Oregon Prosperity Design Lab Designers

Rukaiyah Adams (Portland, Oregon) is the Chief Investment Officer at Meyer Memorial Trust, which invests in organizations, communities, ideas and efforts that contribute to a flourishing and equitable Oregon. Day to day she is responsible for investing and growing the assets of the trust. Before joining Meyer, she was the Director, Investment Management at The Standard where she oversaw the $6.5 Billion capital markets fund backing the company’s products. Ms. Adams started her professional career as a Mergers & Acquisitions lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in San Francisco. She

serves on the Oregon Investment Council. Ms. Adams also serves on the board of directors of Portland Center Stage. Ms. Adams holds a BA from Carleton College with Academic Distinction, a JD from Stanford Law School and an MBA from The Stanford Graduate School of Business.

George Beard (Portland, Oregon) has split his time during his 40-year career between the public and private sectors with much of his work focusing on the intersection among technology, innovation, and leadership. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member at Willamette University, the University of Oregon, Portland State University, Lewis & Clark, and Marylhurst University. Beard’s current assignment at Portland State University is focused on partnerships that advance the University’s urban mission (“Let Knowledge Serve the City”) and

on renewal of the public good. Mr. Beard serves as a Senior Fellow at the Center for Digital Government and holds degrees from Michigan State University (B.A.), the State University of New York at Albany (M.S.), and Portland State University (M.P.A.).

Ben Berry (Portland, Oregon) is the Chief Technology Officer for the City of Portland. His experience includes directing systems and programs for air and ground transportation, aerospace, defense, state and local government, telecommunications, and healthcare. As CEO for AirShip Technologies Group, Inc., his team designs and manufactures solar clean tech powered long flight endurance autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) for 1st Responders and the military. Ben has served as the Chief Information Officer for the Oregon Department of Transportation,

Multnomah County, and the Oregon Employment Department. In these roles, he provided overall leadership, planning, development and delivery of information technology services. Ben has also served as the Regional Chief Technology Officer of Providence Health System Oregon, supporting a service area of eight hospitals and 33 clinics.

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Melissa Boteach (Washington, DC) is the Vice President of Half in Ten: The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years and the Poverty and Prosperity Program at the Center for American Progress, an independent nonpartisan educational institute dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action. Melissa served as the policy lead on The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink, a book and multimedia platform by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress about the one in three women living in or on the brink of poverty. Under her tenure, Half in Ten

has launched its annual report tracking progress to cut poverty in half in 10 years. Prior to joining American Progress, Melissa worked as a senior policy associate and the poverty campaign coordinator at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs where she designed, spearheaded, and implemented JCPA’s national anti-poverty campaign, which has been launched in more than 50 U.S. cities.

Rex Burkholder (Portland, Oregon) started the bicycling revolution in Portland as a founder and policy director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. An early leader in sustainability and equity, Burkholder also co-founded the Coalition for a Livable Future, bringing together over 100 diverse NGOs in the greater Portland region. He was elected to the Metro Council in 2000, where he led efforts to reform regional transportation policy and to integrate climate change into the decisions of all levels of government in Oregon. He has served on key task forces as well as

national boards including Rail~volution and the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations.

Jessica Chanay (Portland, Oregon) has been a passionate advocate for social justice by addressing hunger through its root causes and integrating marginalized voices into the public policy process. Jessica served as deputy director of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon for 8 years. As a former recipient of public assistance while raising two small children in the 1990s, Jessica has shared her voice many times in an effort to create more responsive public policies for Oregonians living on limited resources. She also helped plan and implement the Oregon TANF Alliance, a forum for both current and former clients, as well as

human service providers, to impact the development of this critical program for families with children. She holds a Master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning with an emphasis on food security. Jessica has been awarded the Ron Cease award for excellence in leadership, service and dedication to the mission of addressing hunger and its root causes.

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Suvira Chaturvedi (Portland, Oregon) has extensive experience in international development in senior management and consultancy positions spanning over 30 years with United Nations agencies and donors in countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The focus of her work has been on poverty reduction programs and strategies, women's empowerment, rights and gender equality across development sectors including in conflict and post-conflict situations. Among other assignments with the UN, Suvira, as UNDP Chief Technical

Adviser in Yemen, led a groundbreaking initiative on Gender and Economic Empowerment; as the Senior Expert with the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Bangladesh she promoted a successful initiative for poor rural women in non-traditional occupations. She headed the UNIFEM office in Kosovo and led the post conflict program; and was responsible for drafting the 'Situation Analysis of Poverty in Malawi' for the UN. She also initiated and managed a community health outreach program with the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. Suvira is currently a consultant in international development.

