Vision into Action Steering Committee

Adela Basayne has two concurrent professional private practices: organizational development specialist and psychotherapist/massage therapist. A 20-year resident of Portland, Adela volunteers as a mediator with Resolutions Northwest’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor program. She has also served as co-president for Havurah Shalom in Portland and as an executive member of the American Massage Therapy Association.

Ameera Saahir is a professional artist as well as owner and manager of a registered in-home child care business. A survivor of the famous Vanport flood, Ameera has served the community in many organizations, including the Urban League of Portland, House of Umoja, ROSE Community Development, Youth Employment Institute and Portland Public Schools among many others.

B.E. Johnson, I
Appointed by Commissioner Dan Saltzman
Bio Forthcoming

Bob Block-Brown is an artist, educator and community activist. An active member of the Religious Society of Friends, Bob has served on the boards of John Woodman School, Sisters of the Road and Stand for Children. He also belongs to Slow Food Portland where he works with his wife, Kathy, a professional chef.

Gary Marschke serves on many boards and committees, including North/Northeast Business Association, Multnomah County Citizen Involvement Committee and Portland Literacy Council. He has also been a volunteer with Community Connect and visionPDX for several years.

James G. Kalvelage is a principal with Opsis Architecture, where he specializes in “public architecture,” interactive planning and design. A lifelong Portland, James spends his volunteer time with Northwest Business for Culture and the Arts and the Tibetan Peace Center.

Lai-Lani Ovalles works with the Native American Youth and Family Center as the Indigenous Organizing Coordinator. She coordinates a new Native professional development, leadership initiatives and networking events, as well as the Native Leaders Roundtable. Lai-Lani believes in the power of culture, creativity and indigenous knowledge to guide in the creation of a just and peaceful world.
Appointed by Mayor Tom Potter

Lisa Reed Guarnero came to the United States at 20 months old as a Korean-born adoptee. A community organizer focused on unifying racially diverse neighborhoods, Lisa recently served on the visionPDX Transition Team and currently participates in the Diversity and Civic Leadership Academy. She is a staff member of the Center for Intercultural Organizing and serves on the Board of the N/NE Business Association.

Lyn Kirby is on the Civic Action Group of Sisters of the Road. Now a senior at Portland State University, Lyn brings to the Coalition her experience of having been homeless. In addition to her work on poverty-related issues, Lyn is an active member of the NAACP and African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

Melinda Pittman has a dual career as an artist (a performer and award-winning writer) and a nonprofit administrator and leader. She is the Artistic Director of BroadArts Theatre, which aims to “change the world, one joke at the time” and volunteers at Jobs with Justice and St. Francis of Assisi Church.

Murad Nuryagdiev works as the immigration coordinator at Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR), a program of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. A current Diversity and Civic Leadership Academy participant, Murad also serves on the Community Gathering Center Leadership Group.

Natalie Sierra Ullman is a young activist with a background of continuous community work in Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. Her interests range from sustainability and “green” building to urban planning and transportation. Natalie has volunteered for many organizations, among them PSU’s Women’s Resource Center, the Audubon Society and

Ronault Latang Sayang Catalani (Polo) is a lawyer, activist and writer whose column, “Talking Story in Asian America,” appears regularly in the Asian Reporter newspaper. A founding board member of Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization, Polo has served on the boards of Asian Family Center, SE Asian Refugee Federation Board, Sai Leud Lao Board, Cambodian American Community of Oregon Board and many others.

Sandra Lefrançois served on the visionPDX Transition Team and will serve as the liaison to the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) on the VIA Steering Committee. Currently the Community Program Director at Central Northeast Neighbors Coalition (CNN), Sandra has 13 years experience with nonprofits in program management, community development and building partnerships. She is also a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters Northwest.

Sharon Bernstein served on the original visionPDX Vision Committee and the visionPDX Transition Team. The former Program Director at Hands on Portland, Sharon has worked her entire career in the non-profit and educational arenas. She is now an independent consultant for a variety of research, writing and training projects.

Stephanie Tolk, a former Peace Corps volunteer, has used her international experience to empower local teens. She is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Operations for the Pangaea Project, a nine-month leadership development program that empowers low-income high school students to become community leaders with global perspectives. She brings her start-up nonprofit experience—and her passion for social change—to the Coalition.

Van Truong, Portland Public Schools Mt. Tabor Middle School Principal, came to Portland Oregon as a refugee from Vietnam in 1975. Since then, she has raised a family of four children, has been a business owner for about 10 years and was previously founder and president of Vietnamese-American for Education in Oregon. She was also the director of Van Lang Vietnamese Language School for 2 years. Her love and commitment is in volunteering and public services, especially her dedication is in public education.
Appointed by Mayor Tom Potter

Bureau Representatives

Steve Dotterrer, Principal Planner, Bureau of Planning
Beth Kaye, Bureau of Housing and Community Development
Laurel Butman, Office of Management and Finance