Leaders from the public and private sectors will steer the Portland Workforce Alliance into the 2017-18 year, following approval by the nonprofit’s governing board at its final meeting of the current fiscal year.
On June 13, the board of directors elected Brooke Berglund of the Port of Portland as incoming president and Anna Yates, of the Swift marketing and advertising agency, as vice president, along with seven new board members.
Berglund and Yates join three other officers for the new fiscal year: Jane Williams of Multnomah County as board president, Lori Mueller of the Oregon Health Care Association as treasurer, and Gabby Riley of ZGF Architects as secretary.
“This is an executive group that is ‘all in,’ and I am inspired to be working with and for this board,” said Williams.
Natalie Miller of Lee Hecht Harrison has served as board president this year. Past presidents Scott Kleiner of Wieden+Kennedy and JR Gustafson of Nike served in auxiliary leadership roles as members of PWA’s executive committee. The executive committee oversees strategy, governance and finances for PWA, which heads into its 13th year as a builder of partnerships between high schools and the Portland business community.
Rhonnda Parson Edmiston of Howard S. Wright will retire from the board at the end of 2016-17. Marty O’Mara of Gunderson, and Abby Williams, student representative from Portland State University, transitioned off the board during the school year. All three contributed to the nonprofit’s work in support of career learning for students.
New board members coming from the business world include: Ebony Lawrence of Kaiser Permanente, Grace Andrews of Puppet, Matt Hanson of Fortis Construction, Michael Willes of Tonkon Torp, Janet Rodriguez of The Partners Group and Samantha Jordan of Emerick Construction.
Also new to the board is Antonio Crosier, student representative from Portland State.
Williams, the new board president, said PWA plays a critical role as a volunteer-driven nonprofit dedicated to helping Oregon’s schools and businesses meet the region’s future workforce needs.
“I believe in the power of connection to change how we see our futures. That is what PWA does every day for youth and, to be honest, for all of us who volunteer to serve, too!”
