HONORING THOSE WHO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY

Aceia Spade has a passion for her community, Juneteenth, and Equality. Aceia was crowned Miss Juneteenth Oregon and went to Tulsa, OK, and was crowned National Miss Juneteenth.

Aceia, has worked hard spreading the awareness of Juneteenth, Equality, and helping her community. From community service, being a role model to the younger girls in the program, using her voice to speak up for others Aceia is doing her part on spreading Awareness about Juneteenth and her platform “Equality”. Aceia was crowned National Miss Juneteenth last month in October in Tulsa, OK.

In 2009, Alison started the Chelsea Hicks Foundation after the passing of her 5-year-old daughter Chelsea due to cancer. In 2010 and 2011, Alison started Chelsea’s Closet costume dress up program going to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Randall Children’s Hospital. Some of Alison’s awards for making a difference in the community are the 2011 “Best of You” inspirational Women award, the 2018 Fox 12 “Be the Change” award, and the 2019 Adventist Health “Hero of the Heart” award. Some of Alison’s accomplishments include that to date Chelsea’s Closet gives out more than 2,400 Costumes and more than 9,000 toys to seriously ill children battling cancer and other long-term illnesses every year, and Chelsea’s Closet programming will be expanding to 2 additional hospitals in 2023 doubling their impact to the community. Alison is married to her husband Jason of 30 years, and is the mother to three daughters, Courtney, Madison, and Chelsea.

Alan is a local small biz owner who helped give out free meals to young school kids in need during COVID and has established himself as a cornerstone in the Portland Black community.

He was 2018’s Juneteenth Parade Ambassador and has been a part of large service projects through Self Empowerment Inc, which is the second-largest minority-owned business in Oregon, where he leads like “Follow My Lead” which is an annual day of service.

Antoinette has spent the majority of her life engaged in community activism. She provides leadership, policy development, service provisions, and advocacy for children and families of North/Northeast Portland in the most vulnerable populations in our community.‍

Her most recent awards are the 2020 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon: Ecumenist of the Year.

Ariel Huddleston is a Neurotrauma ICU Registered Nurse at Legacy Emanuel Hospital and also holds a part-time job with Clark County Public Health working on COVID cases.‍

In addition to that, Ariel is a volunteer firefighter, nationally certified EMT, and EMT at Wildland Fires for AMR (American Medical Response).

Community Healing Initiative Family Care Manager for Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center & Rosemary Anderson High School.

Legendary women’s basketball player Bev Smith was an All-American at the University of Oregon in 1981 and 1982. After playing for the Canadian National Team, she returned to Eugene in 2001 to become the Ducks’ fifth head coach in women’s basketball history.

Today, Smith is building on her legacy in Eugene as the Executive Director of KIDSPORTS and the Managing Director of Civic Park. With a focus on multi-sport participation, KIDSPORTS teaches the value of fitness, sportsmanship, and teamwork.

For the past 16 years, she has served as its Executive Director, working to make shelter and permanent housing a reality for as many families as possible. As of 2023, Path Home remains one of the only Portland organizations focused exclusively on homeless families, with a staff of over 50, an annual budget of nearly $5 million, more than 3,021 families served, and a track record of remarkable success among organizations serving the homeless. Brandi Tuck believes that no child should be homeless. But every night in Portland, Oregon, approximately 800 homeless families with children are unable to access emergency shelters due to long waitlists and inadequate services. This staggering number keeps Brandi awake at night and motivates her to find more ways to help families find their pathway out of homelessness and back into housing – for good.

Tonight’s Hometown Hero is firefighter and EMT, Brad Yoder. Brad is committed to helping the community, not just as his career, but in his personal life. Brad was nominated by his wife’s best friend, Dana, who he donated his kidney to. Brad also served in the U.S. Marine as an infantryman/weapons company in the Marine Corps until 1993, continued serving with the Wa. Army Nat’l Guard in the mechanized infantry until 2001, was then on a hand crew with the U.S. Forest Service fighting wildland fires until 2007 when he was hired as a firefighter with Cowlitz 2 Fire Rescue where he currently serves as a Driver Operator, a Fire Investigator and EMT.

Brittany Goddard, has been a nurse for 8 years and has worked at OHSU on the Cardiovascular Unit for the past 6 years. Her patients describe her as compassionate and committed, while her peers describe her as a positive support to the team.

Brittany was selected specifically in support of Brooke Hearts Your Heart which is a program that was launched in February 2020 by Trail Blazers Courtside Reporter, Brooke Olzendam. The mission of the program is to spread awareness about the importance of CPR and AEDs in saving lives and raise funds for the American Heart Association in Oregon and SW Washington.

Brooke Langerman is a 9-1-1 dispatcher and former USFS Firefighter who worked around the clock when COVID-19 impacted her small office leaving only 2 available staff members, she protected her community from the risk of losing 911 service should their office have closed.

Carolyn runs all of the blood drives from Hillsboro to the Coast and has aided in saving 13,200 patients’ lives to date. Carolyn started with the American Red Cross as a phlebotomist, and prior to that, she spent 16 years as a PTSD counselor and coach for disabled veterans. Carolyn has volunteered many times over the years with Be the Match, Fill the Boo, the Oregon Food Bank, and many others. She has also served her community as a middle school soccer and flag football coach. Carolyn is also a mother of 3 amazing teenage boys.

