Leadership Portland Class of 2023

Wade is a senior manager with PwC’s Indirect Tax Automation practice based in Portland, Oregon. He has more than 10 years of experience with indirect tax automation solutions, and has worked on numerous Vertex solutions and use tax automation projects.

Relevant experience

• Has lead requirements gathering sessions for domestic and global implementations, designing system processes, and supporting testing and cutover activities by bringing leading approaches to effective delivery
• Has supported various initiatives with our Tax Engine partners to discuss opportunities to improve the content and tax engine
• Is a certified Vertex O Series implementer and has led various domestic and global projects
• Providence Cancer Research Board Member
• Solar Hope Board Member

Ryan Bennett is a Relationship Manager and Managing Director for PNC’s Corporate Bank. In this role, he is primarily responsible for serving middle market and large corporate companies in Oregon/SW Washington. He provides thought leadership in credit structuring, treasury automation, and other banking services to businesses across a variety of industry sectors.

Prior to his current role, Ryan spent 9 years at JPMorgan Chase working with local companies to meet their banking needs. Part of his time at JPMorgan included time in Chicago providing subordinated and stretch senior debt solutions for private equity backed transactions.

Ryan earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Oregon where he majored in Accounting. He later went on to earn his CPA designation and obtained his Series 79 and Series 63 securities licenses. He volunteered as an assistant varsity basketball coach for his alma mater Sunset High School. In his free time, Ryan enjoys spending time golfing, exploring Oregon with his family, and rooting for the Ducks!

My name is Jennifer Blythe.  I am a sales manager for Swire Coca-Cola USA; currently managing all of the on-premise and food service business out of the Wilsonville, Oregon sales center.  I manage a team of 20 sales professionals who are focused on customer service and growing the share of Coca-Cola beverages in the marketplace.  I have been part of representing one of the most recognizable brands in the world for over ten years.

I am originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico but made my way to the PNW for college.  I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.  After graduating college, I was hired on at a resort golf course in Aloha, Oregon to sell beverages and snacks to golfers.  What started as a summer job, turned into a decade long career moving from beverage cart attendant all the way up to food and beverage director, overseeing the entire operation.

Leading people is my passion; helping others develop and achieve both personal and professional goals is what fuels me.  I have always sought ways to positively impact others and my community.  I am interested in participating in the Portland Business Alliance Leadership Portland program to actively participate in a team and engage in finding ways to tackle community issues.

Rachel DeRosia has been a member of the Public Affairs team at PGE since 2001. She spent over a decade on the Community Affairs team, managing PGE’s sponsorships and community investments strategy. She is currently the manager of Low-Income Policy in Government Affairs. Her most recent accomplishments include contributing to the development of PGE’s Project Zero initiative and PGE’s Income-Qualified Bill Discount program.

Rachel is a native Oregonian who was born and raised in Salem. She now lives in Milwaukie, with her partner Matt, step-son Carter and fur babies Allie, Kona and Daisy.

She serves on the boards of Community Energy Project, SOLVE and her neighborhood Homeowner’s Association. Previously she served on the board of Schoolhouse Supplies.

My educational background includes a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from the University of Central Florida and a Master’s in Public Administration- with a graduate certificate in Community Preparedness and Disaster Management - from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While my MPA focused on local government administration - budgeting, governance, and operations – I was able to branch out into city and regional planning, focusing on housing and community development.

That focus, as well as an opportunity to volunteer with Rebuilding Together – a housing repair nonprofit – enabled me to start my own nonprofit, Banyan, serving over 150 homeowners and organizations over three years. And while it was ultimately unsustainable – it’s tough to provide in-home services during a pandemic – it provided an in-depth look at nonprofit management, from budgeting and operations to development and advertising. We were also able to bring a data science lens to our work, developing a survey methodology to measure the health outcomes of our environmental interventions, focusing on the social determinates of health.

After transitioning back to engineering - I’ve led master planning efforts for both water resources and transportation projects, as well as helped develop funding models for new utilities. I've been involved in the planning and design of mixed-modal transportation projects, including the Southwest Corridor Light Rail project and both PBOT and ODOT corridor improvement projects. Currently, I’m one of the co-chairs for PBOT’s Bureau and Budget Advisory Committee, as well as a member of the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant Advisory Committee. These projects and relationships have enabled me to better support my neighborhood, acting as an advocate for land use projects in Brooklyn.

My current position combines many of those passions – using data to help organizations grow sustainably. By prioritizing people as much as data, we’re able to build the sort of organizations we’d want to work for. And while the for-profit sector is still a little new, the opportunity to stretch into software development and data science while still using my experience with organizational development has been a fun stretch.

