Kishshana Palmer is an international speaker, trainer, and coach with a 20+ year background in fundraising, marketing, and talent management who helps leaders create high performing teams. Kishshana is CEO of ManageMint, Inc., an organizational development firm focused on helping everyday leaders live well and lead well. Her firm's work centers on equity and social justice and practical solutions for today’s organizations. She is the founder of The Rooted Collaborative, a global community focused on the growth and development of women leaders of color in the social sector. She's the host of the podcast ManageMint Made Easy, formerly "Let's Take This Offline", an adjunct professor at Baruch College, a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), a BoardSource Certified Governance Trainer (CGT), A Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, a Q3LC Certified Coach and an AFP Master Trainer. When an organization wants to grow, find and retain people on their team, raise money, and more she is the fairy godmother they have on speed dial. Her work isn’t limited to organizations; she also coaches high performing leaders. Kishshana is an NYC girl now living in Atlanta and mother of one wonderful teenage daughter. Kishshana is the epitome of your classic 90's Queens homegirl and quintessential corner office executive. She is your daily dose of Claire Huxtable with a side of Blanche Devereaux.

Kara’s whole career has been place-based, with chapters in southern California, rural New Mexico, Minnesota, and now in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. Starting out in nonprofits, she served in numerous roles – writing grants, leading communications, human resources, evaluation and more. Much of her work focused on nonprofit sustainability, the mediation of economic and cultural conflict, and on seeing and understanding how communities effect change. “How can I help someone if I haven’t done it myself?” Joining philanthropy, Kara held fast to building community and getting things done at a time when many funders sought the next evolution of service, strategy and civic engagement. She authored the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s first guide to place-based philanthropy and dove into deep listening with community to align strategy with greater impact at the McKnight Foundation. “How can funders be seen as transformational partners? Money doesn’t always change the equation. We have to figure out our right role and where we can have the most positive contribution.” Part of what drew Kara to The Ford Family Foundation is its commitment to place – and to rural places, which are largely overlooked by national philanthropy. Kara believes that Oregon and Siskiyou have stories and solutions to inform those across our nation who have deep hunger for meaningful, community-driven change. “Having spent much of my childhood in a town of fewer than 500 people in Indiana, this work is a homecoming for me. Engaging the strength, creativity, voice and vision of rural communities is essential to shaping a hopeful future for all of us.”

Born and raised in Oregon, Lisa Mensah joined Oregon Community Foundation in September 2022, following an illustrious career that has taken her from working on rural poverty with the Ford Foundation to serving as an Under Secretary for Rural Development in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, managing a $215 billion loan portfolio, to most recently leading Opportunity Finance Network. Lisa Mensah serves on the Boards of Ecotrust, Feeding America, Fidelity Bank of Ghana, and Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa (USA). She also serves as a member of the Advisory Committees of Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women and Gaia Impact Fund. Ms. Mensah is widely considered an expert on access to capital in low-wealth communities and has frequently testified before Congress on the subject. The media and others look to her as a voice of authority on the CDFI industry, finance’s role in social, economic, and racial justice, and the need for more equitable capital access across the country. Forbes and Morning Joe recognized Ms. Mensah as one of five women who has been safeguarding America’s small businesses throughout the pandemic. Lisa Mensah holds an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. from Harvard University. Born in Oregon, she is the daughter of an immigrant from Ghana and a former Iowa farm girl.

Tyler Hobbs (he/him) is a philanthropy and nonprofit professional with a background in education, fundraising, and organizational development. He began his career as a high school teacher and school administrator in East Los Angeles and Spokane, before transitioning to fundraising in 2018. In 2020, he was recruited to support the growth of the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation. As a leader in the foundation’s development, he has helped to build the foundation’s early infrastructure and grant-making strategy. Today the Foundation distributes more than $20 million annually to hundreds of organizations across Oregon.

Chris has an extensive background in non-profit leadership, strategic planning, facilitation, program development, and social impact. Since founding Catalysis, Chris has successfully guided over 25 organizational strategic plans and supported award-winning volunteer programs. She serves mission-driven organizations throughout the U.S. and around the world. A sought-after facilitator for complex and challenging conversations, Chris helps leaders and teams meet their most urgent challenges. Chris is a certified leadership coach and serves as faculty for the Institute for Equity-Centered Coaching.