Chad decided to make his way west from southern Utah when he was 18 years old settling in a little town called Stayton, Oregon. With a heart to serve he began an 8 year journey as a minister at age 19 while he simultaneously started a 15 year career in banking. At age 22 Chad was invited to join the Stayton Public Library Foundation board of directors where he served as Marketing Chair for 5 years. At age 28 after serving on a few more non profit boards, activating community efforts, and falling in love with a man, he decided to move to Portland. Having now been in Portland for 6 years he has served as Chairman of Development for The Right Brain Initiative, served in board capacity with New Avenues for Youth, and was both the Ambassador of DEI and Vice President of the LGBTQ BRG with his previous employer. This year Chads heart lead him to start his own business: Modern Monk Consulting where he works with businesses and communities to accomplish his mission: Unite people Through their differences to focus on things that matter.

Chloey VanDolah a Scappoose Firefighter of 4 years. She sits on the board of the Volunteers with her fellow members. She has assisted with Fallen FireFighter Funerals to flipping pancakes for community events.‍

Early morning on September 11th, 2020. She was called to duty to assist on a conflagration in Detroit, Oregon. Three separate forest fires joined evil forces and leveled 1,500 structures in the Santiam Canyon. Scappoose Fire arrived to assist the local Detroit Fire volunteers in that area who were distraught and exhausted. She recently took on a career path with the Scappoose Police Department as a Police Officer.

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Then he served in Ventura, CA at a small boat station that performed search and rescue and law enforcement operations. After an injury led to a medical retirement from the Coast Guard Chris went to Nursing school and now serves in the community here in Portland as a Pediatric Emergency and Trauma Nurse.

Tonight’s Hometown Hero is Christian Aniciete. Christian has been serving his community in various capacities for over 20 years and is grateful for the opportunities he’s blessed with in America as a Filipino immigrant. An advocate for the Asian Pacific Islander community, he is the founding co-chair of two API Employee Resource Groups, a longtime mentor to Portland State’s Filipino American Student Association, and the President of API Forward, a local nonprofit geared to develop API young leaders. On top of serving his community, Christian is an MBA student at PSU and works as the social media manager for the Port of Portland and PDX, America’s Best Airport. Christian wants to dedicate this message to his biggest supporter, high school sweetheart, wife and best friend, Shannon, whose birthday is today.

Christine holds a Master of Social Work degree and is a practicing Clinical Social Worker Associate working on her Clinical Therapist license. Living and working in the Rockwood community for almost 20 years has been extremely rewarding for her. Throughout various nonprofit roles and positions in East County, she always intertwines her work to be inclusive of this community. Christine has been working alongside the American Heart Association for years to bring heart-healthy information and education to East County. Her efforts center around community health work and all it encompasses. Our collaboration has helped reach communities like Rockwood, Gresham, and Fairview to encourage healthy eating and tobacco cessation, and to improve understanding of conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Her commitment and dedication to serving others is a lifelong journey she embraces every day.

LT. Christopher Sandels-Mousmai is a United State Marine Corps Veteran who started his service in 2000. In 2016, Chris was selected as Lieutenant at Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan, Oregon. Chris’s accomplishments include being a member of the Disturbance Control Team (2011-2014), leading and instructing an Evidence Recovery Team (2018-2020), and a CPR Instructor (2011-2017).

Chris also received numerous Special Act Awards in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for saving lives. With the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Chris has developed a widely used Field Training Program and completed several thousand hours of continuing education and training courses over the 12+ years. Chris is also currently active in mentoring staff and fellow veterans.

Connor entered the Air Force in February of 2016 and graduated basic military training on April 1^st, 2016. In October of 2016, Connor was assigned to Hill Air Force Base in Utah as an Avionics Technician on F-35A. In 2019, Connor was deployed to Al Dahfra Air Base, United Arab Emirates in April 2019-October 2019 in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve. Conner is a member of the 4^th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron with the first F-35A Combat Deployment to Al Dahfra Air Base. Connor has won many awards for his dedication and hard work, including being promoted to the rank of Staff Sergent in February 2020.

US Army Veteran Craig is also the Founder and Board President of the Windy25 Memorial Fund, a non-profit organization honoring the memory and sacrifice of his unit’s 5 crewmembers and the 13 passengers of Windy25 (call-sign of the aircraft) who gave their lives in combat in Afghanistan. Craig was the Commander of the unit.

Dallas Duncantell served on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps including three deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.‍

Dallas was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Gold Star in lieu of the second award, for achievement in the superior performance of his duties while traveling to remote and dangerous locations throughout Iraq’s area of operations.