Gillian Eubanks joined Columbia Trust Company in 2013 and brings over 15 years of experience in both personal and institutional trust administration, estate settlement and non-profit relationships. Gillian graduated from Cannon Financial Trust School in 2016 and holds the designation of Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA). She is an active member of the Estate Planning Councils of Portland and Southwest Washington, serves as treasurer for the board of Historic Downtown Oak Grove and volunteers for Financial Beginnings of Oregon.

As Director of Program Strategy and Evaluation, Leslie is responsible for managing strategic philanthropic investments, community partnership and projects that advance equity through whole person health in underserved communities in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. In this role, Leslie works with leaders to evaluate new areas for investment and leads efforts to build and measure value producing partnerships and alliances in areas such as behavioral health, caregiving and health equity. She has a personal passion for working with and serving older adults, demonstrated through 20 years of personal and professional experience in the field of aging and caregiving.

Prior to working at Cambia, Leslie was the Executive Director of Elders in Action, a Portland based advocacy non-profit organization that works to assure a vibrant community through the active involvement of older adults. Leslie lives in Portland, Oregon, where she serves on the board of directors for Ride Connection a local transportation non-profit organization and serves on the University of Portland Dorothy Day Social Work Program Advisory Board. Leslie was recognized as a Cambia Value Award winner for living the value of Hope in 2019. She received her a Bachelor of Science degree from Madonna University and her MBA from the University of Portland.

Elizabeth Fox is the Business Development Director for Percipio Consulting headquartered in Portland, OR. Percipio is a project-focused business consulting firm that has led some of the most impactful projects in the region – from large-scale energy trading system implementations to ERP software implementations, mergers, and supply chain transformations. Elizabeth leads the company’s sales strategy, sales operations, and Practice Areas.

Elizabeth has managed and executed large-scale programs for Defense, Retail, Consumer Products, Energy, Not for Profit, and Financial Services clients. She earned a BA in Integrative Studies from George Mason University, a Masters in Public Administration from Virginia Tech, and a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare from The George Washington University. Elizabeth maintains a strong focus on the local community by volunteering with various organizations.

Danielle Hart joined Ferguson Wellman Capital Management in 2015 as a sales and marketing manager. She also serves as the marketing liaison to the business development team. Danielle graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in wood science and technology, as well as a minor in Business and Entrepreneurship and French. Prior to joining the firm, she was employed with Arauco North America as an inside sales representative. She serves as a Marketing Advisory Circle committee member for the Oregon State University College of Business. In her free time, Danielle and her husband enjoy competing in west coast swing competitions across the U.S. and traveling.

Karl Hausafus is dedicated to ensuring independence and integrity of Arnerich Massena, Inc. and the investment services the firm provides to clients, ensuring the firm is held to the highest standards of compliance and industry best practices.

As general counsel and chief compliance officer, Karl bears overall responsibility for the firm’s legal and compliance functions, serving the legal needs of the business while managing the firm’s compliance program and ensuring compliance with all federal securities laws. 

Karl’s legal and compliance experience spans over 20 years, including having served as chief legal officer for Saturna Capital Corporation, a global asset management firm; as general counsel and chief compliance officer for the Oregon State Treasury and its $90 billion investment program; as general counsel and chief compliance officer of Compass Holdings, LLC, an Oregon‐based private investment fund manager; and as an attorney with Preston Gates & Ellis, LLP (n.k.a. K&L Gates LLP).

Karl Hausafus earned his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, while working full time in the finance industry, and holds a Bachelor of Science in marketing and business management from the University of Oregon. He is a former FINRA Series 7 and 24 license holder, and current FINRA Series 66 license holder.

Karl is a steadfast volunteer in Arnerich Massena’s award‐winning I AM Learning Partnership community service programs. While clients may not interact with Karl frequently, he is a steadfast presence within the firm. Counseling the firm on a broad range of issues, he is passionate about the company’s investment process and client service. From cybersecurity to private placement life insurance to investment manager due diligence, Karl is involved behind the scenes in most of what the firm does.

Hunter currently serves as the Sr. Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for the Portland Trail Blazers. In this role she leads DE&I strategy, policy and learning for the organization. She oversees the internal and external execution of equity and inclusion initiatives for the team and works to increase the impact of Trail Blazers in BIPOC and underserved communities.

Prior to her time in Portland, Hunter led diversity and inclusion initiatives for Brown University’s Campus Life and Athletics’ Department, was responsible for the creation and growth of the Department of Inclusion & Engagement at the University of Wisconsin Athletics, and spent time working at UC-Berkeley working with Cal Men’s & Women’s Basketball. She taught in New Orleans Public School District, and has held various positions within professional sports. She earned a BA in Public Relations and Sports Administration from Howard University, and holds a Juris Doctor from Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

Maika Janat-Vennemann is the COO at Sport Oregon, joining the organization in March 2019. A native of Frankfurt, Germany, Janat-Vennemann has two decades of event and marketing-management experience with expertise in a wide variety of professional disciplines, including executive and project leadership, premium live event production, brand marketing and business development.