Charlotte Young, PhD, is a seasoned collaboration and organizational development specialist. She supports organizations and groups working towards a healthy planet with happy people. She works to build strong, effective organizations and helps them work together for greater gains. As a workshop leader who uses facilitation, mediation, consensus building and visual thinking processes, Charlotte catalyzes teams, groups and organizations to do their best work. She works to create optimally functioning organizations; and across multiple organizations, she provides process support in uncovering collaborative solutions for thorny societal challenges. She designs and leads events involving diverse expertise and multiple jurisdictions that promote common understanding; encourage creative thinking; and enable groups to achieve broadly-supported, lasting solutions. Charlotte also carries out applied program and policy evaluations. With estimates that approximately two-thirds of us think in pictures, one of Charlotte’s unique approaches is pictorially representing conferences, meetings and other events using a tool called “graphic recording” The results are captivating, colorful murals that summarize the content of a session while simultaneously animating the session. Charlotte has a PhD from the University of Michigan in environmental psychology. She is a facilitator, evaluator and graphic recorder. She’s trained as a “Partnership Broker” and as facilitators for “True Colors Personality Strengths Inventory,” the “Framework for Acting Under Uncertainty and Complexity” and the Kettering Foundation’s “Environmental Issues Forum.” Charlotte is the Director of Practice at envision SYNERGY (envision) -- environmental vision together. For more information see envision-synergy.net.

Erica Briggs is a learning facilitator, DEIB consultant, community caretaker, creative artist, and writer. In each capacity, she is a storyteller, sharing connections that equip, inspire, and support healing and growth. Born and raised in Oregon, Erica has traversed the globe, living and working in various locations. Currently, she is a Nonprofit Education Specialist at NAO, the owner and residential manager of a co-operative living community, and the founder and CEO of a small arts and nature nonprofit based in Troutdale. As a single mother, she earned a BA in Communications at Mills College in Oakland, CA, and a Master's in Africana Studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where she studied the social construction of race in America through literature. For over 25 years, she has served various roles in nonprofits, and both traditional and alternative learning environments from elementary through college. When she is at play, you will likely find her wandering in her garden, making a mess in her art studio, or hiking with her children to the nearest body of water.

Grady Goodall serves as Senior Director of Development for the Division of Arts and Sciences at the OSU Foundation. In addition to his work in fundraising, Grady is an attorney who has worked exclusively in the Oregon education and nonprofit sectors. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Oregon Nonprofit Organizations Law Section and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Nonprofit Stewardship, the Lane Arts Council Board of Directors, and the Eastern Oregon Regional Arts Council. He is a frequent presenter on philanthropy and nonprofit management topics.

Phillip Kennedy-Wong is a public policy professional with over 20 years of experience lobbying at the state, local, and federal levels. He has worked for several nonprofit organizations throughout his career and served on nonprofit boards. He brings a strong understanding of nonprofit lobbying and planning advocacy programs. Phillip served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves while earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Lewis and Clark College. Upon graduating, he went to work right away as a field organizer on a political campaign during the 1992 presidential election. Getting the political bug, he proceeded to earn a Master of Science in public policy from Rutgers University and has never looked back in his public service career.

Laurel McCombs brings more than 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector and a passion for the role philanthropy can play in changing the world to her work as a consultant, partner, and trainer. Laurel has worked closely with clients on a variety of topics, including donor retention, development operations, planning, donor management, board development and more. Current and recent clients include the ACLU, Mosaic Medical, Earthjustice, and Cal State Fullerton. In addition to well-received workshops at national conferences, such as League of Conservation Voters and State Voices, Laurel has presented at the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference, AFP Congress, CASE-NAIS, and several local development professional associations. Prior to joining TOG, Laurel worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America where she coordinated capacity-building support to agencies across the country. Laurel has a degree from USC and lives in Damascus, OR.

Nonprofit wrangler. Board border collie. Professional people herder. Some of the titles nonprofit maven Kari Anderson wears running Incite! Consulting, a boutique coaching and consulting practice. What's her niche? Building nonprofits up. From the inside out. What’s her superpower? Kari is a recovering nonprofit executive. During her 20+ years in the field, she served seven nonprofits in Washington and Colorado in various leadership roles. A seasoned board member, she has served on boards in seven states focused on health, athletics and education. Having served as both staff and board, she’s got the scoop on what it takes to run a healthy, vibrant and visionary business, all while having some serious fun! A Montana native, Kari is based in Coeur d’Alene, ID and Jackson, WY. She brings the office and toolkit to her client, and works with nonprofits to support people, increase revenues and rethink strategies to move missions forward.

