And the new name is...DevNW!

Renaming an organization is a tricky business, but we found the right name – and the right brand – with DevNW. When we started the merger process, we knew we couldn’t merge our names. (Though we had fun playing around with it: Willamette Neighborhood Economic Development and Housing Services Corporation…has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?!)

We set a high bar. We wanted a name that included all of our communities – from the coast to the valley to the cascades, from urban to rural, from homebuyers to business owners to young adults learning about finances and everyone in between. We didn't want jargon. We definitely didn't want acronyms. And we wanted a name that could grow with us, as we become the organization we envision from this merger.

We found what we were looking for in DevNW:

• Strength from the root of 'development' – which represents so much of what we do: developing housing, developing thriving neighborhoods, developing financial literacy and assets…you get the idea!
• Grounded in community through 'northwest', which is the geography that ties us all together.
• Short and sweet.
• With a dose of playfulness brought in by the icons that represent so much of what we do.

We love it - and we hope that you will, too!