In just over three years with Sport Oregon, Janat-Vennemann has served as a transformational management leader for the dynamic new team at the non-profit, helping steward the organization’s new vision and mission development that has reshaped its organizational strategy and implementation.

Janat-Vennemann began her professional events career in 2004 when she joined satis&fy – a leading international provider of live communication and experiential marketing. She steadily advanced and grew with satis&fy over a period of 13 years, overseeing office openings in Brazil, New York and Portland to accommodate the company’s growing global appeal. In Portland, she was the U.S. branch president and managing director from 2012-17.

Janat-Vennemann was recognized as a Portland Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree in 2016. Janat-Vennemann currently serves as a founding member of the board of directors for WISE Portland, a leading voice and resource for women in the business of sports.

Hello – My name is Robert Jepsen

I love to build. The process of unifying people, ideas, and resources to produce solutions brings me great happiness. My day often affords me the pleasure of working with talented construction professionals, craftworkers, owners, and end users who share my passion for the construction community--people, process, and execution.

Here at Lewis, I am responsible for the overall account management and successful outcomes for key Lewis clients. It is the opportunity to partner with great people striving to deliver on our core values as an organization that gets me out of bed each morning. Safety, Value, Quality, Profitability, Trust & Respect, and Fulfillment. Being able to embody a set of values you not only believe in, but live, make for great alignment.

EVERY DECISION. EVERY DETAIL. EVERY DAY.

Gabrielle Kliewer is a Senior Account Representative and agent for SAIF, Oregon’s not-for-profit workers’ comp carrier. An effective communicator, Gabrielle uses a mix of education and empowerment to manage the workers’ comp policies for several Portland area businesses. In this role, Gabrielle has the privilege of building relationships with a diverse series of organizations and occupations ranging from small employers to large, multi-site operations. She is passionate about partnering with her clients to lower their workers’ comp costs and align the insurance coverage with their business ethos.

An avid learner, Gabrielle uses the time away from clients to continue her professional growth through book clubs, mentorship, and project work. One of the projects she loved most was making a Portland newsletter for her colleagues to know more about the happenings around town. In her spare time (which isn’t a lot since she has two little children), she enjoys being outside, reading, playing board games, or binging her favorite TV shows like The Office or Top Chef.

I started his leadership journey as a young, ignorant, and overly confident child.  Graduating college at 21, within a few short years of high school, I was leading a group of folks with no realistic training, coaching or mentorship.  I learned (mainly what NOT to do) through a few years of trial and error.  Looking back, it makes me cringe to think that I was managing and ultimately, affecting people’s lives.  In 2012, I made one of the best decisions of my career.  I took a step back, joined a credit union as an Assistant Branch Manager, and was given the culture and environment to be the leader I really wanted to be, what I strived to be.  

I have participated in many leadership learning seminars, groups and in 2014, I joined Leadership Spokane, where I learned about the principles of Robert Greenleaf’s, Servant Leadership. From that point on, I have since practiced (to the best of my ability) the leadership philosophy built on the belief that the most effective leaders strive to serve others, rather than accrue power or take control. 

Serving, not only my work team, I have a passion for the communities in which I live and play.  While in Spokane, I had the privilege to serve on multiple community boards.  Wonderful organizations that have made a difference in education, care & activity for under-privileged children and improved the quality of the environment in the Inland Northwest.  I am eager to learn more about and to plug myself into this beautiful Greater Portland community.  

Patricia is a Director for Moss Adams LLP’s assurance services practice in Portland, Oregon. She has practiced public accounting since 2008 and specializes in the professional services industry and employee benefit plan sector. Patricia has experience managing and directing assurance services for both public and privately-held companies for a variety of different industries, including manufacturing, professional services, construction, and transportation. She is also a member of the executive committee for the firm’s Employee Benefit Plan Service Group, and assists with firm-wide benefit plan education and quality control.

Brings the magic to ignite others greatness!

Jamaal Lane is a visionary. At heart he is a man devoted to building community and building others up to see their instinctive greatness. Beginning from behind the barber chair to educating the future leaders of the barber profession, assisting the community in acquiring real estate assets, and most recently co-creating a personal development program centered around crafting one’s Victorious Vision with systems for empowerment. Jamaal is currently authoring his first book.

Jamaal is a self-taught Professional Barber and owner of Champions Barbershop brand in Portland, OR, since 2008. The motto of the barbershop is Community Builds Champions. BE ONE! Understanding that building and sustaining greatness comes by way of dedication and determination. The support of one's community builds up a community member that can continue to invest talents and energy that upholds the community. The Professional Barbers hold space to build up the confidence of our community members to go out into the world and thrive as the Champions they are born to be.

