Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek hadn’t been in Baker City long for her first official visit before she was running a piece of earthmoving equipment.

It was a simulator rather than a real machine, but it gave the governor a hands-on idea of what happens at Baker Technical Institute.

Kotek toured the institute Wednesday, meeting with President Doug Dalton, other staff and students at the post-secondary institution near Baker High School that offers career and technical training for teenagers and adults.

The governor’s stop in Baker City was part of her “One Oregon Listening Tour.” Kotek, who was inaugurated in January, plans to visit each of the state’s 36 counties this year.

Her stop in Baker County was number 18, after she also stopped in Malheur County earlier in the day.

Kotek said her goal is to build partnerships with cities, counties and local organizations to advance her priorities including housing, mental health, addiction care and education.

During a tour of the Baker Technical Institute, Kotek saw firsthand the training offered by the organization. Dalton showed the governor the land lab, an outdoor training site for heavy equipment operators, and the CAT heavy equipment simulators. Kotek and her wife, Aimee Wilson, took turns putting the simulator to good use, both smiling as they tested their skills at operating heavy equipment in a virtual realm.