Carlos Crespo (Portland, Oregon) is Professor and Director of the School of Community at Portland State University. He graduated from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, and has a Master of Science in Sports Health from Texas Tech University and a Doctor of Public Health in Preventive Care from the Loma Linda University. His main area of research involves the epidemiology of physical activity in the prevention of chronic diseases and research on minority health issues. He has been a contributing author to five textbooks on minority health and sports medicine, and more than 10 government publications. He

received the 1997 U.S. Secretary of Health Award for Distinguished Service as part of the Salud para su Corazon campaign, and in 2003 became a Minority Health Scholar from the National Institutes of Health. He is a member of the Oregon Health Policy Board and the Board of Directors of the Oregon Public Health Institute and the Oregon Latino Agenda for Action.

Robin Droege (Bend, Oregon) a current recipient of housing assistance through Housing Works in Central Oregon, as well as SNAP benefits through Department of Human Services. She is a recent graduate of Oregon State University-Cascades with an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She has just begun working as a counselor for a small clinic in Bend where she interned during her school program. She works with lower SES populations as well as addictions and PTSD. She was born and raised in Oregon and moved back after living a few years in California. She

has resided in Bend for 4 years with her 5 year old son.

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Cary Fardal (Portland, Oregon) is a wife, and mother of a 12 and 10 year old. Cary works full time for the State of Oregon as a Clinical Dietitian. After high school, Cary spent 10 years working and playing on Mt. Hood in Oregon. After this break from school, she started college at Mt Hood Community College and then transferred to Oregon State University. She slowly earned her degree in Nutrition Science and Food Service Management while starting her family. She completed her Dietetic Internship in

Portland at OHSU. It was during school that Cary’s family received support through SNAP (then food stamps) and WIC, as well as accessing the occasional Food Box. Cary’s kids were less than five at the time. In the last year Cary has been doing advocacy work and supporting the Oregon Food Bank and Feeding America by telling her story of working her way through a college degree with young kids. Currently, her family is doing well and owns a house.

Randi Fiat (Illinois) is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Epic Decade, a Design Innovation Studio focused on helping clients such as Apple, American Express, and the University of Toronto Medical School leverage their leadership positions to disrupt the status quo and create large-scale system change. She has been working at the intersection of design, innovation, social entrepreneurship and transformational leadership for the past 35 years. Randi also works with local non-profits such as Images & Voices of Hope and Imagine Chicago.

Sharon Fitzgerald (Portland, Oregon) was a recipient of TANF, homeless services and alcohol and drug treatment from 1997-2000. Due to her alcohol and drug addiction she was involved with the Department of Human Services Child Welfare Division as well as the foster care system. As a person with over 14 years of recovery she is now actively involved in the larger recovering community. Sharon works at Central City Concern, as the Director of Housing and Employment Integration Services, where she has been employed since 2002. Sharon has 12 years of

professional experience assisting high-risk individuals and families with disabilities and criminal histories in accessing housing, services and treatment. Her experience includes program development and coordination, supervision of staff, direct client services, and financial oversight of over 1600 affordable housing units.

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Lisa Gaines (Corvallis, Oregon) is Director of the Institute for Natural Resources, created by the Oregon Legislature to provide access to integrated knowledge and information to inform natural resource decision making and develop solutions in the context of sustainability. The Institute for Natural Resources is headquartered at Oregon State University and also located at Portland State University. Her work is to build partnerships with researchers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and other stakeholders in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest to integrate science and policy

in order to reframe and address natural resource and environmental challenges. She is a graduate of the American Leadership Forum for Oregon, on the board of the Oregon State University Difference, Power, and Discrimination Program, and was a past board member and Chair of Benton County Court Appointed Support Advocates for Children (CASA).

Bruce Goldberg, MD (Portland, Oregon) is a family medicine physician who has devoted his professional career to improving the organization, delivery and financing of public health services. He served as the Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services from November 2005 through February 2011, and then led the formation of the Oregon Health Authority to which he was appointed as the Director by Governor John Kitzhaber and served from February 2011 through 2013. Dr.