In 2017 Jamaal Co-Founded Champions Barbering Institute the only Barber owned and operated Barber College in Oregon. The Profession was being watered down and the integrity of the Profession was suffering due to the educational system. This is no longer the case thanks to CBI alumni playing an active role in the re-establishment of raising the bar back to the high standard of ancient times.

In 2020 Jamaal realized a long term vision to broker real estate, he is now a member of The Block Diamond Group . Jamaal is on a mission to assist community members seeking to invest and acquire real estate to continue on the trajectory of building community in a additional sector.

Jamaal Lane is an accomplished entrepreneur, husband, and father of three. In lite of the global pandemic he Co-Founded Be Great University to offer a personal development program that centers around self-discovery and self-empowerment to assist others in cultivating their very own Victorious Vision.

Kimberly Langdon has over 20 years of experience at Oregon’s largest media company. She is currently working as the Manager of Sales Support and Advertising Operations. She’s been called a ‘master-multi-tasker,’ is fiercely resourceful, and enjoys a good challenge to solve problems for coworkers and customers. She leads a sharp team to support the sales group, matching adverting solutions to clients’ needs and successfully fulfilling campaigns and increasing sales. 

A born-and-raised Oregonian, Kimberly is passionate about her community. She loves helping people however she can, and regularly prepares meals for the homeless.

In her spare time, Kimberly enjoys traveling, hiking, kayaking, and cuddling with her rabbit. She lives in Portland with her husband. 

Nathaniel Levy is an associate on the firm’s real estate and business law teams, with particular focus on serving national and community banks as well as clients in the real estate and cannabis industries.

Nat regularly represents clients, including developers and public and nonprofit entities, in purchase and sale transactions and in the disposition of large real estate portfolios. In this regard, he has prepared and helped negotiate dozens of purchase and sale agreements, reviewed title reports and due diligence, and managed escrow closings. He also has considerable understanding of issues in commercial leasing, including Class A office space and cannabis retail, processing, and production, and has advised clients in specific leasing transactions and amendments as well as prepared forms for clients’ repeated use. Nat has also drafted easements and other recorded real property agreements for various situations, particularly for construction, access, and utilities in connection with real property development. 

Nat frequently works with both national and community banks and borrowers in real estate loan transactions. His work includes preparing and reviewing loan documents, title and survey review, drafting and negotiating ancillary documents including landlord and franchising consents and agreements, preparing opinion letters, and escrow closings.

He has also represented business clients in a variety of transactions and situations, including asset and stock purchases and sales, entity formation and governance, maritime vessel chartering and sales, and international distribution agreements. Related to these matters, Nat has reviewed due diligence materials, prepared bylaws and operating agreements, and advised on potentially applicable laws of foreign jurisdictions.

During law school, Nat served as an executive editor for the Willamette Law Review and was class valedictorian. Prior to law school, he spent three years as a civil litigation legal assistant. He joined Miller Nash in 2017 as a summer associate.

Sara Lockwood-Morales joined the Portland Timbers and Thorns FC in 2020 as Vice President, Partnership Marketing, and oversees the partnership marketing team for the 1-time MLS Cup and MLS is Back Champions, Portland Timbers and the 2-time NWSL Champions, Portland Thorns FC, and the newly expanded sports facility (and home to Portland Timbers and Thorns FC) Providence Park. She manages existing corporate partnerships for sports and venue property for our portfolio in the Portland area: Portland Timbers (MLS), Portland Thorns FC (NWSL), Providence Park, and more.

Sara holds a bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona University. She currently sits on the board for WISE Portland (Women in Sports and Entertainment).

Sara has more than 15-years of sponsorship experience in marketing and a passion for cultivating strong business partnerships and relationships. Prior experience at Anaheim Ducks Hockey Team and Arizona Coyotes Hockey Club.

My name is Christina Luethe, Director of Human Resources at Skamania Lodge, Benchmark Pyramid Global Hospitality. I was born in Portland, OR. I currently own a home in SE Portland, I went to Lincoln Highschool and graduated from Portland State University with a BS in Social Sciences. I have spent time living abroad and around the United States and found when it was time to buy a home…I fit in best right in my hometown. I adore living in a city with rivers! I can often be found, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking and playing with my dogs in those rivers. I golf, hike, climb, garden and love live music. I have a 25-year old daughter that lives in Portland and also goes to Portland State University currently finishing her degree in Business. I live with my boyfriend, Tim, of 7 years, 2 dogs and 1 cat that sheds horribly. A lot of my time at work is managing employee relations issues and helping others communicate better. Over the years I have found my gift is in communication, coaching and talent acquisition. I enjoy working with managers to refine their skills as confident leaders, by helping them identify what their leadership strengths are and supporting them as they develop those strengths. I am a listener and a huge employee advocate, that believes having a seat at the table allows their voices to be heard.

