Class XXXVII Biographies

Rukaiyah Adams

Chief Investment Officer, Meyer Memorial Trust, Portland

Rukaiyah Adams is the Chief Investment Officer at Meyer Memorial Trust. She is responsible for leading all investment activities to ensure the long-term financial strength of the organization. Throughout her tenure as CIO, Ms. Adams has delivered top quartile performance; and beginning in 2017, her team hit its stride delivering an annual return that placed her in top 5% of foundation and endowment CIOs. Under the leadership of Ms. Adams, Meyer increased assets managed by diverse managers by more than 3x, to nearly 40% of all assets under management, and women managers by 10x, to 25% of AUM-- proving that hiring diverse managers is not a concessionary practice. Before joining Meyer, Ms. Adams ran the $6.5 billion capital markets fund at The Standard, a publicly traded company. At the Standard, she oversaw six trading desks that included several bond strategies, preferred equities, derivatives and other risk mitigation strategies. From 2017 to 2020, Ms. Adams was the chair of the prestigious Oregon Investment Council, the board that manages approximately $100 billion of public pension and other assets for the State of Oregon. During her tenure as chair, the Oregon state pension fund has been the top-performing public pension fund in the United States. The top-of-class performance was made possible by a series of strategic changes, overseen by Ms. Adams, that boosted returns and decreased risk. Ms. Adams serves on the boards of directors of the Albina Vision Trust, the Self Enhancement, Inc. Foundation, the OHSU Foundation and Oregon Public Broadcasting, where she also serves as the Treasurer and on the investment committee. She has engaged in pro bono legal work on behalf of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, the Homeless Prenatal Program in San Francisco, and the Children’s Defense Fund. 

Ms. Adams holds a BA with academic distinction from Carleton College; a Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School, where she was on the Law and Policy Review and the Co-President of the Law Student Association; and a Masters of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Teresa Alonso Leon

State Representative, Oregon House of Representatives, Woodburn

Emily Brandt

Landscape/Urban Designer, IE Engineering, Roseburg

Emily has been a part of i.e. Engineering’s team as an urban/landscape designer and planner since 2014. With a Master of Landscape Architecture from Mississippi State University, Emily’s aptitude for thoughtful and creative site layouts within the built environment has led to the successful completion of downtown improvement projects, neighborhood site design, and recreational and place making projects. With knowledge and skills ranging from commercial planting plans to local land use development codes and planning processes, Emily is passionate about place making, engaging the community, and creating spaces that educate and encourage outdoor recreation and tourism. An avid cyclist who is deeply involved with the community, Emily continues her professional education by taking environmental education training courses through Portland State University where in 2016 she completed her wetland delineation certification coursework. Emily stays closely connected to the Umpqua Valley community by volunteering as Board President for Umpqua Valley Arts Association and as a board member on the Scholarships Committee for the Umpqua Community College Foundation. Emily is currently studying to complete the Landscape Architecture Registration Exams (LARE) with the goal of becoming a licensed landscape architect in the state of Oregon.  

Brenden Butler

Vice President, Community Development Officer, OR & SW WA, Umpqua Bank, Portland

Professionally, my career path has taken me many places. From managing a fly fishing store in Ft. Worth, Texas to coordinating volunteers in Southern Italy to managing a healthy homes program in inner-city Baltimore to picking berries and bucking hay on Oregon farms, I feel lucky to have had a great variety of experience thanks to the jobs that I've had. Being raised in a home with not a lot of financial resources, I learned the value of work early in my life. I not only saw work as a means to make money but to open doors to diverse communities. The common reason for coming to work was money, but the deeper pay off are the people and opportunities. 

Educationally, I carved my own path. I earned credit from five different colleges and junior colleges to earn my bachelors. I ended up graduating from Portland State University double majoring in social science and German. I would not have changed my approach for anything in the world. After graduating I joined AmeriCorps VISTA and was placed with the Red Cross to support families of victims after 9/11. This was not a formal educational program but it shaped my life more and provided an education that no amount of money could pay for. After my AmeriCorps experience, I went to grad school at the School for International Training. I was part of a cohort of 200 students, half of which were international students. I completed my masters and did my research for my thesis on the motivations of volunteers in cross-cultural settings (Thailand, India, Italy). I'm grateful to have been given the opportunity to achieve the level of formal education that I have. 