Goldberg's experience also includes serving as head of the Office for Oregon Health Policy and Research, Medical Director for CareOregon, Health Officer for Columbia County in Oregon, and Director of Community Health Services in Zuni, New Mexico. He was a faculty member at Oregon Health and Science University for more than 15 years. Dr. Goldberg is a graduate of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and completed his family medicine training at Duke University.

Osvaldo González (Portland, Oregon) was trained in Architecture and Environmental Science. His involvement in the industry is as a designer, a strategic planner, a LEED Administrator, and an educator. As a member of CH2M Hill, Ozzie is part of an enterprise-wide task force dedicated to implementing project delivery tools and methods designed to facilitate the application of sustainable design principles. Ozzie is a member of the USGBC’s LEED for Manufacturers User Group assisting in the development of compliance pathways for large-scale industrial projects. He is also a regular speaker for the

Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneur’s monthly Sustainability Moment. Ozzie is a champion for diversity within CH2M Hill’s Portland Office and facilitates teaming efforts with Oregon certified MWESB firms.

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John Haines (Portland, Oregon) joined Mercy Corps Northwest in December 2002 as executive director. From 1998-2002, he was vice president of ShoreBank Pacific, a start-up sustainable development bank in Portland, Oregon. From 1996-97 he was senior finance advisor to the Czech National Environmental Fund in Prague, working for Chemonics International, Inc. under assistance provided by USAID to improve environmental infrastructure financing in the Czech

transition to a market economy. He is a board member of Mercy Corps Northwest, Sustainable Northwest Wood and The Open School. He is a graduate of the University of Wyoming and native of Laramie, Wyoming.

Bill Johnson (Ontario, Oregon) owns Sage Farms, a large, multi-faceted farm in the Treasure Valley that produces a broad range of seed, vegetable, grain and forage crops and is a leader in onion, radish seed, azuki bean and teff production. Previous to owning Sage Farms, Bill worked at Microsoft, where he led the design of Microsoft Excel 3.0. Later, he was Vice President of Program Management at InterNAP, a network routing optimization firm, where he helped grow annual sales from $40 million to $120 million. Bill is a founding member of Malheur

County Poverty to Prosperity (P2P), an effort to address fundamental issues that threaten the local community such as education, land use, transportation, and government over-regulation.

Theresa Julnes Keleka Kaimanu (Portland, Oregon) is Associate Professor of Public Administration at Portland State University. She worked in University Administration at the UW for five years while finishing her doctoral studies. Her teaching responsibilities include: health administration, health policy, health politics, minority health and culture, pubic administration, administrative theory and behavior, organization development, leadership for change and tribal administration. Her research interests include tribal management issues, bridging health

disparities, health care workforce preparation and health reform.

David Kennedy (Washington) grew up in a dysfunctional family that struggled with addiction. He spent 16 years in prison. David was able to get the information he needed to turn his life around. He is now married with kids, has a good job and is deep in his recovery. He currently has been clean for over six years and is looking forward to making a positive contribution is his community.

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Van Le (Portland, Oregon) is the System Administrator for Portland Water Bureau’s $100M capital improvement program’s project management information system. She is a systems thinker and doer whose work has won multiple awards and recognition in four continents as an evaluator, teacher, and certified project manager. About twenty years ago, Van launched the concept and implementation of a multilingual, multi-benefit screening tool for 30+ benefits programs in Oregon. Oregonhelps.org code has since been licensed and expanded by multiple governments

including njhelps.org, lacountyhelps.org and arizonaselfhelp.org. She taught graduate Research Methodology for many years at Portland State University and conducted evaluations for grantmakers such as Rockefeller Foundation, the German Marshall Fund, and the Open Society Institute.

Steve Lee (Portland, Oregon) is a senior service design consultant at Ziba Design in Portland, Oregon. He helps organizations and communities use design to solve complex problems and to apply the design process in a holistic, sustainable and human way. He previously worked at Prospect and Engine Service Design in London and at the UK Design Council, with both the Technology Campaign and RED – the Design Council’s public services innovation unit. He studied Design at Goldsmiths, University of London whilst working as an interaction designer at

Imagination. He has worked with educational institutions such as Stanford University and PSU. He also helped to fund and run the Union Cycle Works, a social enterprise making beautiful bespoke bikes while assisting disadvantaged people in learning new skills.