Alex Salazar is an Assistant Director of Recruitment for Willamette University’s MBA for Professionals program. He holds a B.A. from the University of Oregon in political science and an M.B.A. from the Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University. Previously, he worked within the nonprofit sector assisting developing microenterprises. Originally from Mazatlán, Mexico and raised in Central Oregon, Alex has a passion for learning, politics & cinema.

T.J. has extensive knowledge of communications, strategic planning, marketing, and brand building and has worked globally while living across North America, The Netherlands, and Russia.  He has 20 years of experience as a global director for large brands, including Nike, Target, Macy’s, and Sportmaster.  Since returning home to Portland from abroad, he has shifted his focus to making a difference in Portland. He currently serves as Vice Chairman, Board of Directors for Childpeace Montessori School, sits on the Board of Directors for Sail2Change, a local non-profit focused on changing the lives of historically underrepresented youth through sailing, mentorship, and tutoring, Board Member of Kenton Neighborhood Association, and is a Senior Associate at D&E, a full-service firm which specializes in running political campaigns

Laura McMahon is a Finance Operations Director with Providence Health & Services and has 17 years of experience within the Healthcare environment. She started as a laboratory assistant with the Oregon Regional Core Laboratory in January of 2006. Over her 10 years in the laboratory, she grew into leadership roles in both operational and quality departments. In January of 2016, she embarked on a new journey within Providence by moving to the Oregon Medical Group Finance Department.

Throughout the transition, she brought her background in data technology, process engineering and performance reporting to the Medical Group as they were expanding their knowledge and understanding of Value Based Contract Performance. Soon after the transition, Laura also began partnering as a leader for ProvNext, a caregiver resource group that focuses on networking, community service and development. Starting in 2018, she took on a Finance Director role where she expanded her oversight to include Coding, Revenue Cycle and Referrals.

Laura holds a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering with a focus in Neuroengineering from Oregon Health & Science University, and a bachelor’s degree in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Sociology from Oregon State University. Early in her healthcare career, she completed coursework to be a certified change facilitator and lean six sigma black belt.

On a personal note, she is a life-time Oregonian growing up in a small town in the Willamette Valley. Laura currently resides just East of Portland with her husband and two young boys. As a family, they enjoy spending time outdoors through hiking, kayaking, archery, and fishing.

Outside of work, Laura is actively involved with her community through her boys’ school and coaching youth sports. She also enjoys spending time volunteering with the Oregon Food Bank sorting food, Milwaukie Senior Center chopping wood, High School mentorship conducting mock interviews and Oregon Convention Center during the Mass Vaccination Event.

Katie Mongue joined the Portland Business Alliance in 2005 as the graphic designer on the communications team. In February 2022, she was promoted to the director of communications and digital media. In her new role, she works to advance the communications strategy for the organization and has extensive experience with branding, project management, advertising and print design. Prior to working for the Alliance, Katie worked for Portland Public Schools where she managed print and web design projects in their IT and communications departments.

Katie is a native Portlander and graduated from Portland State University with a degree in graphic design. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, walking half marathons and spending time with her niece.

My name is Chris Mueller and I am the Associate Director of Development working for the Duck Athletic Fund in Portland. From a young age, playing, practicing, and watching sports has shaped what I do and who I am as a person. I can thank sports for many of my greatest friendships, memories, and achievements. I consider myself very lucky to work in a profession that has meant so much to me and my family.

I grew up in Southwest Portland playing Football, Basketball, and Baseball through my senior year of High School. I attended St. John Fisher from Kindergarten through 8^th Grade and built lifelong friendships through school and sport. After Grade School, I attended Jesuit High School and was one of three student-athletes in my graduating class in 2011 to be a 3 sport letter winner and also played a Sport for all four years. I was awarded Most Inspirational on the State Championship Basketball team my Senior year and followed that up with Most Inspirational on the Varsity Baseball team that Spring. Following High School graduation, I followed in my parents footsteps and attended the University of Oregon.

While at the University of Oregon, I quickly joined the Sigma Chi Fraternity which helped shape my experience and quickly built my social network and provided academic resources. I also applied to be a Student Manager for the Men’s Basketball Team and started fulltime in the spring of my freshman year. Balancing the Business School, Men’s Basketball Manager duties, and being an active fraternity member was much different than the usual college experience but I would not have changed a second. Who I am as a person, I credit to my experiences with Sigma Chi and Oregon Men’s Basketball.