Carey Jean Sojka, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies at Southern Oregon University. Their teaching and research interests include transgender studies, embodiment, intersectionality, gender, sexuality, race, disability, and fat studies. She also conducts trainings on transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer issues in our region.

Bill Mancuso, CPA, is an organized, detail-oriented professional with nearly 35 years of experience in both for-profit and nonprofit accounting. A graduate of The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College), Bill has devoted his career to helping organizations not only with accounting and financial operations, but also with additional supports such as management, marketing, and overall consulting on operations. He can communicate technical items in a manner that assists management and boards in making more well-informed decisions. Bill’s overall approach is to not overcomplicate things and to use his experience to allow those he serves to prosper. A seasoned speaker, Bill is a consistent presenter with the Nonprofit Association of Oregon, where he shares his expertise to support the learning and development of nonprofit professionals. He has and continues to serve on numerous nonprofit boards and volunteers in the community, using his skills and talents to help others.

Todd Kimball is a Partner with CFO Selections, serving as the Practice Manager for the Oregon & Southwest Washington non-profit sector. Todd began his career as a government and non-profit auditor, before transitioning to the private sector, including four years with Mercy Corps. Todd has worked with over 40 Oregon non-profits and government entities to help them through times of significant financial and accounting challenges, and ultimately improve their financial condition. Todd is an Oregon state CPA and holds a BA in Accounting and Finance from George Fox University. He enjoys traveling to faraway places, skiing on snow and water, and grilling in the backyard.

Vega Tom brings 18 years of non-profit accounting, finance, and strategic leadership experience. After starting her career as a construction bookkeeper and office manager, she quickly shifted gears to pursue non-profit work. Driven by a passion for social justice and equity, she transitioned to be the bookkeeper and human resource coordinator for the Hospice of Washington County. Expanding her leadership skills and experiences with mission driven staff, Vega grew in her roles to become Director of Finance for a non-profit daycare center and on to Chief Operating Officer of a women’s empowerment organization called World Pulse. She also worked with 211info as CFO and the Native American Youth and Family Center as Director of Finance. Additionally, she has experience providing consulting services to small businesses and non-profits on financial systems, budgeting, human resources, and strategic planning. Vega holds a Political Science degree from Reed College, and an MBA from the University of Portland, with a focus on finance and sustainability. She enjoys running, drawing, dancing, and playing the saw.

Belinda provides leadership for Lomakatsi’s Tribal Partnerships Program and Chairs the Inter-Tribal Ecosystem Restoration Partnership. Her career highlights include expertise in intergovernmental affairs coordination with tribes, communities, and collaboratives. Belinda works closely with Lomakatsi’s Executive Director and staff leadership to serve tribal communities in their efforts to restore forests and watersheds on tribal trust and ancestral lands. She serves as a community liaison, engaging with tribal elders, tribal councils, cultural resource monitors and tribal department staff. Belinda also works to establish and promote effective working relationships among the tribal community, Lomakatsi and federal agency and non-profit partners. Belinda is an enrolled member of the Kosealekte Band of the Ajumawi-Atsuge Nation (Pit River Tribe) and has served as an elected official on the Pit River Tribal Council and also as a Traditional Behavioral Health Specialist and Cultural Representative as an appointed delegate at local, state and national levels. Belinda is an ecocultural restoration practitioner and currently serves as the elected Kosealekte Band Cultural Representative. She has served Indian Country in intergovernmental affairs coordination, strategic planning and community development for the last twenty years. Her recent work has been with the 109 California Tribes and assisting them in developing resolutions, position papers and facilitating strategic government to government coordination, workshops and collaboration for the protection and preservation of water and natural resources. Her background is in health and human services, emergency preparedness and natural resources. She is a Certified Youth Life Coach and Mentor.

