Lane County Nonprofit Resource Roundup

Facilitator
Sara Curiel Paez, Senior Consultant, Nonprofit Association of Oregon

With a background in Participatory Leadership, Sara Paez has 10 years of experience in leadership development, civic engagement, facilitation and training. As a first generation Mexican-American woman, Sara deeply believes that all people have value and that leadership happens through reflection, listening and dialogue.

Sara is an experienced bilingual and bicultural capacity building consultant. She was born and raised in Nayarit, Mexico. She attended Oregon State University and received both her B.S. degree from the Honors College department as a McNair Scholar and a Master’s degree in Public Policy. Internationally, Sara has worked and studied in Spain, Bulgaria and Mexico. In 2005, Sara had the opportunity to interview nonprofits in Bulgaria to understand their role in the policy process before becoming part of the European Union. In addition, Sara has two years of paralegal experience from Universidad Panamerica in Guadalajara, Mexico. She also has training as a legal interpreter and translator.

In her spare time, Sara enjoys traveling abroad to Mexico and Argentina, reading and playing with her two children. She fulfills her deep commitment to youth development through her long standing volunteer work with the Benton County Juvenile Department and the Oregon State University 4-H.

Panelist

Yvette Rhodes, Program Associate, The Ford Family Foundation

Yvette Rhodes supports the development and administration of programs and grants for both the Ford Institute and the Community Economic Development departments. Yvette, who came to the Foundation in 2003, manages the Technical Assistance Grants program. She grew up in Douglas County. She has an associate’s degree from Umpqua Community College and is finishing a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Yvette is married with five children and two grandchildren, and enjoys outings with them, especially camping in the summer. She has served on her town’s school foundation board since its inception in 2005.

Panelist
Julia Willis, Grants Coordinator, Spirit Mountain Community Fund

Julia Willis has been working in Tribal Philanthropy since 2007, and joined Spirit Mountain in the fall of 2012. She currently serves on the Grantmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington Board of Directors. She has a B.S. in Psychology from Boise State University, and is a member of the Coquille Indian Tribe.

Panelist
John Franklin, Program Director, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

John joined M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust in October 2012 as a program director. He spent 32 years on the staff of Young Life, his last four serving as the senior vice president for the western division. John has been involved with numerous nonprofits in the Northwest and is a frequent speaker and consultant with organizations around the country. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and earned his master’s degree at Fuller Theological Seminary.