After College Graduation, I quickly moved to San Francisco to work for the Pac-12 Networks. This was my first time living outside the state of Oregon and the first few months was a big adjustment. At the Pac-12 Networks I bounced between Affiliate Sales, Partner Services, and Sponsorship Sales which gave me an awesome opportunity to learn the media business and sports sponsorship. Following my one year internship, I accepted a role in Ticket Sales working with the Seattle Mariners. As they say in Seattle, “If you can sell Mariners tickets, you can sell anything”. This was a very rewarding opportunity to work for one of my favorite teams and to learn the nature of sales. I was promoted after every season with the Mariners and spent an amazing 3 years in Seattle. In the summer of 2019, I accepted a fundraising role with the Duck Athletic Fund and will celebrate my 3 year anniversary this upcoming August. I take great pride in representing the University of Oregon as it has meant so much to me and my family. I thoroughly enjoy the impact I can make for Oregon Student-Athletes and the Duck community.

Working in Sports can make it difficult, but work-life balance is very vital. Outside the office, I am consistently playing sports with friends. I am a regular at the Multnomah Athletic Club and Blazers games and love watching Sports on television. I live in NW Portland with my girlfriend Carlee and our dog Pinot. We are a family oriented, active couple who loves spending time with others. I am a hardworking, passionate, and joyful Oregonian looking for another opportunity to give back to my hometown.

I am a licensed insurance a gent in Ore gon / Washington, and I have over 15 years of e xperience in the c ommercial insurance industry. After beginning my career with Brown & Brown in 2007 as an Account Manager I transitioned into an Account Executive role in 2016 and then to Vice President in 2021.  I work with a large range of for-profit and non-profit organizations and have picked up valuable expertise along the way.

I co-lead a team of Account Managers, Risk Managers and Claims Representatives to ensure top notch client service is provided. 

I hold a B.A. in History from University of W isconsin Madison. On a personal note, I enjoy golf, snowboarding, camping and travelling.

Catherine Potter is a Senior Program Manager for Community and Social Health at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. In her role, Catherine develops and manages regional and local strategies, programs and interventions to address the social determinants of health and health equity in NW communities. Catherine manages grants and partnerships on behalf of Kaiser Permanente with local community-based organizations including safety net clinics, social service providers and other local organizations that serve low-income communities. Catherine works on issues related to access to care, mental health & wellness, oral health, school-based health care, housing and nutrition, and community health workers. Before joining Kaiser Permanente in 2012, Catherine spent 16 years developing and managing Community Health Worker programs in Oregon, primarily in the Latino immigrant community.  Catherine holds a master’s degree in medical anthropology, is bilingual (Spanish/English) and is a trained medical interpreter. She is passionate about health equity, eliminating health disparities and bringing a social justice perspective to her work in health care.

The former Chief of Staff for Oregon State Senator Ginny Burdick, I joined Gard in 2021 as a Public Affairs Account Manager. I largely work on accounts with legal or political components and provide public affairs strategy to a growing list of clients. I also draft communication plans and work with a variety of interested stakeholders to help foster relations between them and my clients.

After finishing college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Matt was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy where he served as a Surface Warfare Officer for seven years in San Diego. He completed his M.B.A. at UCLA Anderson then transitioned out of the Navy and joined Wells Fargo through their Veteran Internship program in 2017. After spending five years with the Wells Fargo Commercial Banking team in San Diego, Matt and his family moved to Portland in 2022 to be closer to family where he currently works as a Senior Commercial Relationship Manager for Wells Fargo supporting local businesses in Portland.

Hi, I'm Joseph Rose a 34-year-old Portland Native, I'm the youngest of 7 children from immigrant parents. My parents moved to America before I was born in hope to be able to give their children a better chance at life. My whole life I saw how much my parents sacrificed for my siblings and I, since a young age that I wanted to be able to give back to not only my family but the communities that I was a part of, therefore I feel so strong about my work here at Yaskue Commons.

Kat Rosenbaum is Chief Litigation Counsel and Claims Manager for NW Natural. She counsels the company on various legal and business risks across its operations, working closely with the human resources, government & community affairs, field management and communications teams. She also serves on the Company’s Incident Command and Business Integrity teams and manages the group that handles all liability and indemnity claims for NW Natural. Since the start of the pandemic, Kat has been part of the COVID-19 team and now the Return-to-Office planning teams. She serves on the board of the Classroom Law Project and is a Service Unit manager for Girls Scouts of Oregon & SW Washington. Prior to joining NW Natural, she worked at Stoel Rives. She earned her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School and A.B. from Duke University.

My name is Roger Schliecher.  I am the manager of the Umpqua Bank Fox Tower location in downtown Portland.  I have lived and worked in the Portland area for the last 15 years. Over the last 14 years I have worked in the Portland Metro market as a Business Banker for businesses of all revenue size.

 As a Store Manager I am responsible for the daily operations of the store, deepening existing customer relationships and bringing in new client relationships. During my time as a business banker, I developed a niche in the Practice Finance space.  I have helped build a Practice program from the ground up as well as worked with existing programs to help new and existing client opportunities.

