Chris served as Executive Director of the Policy Consensus Initiative (PCI) a national, non-profit composed of elected leaders from around the country that helped initiate collaborative systems for addressing challenging issues in state governments. During that time, PCI sponsored the formation of the National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University as well as the University Network for Collaborative Governance. Chris was the founding Executive Director of the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution. Prior to that, she served as a Program Officer at the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. Chris has also served as a local elected official.

Whitney is a strategist, leader, and collaborator who has worked in education and public policy in Oregon for fifteen years and is the Executive Director of Foundations for a Better Oregon (FBO). She leads FBO’s program, policy, and strategy development; engages with Oregonians statewide to better understand community values and priorities; and forges public, private, and civic partnerships that pursue a more just future for children and families. Whitney previously championed strategic investments in children and schools as a senior policy advisor and Director of State & Regional Alignment for Governor John Kitzhaber, and as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for the Oregon Education Investment Board.

Ernesto is the Chief Executive Officer of Hacienda, an Oregon Community Development Corporation and Social Enterprise that advances the livability, health, and economic progress of underserved communities in the Pacific Northwest. Ernesto has dedicated the last 16 years of his career to the development of high-quality, affordable housing and social services in Mexico and the United States. Ernesto brings ample experience in community development, housing, and energy access from his time working with the Housing Authority of Maricopa County and the City of Avondale, and Arizona State University. Ernesto holds an MS in Energy Performance and Climate Responsive Architecture, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning from Arizona State University.

Jeremy is the Director of Legal Affairs and Public Policy for Oregon Association of Realtors, OR, one of Oregon’s largest trade associations. Previously Jeremy was the Vice President at the Oregon Business Council, where he worked with executives at some of Oregon’s largest companies on public policy issues including education, health care, taxation, poverty reduction, and state budget policies.  In that role, Jeremy managed the Oregon Business Plan and the annual Oregon Leadership Summit, a statewide collaborative effort to bring private and public sector leaders together around a common vision and set of policies for strengthening Oregon’s economy.  Jeremy has a law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School and a bachelor’s degree in Politics and Government from the University of Puget Sound.  In 2019, Jeremy was named by the Portland Business Journal as a top “Forty under 40” professional.

In early 2021, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler appointed Bobby Lee to serve as his Chief of Staff. Bobby previously served as Director of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development and Director of Economic Development for Prosper Portland. At the state level, Bobby served two Oregon governors, focusing on regional economic and community development issues.

Megan serves as a Senior Program Officer for Economic Vitality & Housing at the Oregon Community Foundation. Megan’s work experience includes grantmaking and education initiatives in the field of corporate social responsibility. She has worked with high-tech companies to strengthen their community involvement through charitable giving and corporate foundation grants. She has also led numerous initiatives focused on improving K-12 education, from grant-making to program development and management.

Brenden serves as the Vice President Community Development Officer for Oregon & SW Washington at Umpqua Bank. He is focused on leveraging financial and skilled volunteer resources, grants, investments and lending to build more resilient and inclusive economies throughout the state of Oregon. Beyond his work with Umpqua Bank, Brenden has worked for more than 20 years in the nonprofit sector in Oregon, Maryland, and internationally. He is passionate about bridging the divide between the nonprofit and the for-profit sectors and does this by leading with empathy and reciprocity to support meaningful action. Brenden is proud to serve the state where he was born and raised. 

Margaret is a former Oregon State Senator who served in the Senate for eight years where she acted as President Pro Tempore, and in the Oregon House of Representatives where she served for fourteen years. She is the first African American woman to be elected to the Oregon State Legislature, retiring as a State Senator in 2009. Margaret has served as President and CEO of the Urban League of Portland, and in 2006 served as President of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women. She has also served as Deputy Director for Human Services Programs at the Oregon Department of Human Services. She holds many awards such as the 2006 Oregon Statesman of the Year Award from the Oregon Business Association, the 2010 Legislator of the Year Award from the Oregon Library Association, the 2010 OSU Alumni Fellows Award, and in 2020 was honored by USA Today and the Statesman Journal as one of ten Oregon “Women of the Century”. Margaret has a long history in supporting economic development in underserved populations and she is highly focused on enhancing community engagement. She serves on the Board of the Oregon Historical Society and continues to volunteer at the Albina DHS and at Portland Community College in their area skills center, now named the Margaret Carter Skill Center. 

Avel is an Oregon native, activist, community organizer, and former Oregon politician who in 1996 became the first African American woman to be elected to the Oregon State Senate. She also served three terms in the Oregon House of Representatives, representing parts of north and northeast Portland. Avel’s legislative record includes an array of initiatives that focus on cultural competency in education, mental health, and the administration of justice. She is credited for the Governor’s Task Force on Environmental Justice that is now enshrined in law and a nationally recognized initiative still serving Oregonians. Avel is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum of Oregon and co-author with Portland State University history professor Patricia Schechter of her memoir, “Remembering the Power of Words, the Life of an Oregon Activist Legislator and Community Leader” published by Oregon State University Press. In 2008, Oregon Health Sciences University opened the Avel Gordly Center for Healing dedicated to culturally specific mental health and psychiatric services. In 2009, Albina Head Start recognized Avel’s championing of funding for their programs state-wide by renaming its administrative headquarters in her honor. Avel and her sister Faye Burch are the co-founders of the Gordly Burch Center for Black Leadership and Civic Engagement. Additionally, Avel is a former Associate Professor of Black Studies at Portland State University, where in 2017 she received an honorary doctorate. Avel has received many impressive awards throughout her career, a few being the Urban League of Portland’s Edwin C. Berry Lifetime Achievement Award and the Legislative Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Newspaper Publisher’s Association.