Executive Director and Lomakatsi’s Founder, Marko oversees all aspects of the organization’s efforts, working in close coordination with the Board of Directors. Marko’s central focus is on program and organizational development, project procurement, planning and operations. His other responsibilities include grant writing and fundraising, technical planning, and the management of cooperative agreements, stewardship agreements and contracts. Lomakatsi’s ten regional ecosystem restoration programs and associated workforce initiatives are a primary result of his work. Most essential has been his leadership in the orchestration and formation of collaborative partnerships — partnerships that are strengthened by a wide variety of stakeholders, including federal and state agencies, Indian tribes, organizations, private landowners and community members. Marko also serves as one of the core members of Lomakatsi’s Technical Team, working closely with the organization’s staff of ecosystem resource professionals on the overall design of ecological forestry projects, silvicultural prescriptions, habitat restoration and watershed enhancement projects. Beginning as a tree planter working on federal lands in 1987, Marko has over thirty years of experience in forestry and ecosystem restoration, from the ground up. He has worked throughout six western states and a variety of ecological communities, most extensively in the forests and watersheds of southern Oregon and northern California. With an applied knowledge of restoration practice and local landscape conditions, he has researched, studied, and developed a wide range of ecological forestry and watershed restoration practices. Specific areas of on-the-ground expertise include riparian, oak woodland and mixed conifer restoration, reforestation, restoration forestry, fuels management, technical work, and the development and direction of worker training programs. Working locally and regionally to advance the full spectrum of ecosystem restoration, green job creation and forest-based community revitalization, Marko served as the Board President of the Northwest Forest Worker Center, as a Board member of the Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative, and as member of the Klamath-Siskiyou Oak Network. Marko also participates in a variety of strategic coalitions, committees and interdisciplinary teams, both regionally and nationally, contributing to the development and advancement of community-based ecological restoration.

Cordelia is an attorney with experience both in-house and as external counsel to tax-exempt organizations. She specializes in helping nonprofits manage legal and governance issues with a combination of practicality, logic, and kindness. In her current position as Associate General Counsel at the National Domestic Worker’s Alliance (NDWA), she oversees employment law issues, 501(c)(3) lobbying compliance, and works to ensure the organizations knows, understands, and follows the breadth of laws impacting non-profits. Prior to joining NDWA, Cordelia worked at a boutique law firm in Eugene, OR, where she provided a broad range of legal services, including nonprofit startup guidance, gaining and maintaining tax-exempt status, lobbying rules across the different 501(c) categories, employment law, licensing agreements, mergers and acquisitions, contract development, intellectual property licensing and registration, and many other topics. Cordelia has presented on nonprofit legal topics at conferences across the pacific northwest and recently co-wrote a chapter on best practices for financial oversight for the Oregon State Bar Legal Publications. She received her Juris Doctorate degree in 2014 from the University of California Los Angeles Law School, where she was a managing editor on the Journal of Environmental Law and Policy and the Secretary of the Environmental Law Society. When not working, Cordelia enjoys gardening, working on her 1940s home, and exploring the PNW with her family.

Jim is an experienced human resources executive with an extensive leadership background. For over 40 years, he has been an HR executive in organizations with employee populations from 15 to over 10,000. Educated at the University of Nebraska, earning a degree in business, he has since focused his professional expertise in employee relations/compliance, organizational development, talent acquisition, training and employee benefits. His experience covers diverse industries including production, manufacturing, distribution, call centers, agriculture, non-profits, consumer-packaged goods, direct marketing and retail stores. Jim is a hands-on, face-to-face leader who has excelled in corporate and field environments, union/non-union settings and multi-state operations. Jim strives to bring the Human aspect to Human Resources. His job satisfaction comes from helping employees navigate the ins and outs of their work lives. His constant companion in the office (and wherever he goes) is his dog Charlie, a rescued Border Collie-Corgi mix. Jim ensures staff success and engagement, working with officers and program managers to create an environment that is productive and supportive for employees. This includes implementing strategies that boost engagement, measure and improve performance, and contribute to retention via employee well-being. He has experience in recruiting, hiring, on-boarding, exiting, training, setting compensation strategy, benefits administration and creating an inclusive and positive culture.

Brenda Johnson serves as the Chief Executive Officer of La Clinica, a community and migrant healthcare organization in Southern Oregon, serving 30,000 low-income individuals each year through the provision of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and educational services. Brenda holds an MBA from Purdue University, a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Oregon Health Sciences University, and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Southern Oregon University, where her time included study abroad at the Universidad de Guanajuato, GTO, Mexico. Brenda has dedicated more than 25 years of her career to non-profit leadership in health care and community development and has a drive toward creating equitable systems of care. She believes shared power and love creates belonging, honors dignity, and positively transforms the lives of all people.