Jodie Levin-Epstein (Washington, DC) is deputy director of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). CLASP’s mission is to find and foster policies that work for low-income people. Jodie’s focus is on working conditions—issues such as paid leave, part-time equity, and unpredictable work schedules. Jodie also has played a key role in the re-emergence of poverty in recent public discourse. She manages the highly regarded initiative “Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity: The Source for News, Ideas and Action.” Prior to joining CLASP, Jodie was the deputy

director of Advocates for Youth. She also has served as a political appointee at the Department of Agriculture in the Carter administration. She served on the board of the Retail Action Project and on the steering committee of EINet (Employment Instability, Family Well-being, and Social Policy Network).

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Mingus Mapps (Portland, Oregon) is a political scientist and an Assistant Professor at Brandeis University. His research and teaching interests focus on poverty, urban politics and minority political representation in the United States. Mapps received a BA from Reed College and a PhD from the Government Department at Cornell University. In addition to his scholarly work, Mapps has held a number of policy-making jobs in Oregon. He has served as a Program Development Technician for Multnomah County’s Department of Human Services and as a Program Associate for

the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. He has worked for Portland Public School’s Governmental Relations Office and for the Multnomah County Chair’s office. Mapps is also the father of two young children. His oldest child attends kindergarten in the Portland public school system. Next year, his youngest will begin kindergarten at a Portland public school.

Flora Herminia Melhouse (Portland, Oregon) was born in Panama City, Panama, raised in rural Minnesota, and has lived in Portland for six years. She has spent the majority of her professional career working with diverse communities and is extremely passionate about community-based social justice work. Flora is an independent consultant working in the nonprofit community, philanthropy, and corporate sector. She has helped build strategic alliances, managed collaborative efforts with diverse partners, and facilitated dozens of planning and strategy

sessions. Flora launched an organizational capacity and leadership program for communities of color in Oregon, has served as a consultant for the Oregon Latino Agenda for Action and the Minnesota Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities, was Program Manager for the Women’s Foundation of California, and Product Marketing Specialist for Travelocity in San Francisco. Flora is a board member of Miracle Theatre Group.

Connie Nelson (Minnesota) is a Partner Emeritus with the Public Strategies Group. Connie offers over thirty years experience as an executive leader in government and as a consultant with public and non-profit sectors. Her favorite work with PSG is the redesign of systems. Since joining PSG in 1994, Connie has helped public and non-profit clients redesign many systems such as supporting financial inclusion among the unbanked, equitable property taxation, child support payment,

student achievement, and older adult self-sufficiency. Most recently, Connie has worked with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota to redesign services and supports for people with developmental disabilities, in Oregon to help redesign mental health and special education systems, and with non-profit leaders in Ohio, Oregon, and Minnesota interested in offering new value-driven solutions to structural budget deficits.

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Jerry Nemorin (California) is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lend Street Financial, Inc. Jerry is responsible for developing the strategic direction and overseeing the operations of LendStreet. Prior to founding LendStreet, Jerry worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in its Global Corporate and Investing Banking division. Jerry is now putting his expertise to use in a way that helps consumers in financial distress deal with their debt and rebuild their credit. Jerry has been a speaker and advocate for responsible lending and sustainable financial services on Capitol

Hill and industry events such as Finovate, SWIFT Innotribe Competition, Experian's Vision Conference and Credit Suisse Impact Investing Conference. Jerry recently served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Darden School of Business Incubator. Lani O’Brien (Portland, Oregon) held an Accounts Payable/Purchasing Agent career for 13 years until she was laid off in 2009. Her husband had a great job at the time so she was able to take care of their property in Estacada. Unfortunately, Lani’s husband passed away in 2011. While Lani was dealing with this unexpected blow she lost her home. She took what little savings she had and moved into a motel, which only lasted about 4 months before the money ran out. She was forced to live in her car and has been doing so for about a year and a half now. She recently graduated from MHCC with an accounting certificate, and also has a Silver NCRC certificate. She is currently working with several different agencies and groups on housing and finding a job. She is proud of herself for being able to complete these goals given her circumstances.

Laurie Ohmann (Minnesota) is Vice President of Client Services and Community Partnerships at Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Laurie has responsibility for more than 1600 shelter, transitional, and permanent supportive housing beds and fifteen additional programs that address needs of at-risk children, older adults, and refugees and immigrants in addition to overseeing the Volunteer, and Research & Evaluation functions. She has worked as an independent strategic management consultant and CEO of the Public Strategies Group, a firm dedicated to creating greater public value. Laurie’s work has

covered a broad range of policy areas and management practices, including developing strategic plans with the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy and the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal.