Damian Palominos has a total of 20 years in Law Enforcement from military to civilian. Damian joined the US Army in February 2002 shortly after the events of September 11th. Damian then became Military Police and served at Ft Lewis as an Investigator.‍

In 2004, Damian was deployed to Guantanamo Bay Cuba for Detainee Operations. In 2007, Damian was hired by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. At the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, he was assigned to the CERT and Gang Enforcement. In 2014, Damian was hired by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and worked as an officer until 2021

Daniel served as a Combat Medic in the Army National Guard for 13 years and has had 2 overseas deployments. During his combat deployment to Iraq in 2010, he was awarded the Combat Medic Badge for providing medical care to a contracting truck driver from Nepal and saving his life.‍

Daniel is currently serving as a platoon sergeant with the 82nd Brigade, 1186th Military Police Company in Salem, OR and works for Providence Health and Services as a Medical assistant and Clinical Informatics Specialist.

Dion is a humanitarian who stands for fairness, compassion, and opportunity.  He is a recognized community activist and champion for social and racial Justice where he currently serves as the Director of Equity and Multicultural services for the state of Oregon.  For over 20 years Dion has been a fixture in Portland Oregon helping to bring a sense of wellness and belonging to all. Whether he is found serving in the faith communities, city committees, or national boards, you will always find him serving others.  He credits his father for instilling in him at an early age that he should always model the way because you never know who is watching and wanting to be just like you. Dion is also husband to Michelle Jordan and father to Mia and Sydnee Jordan.

Donell Morgan is the Executive Director of Elevate Oregon and Parkrose High School’s Varsity Basketball Coach. Donell has been a tireless advocate for youth development for over 21 years. Donell’s work has been pivotal in keeping families of color connected to their school district during school closures and has positively impacted the culture of our schools.

Dr. Jessica graduated from Washington State University in 2010 with two Bachelor of Science degrees and was also the captain of the Washington State University cheer team and coached them after graduating. Jessica then joined the Trail Blazer Stunt team from 2012-2017. After taking some time away, Jessica trained to rejoin the 2022-2023 stunt team. In those 5 years, Jessica graduated from medical school, completed her internal medicine residency, and started her job as an attending internal medicine doctor at the start of 2020. Jessica also serves as a volunteer Clinical Associate Professor for assistance in training medical students at the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd School of Medicine. Jessica is also a member of the teaching faculty for the internal medicine residency program at her local hospital.

Donell Morgan is the Executive Director of Elevate Oregon and Parkrose High School’s Varsity Basketball Coach. Donell has been a tireless advocate for youth development for over 21 years. Donell’s work has been pivotal in keeping families of color connected to their school district during school closures and has positively impacted the culture of our schools.

He worked in Molalla during the wildfires while his own home in Silverton was in danger. He was separated from his family (a wife and toddler and infant daughter) for 2 weeks while they were evacuated. He continued to serve 24/7 for days straight; when he was “off the clock” he was volunteering for Drakes Crossing fire station near his home. Ethan is so modest and kind and doesn’t like any recognition, but his acts these last few years have been truly heroic. He is well-loved by his community and active in the lives of his daughters.

Fredi Misay is an immigrant from Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, home of the wind farm. Fredi immigrated to Hawaii in 1999 with her mom and sister after being petitioned by her maternal grandparents. She moved to Portland, Oregon in 2010 for her undergraduate program at the University of Portland where she studied Biology. Fredi’s passion for serving the people started at a young age. You would often find her volunteering at homeless shelters during her high school and college years.

After college Fredi learned about systemic issues in the Philippines that forced millions of Filipinos overseas. She found herself wanting to learn more about it and became a community organizer in 2016. Fredi visited the Philippines in November 2017 for a fact-finding mission trip where she integrated with displaced Marawi residents, displaced Lumad communities, and urban poor communities in Tondo. This trip changed her life as she experienced the realities of her homeland. It was at this moment that she committed herself to fighting for systemic change that would improve the lives of all Filipino people.

Currently, Fredi serves as the Secretary General of Migrante Portland, a grassroots organization fighting for the rights and welfare of Filipino migrants. You will find Fredi advocating for migrant worker’s rights everywhere you see her.

Tonight’s Hometown Hero is Gary Jensen, who served as a Seabee in the Navy and also served three tours in Vietnam from 1966 to 1969. Gary has won various awards for his service such as the Navy “E” Ribbon, a National Defense medal, a Vietnam Service medal with 3 bronze stars, and a Fleet Marine Force Combat Insignia. After his service, Gary went on work with TriMet for 34 years until he retired. While at TriMet, Gary took volunteered one week every December to run Santa’s Workshop at the local elementary school where his wife worked at. After retiring, Gary started with the Reynold’s School District, first as a volunteer for the kindergarten class, and then later he was hired to work with Special Needs children.

Glen Ray is a former Naval Aircrewman with multiple combat deployments and missions. Glen’s most memorable moment while serving was directing a multinational combat search and rescue operation that rescued 60 women who had been kidnapped.‍

In 2003, Glen was fortunate enough to become one of the few Time Magazines Person of the Year. However, he struggled to reacclimate back into society but was fortunate enough that he found rally racing to help save him from himself. Glen has since created a non-profit organization, Phoenix Project, that is designed to help injured and transitioning veterans reintegrate back into the civilian world through rally racing.

