Graham will discuss the impact a Census has on our communities for the next 10 years. The Census determines the distribution of more than $700 billion annually in federal funds, which includes programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, Head Start, the National School Lunch Program, highway planning and construction, and more. It defines congressional and state legislative districts, school districts, and voting precincts and determines the number of seats we get in the U.S. House of Representatives. Florence had one of the highest non-response rates for Lane County in the 2010 Census, with 13-15% of the population not being counted, according to the Lane Council of Governments.

Graham also will talk about the Census Partnership Program, which works with local governments and community organizations as we together strive to identify, reach, interview and/or persuade “Hard to Count” populations such as older adults, young children, people experiencing homelessness and rural communities to respond to the 2020 Census.

Finally, the critical importance of Census data and its role in statistics, grant funding and planning in both the public and private sectors will be discussed at a high level.

Graham is a Partnership Specialist with the 2020 U.S. Census supporting the Oregon Coast. His background is in senior living management, entrepreneurial business, and fruit fly genetics, in addition to years as a U.S. Navy sonar technician and Navy instructor.