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Jane O’Keeffe (Lakeview, Oregon) is a native of northeast Oregon and has been an operating partner in the O’Keeffe Family Ranch, a fourth-generation cattle operation in Adel, near Lakeview, for more than 25 years. Jane has served as partner in the Campbell Crossing Ranch in Kimberly since 2007 and as a member and co-chair of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and other local natural resource boards involving forestlands and sustainability. Her public service also includes work as consultant to the National Forest Counties and Schools

Coalition and eight years as a Lake County commissioner. O’Keeffe was appointed to the Environmental Quality Commission in June 2008 and in 2012 was named an Oregon Woman of Achievement by the Oregon Commission for Women. She was also selected by the Governor to serve as the convener of the South Central Regional Solutions Advisory Committee.

LaDonna Pavetti (Washington, DC) is the Vice President for Family Income Support Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In this capacity, she oversees the Center’s work analyzing poverty trends and assessing the nation’s income support programs, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Before joining the Center in 2009, Dr. Pavetti spent 12 years as a researcher at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., where she directed numerous research projects examining various aspects of TANF implementation and

strategies to address the needs of the hard-to-employ. She has also served as a researcher at the Urban Institute, a consultant to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on welfare reform issues, and a policy analyst for the District of Columbia’s Commission on Social Services. In addition, for several years she was a social worker in Chicago and Washington, DC.

Howard Peters (Illinois) is the former Director of the Department of Corrections in Illinois. Peters served in this capacity during a dramatic restructuring of the department’s parole services, and saw the trend toward explosive growth in the prison population reversed. He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, working on the reorganization of Illinois’s diverse human service agencies, and in 1997 became the first Secretary of Human Services for the newly organized agency. He oversaw a dramatic reduction in the state’s welfare roles and stayed in the position until 1999, when he left government service to begin a career at the Illinois Hospital

Association.

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David Riemer (Wisconsin) is a Senior Fellow at Community Advocates Public Policy Institute in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Public Policy Institute promotes and implements evidence-based policies that will prevent and reduce poverty while fostering wellness for individuals and families. David has been active for many years in reshaping Wisconsin and U.S. policies on welfare, poverty, health care and education. David is also the author of “The Prisoners of Welfare” and numerous articles on poverty, health care reform and public administration.

Dennis Sandow (Eugene, Oregon) is the President and Founder of Reflexus Company. Since 1976 Dennis has been developing social action research to study, conserve and expand health and wellbeing in community social networks. He began his career developing community-based services for people with developmental disabilities as a research affiliate for the University of Idaho and the University of Oregon. His evidence-based practices documenting preschool services and employment services contributed to the closure of state hospitals, the

expansion of community based services and change of US domestic policy regarding the employment of people with disabilities. He is a founding research member of the Society for Organizational Learning and member of Matriztic where he collaborates with Peter Senge, Humberto Maturana, and Ximena Davila. Dennis’ current focus is on studying how African American churches positively change behavior and reverse type 2 diabetes and heart disease using positive behavior change criteria coupled with bio-chemical diagnostic testing.

Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons (Portland, Oregon) is a Chinese-American, cultural organizer, community minister, and musician. Joseph has worked for democracy, human rights and systemic change that address the root causes of inequities for 25 years. Currently he serves as Executive Director for the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon. He is also affiliate community minister with the First Unitarian Church of Portland. Previously he served the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, Unitarian

Universalist Association and Coalition for a Livable Future. He is a past performing member of Portland Taiko, a multicultural trainer, and is particularly interested in the rising community of color electorate. Community board service includes Resolutions NW, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, and the Oregon Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. Joseph completed his Bachelor of Science at the University of Oregon and Masters in Divinity from Harvard University.

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Donna Stark (Maryland) is Vice President of Talent and Leadership Development for the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is devoted to developing a brighter future for millions of children at risk of poor educational, economic, social, and health outcomes. Donna manages the Foundation’s Children and Family Fellowship and Fellowship Alumni Network, the Leadership in Action Program, the Atlanta Leaders for Results, the Juvenile Justice Applied Leadership Network, the Leadership Institute for State Based Advocacy, and

the Child Welfare Agents of Change programs. As Vice President, she is a member of the Foundation’s Senior Leadership Team. Before joining the Foundation in 1994, Donna was the first State Director of the Children and Family Systems Reform Initiative for the State of Maryland. Her primary responsibility was to direct Maryland's interagency effort to restructure the service delivery systems of all state departments serving children and families.