My passion to help doctors, dentists and veterinarians establish new practices or grow existing practices has come from knowing that the doctors will be helping people in our community for years to come.

I am married to my amazing wife Lisa and we have 4 children together.  When I am not working, I am coaching one of my children’s sports teams.  I coach youth football, girls’ basketball, softball and baseball.  Coaching is an amazing experience and a chance to pass on any experience I have as well as provide a stable role model for the kids on my teams. 

When I am not coaching, I enjoy spending time with family and friends camping, playing basketball, golf, corn hole and working on our home. 

Arsalan Shah is a Senior Director of Pharmacy at Central City Concern. He is an experienced pharmacy leader and avid supporter of innovation. He also serves as a business consultant for healthcare and non-healthcare industry. He graduated with a PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) and MBA from University of Kentucky in 2017. Arsalan continued his education by completing a residency with Washington State University and Fred Meyer.  

Monald Sharma is the Vice President and Commercial Banking Relationship Manager with US Bank. He has been in financial service industry for over 20 years. US Bank has been serving families and businesses in the Portland/Vancouver community for more than 100 years.

Over the last 20+ years, Monald has been fortunate to have gained a great deal of expertise, insight and practical knowledge in banking while completing his Bachelor of Science degree at Portland State University. One of his greatest pleasures is to take his diverse skillset, relevant background and genuine passion for others to help business owners make sound financial decisions about their companies.

Andrea was the co-leader of external affairs at Portland Opera, where she serveed as the Director of Marketing and Communications. She recently guided the inclusive process of rearticulating Portland Opera’s mission, vision, and values to rebrand through a lens of transformation. Prior to this current operatic role, Andrea was part of the creation of the company’s external affairs department, serving on both the development and marketing teams since joining the company in 2016. Andrea came to Portland from The Theatre School at DePaul University (her alma mater) where she served as Manager of Communications and Special Events. She was the Vice-President of the Board of Directors for the Cultural Coalition of Washington County, a re-granting arm of the Oregon Cultural Trust.

Mr. Vannatta is the Executive Director of Public Affairs for the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon or TriMet. As Executive Director, he oversees all of the agency’s external affairs including government affairs, DEI, media relations, social media, employee communications, marketing & advertising, community outreach, sales, and customer experience.

Mr. Vannatta is no stranger to transit having worked over 21 years in transit in various capacities at three different transit organizations – two of those being in Chicago.

Mr. Vannatta has the experience and scars from working in the broadcast news industry where he worked for seven years as a television news reporter and producer.

Mr. Vannatta earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Communications/Public Relations from Montana State University (Billings) and holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), administered by the Public Relations Society of America and governed by the Universal Accreditation Board. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Explore Washington Park and is the former chair of the American Public Transportation Association’s Marketing and Communications Committee.

Mr. Vannatta and his husband live in St. Johns where he is a frequent transit rider taking combination of Line 16, 17, 44 or the Yellow Line to get to and from work.

Mark Wells came to the Portland Business Alliance and Downtown Portland Clean and Safe in February of 2021 as the Director of Operations after a two-year stint in sales and marketing for a local security firm.  Apart from this experience, Mark has spent his career in public service in a variety of federal, state, and local law enforcement and crime prevention positions and roles.

Mark made his way up to the Northwest after 9/11, when he was in federal law enforcement and transferred to the Air Marshal Service and was based in Seattle.  After meeting his now- wife of 17 years in Portland during this time, he moved to Portland and served as a municipal police officer and a state humane agent before working for almost 11 years with the City of Portland’s Crime Prevention Program.  It was this role where Mark found his true calling- community organizing and public safety advocacy work.  Mark worked and supported community-based crime prevention and public safety programming in almost every neighborhood and business district in Portland.  This time provided a rich opportunity to make and build long and lasting relationships and partnership with many government and community groups, individuals, and organizations.

On November 1^st, 2021, Mark was appointed as the new Executive Director of Clean & Safe and Vice President of Downtown Services for the Portland Business Alliance.  He now leads a small but seasoned and accomplished team of professionals to manage a host of vital downtown programs including the Clean Start janitorial program with Central City Concern, a new and updated safety services program, a series of retail and marketing programs and initiatives, and a new mental health outreach program.  Mark is excited and thankful to be in a role helping our downtown community bounce back from a challenging couple past years and supporting all Portlanders who call downtown their home, place of work or playground.

Shannon West joined Wyse Real Estate Advisors as a Property Manager in 2017 and was promoted to Associate Vice President in 2021. She manages a portfolio of retail, office, and industrial properties in the Portland metro area and assists on real estate consulting and construction management projects. Shannon takes pride in being responsive to tenant and client requests and enjoys working collaboratively with colleagues and vendors to capitalize on collective expertise and deliver quality service.