I'm an uncle,  a brother, a son, a spouse and a friend. I'm an Oregonian, I'm an athlete, I'm woodturner and a cook. I'm a nonprofit professional, a volunteer, an engaged community member, a neighbor and an employee. I'm many things but first and foremost, I'm trying everyday to do my best to positively impact the lives of those around me. And I do this by approaching life with open arms. 

Tory Campbell

Director of Economic Development, Prosper Portland, Portland

I'm a son, brother, husband of 20 years, father of three beautifully ethnically blended children, introvert with social skills, serial entrepreneur, idealist, and creative. I'm currently the Director of Economic Development at Prosper Portland in Portland, OR. I grew up in Portland, attended John Marshall High School, picked up a love for entrepreneurship working at my family’s barbecue restaurant Campbell’s BBQ in SE, and went on to attend Oregon State University. In my work I'm driven by the knowledge that small businesses are the engines of the city’s economy, from tech startups to neighborhood retail to trade sector companies, I collaborate with my department on strategies to achieve equitable economic outcomes that create access to livable wage jobs and small business vitality. I founded Prosper Portland’s Mercatus Collective (www.mercatuspdx.com), an online platform elevating and connecting entrepreneurs of color in the city of Portland. As a business owner myself I saw the need for a network of entrepreneurs of color and a focus on their achievements that could tell a deeper story about running a business in Portland.

John Cárdenas

Construction Equity Sr. Project Manager, Prosper Portland, Portland

I am a fluently bilingual, Mexican-American, and Oregon native with roots in Woodburn, Salem, and Portland. I am the Sr. Construction Equity Project Manager at Prosper Portland. I have been at Prosper Portland since 2003 and have held a variety of roles over the years. My areas of expertise are in real estate and policy development, construction equity management, government affairs, and strategic multi-media communications. 

Amy Carlson

Facilitator & Consultant, Amy Carlson Consulting, Portland

My vocation is to grow and elevate the movement of people and organizations leading change for the common good. As a facilitator, trainer, consultant, and coach, I support principled change leadership. I utilize interactive and peer-learning approaches to help develop strategic, collaborative, community-based, and equity-centered organizations and networks. I draw on more than 20 years of experience with Oregon nonprofits, most recently serving as Director of Rural Programs with the Nonprofit Association of Oregon. I work collaboratively and generatively, guided by a commitment to love in action, and a passion for work at the intersection of justice, sustainability, and health.

Jessie Eagan

Senior Vice President of Residential Operations, Trillium Family Services, Portland

Jessie Eagan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Oregon and is serving as the Senior Vice President of Residential Operations for Trillium Family Services. Jessie earned Master’s degrees in Social Work and in Human Development & Family Studies from the University of Illinois. Her clinical experience in outpatient clinic-based care, school-based settings, and residential settings has focused on providing therapy services to children, adolescents, and their families. Jessie has also worked as Clinical Manager of a level 14 residential program in California, as Dean of Students for a non-public school working with students with behavioral concerns, and as the Director of Quality Improvement at Trillium. Jessie has been extensively involved in trainings and presentations in a variety of settings, and she enjoys relaying information to others in a fun and interesting way. She also supervises new therapists as they work towards licensure and formed a small business to provide supervision outside of Trillium.

Outside of work, Jessie enjoys spending time with her partner Tim, who is a nurse at OHSU, and with their dog, three cats, and five chickens. Jessie is a strong advocate for animal rights, and has been a volunteer and foster parent for many years. She is an avid soccer fan, particularly for the Portland Timbers and Thorns and the Liverpool Reds. She appreciates food and wine, reading, video games, and traveling.

Shawn Filippi

Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary, NW Natural, Portland

I gladly became a transplanted Oregonian in 1994 with my (now husband) Dave, whom I met while on debate scholarship at Kansas State University in the “Little Apple” of Manhattan, Kansas.  My deep need for equity and justice, and path to becoming an attorney, was forged in my childhood hometown of Wichita, Kansas where I watched my wheelchair-bound father navigate an employment landscape before the Americans With Disabilities Act was law.  As a young child, watching my parents build their own house from the ground up, and helping along the way, taught me the value of hard work and the importance of family and friends.  All of these are values that I continue to carry with me today.