Highlight was becoming an Honorable Mention All-American Lacrosse player in 1959.  He served onboard a destroyer for 2 years and then transferred to the Navy Civil Engineer Corps with duties in Guam, The Nevada Test Site, Viet Nam and as Executive Officer of a Seabee Battalion. He retired from the Navy in 1979. Howard spent the decade of the eighties at OSU as Associate Professor and Director of Physical Plant and the decade of the nineties as Director of Construction at Pennsylvania System of Higher Education. In 2001 he retired to SaddleBrooke Arizona for golf, volleyball, and sunshine. He and his wife relocated to Charbonneau in mid-2019 and now reside at SpringRidge Independent Living. He was certified as an Atomic Veteran for his service on tour at a Nevada test site.  He and his wife have been married for 64 years and have a son and a daughter in this area.

As a beneficiary of the California Dream Act and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, HyeJung has first-hand experience of the value of American democracy and the impact of American voters who exercise their right to promote equality, equity, and justice. These experiences inspired her to pursue both military service and academic research to contribute to our community’s promotion of equitable opportunities for the next generation of young people.‍

Hye-Jung enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves via a Military Accessions Vital to National Interest enlistment program which helped her earn her U.S. citizenship. She aspires to be a research psychologist commission to promote understanding of physiological, psychological, and social variables that maintain the readiness of our military personnel and their families.

Through her doctoral studies in developmental psychology, she examines promotive and protective factors that buffer life stressors while fostering growth among marginalized youth (e.g., adolescents residing in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty, crime, and other disadvantages, racial and ethnic minority youth).

Hye-Jung strongly believes in the power of community action. She aspires to be a collaborator/developer of empirically-supported legislation to promote resilient development for at-risk and marginalized youth. She hopes to be an effective liaison between the developmental research community and Congress, to inform public policy development, implementation, and evaluation.

James has accomplished many things in the Army such as working as an allocation technician for DARCOM on the Rock Island Arsenal in Rock  Island, IL, working as a Communications Support Specialist WESPAC Deployment for the US government, working as a Communications Support Specialist for the US government in Arlington VA, and working as a Nellis AFB Deployment Specialist. After a car accident injury in 1990, James was no longer to work in that same capacity and after his recovery, he decided to focus on his community. During the pandemic, James was relocated to the Emergency Operations Center to work as a General Staff at the East Portland Community Center, and shortly after that he became a health and wellness specialist for the EOC during the continuous wave of COVID, and also continued to work in both the shelter system as a NAMI Peer Support Specialist for Veterans who are experiencing substance abuse and mental health and as a Veterans Case Manager at DoGood Multnomah Veterans Mens Shelter where he became a certified Paraprofessional. James would also like to dedicate this moment to Richard MCConnell who was an Iraqi combat vet who unfortunately lost his life to addiction. Throughout James’ service to Vets, he has been able get over 15 veterans from houselessness to housed and has also been able to get veterans the help they need and deserve.

Jason Stroman, currently serves as Program Director for The Blueprint Foundation, a local non-profit he helped found in 2015 that provides discipline-specific mentoring and green sector career exploration for historically underserved youth in the Portland area.‍

Prior to this, he worked for close to a decade as a mental health counselor in residential treatment facilities and has nearly 30 years of experience mentoring youth through various professional and volunteer positions.

Jerrod is a father in long-term recovery who, after 8 years of sobriety, felt the call to start a recovery organization for his Native community. With the help of Native Elders, Oregon Health Authority, and 4D Recovery, he was able to launch Painted Horse Recovery, a Native Recovery Organization helping Native people overcome drug and alcohol use through culture and peer support. He founded Painted Horse Recovery in 2020, during the Covid Pandemic, and quickly became a shining leader in the recovery community. He has balanced growing Painted Horse Recovery while fathering three children and organizing recovery advocacy efforts. Jerrod is a shining example of recovery, leading with his spirit in everything he does and never forgetting what is most important to him – his children.

Our Hometown Hero is Veteran Jeff Fielder of Oregon City.  Jeff was born in Nashville TN and moved to Oregon during his Junior Year in high school where he attended Wilson High School.‍

Upon graduation, Jeff enlisted in the military where he proudly served in the US Army for 4 years and the Oregon National Guard for 7 years.  During this time, he did a tour of Saudi Arabia.

Jeff served in the Army Reserve and National Guard as a Combat Engineer where he fought multiple wildfires in 2015, 2016, and 2018, and also was presented with the Oregon Commendation Medal in 2016 for search and rescue efforts in Newport, OR. Jeff also serves his community through his civilian work as an Operations Analyst for the City of Portland Bureau of Emergency Management where he served in response functions for multiple city emergencies, most recently the December ice storm. Jeff also received the Life Saving Award in 2019 for performing CPR on the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident. Jeff also dedicates his time to his community as a youth basketball and baseball coach and as a civil air patrol volunteer.

Jenny is a first-generation Vietnamese American who was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She’s a lifelong fan of the Blazers and a basketball player herself. However, she was constantly disappointed in sports bars that failed to show women’s basketball.

As a lesbian, she also recognized the safety concerns and intimidation it caused women and queer folk to ask for channels to be changed.