Dean Stearman (Portland, Oregon) is the Principal of TALO Advisors (Think, Act, Like an Owner) which provides ‘Strategy with Traction’ services to align vision, goals and actions that support change. Prior to TALO Advisors, Dean was Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President and General Manager of Contract Packaging with DePaul Industries (a social enterprise dedicated to creating work for persons with disabilities). Here he

was able to work across the organization and be the catalyst for the largest revenue (and labor hours, which translates to work) growth in DePaul Industries history, from the 2008 recession to 2013. He was past Vice Chair of the Northwest Food Processors Association, representing a twenty billion dollar industry in the Northwest. Dean has worked with small, medium and large size enterprises in a variety of industries and capacities.

Mary Thomas (Washington) is a Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington. Since joining the Gates Foundation in 2012 as a Gates Fellow, she has been teaming up with Grand Challenges partners around the world to tackle tough challenges such as extreme poverty and poor health in developing countries. Mary also serves as an advisor in Seattle for the Emerging Leaders in Science & Society program and for the Global to Local Advisory Committee. Prior to coming to Seattle, Mary was a Health Scientist and Policy Analyst at the

National Institutes of Health and served as a Mirzayan Fellow at the National Academies in Washington, DC. Mary brings a wealth of experience from various sectors in driving evidence-based strategic change, and implementation of innovative programs aimed at improving health outcomes in diverse settings.

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Erica Lauer Vose (Portland, Oregon) is passionate about bridging the gap in technology between the high-tech world and that of nonprofits and public agencies. In pursuit of this goal she co-founded the Portland Code School, a vocational school for software programming and helped start Code for Portland, a local brigade of Code for America. She is currently a Technical Education Specialist at New Relic, a software company building tools for the Internet that make it possible for other tech

companies to function. When she isn't working, Erica divides her time between learning new technologies and teaching technology to help lower barriers to entry into the tech world. Her next mission is to bring what she's learned in the tech world back to nonprofits and public agencies. Although Erica is currently deep into the tech world, she began her professional career in nonprofits and has worked as program staff for AmeriCorps and for the Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. She also holds a BA from the Evergreen State College and an MPA from Portland State University with a specialization in nonprofit management.

Beverly (B.J.) Walker (Georgia) is a Director in Deloitte Consulting’s Public Sector Practice. She offers leadership and management experience from over 25 years of work in human services and education. A public official since 1995, she has held key leadership roles in the administrations of two Governors (Illinois and Georgia) and as education advisor and human services deputy chief of staff for the Mayor of the City of Chicago. Walker then worked with Franklin Covey in their Four Disciplines

of Execution practice and served as a Senior Fellow with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, where she was involved in national and local efforts to improve early childhood education.

Wendy Willis (Portland, Oregon) is the Executive Director of the Policy Consensus Initiative (PCI) and the Director of Civic Engagement for the National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University. Wendy is a national leader in the field of civic engagement and citizen-centered decision-making. Prior to joining PCI/NPCC, Wendy was the Executive Director for City Club of Portland. She has also served as an Assistant Public Defender for the District of Oregon and a law clerk to Chief

Justice Wallace P. Carson, Jr. of the Oregon Supreme Court. Wendy is a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum Oregon, a published poet, and the mother of two young daughters. Her first book of poems, Blood Sisters of the Republic, was released in 2012. She graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law Center and holds an M.F.A. from Pacific Lutheran University and a B.A. from Willamette University.

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Christopher Wimer (New York) is Co-Director of the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. He is also the Project Director on Columbia University and Robin Hood Foundation's New York City Longitudinal Study of Wellbeing, which tracks the poverty, hardship, and wellbeing of New York City families. Wimer's research focuses on measuring poverty and disadvantage, how families cope with poverty and economic insecurity, and the role of social policies in the lives of disadvantaged families.

