born in Portland, Daoust, 61, grew
up in East Multnomah County. He
played the drums in Marshall High
School’s band and symphony and was a
member of the Lancers Drum and Bugle
Corps. A er graduating from Marshall
in 1970, Daoust spent a year at Mt. Hood
Community College. He transferred to
Oregon State University and earned his
bachelor’s degree in Forest Management
in 1974.
Daoust took a job with the U.S. For-
est Service in the Siskiyou National For-
est in 1975, spending his summers as a
member of the elite Hot Shot Fire ght-
ers. ree years later, he was assigned to
the Olympic National Forest in Washing-
ton. e experience not only launched a
nearly 40-year career with the forest ser-
vice but also provided him with a chan-
nel to serve others.
“I didn’t go to Vietnam because I was
in college,” Daoust said. “And it always
bothered me because I saw what had
happened to those I call “brothers” when
they came home. Working for the federal
government all these years has been my
way of serving my country.”
In 1984, Daoust signed on as a Sil-
viculturist with the Mt. Hood National
Forest, meaning he worked within the
“art and science of growing trees.” Ironi-
Walk softly and
carry a big drum
SPOTLIGHT
continued on next page
Daoust was a co-coordinator for the inception and completion of the Imagination Station play structure in Columbia Park. PAMPLIN MEDIA: JIM CLARK
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