To provide a safe and inclusive space for women to enjoy sports, she decided to open her own sports bar called The Sports Bra on NE Broadway, just 2 miles from here. It is the world’s first and only sports bar dedicated exclusively to women’s sports.

Jenny used her life savings and a Kickstarter campaign to fund the bar’s opening on April 1, 2022. Today, The Sports Bra is a massive success that has gained popularity among sports enthusiasts.

Jillene is an enrolled member of the Gros Ventre or Aaniiih people from Fort Belknap, Montana. She lives in Oregon with her life partner and children. She is the Executive Director of the Native Wellness Institute and helped to found the national non-profit organization in 2000. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Education and has served Indian Country for 30 years providing training and technical assistance in various areas. Jillene has traveled to hundreds of Native communities and interacted with and learned from thousands of people. Whether providing youth leadership training, assisting women to heal from childhood trauma, or helping to bring wellness to the workplace, Jillene shares her passion for being positive, productive and proactive. She enjoys beading, reading, pow-wowing and spending time with family and friends.

Tonight’s Hometown Hero is SGT Joe Davis, a US Army veteran of 9 years. He served on both active and reserve duty. While serving as a Psychological Operations Specialist, SGT Davis was deployed in support of Operation Joint Guardian, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. SGT Davis received the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action Badge for his actions in Afghanistan. He served as an Advanced Firearms instructor and as an Operations NCO during his deployment to Iraq. Recently, SGT Davis graduated from the University of Portland with his MBA and now works at the Multnomah Athletic Club as an Engagement Data Analyst. His family is here tonight to include his wife of 10 years, Ashley, their two sons, Carter 15 and Dominic 6, who hope to be playing on this very court as future Trailblazers.

John has over a decade of experience working with local nonprofits, specializing in transitional housing programs for justice involved individuals. He has held various positions and has worked his way up from being a Recovery Mentor, Case Manager, Supervisor, and Associate Director. He has helped develop and improve housing programs and integrate culturally specific services. John uses his experience of formerly being justice involved and currently in long term recovery from substance abuse, to help guide him in the work he does daily. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing slow pitch softball, and barbecuing.

Karter grew up in Tualatin and graduated from Tualatin High School in 2015. After High School, he attended the United States Air Force Academy on a baseball scholarship, graduated, and was commissioned as an Air Force officer in 2019. Karter then attended US Air Force Pilot Training at Laughlin AFB TX and graduated in 2021. Following pilot training, he was assigned to fly KC-135 aircraft, deployed in 2022, and flew over 80 combat hours. Currently, Karter is living in Spokane with his wife, Ellie, who is also an Air Force KC-135 Pilot stationed at Fairchild.

Captain Korey Shinagawa is an Oregon Air National Guardsmen and a Providence Emergency Department Nurse. Capt Shinagawa enlisted in the Air National Guard in 2011 and rose to his commission in 2015.‍

Captain Shinagawa is assigned to the 142nd Oregon Air National Guard CERF-P (pronounced: SURF P) which is responsible for medical disaster response in HAZMAT and natural disaster settings. He is the Officer in Charge of the medical Search and Extraction team responsible for medical support during search and rescue operations.

Tonight’s Hometown Hero is Lisa Saunders. Lisa is a local pastor, national & community advocate, and leader in the Portland community. She has dedicated over 20 years of her life to helping women in dealing with trauma and abuse through shelters and community gatherings. She founded a community healing program, Crystal Gatherings, which focused on helping women struggling through various life transitions. She’s also worked on numerous community healing projects, which lead to her starting her own non-profit, FaithBridge Portland, a faith-centered organization whose mission is to reconnect Black and Brown women and girls in trauma & life transition, to their roots of faith.‍

In response to the rise of youth involved in gun violence, and the lack of focus on girls, she also created “Brown Girl Brave Girl,” for Black and Brown girls ages 12-17; their mission is to disrupt the pipeline that leads from girls in trauma to girls who get involved in gangs and gun violence, interrupt generational cycles of trauma and despair, and impart hope through exploring faith as an anchor.‍

Lisa is also a longtime community advocate around the issues of gentrification, race, and faith. She serves on the National Leadership Council for The AND Campaign and is the author of a healing devotional called “The JoyFull Journey.”

Seaman Louis Walter Boesel. Louis is a native Oregonian who enlisted in the US Navy in December of 1943 at the age of 17. The Navy discovered he was handy with a rifle, and in July of 1944, he was assigned Anti-Aircraft gunner duty onboard the USS John Rodgers, a Fletcher-class destroyer.‍

He served the entire war on this ship as he participated in all 12 of the major battles in the Pacific theater, including Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

Mark Guzman, is Mexican and a first-generation American. He is the Founder and Executive Director of MealsonUsPDX. MealsonUsPDX is a local non-profit organization comprised of restaurant professionals that provides thousands of meals a week to anyone suffering from food scarcity, at no cost to them.‍

The organization started out as a small community operation, cooking about 150 meals a week out of Mark’s home kitchen and distributing them to those in need during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(MEPAA) (pronounced MEE-PUH) provides access to music education and the arts by removing barriers and identifying resources needed for inclusion, exploration, and success. MEPAA has served thousands of artists and musicians of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and financial statuses. Matrisha came from humble beginnings that never stopped her from achieving her goals. She found her greatest passion in creating music, serving the community, and producing educational workshops and events for over 25 years alongside her husband and bandmate, Austin Armitage. With programs including GRRRLZ ROCK, KIDZ ROCK & MuseArt, the MEPAA Music & Arts Center opened in May of 2022 and provides resources, classes and workshops to a widely diverse group of students and families with a fully accessible space. Matrisha has been changing lives in her community for many years and is blessed with a supportive family, volunteers, staff, board members, and generous donors that make the dream possible!

