About ALF

 
 

The American Leadership Forum (ALF) of Oregon is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that brings a diverse range of corporate, public and non-profit leaders together to build effective networks of collaboration, service and community throughout the state. By creating a network of leaders with established bonds of trust and mutual support, ALF strengthens the commitment of leaders to utilize collaborative approaches to dealing with emergent and complex community and statewide issues.

800+

SENIOR FELLOWS STATEWIDE

Senior Fellows are graduates of the ALF Fellows Program and are part of a catalytic network of servant leaders from across the state of Oregon.

 

37

YEARS IN SERVICE TO OREGON

Founded in 1986 by Don Frisbee, the Oregon chapter is the only statewide chapter in the national ALF system.

 
 

35

CURRENT FELLOWS

ALF Oregon is currently traveling throughout the state with Class 44 and Class 45.

Core Values

 
 

  • We believe in the power and importance of trusted relationships.

  • We believe that diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging are critical for thriving, equitable communities, healthy people, and a healthy planet.

  • We believe in the power of dialogue and collaborative leadership with leaders who have curiosity about people whose identity, culture, background and life experiences may be different from their own.

  • We believe we have a responsibility to prioritize active civic engagement to equitably serve for the benefit of all people in our communities.

  • We prioritize and engage in practices of mindfulness, grace, acceptance, accountability and openness to personal and professional growth.

Cornerstones

 
 

  • Building a network of leaders dedicated to nurturing relationships across a diversity of backgrounds, beliefs and practices.

  • Designing spaces for leaders to engage in self-reflection and build trust across differences as a spark for personal growth and development.

  • Creating space for conversations that encourage leaders to eliminate absolute thinking and practice curiosity. 

  • Highlighting how our global connectedness and influence can create possibilities for personal, organizational and community change.

  • Working together to co-create a just and equitable society through the exploration of systemic inequities.

  • Inspiring leaders and their networks to be catalysts for creating a community in which all people have the ability to thrive.

History of ALF

 
 

The national American Leadership Forum (ALF) organization was founded in 1980 by Joseph Jaworski, who left his successful law practice to address what he increasingly saw as a crisis of leadership taking place throughout the country. His vision was to establish a national organization dedicated to bringing together leaders from various sectors in communities across the country to develop their leadership skills and capacity and strengthen their commitment to work together on public issues.

After a year of meeting with leaders from across the United States, Jaworski and seventeen other prominent Americans launched the American Leadership Forum with this vision in mind. This group, many of whose members still serve on ALF's national board of trustees, included John Gardner, former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare; James MacGregor Burns, Professor Emeritus of Williams College; Warren Bennis, former Professor at USC and respected author; Tom Bradley, former mayor of Los Angeles; Harlan Cleveland, former ambassador to NATO and President of the World Academy of Art & Science; Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School, and James B. Stockdale, Vice Admiral in the U.S. Navy.

Through the vision of this group, ALF began in 1980 to address a need for more skillful, more ethical, more effective leadership on a local basis. They were convinced that if a cross-section of a community's business, elected, academic, minority and religious leadership could be brought together to work on public issues, no problem would be beyond solution.

In 1996, Joe Jaworski published a book, Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership, in which he chronicles his efforts to build the American Leadership Forum and highlights the principles and values that ALF embodies.

The Oregon chapter of the American Leadership Forum is the second oldest chapter in the national ALF organization behind Houston. Over 4500 leaders throughout the country have completed the ALF Fellows program to date, with approximately 450 of those coming from the Oregon chapter.

Founded in 1986, the Oregon chapter is the only statewide chapter in the national ALF system. ALF-Oregon was founded by then-CEO of PacifiCorp, Don Frisbee, with the assistance of several prominent business and public sector leaders in the state.

ALF National & Chapter Affiliates

 
 

ALF - National
PO Box 59612
San Jose, CA 95159
Website: www.alfnational.org
E-mail: alfn@alfnational.org

ALF - Charlotte Region
c/o The Lee Institute
400 Hermitage Road
Charlotte, NC 28207
Ph: (704) 714-4444
E-mail: cjoy@tlwf.org
website: www.alfcharlotteregion.org

ALF - Houston/Gulf Coast
3101 Richmond Ave., Suite 140
Houston, TX 77098
Ph: (713) 807-1253
E-mail: nory@alfhouston.org
website: www.alfhouston.com

ALF - Mountain Valley
1601 Response Road, Suite 350
Sacramento, CA 95815
Ph: (916) 920-5669
E-mail: mail@alf-mvc.org
website: www.alf-mvc.org

ALF – Oregon
221 NW Second Ave
Suite 306
Portland, OR 97209
Ph: (503) 636-2288
E-mail: info@alfo.org
website: www.alforegon.org

ALF - Great Valley
1935 G Street
Modesto, CA 95354
Ph:(209) 522-5103
website: www.alfgreatvalley.org

ALF - Silicon Valley
Sobrato Center for Nonprofits
1400 Parkmoor Avenue, Suite 280
San Jose, CA 95126
Ph: (408) 554-2000
E-mail: alfsv@alfsv.org
website: www.alfsv.org

ALF - Tacoma Pierce County
1119 Pacific Ave, Suite 801
Tacoma, WA 98402
Ph: (253) 284-2280
E-Mail: beth@alftacomapiercecounty.org
website: www.alftacomapiercecounty.org

ALF – Waccamaw
c/o Waccamaw American Leadership Forum
P.O. Box 721
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
Ph: (843) 344-0637
E-mail: scook.walf@gmail.com
website: www.waccamawalf.org

ALF National Board of Directors

 
 

Nory Angel, Chair
President, ALF - Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter
Email: nory@alfhouston.org

Suzanne St. John-Crane
Interim Executive Director, ALF National and CEO, ALF Silicon Valley
Email: suzanne@alfsv.org

Beth Boggs, Treasurer
Executive Director, ALF - Tacoma/Pierce County Chapter
Email: beth@alftacomapiercecounty.org

Sam Cook, Secretary
Director, Sustainable Forestry Program, Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation
Email: scook.wcf@gmail.com

Jayne Battey
Owner, Miramar Farms
Email: jayne@miramarfarms.com

Maria Elena Bottazzi
National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine - Associate Dean & Professor
Email: bottazzi@bcm.edu

Nancy Brodovsky
SacConnects
Email: nbrodovsky@gmail.com

Louis Cooper
Senior Director Security and Labor Relations, Port of Tacoma
Email: lcooper@portoftacoma.com

Lorie Diaz-Liddicoat
Partners Commercial Real Estate
Email: loriediazliddicoat@gmail.com

Dee Dee Dochen
Owner, DDD Marketing Communications
Email: ddd@dddmc.com

Bonnie Ferreira
Executive Director, ALF - Mountain Valley Chapter
Email: bonnie@alf-mvc.org

Sarah Greenman
Executive Director, ALF - Oregon
Email: sarah@alfo.org

Chrystal Joy
Managing Director, The Lee Institute
Email: cjoy@leeinstitute.org

Judy Le
President, TakeRoot, LLC
Email: judyletom@gmail.com

Lyle Quasim
Secretary of Washington State Department of Social and Health Service (Retired)
Email: lquasim@icloud.com

Charles Weathers
The Weathers Group - Coach, Advisor, Consultant
Email: cweathers@weathersgroup.com

Kirstie Zacharis
Executive Director, ALF - Great Valley Chapter
Email: kirstie@greatvalley.org