Nichole Rutherford knows what it means to show up for your community. As City Manager for the city of Coos Bay, she spends her days working alongside elected officials, city staff, and residents to shape the future of the place she calls home.
Her leadership is grounded in service.
“Community continues to inspire me,” Nichole says. “We all play a role in making Coos Bay a great place to live, work, and recreate.”
Nichole’s path to this role didn’t follow a straight line.
She grew up in the tiny southern Oregon town of Butte Falls, eventually moving and graduating from Reedsport High School. She started her college journey at Southern Oregon University. A year later, she transferred to SWOCC. Her decision was driven by practicality. SWOCC offered an affordable option close to home that allowed her to save and stay close to her support system.
Nichole didn’t complete her degree right away. Her life took another direction. She got married, started a family, and put her college plans on hold. Nearly 15 years later, Nichole returned to SWOCC to finish what she started.
“From high school graduation to earning my bachelor’s degree, twenty years passed by,” Nichole says. “Returning to school as an adult raising a young family, made the process accessible and doable. I took one course a term.”
SWOCC was affordable, but more than anything at SWOCC, Nichole felt seen and supported.
“The class sizes and the professors were more accessible — like real people,” she recalls. “It felt like the SWOCC team met me where I was.”
Ultimately, Nichole earned her Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She’s grateful for the flexibility and care SWOCC offered throughout her journey.
Today, as City Manager, Nichole sees the vital role community colleges continue to play. And not just in individual lives, but in building strong local infrastructure.
“SWOCC is a key part of what the Coos Bay of tomorrow looks like,” she says. “The college has heard the needs of the community and is developing training programs to help fill employment gaps — like the diesel mechanic curriculum and the partnership with local fire departments on the fire tower.”
Nichole believes more people should know how accessible SWOCC is.
“Access to quality college education at an affordable rate is available just outside our back door,” she says. “Because of SWOCC, I enjoy an engaging and fulfilling career.”
It’s a path she hopes inspires others to explore their own educational or professional goals.