US Air Force Veteran served 21 years and spent 8 years overseas.

Melinda Avila is the CEO of OYEN Emotional Wellness Center, one of four clinics in the country that provide multicultural behavioral health services to an entire state. She has a passion for her community. Some examples of her commitment to serving the poor and the vulnerable include:

Board member for the Latino Educational and Recreational Network (LEaRN), a Latino youth non-profit organization dedicated to reaching kids through athletics for 13 years.

The advisory board for Marion County Health Department volunteered to lead Latina young women’s empowerment groups in farmworker housing complexes.

• • Advocated for gender equity with sports programs.
  • Raised money for Relay for Life, St. Judes Hospital
  • Started the very first OSAA-sanctioned soccer tournament in her community
  • Facilitated futsal courts to be donated to Woodburn School District from the Portland Timbers
  • She has served as an elected official, president of the Woodburn Chamber, and Board of Directors for Latino Network.

Melissa has dedicated her time to serving the elderly community here in Oregon. Melissa had a vision to be a provider of a higher quality of care, and better choices for the aging and elderly population through founding Rooted Care Communities, a line of adult foster homes, residential care facilities, and soon to be an in-home health care agency. Rooted’s mission statement is, “to provide a community of exceptional care centered around shared culture, and experiences as well as the diverse and unique experiences of our residents, employees and the community”. Melissa was a bedside nurse for both of her maternal Grandparents and Rooted is very much dedicated to the things she wishes she could have changed for them. Some of Melissa’s accomplishments include previously serving as the Vice president of CBC Clinical Services for a large west coast long-term care company, writing over 200 covid policies and procedures to assist in aiding several states through great success rates, and working over 22 years in some capacity advocating for and providing care to those in long term care.

Michael Alexander has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the principles of leadership, equality, and social justice, echoing the values that Dr. King championed throughout his life.

Portland State University named Michael Alexander, the former president and CEO of the Urban League of Portland, as interim vice president for Global Diversity and Inclusion in May of 2018. He served in that role until his retirement in June of 2019.

Before his time at PSU, he headed the Urban League of Portland from 2012 to 2015, when he was widely credited for restoring fiscal discipline to the organization and reconnecting it with community partners.

Before that, he served in executive roles at Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Magellan Behavioral Health, Human Affairs International and Aetna, including four years as vice president and executive director of the Aetna Foundation.

He currently chairs the boards of The Black United Fund and the Albina Vision Trust.

He is the proud father of Shannon, Derek and Christopher and the grandfather of Langston, Brennan, Xavier, Laila, Landon, Lani, and Caleb. He and his wife Nancy live in Sellwood.

Michael Curtin enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1997 following high school graduation. After completing 4 years of active duty, he joined the USAF Reserves, 940th Air Refueling Wing at Beale AFB, CA working on the KC-135 from 2001 to 2007.‍

In 2007, Michael completed his BS in Communication Disorders and later MS in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). In 2008, Michael transferred to the Oregon Army National Guard and later was assigned to HHT 1-82 CAV in Bend, OR as a Fire Support Officer while maintaining a full-time career as an SLP treating inpatient and outpatient.

Michelle was Born and raised in Portland. Attended Jefferson High School. Both of Michelle’s families are part of the rich culture of Black Portland. The Burch & Gordly families have deep roots in Albina and her grandfather was a long-time parking attendant at Moda. Until Michelle became a BlazerDancer, she had never attended a Trail Blazer game.

Most of Michelle’s Professional career has been Non-Profit World: Columbia River Girl Scout Council, the I Have A Dream Foundation Oregon, and Self Enhancement, Inc. Michelle worked in various schools through these programs to uplift youth in disadvantaged neighborhoods including Harriet Tubman, Vernon Elementary and Jefferson High Schools. She also worked with Les Femmes Debutantes for 10 years.

She’s an Active volunteer in the School community and Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). Michelle Attended Southern University and A & M College in Baton Rouge, LA to study Broadcast Communications and received a Bachelor of Science. As a Dancer, her Southern University Marching Band exposed her to many opportunities: Michelle has Performed in 4 Mardi Gras seasons and Bayou Classics in New Orleans; Super Bowl 24 in New Orleans as a featured dancer, and returned to Portland and became a BlazerDancer for 6 seasons. Michelle’s current role is the Senior Manager, Performance Teams and is in her 16th season.

