Oregon is "exploring the creation of a sporting goods product-management program" at its Portland campus, addressing what officials believe is a "glaring need for the footwear and apparel-dominated local industry," according to Allan Brettman of the Portland OREGONIAN. Lundquist College of Business Adjunct Instructor of Marketing Ellen Schmidt-Devlin, who "worked nearly three decades at Nike," has been "leading the effort to assess demand in Portland." The city has "the highest concentration of footwear distribution and footwear manufacturing in the U.S." Schmidt-Devlin said that the program would "prepare students for sports product and sports apparel management." The "first of four management workshops planned this academic year" on Friday will be "a first step" toward a UO program. The two-day workshop, "Sustainability: Design through Manufacturing," will "be taught by four leaders in the sustainability industry." Nike Dir of Global Transition Management Steve Bence said, "There's a need for people who live and work around here." Portland-based footwear company RYZ Founder & CEO Rob Langstaff, a former adidas American President, is helping Schmidt-Devlin "prepare a potential curriculum" (Portland OREGONIAN, 11/1).
