Staff & Board

As of August 2011, the Neighborhood Partnerships Board includes:

Executive Committee

Daniel Robertson, Chair
Lynn Schoessler, Secretary
Mike Barr, Treasurer

Members

Michael Barr, Vice President 
Wells Fargo

Jesse Beason, Executive Director
Proud Ground

Bruce Dobbs, Director, Commercial Construction
NW Natural

Bill Hall, Commissioner
Lincoln County Commission

Bernie Kronberger, Vice President
Wells Fargo Bank

Daniel Robertson, Attorney
Aller, Morrison & Robertson PC
Board member, Umpqua Community Development Corporation

Lynn Schoessler, Deputy Director
Oregon Economic and Community Development Department

Brian Stewart, 1st V.P./Community Development Manager
JP Morgan Chase & Company

Staff List and Contact Information

Janet Byrd, Executive Director

Janet has more than thirty years of experience in the community development arena. Her roots as a neighborhood organizer in Chicago working on housing issues as varied as insurance redlining, neighborhood disinvestment and tenant rights stoked a passion for housing policy and community development that has remained constant over the intervening years. Over her career, Janet has spearheaded a number of collaborative efforts which promise lasting benefit to our communities.

As Director of Neighborhood Partnerships, Janet has been central to the success of the statewide advocacy coalition, the Housing Alliance.  During her tenure NP also launched the highly innovative multi-county collaborative to serve high-need homeless families, Bridges to Housing, and quadrupled the impact of the Oregon IDA Initiative, a unique asset building program.

Janet holds a BA degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts University. She serves on the State of Oregon Ending Homelessness Advisory Commission, and the Steering Committee of Oregon Thrives.

503-226-3001 ext. 103
E-mail

Kathy Turner, Program Director

Creating bridges of opportunity for all has been a lifetime goal for Kathy Turner.   She has devoted much of her thirty year career organizing to generate pathways of opportunity out of poverty in the public and nonprofit sectors.  As an undergraduate student, Kathy studied political science and public policy focusing on women in the workforce.  Early on, Kathy spent fifteen years as an organizer working with community residents in Seattle and Portland on economic and social issues that affected their quality of life – accessible public health, toxics, fair utility rates, community disinvestment and jobs as an alternative to gangs for youth. Recognizing that quality schools can contribute to opening doors in poorer neighborhoods, Kathy became one of the founders and early drivers behind the Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) Initiative when she worked in the public sector in local government.   SUN not only provides quality after school programming for kids, but also education and services for families and other area residents.   When Kathy joined Neighborhood Partnerships in October 2010, she was immediately drawn to the asset building results and potential of the Oregon Individual Development Account (IDA) Initiative and now serves as the Program Director of the Initiative.   Kathy also has a passion for training and leadership development and is a certified coach by the Coaches Training Institute.

503-226-3001 ext. 101

E-mail

Alison McIntosh, Policy and Communications Director

Alison joined Neighborhood Partnerships in late 2006. She quickly became essential in her roles managing the Bridges to Housing collaboration and overseeing fundraising. She brings to NP her skillful collaboration management, creativity and a willingness to shoulder new tasks.

At NP, Alison has assumed increasing responsibility in advocacy, communications, and policy analysis. She now coordinates the work of the Housing Alliance and advises our work on asset building as a state partner of CFED. She leads our work to think creatively about new ways to engage our members in advocacy – through coalitions, voter registration, and voter engagement.

Alison began working for non-profit organizations in 2001 as a community organizer in Minnesota. After moving to Portland in 2003, Alison gained experience in local housing issues as a volunteer and Board member for the Portland-based Community Alliance of Tenants. As a CAT board member, Alison participated in the City of Portland’s Quality Rental Housing Workgroup in 2007–2008. In 2010, Alison was selected to participate in Robert Wood Johnson’s Ladder to Leadership fellowship program. She holds a BA in Political Science from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.