Kristin Wolff (Portland, Oregon) is an adjunct researcher for Social Policy Research Associates (Oakland, CA), founder of thinkers-and-doers (a small business in Portland, OR), and is pursuing her “DIY second masters un-degree,” a combination of formal, informal, and experiential learning in social innovation, communications, and technology. Kristin has worked in the social change space for over 15 years applying emerging social innovation and design methods to government (in support of sector and career pathway strategies, gang violence prevention,

and sustainable community development); documenting experiments to accelerate learning and program improvement; and making information exchange simpler and more transparent within and across organizations and sectors. She is a Board Member at Springboard Innovation/Hatch.

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Facilitators Daniel Bigonesse (Ottawa, Canada) has spent the last twenty years as a trainer and facilitator helping people expand their thinking and discover new possibilities. Dan helps clients engage their whole brain to find productive solutions to their challenges. Whether facilitating a training workshop, a new product ideation, a strategic planning session, or just a plain old meeting, Dan brings his positive energy and passion to the task. Underlying Dan's passion for productive thinking is a deep commitment to helping people learn and achieve useful outcomes. Dan is a

member of the Creative Education Foundation and on the faculty of the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI). He is also a certified practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Facet5 Personality Profile.

Newell Eaton (New York), after a 35 year career as a leader in New York State championing positive youth development, Newell now brings his passion for intentional change as a consultant focused on creating healthy organizations and communities globally. Since making that transition in 2004 Newell has been fortunate to work on innovative change projects partnering with senior leaders from a diverse range of public and private organizations. He is a partner with New&Improved LLC, a global organizational development firm that focuses on the people skills

organizations need to create growth through innovation and with East West Leadership Coaching, helping leaders and teams make transformation change in their organizations in the Hudson River Valley.

Cheryl Nee Geringer (Oregon) Cheryl's work combines two passions: communication and cultivating creativity in teams. As a project manager at Worksystems, Inc, she currently facilitates collaboration between organizations and government agencies to design and implement workforce developmental programs. Previously she developed marketing campaigns, training programs, and curriculum for Intel. Cheryl is a long-time leader at the Creative Problem Solving Institute, and a past member of the Creative Education Foundations Board of Trustees. She holds a graduate certificate from the center for Creativity Studies and a

Masters of Communication and Leadership from Gonzaga University.

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Dana Hogan (Oregon) has worked at Providence Health and Services for 24 years, and is currently the Director of Information Services/Applications Development and Support at Providence Health Plans. Her professional experience is in healthcare information services and operations, business process engineering, Lean and change facilitation. Dana holds a master of science in Applied Information Management from the University of Oregon. In addition to her regular duties, she frequently collaborates with outside organizations in seeking out best

practices and finding creative ways to solve problems. Dana regularly volunteers in the community with Portland Public Schools, Stand for Children and many other organizations. She recently began teaching as an adjunct instructor for the University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business.

Maria Maldonado (Oregon) has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Industrial Management from Purdue University. She works at Providence Health and Services for the System office as the Senior Director of Service Management. Over the past 16 years, she has worked in high technology manufacturing and healthcare industry. During this time, Maria has enjoyed most working on the successful implementations of Lean, Six Sigma and Business process management. For the last 4 years, she has

volunteered her time in support of the Oregon community by teaching in a year-long Latino Leadership program sponsored by the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber. Her proudest moments are seeing her 2 little boys grow-up and embrace their Hispanic heritage.

Rick Nobleman (Oregon) began his professional career in California as a lawyer. He then transitioned into database programming and web development for several years. He has spent the last 14 years as a project manager. Since moving to Portland in 2007, he has managed projects for Nike, Kettle Foods, Bonneville Power, and Regence. Currently he is a senior project manager for Providence Health and Services managing enterprise-wide projects and programs. He has been active in the Portland user experience community, and he is a guide at the Portland Japanese Garden. His interests include playing the

piano, fiction writing, and meditation.

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Kristen Peterson (New York) is a creativity and innovation facilitator, trainer, coach, and catalyst. She believes organizations and individuals must transform to confront the economic and lifestyle challenges of the 21st century. They must think differently — more creatively, more productively, more proactively. She is a founding partner of kpCatalyst, on the Board of Directors of Facilitators Without Borders, a founder of Mindcamp, the Director of the Creative Problem Solving Institute and is currently studying toward a Master of Science in Creativity

at SUNY Buffalo State College. She is a certified practitioner of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), FourSight, Creative Problem Solving, Thinkx Productive Thinking and has trained in improvisation at the Second City Toronto.