I currently serve as Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary of NW Natural Holdings and NW Natural, and perform a variety of roles in those organizations and their subsidiaries.  Prior to joining NW Natural, I was an attorney at Stoel Rives LLP, focusing my practice in corporate, securities and finance, and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to Stoel Rives LLP, I clerked in the Special Litigation Unit of Oregon Department of Justice, was a Policy Researcher at Public Policy Research, and an Instructor for the Communication Studies Department at Portland State University. In my community, I have served as Chair of the Board and Chair of the Governance Committee, as well as Trustee of the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College Alumni Board of Directors. I have also served as Trustee of the Oregon Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and have been a member of the Board of Directors of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation.  I currently serve on the Lewis & Clark Law School Board of Visitors and the Board of the Center for Law and Innovation, and continue to be a member of ARCs. I received a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, from Kansas State University, attended a Master of Arts Program (ABT) in Communication Studies at Portland State University, and received a Doctor of Law (J.D.), magna cum laude, with a Certificate in Business Law, from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College.

Still married, Dave and I have two teenagers, a 13-year old son and a daughter who turns 16 years old on our ALF group orientation day.  With my Dad gone for 20 years, my Mom lives with us in the summer, taking advantage of the gorgeous Oregon summer weather.  We are delighted to spend quality time with her and she helps us herd the teens and our adorable mini-doodle, Emma.  I’m looking forward to meeting the group!

Mark Nooth

Eastside Institutions Administrator, Oregon Department of Corrections, Meridian

I am happily married with one son in law school. I have worked in corrections for 37 years and enjoy public safety and the challenge that it brings. Started out as a Corrections Officer at MCI Walpole in Mass. and worked my way through the ranks to my current position of Eastside Institution Administrator for Oregon DOC. I love sports and enjoy my Catholic faith and I am active in church activities.

Kimberlee Obilana

Operations Director, The Freshwater Trust, Portland

Kimberlee is the Operations Director at The Freshwater Trust, a conservation nonprofit headquartered in Portland. She sits on the senior management team, working to ensure that systems and policies are in place and adhered to, while focusing on the people component of the organization. Operations includes setting policy, staff hiring and retention, culture, diversity and equity work, IT, finance and org-level systems management. She works with managers to closely track work efforts across the entire organization, implementing and refining systems to manage capacity, and paying close attention to staff resourcing and project tracking.

Kimberlee has 20 years of diverse experience in nonprofit and private environmental consultancy work in the U.S., Asia and the U.K. She has overseen the operational management of international environment teams, managed and prepared environmental and social impact analysis documents, and conducted sustainability and climate change analyses and biological assessments. Kimberlee holds a bachelor’s degree in Environment, Economics and Politics from Claremont McKenna College in California and a master’s degree in Climate Change and International Development from the University of East Anglia in England. Outside the office, she enjoys backpacking, swimming and trail running, and now, hanging out with her husband and their 8-month old son, Kayo. 

Rhodes Perry

Founder + CEO, Rhodes Perry Consulting, Portland

Rhodes Perry, MPA, believes in the power of authenticity at work. He puts this belief into practice by helping business leaders, change agents, and visionaries at all levels build workplace cultures of belonging through his leadership & management consulting firm. He is an award-winning social entrepreneur, best-selling author, and keynote speaker. Nationally recognized as a LGBTQ+ thought leader, he has two decades of government and nonprofit experience having worked at the White House, PFLAG National, and the City of New York. Media outlets like Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press have featured his powerful work as a diversity, equity, and inclusion influencer. Rhodes also hosts a weekly podcast, The Out Entrepreneur, which has empowered over 75,000 LGBTQ+ and ally entrepreneurs to pursue their professional passions and build the businesses of their dreams. Rhodes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Gender Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Public Administration from New York University. He spends his free time bicycling world-wide, hanging out with his family in Portland, Oregon, and serves on the Portland Human Rights Commission, the Cascades AIDS Project’s Board of Directors, and Queerly Health’s Business Advisory Board. For more information on Rhodes Perry Consulting, LLC, please visit: www.rhodesperry.com For more information about The Out Entrepreneur podcast, please visit: www.outentrepreneur.com

Brandee Shoemaker

Field Strategy and Operational Excellence Manager, Bonneville Power Administration, Kalama