Midas Jenkins is a senior at Newberg Catalyst High School, where he advocates for LGBTQ2SIA+ inclusion and equality. Midas is an artist, a leader of the Gender and Sexuality Club, and an advocate for Black Lives Matter. Midas consistently utilizes his voice throughout his school including at school board meetings.

Mitchell Asemota, is the co-founder of a nonprofit organization focused on providing meals and groceries to houseless and low-income residents. Our Streets PDX was founded on June 7, 2020. Mitchell was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria.‍

Mitchell has over five years of experience as a special education educator and has also worked as a camp director. He enjoys uniting the community to discuss, strategize, and implement change to systemic issues that beset our society.

She is deeply passionate and concerned about the state of public education. Her goal is to not only impact students and families within the context of community and classroom; but also, to empower educators to do the deeply personal racial work that is critical to building authentic relationships and liberating ourselves for the sake of our children.

Father of 3
Volunteer youth sports coach for soccer
University of Oregon graduate
ROTC graduate
Enjoys hiking, snowshoeing in the mountains and kayaking with family

3 MEDEVAC rescues in the state of Oregon (all international patients; India, Australia, Canada)

He was one of the pilots on the recent Search and Rescue Unit for incidents in Mount Hood National Forest and Willamette National Forest.

Norma Hernandez was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Astoria, OR in 2003. While working for an oyster factory, she became aware of the challenges of the LatinX community in her region so she decided to get involved. Norma became the first executive director for Consejo Hispano, a nonprofit organization supporting Hispanic families in Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook counties.‍

She is a tireless advocate for the local Hispanic community and served as part of Clatsop County’s COVID-19 pandemic response. She has served as women, infant, and children’s coordinator for the Clatsop County Public Health Department. In addition to all of that work, she is currently a board member of the North Coast Food Web, Astoria Parks, the Astoria Co-op, and the Astoria Downtown Historical Association.

Some of Paris’ many accomplishments include being an advocate for both LGBTQ+ and domestic violence, feeding multiple homeless individuals all over Oregon, being a motivational speaker, and being an author of “The Greatest Story Untold” by Paris D. Most recently, Paris saved a 16-year-old boy who was shot and made sure he was taken to the hospital to receive proper care. Paris also makes it her mission to provide shelter to different individuals across Portland with the goal of aiding them on their journey to homeless prevention.

Rafael Dominguez Jr. Rafael joined the Marine Corps in September of 2002 after graduating from high school. He completed training and then served as a Marine Aviation Logistics Specialist from 2003-2022. In 2018, he was promoted to E7 Marine Gunnery Sergeant in 2018, and then retired in 2022 after 20 years of Honorable service. Some of Rafael’s personal awards include Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal (1 Star), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (4th Award), Marine Corps Recruiting ribbon. Rafael is also dedicated to his family, wife Irene, and two children Juliet and Emi.

Randal Wyatt. Randal started Taking Ownership of PDX in June 2020. Taking Ownership is a community-based organization that repairs, renovates, and financially assists Black-owned homes and small businesses in the Portland metro area for FREE in an effort to deter predatory real estate and banking practices to keep Black Portlanders in their homes and small businesses where they can build generational wealth. Since the organization’s inception, they have raised over $1.5 million, signed up over 300 volunteers who have provided over $150k worth of labor for free, and helped over 150 Black homeowners and small business owners with a wide variety of home and business improvement services. Some of Randal’s initiatives and accomplishments include co-creating Measure 11 reform and educational campaign in 2015, co-creating the PDX Housing Solidarity Project, and receiving the Portland Hip-Hop Week’s Trailblazer Award from the Blazer’s very own DJ O.G. One last year for setting the bar and being an example for Hip Hop to thrive. Randal’s biggest accomplishment is raising my twin sons into outstanding young men!

CPT Hayes has served for 13 years in the Oregon Army National Guard as a Military Intelligence Officer. His Oregon Army National Guard duty assignments include Military Intelligence Company XO 41st IBCT, Shadow Tactical Unmanned Arial System Detachment Commander, Special Troops Battalion S2, Chief J2 2-162 IN, Military Intelligence Company Commander 741 BEB, 41st Brigade Assistant S2, Assistant Operations Officer Multi-National Non-Kinetic Battalion Regional Command-East Kosovo.

Robert Hays has been a firefighter for 9 years. Through his job, Robert serves the community as an EMT, HazMat Technician, and Firefighter at Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. Robert serves at one of the busiest fire stations in the District. He has always been a public servant, as prior to being a professional firefighter he served as a volunteer firefighter and worked with the youth mentorship program. As well as working as a professional Firefighter, Robert leads a group of fellow Brother and Sister Firefighters up the 69 floors of the Columbia Tower in Seattle every year in a fundraiser to help battle Leukemia and Lymphoma. Robert’s humble and professional demeanor helps him be successful in being a public servant. Along with being a valuable member of his community, Robert is a life-long Trail Blazers fan born and raised in Rip City.

Shawn joined the Air Force in 2000, and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006. During his time, Shawn also accomplished receiving the Air Force Commendation Medal. Shawn then left the Air Force as a Staff Sargeant after earning his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2007. After that, Shawn served as a police officer in Utah and then attended law school at Lewis and Clark earning his Juris Doctorate in 2011. Since law school, Shawn has worked as a Deputy District Attorney for Multnomah County and is currently a Senior Deputy District Attorney where he works with crime victims as they navigate the criminal justice system. In his free time, Shawn coaches an adult league softball team and is a lifelong Blazer fan.