503-226-3001 ext. 107
E-mail

Karie Herrlinger, Accountant

Karie joined Neighborhood Partnerships in early 2006.  Prior to joining NP, Karie had managed office and financial records for small businesses for eight years.  Karie provides critical support to the Finance Department at NP and brings to it her amazing attention to detail.  In addition to her work in the accounting department, in 2007 Karie took on duties managing a database of Oregon subsidized properties.  As database administrator, she works with a variety of partners to ensure affordable housing units and their subsidies throughout Oregon are preserved.  Karie’s keen eye for detail and persistent work ethic play a key role in keeping Neighborhood Partnerships running smoothly and efficiently.

503-226-3001 ext 104
E-mail

Haley Cloyd, Administrative and Program Assistant

Haley graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2004 with a BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies and a Minor in Philosophy.  She spent the next year leading bike tours in southeast Alaska and nannying for families in the Pacific NW.  Haley’s love of the outdoors took her to the Santa Cruz mountains where she taught Outdoor Science School at Mount Hermon for a year.  Not ready to leave Santa Cruz, Haley worked for Twin Lakes Church as an administrative and program assistant.  During her time there she also directed Twin Lakes’s Summer Intern Program in 2007.  Mid-way through 2008 Haley’s love of the Pacific NW called her home, and in July of 2008 she began working at Neighborhood Partnerships as an administrative assistant.  At NP, Haley ensures the office runs smoothly. Haley is excited and passionate about advocacy, and critically assists NP in its advocacy work through managing communication efforts and events.

503-226-3001 ext 100
E-mail

Jessica Junke, Program Associate
After graduating from Willamette University with a degree in Cultural Anthropology, Jessica spent time in Chicago working as the Program Coordinator for an experiential urban studies program. Throughout her experience in the windy city, Jess became very passionate about issues surrounding community development and public policy, specifically regarding social and economic justice within marginalized communities. This, paired with her more than five years combined experience working in various areas of financial management, made joining NP’s Financial Department in August 2011 an extremely exciting one. In February 2012, Jess accepted the position of Program Associate and to this day, continues to utilize her strong fiscal background to bring together both the fiscal and program side of the Oregon Individual Development Account (IDA) Initiative. She brings a tangible enthusiasm for asset building initiatives and what they mean for the future financial security of low-income Oregonians. In addition to the IDA program, Jessica also works as the database administrator for the Preserve Oregon Housing Initiative. She recognizes the vital need for ensuring the future of Oregon’s affordable housing and enjoys the opportunity to contribute her keen eye for detail and organizational skills to this important project. Eventually, she plans on carrying her knowledge gained from her invaluable time at NP into a pursuit of graduate work in Urban Planning and Public Policy.

503-226-3001 ext 109
E-mail

Mercy Rossi, Fiscal and Program Assistant

503-226-3001 ext 102
E-mail

Mercy graduated from the University of Portland with a BBA in 2007. During her time there she developed a passion for service, and in October 2007, she accepted an AmeriCorps position as a Service –Learning Project Coordinator. Her role was to plan and coordinate community service projects for eighth grade students as they prepared to exit the eighth grade. In addition to the AmeriCorps position, in November 2008, Mercy also began working at St. Philip Neri Parish as an office assistant. After completing her time with AmeriCorps, and with an eagerness to further develop her organization and communication skills, Mercy began working for Social Enterprises, Inc., an event managing company whose clients are non-profit organizations and agents of social change. After a year at Social Enterprises, Inc. , Mercy accepted the position of Parish Secretary at St. Philip Neri in March 2010. During her nearly four and half years at St. Philip’s, Mercy undertook increasing responsibilities in areas of database management, payroll administration, as well as other fiscal and organizational related tasks.

During her nine years in Portland, Mercy has become passionate about finding tangible ways to combat issues of injustice. Mercy joined NP’s Financial Department in April 2012 and is excited to be part of a collaborative effort to effect change in people’s lives that is sustainable, long-lasting and vital to their well-being. Through her attention to detail, strong organizational skills and high standard for accuracy, she helps ensure that the Financial and Program departments run smoothly and efficiently.