About Erin Stephenson

Erin Stephenson is a McMinnville, Oregon native whose passion for travel is eclipsed only by her love for her hometown. After growing up here, she headed south to the University of Oregon, where she earned degrees in History and English. Her college years were punctuated with international adventures that gave way to extended travels through Europe after she graduated in 2001. She returned home to McMinnville with a dream of opening a small hotel someday — but for the time being, she set her sights on the nonprofit sector. After serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, Erin was hired as Executive Director of McMinnville Area Habitat for Humanity, a role she held for five years before moving on to manage charitable giving programs for a local bank. She loved the nonprofit work, but the hotel dream never quite let go — so in 2010, she launched 3rd Street Flats, a boutique lodging company in downtown McMinnville that has since grown to two locations. Still chasing that long-held dream, she opened the Atticus Hotel in 2018 alongside partners Brian Shea and Ben Perle. A labor of love in every sense, the Atticus Hotel feels like a love song to the community that raised her. Erin continues to indulge her passion for nonprofit work by volunteering with local organizations around town. She was named Woman of the Year in 2019 and Business Leader of the Year in both 2015 and 2024 by the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce, and has received the Mayor's Pillar of the Community Award. Erin and her husband, Travis, live in McMinnville with their two sons, two cats, and their lovable Spinone Italiano puppy Lui.