Shannon received her undergraduate degree in History and Political Science from Butler University and completed her Master’s in Business Administration at Concordia University in Portland with a concentration in project management. Shannon is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Oregon and Washington, and a Certified Property Manager (CPM®) through the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). Motivated by opportunities to learn and grow both personally and professionally, she has participated in Toastmasters, chaired the First Real Estate Social Hour (FRESH) planning committee and the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) Young Professionals and Community Service committees, and participated the Future Leaders program as a mentee through Women in Commercial Real Estate (CREW). Shannon is currently the President-Elect of the IREM Oregon-Columbia River Chapter and President of FRESH.

Shannon is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and enjoys travel, trivia, and standup comedy.

Keith has been president & CEO of TITAN Freight Systems, a regional transportation company with operations throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia since 2004.

He was the fourth of five children, raised in his family’s two-bedroom house in the poorest part of Portland. His neighborhood was wedged between factories, landfills, toxic waste sites and freeways. He graduated from Roosevelt High School and attended Portland Community College. He transferred to Oregon State University, where he paid his tuition by taking out loans and working various jobs earning his Bachelor of Science in Business. Keith began his career at NBC in New York City, subsequently living and working in London and New Zealand, eventually coming back to Portland. Working full time while taking night classes, he later obtained his Master of Business Administration at University of Portland.

As an advisory board member for the US High Speed Rail Association (Washington, DC) and core team member of Shelter Now (Portland), Wilson applies his innovation-driven approach to helping these organizations goals to transform society and lives.

An experienced advocate for the environment, his community, and homelessness, Keith is excited for the opportunity to be a Leadership Portland program candidate.

He and his wife, Katherine, and children, Lilianna and Noah, live in beautiful Northeast Portland.

The “P” in Portland stands for Pride in our city.

Born in the Northwest, Asia Wisecarver joined Playworks in 2015. She graduated from Stevenson High School in southwest Washington in 2000 and attended Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, where she received a degree in Psychology in 2004. Her latest educational journey resulted in an MBA in Nonprofit Management from the University of Portland in 2014. She is a first generation college graduate. She is married and has one daughter. In 2021, Asia was recognized as one of Portland Business Journal’s 40 under 40. Asia’s motto: live with intention, have integrity, choose compassion, and inspire hope.

Asia was drawn to Playworks because of the alignment between Playworks’ mission and values and her personal values. Her role blends a love of sports and activities with her values of inspiring hope, it creates positive environments in which youth thrive, and it allows her to be a part of an organization whose mission increases the overall health and well-being of our community. Prior to Playworks, her professional experience included drug and alcohol prevention, youth outreach and case management, residential treatment, and youth mentoring (where she spent 11 years at Friends of the Children Portland). Asia loves music, sports (particularly women’s semi-pro football and supporting her local Fighting Shockwave team as Head Coach), cooking, spending time doing home improvement projects, reading, and video games. She hopes to one day learn to speak Spanish and play the guitar. Asia is an Ambassador Board member for College Possible Oregon, Partner as Seattle Social Venture Partners and sits on their Governance Committee and Women in Sports and Entertainment (WISE PDX) member.

Jennifer Woodruff was named Director of Marketing, Brand & Programming at KGW in March of 2020. In her role, she oversees the marketing and promotion of the organizations many efforts on broadcast, digital, and streaming, as well as the commercial production for 100+ clients, PR, community relations, philanthropic efforts, and programming.

Prior to KGW, Woodruff was the Director of Marketing at NEWS CENTER Maine for four years where one of her largest accomplishments with leading the rebranding of sister stations WCSH and WLBZ into one. This transition solidified them as the largest media organization in the state of Maine and for these efforts, NEWS CENTER Maine was the recipient of the TEGNA Pinnacle Campaign of the Year Award in 2019.

Woodruff joined TEGNA at KUSA, Denver in 2011, first as a Digital Media Specialist in the Sales Business Development Department, and then moved into the role of Producer and Creative Director in the Advertising and Promotions Department in 2012. And, in 2016 she was awarded the TEGNA 9NEWS Shooting Star of the Year Award.

Before making the switch to the local news industry, Woodruff worked seven years for the financial company Transamerica Capital, Inc. in their internal Marketing Department as the Senior Graphic Designer.

Woodruff attended Colorado State University and received a BFA in Graphic Design with a minor in Media Studies. She has won 6 Regional Broadcaster Emmys, 11 Local Broadcasters Awards, and 3 National Promax awards.

Woodruff and her husband enjoy traveling to new places, trying new foods, and meeting new people. She also plays Scottish/Celtic fiddle and bakes French Patisserie in her spare time to relax.