Shirlee, the co-founder of West Coast Business Communications, has been a long-time partner and faithful supporter of the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette and the communities it serves throughout NW Oregon and SW Washington. Shirlee started West Coast Business Communications in 2007 alongside her husband, a member of the Board of Directors of IEC Oregon, and was awarded DJC Women of Vision in 2021. Shirlee played an integral role in launching a new Esports program by personally donating the entire room to her neighborhood Y in Beaverton giving back to the community she was brought up in.  YMCA Esports provide a safe and inclusive environment for all participants and fosters a sense of belonging and community which can be especially important for those who may feel isolated or disconnected.

Tonight’s Hometown Hero is Stacey Reding, a Portland public defender. Stacey joined her office Multnomah Defenders 15 years ago today and has been working hard to represent her indigent clients ever since. Stacey and her colleagues stand up for the marginalized and provide zealous representation that is essential in our criminal justice system. Stacey carries a caseload while supporting and mentoring the newer attorneys she supervises as they learn and grow. Some of Stacey’s amazing accomplishments are being on the Board of the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association in 2018 and serving as President later on in 2021. Stacey has also represented thousands of indigent clients and completed more than 100 jury trials.‍

Stacey has volunteered her time with several local mock trial programs, and in her spare time, she enjoys climbing mountains with the Mazamas, gardening, and backpacking with her dog Jim. She’s joined tonight by her colleague and friend Alex Cambier.

A veteran of the Us Navy and Us Army, Terrance’s caring, compassion and pragmatism most recently has focused on building bridges between the housed and un-Housed neighbors in and around North and Northeast Portland. He servs as an on-call volunteer for maintenance and donation needs at the Kenton Women’s village since its inception responding quickly to fix and repair maintenance issue in the transitional women’s housing project.  Terrance also created Neighbors Helping Neighbors PDX in the spring of 2016, a project that focuses on collecting the trash from houseless encampment, cars, and from the roads.  This resulted in enhanced neighborhood livability and reduced the friction/hostility between the housed and un-housed.  Terrance is also an active member of the Portland Police Crisis Responder Team and Peninsula Odd Fellows Lodge, as well as the chair of the Kenton Neighborhood Association.

Tonight’s Hometown Hero is Tom Loop. Tom is a native Oregonian who grew up in Canby, Oregon and attended Benson High School. After graduating, Tom enlisted in the United States Navy and has just completed 35 years of service to our country and has recently retired as a Commander. Tom has served on 12 different ships for 16+ deployments of 6 months or longer. His most notable operations are Ernest Will, Desert Storm, Operation Southern No Fly, Operations Iraqi and Afghanistan Freedom, and the Global War on Terrorism. He is now enjoying his second career and enjoys spending time with his family and friends in San Diego, CA while making frequent trips to Oregon to see his friends and family here. Congrats on your retirement and thank you for your service, Tom!

Tony is a father of three who has dedicated his life to community service after overcoming drug and alcohol addiction in July 2012. Once sober, he pursued his education at Portland Community College, eventually graduating from Concordia University with a degree in Social Work. During college, he co-founded the non-profit 4D Recovery, which he is still with today. 4D’s mission is to help young people overcome alcohol and drug addiction. Under his leadership, they have grown from a small volunteer-run non-profit to an organization employing over fifty people dedicated to helping youth through peer services, recovery centers, housing, and leadership development. 4D has helped thousands of young people find recovery since its founding in 2013. Some other accomplishments of Tony’s are that he is the co-founder of many organizations like Harmony High School and Oregon Recovers, and he is the recipient of several awards dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Oregon community. Tony states the best part of his job is watching the “light turn on” when young people discover a new way to live.

Traci Rossi is a community service unicorn, born and raised in Portland, and has spent 20+ years as a non-profit leader to Portland’s highest priority youth. Traci is currently the Executive Director of Friends of the Children-Portland, voted Portland Business Journal as Oregon’s Most Admired Non-Profit for seven consecutive years‍

Friends – Portland is a 1:1 mentoring program, with exceptional outcomes, which walks alongside underserved youth from kindergarten through 12th grade, no matter what. Traci received a 2020 Women of Influence Award and serves on community boards to give back to her beloved hometown.

Tyson Davis is a Veteran of the United States Navy who served for over 10 years. Tyson joined the United States Navy shortly after graduating from Corbett High School in 1999. While stationed onboard the USS Tarawa, Tyson participated in the rescue efforts of the USS Cole after it was attacked and disabled while refueling in Yemen’s Aden harbor.

Major Will Townsend is currently a Oregon Army National Guardsman. He served two tours overseas flying over 100 combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Will is a recipient of two Air Medals and the Meritorious Service Medal among many other service awards. Will spent 8.5 years in the active duty Army and continues to serve his country in the National Guard where he is committed to serving his state and country through at least 20 years of dedicated military service.