Tracy Pierson (Oregon) is the Regional Director of Project Portfolio Management and Operational Excellence at Providence Health and Services, where she has worked for over 25 years. Tracy’s professional background is in project and portfolio management, change management, lean process engineering, strategic planning, and facilitation. Within Providence and the larger community, she frequently facilitates sessions around organizational design, innovation, technology, strategy, and

diversity. When she is not working, Tracy regularly volunteers her time with Sunshine Pantry, Friends of the Children, and numerous other community organizations.

Will Salton (Oregon) has spent the last 17 years in healthcare, first as a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Navy, then with healthcare institutions. He worked briefly for Quest Diagnostics, then for the testing lab at the American Red Cross managing up to 25 staff. More recently, he has been working as the Director of Operational Excellence for Providence Health and Services overseeing the work of Master Black Belts, Six Sigma Black Belts, Process Engineers, and Change Facilitators. He also conducts Leadership training, co-facilitating operational excellence tools

such as GE’s Change Acceleration Process (CAP), WorkOutTM, LEAN, and Transitions. Will has worked with All Hands Raised, the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, Community Project Uplift, and meets weekly with a social group on Tuesdays called Free Hot Soup in an effort to feed the homeless.

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Coordinators Beverly Stein (Oregon) is the choreographer of the Prosperity Design Lab. She is the director of Research and Development for the National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University and is a private consultant. She is a former President and co-owner of the Public Strategies Group, a consulting firm committed to creating more outcome focused government. During her more than ten years with PSG Beverly facilitated numerous Design Labs. She served as the elected Chair of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners and Chief Executive of the

county for eight years. In 1996, Beverly was chosen as "Local Public Official of the Year" by Governing magazine. Beverly was elected as a State Representative in the Oregon Legislature three times in the 1990s and ran for Governor in the Oregon primary in 2002. Prior to government service, Beverly was an attorney in private practice and a strategic planner and facilitator. Beverly received her BA from the University of California at Berkeley in 1970 and her law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1976.

Shane Sasnow (Oregon) is the Prosperity Design Lab facilitation trainer and coordinator. He is educated in creativity, innovation, and strategy. He is skilled at facilitation, training, and enthusiasm. He designed his own Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Washington in Creative Processes and he earned a Masters of Science in Creativity, Creative Problem Solving and Change Leadership from the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State. He is the Owner of Forward Motion Facilitation LLC, a partner at the global innovation development

firm New & Improved LLC, an innovation Subject Matter Expert for Innovation Bound, and a former a member of the Public Strategies Group. He has worked on numerous Design Labs with the Public Strategies Group. Shane’s early career was in music, teaching, and graphic design.

Sophie Duba (Oregon) is the Assistant Coordinator of the Prosperity Design Lab and a current graduate student at Portland State University. Guided by a commitment to sustainable and socially just communities, Sophie has worked in a diverse range of settings, from immigrant and refugee resource centers to state penitentiaries in the United States and Chile. Sophie’s professional and research interests include program evaluation, organization development, and restorative justice.

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Design Team Assistants Robert Lee (Portland, Oregon) currently serves as a lead Operations and Policy Analyst at the State of Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and has served as coordinator of the Oregon Prosperity Agenda. He has developed significant experience while serving a variety of positions in the healthcare, education, public safety and small business arenas. He holds degrees from Portland State University in both Political Science and Public Administration. Luke Eckert (New York) is the Social Media Specialist at New & Improved, LLC, an organizational development and training firm specialized in creating cultures of innovation and improved creative problem solving. Luke has extensive experience in the outdoor industry, serving as a rock climbing and trek guide for the Boy Scouts of America during the summer and working as an adventure based videographer and photographer. Scott Stein (Washington DC) has more than a decade of experience doing strategic management and fundraising in the political, non-profit, and social enterprise sectors. In his professional career Scott has focused on best practices for engaging, training and inspiring the next generation of change agents, and on the relationship between social entrepreneurship and economic development for the Millennial generation. He has a Master’s degree from NYU Wagner School focused on Social Entrepreneurship. Kristen Gallagher (Portland, Oregon) is an education designer at her firm Edify Education Design and business developer at Squishymedia in Portland. She's been an AmeriCorps volunteer and a past recipient of SNAP benefits, and has worked with nonprofits and cultural institutions for over eight years. Kristen's background is in museum studies and alternative learning environments. Her focus nowadays is on equitable access to quality education for all children and adults.

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