Libra Forde
Executive Director
As a former athlete and business owner, Libra champions elite personal behavior. She uses her education and elite athletic experiences to cultivate thought partnerships that is actionable, manageable, and sustainable. In addition, over 25 years corporate, racial/social justice and orator experiences enable her to relate to diverse communities, professional groups, and individuals. Libra is currently the Executive Director for Women’s Foundation of Oregon, a philanthropist non-profit organization that focuses on the dismantlement of systems that impede gender justice.
Libra served as the interim Executive Director of Western States Center (WSC) and was the Chief Operating Officer for one of the largest culturally specific non-profits in Oregon. Libra led conservative North Clackamas in being the first to name a high school in Oregon after a person of color. She is an elected member of the North Clackamas School board for which she chaired board during the pandemic.
Libra also has over 25 years of education advocacy experience in Hawaii and Oregon. She has led innovative education reform and structure developments to include the first active-duty military child scholarship program for transitions and hybrid charter school in Hawaii. In addition, Libra’s volunteer work include Governor appointment to Oregon State Commission for Women, State of Oregon Education Recovery Committee, a member of the Oregon Community Foundation Leadership Council, and Executive Board member for the Maurice Lucas Foundation. Libra is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Libra holds awards in racial/social justice, innovation and international speech.
She is the proud mother of a recent college math major graduate, a current college biology student, and soon to be high school student-athlete. Libra calls her children her superpowers because they are the impetus to her drive and success. She is a fighter with a justice heart and systems mind ready to get the work done so we can have a place we can all be proud of beyond our existence.
Kristen Fraley
Director of Operations & Compliance
Kristen Fraley is a logistics and operations professional with a desire to solve complex challenges and create solutions using a human-centered approach. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Kristen has spent time living on the East Coast and abroad and enjoys learning about culture and history to better understand how the actions of the past have impacted the present. She received her MBA from the University of Colorado, and has integrated her business acumen with her passion for gender and racial justice for over a decade in the nonprofit world. She is guided by a humanistic mission to work to protect all life and ensure respect and dignity for every human being.
Stephanie Marquez
Advancement & Development Director
Stephanie was born in Portland but was raised in both Oregon and Minnesota. Her parents wanted their children to grow up surrounded by family. Stephanie attended the University of Oregon and embarked on her Human Resources career with an Oregon-based union electrical contractor. As an HR professional, Stephanie was responsible for training staff in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Idaho. Over the last decade, Stephanie has worked within the nonprofit sector and has been able to transfer her experience in corporate management, organizational development, and strategic planning with a focus on PEOPLE over profits. Stephanie has found a return to nonprofit work to be both personally and professionally fulfilling and she is grateful to have a lasting impact on the people and the community in which she lives.
Terralyn Wiley
Board Chair
Terralyn Wiley is a seasoned community builder and advocate with over 15 years of experience working with local government and nonprofit organizations. She has lived in Oregon for the last 20 years. She currently serves as senior equity and inclusion policy analyst for Multnomah County. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University. Her community driven work has afforded her a wealth of knowledge, skills, and abilities in establishing sustainable partnerships with key stakeholders and positively cultivating community relationships. Her advocacy efforts within different organizations have warranted a particular expertise in assessing needs for inclusion, equity and diversity within various systems. Her managerial experiences and scholastic endeavors have given her tools and confidence for empowering members within those systems to work collectively to meet those needs.
Elizabeth Start
Elizabeth Chin Start is the founder of Start Consulting Group LLC. Her career has spanned work in the circular economy for the last 20 years, with a focus on materials management. This work has spanned local government, private industry, nonprofit, and consulting. Elizabeth founded Start Consulting Group to ensure inclusion, equity, and justice are ingrained in the circular economy. She is also a reuse artist and magpie who uses any shiny discarded object she can find.
Deborah Steinkopf
Treasurer
Deborah is a seasoned nonprofit professional with 35 years of experience working for social change. She has helped nonprofits increase organizational effectiveness and mission impact in salaried and consulting capacities. Deborah has also served on nonprofit boards, government advisory committees, and coalitions.
Deborah’s work in the area of gender justice includes leading organizations that provide services to survivors of domestic violence and engaging in coalition work and policy advocacy to advance justice for survivors. Deborah has served as a member of the Advisory Council of the Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services in Portland and as a board member of the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. In terms of her involvement with WFO, Deborah served as a topic advisor for Count Her In and was a member of The Giving Project in 2019-2020.
In 2022, Deborah launched the Nonprofit Financial Leadership Academy with a colleague to educate and empower nonprofit leaders to be strategic about the money function in their organizations. Deborah also serves on the national faculty for the Futures Without Violence Supporting Organizational Sustainability Institute and has provided training locally and nationally on financial leadership and nonprofit sustainability. She is a frequent presenter and guest lecturer on government funding for Portland State University’s certificate in fundraising and has published articles on grant strategy in the Journal of the Grant Professionals Association. Deborah holds a Master’s in Social Work and a Master’s in Public Policy.
Mika Malone
Secretary
Ms. Malone joined Meketa Investment Group in 2003. A Managing Principal of the firm, Ms. Malone currently works as the lead consultant on a select number of clients on their Defined Benefit, Endowment, and Defined Contribution portfolios. Ms. Malone is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and the Investment Policy and Corporate Responsibility Committees. Ms. Malone focuses on helping clients achieve their asset allocation, policy, and governance roles.
Ms. Malone received an MBA from the University of San Diego, with a concentration in Finance, and an undergraduate degree in English, with honors, from the University of Maryland. Ms. Malone volunteers with multiple organizations in the Portland area and the Women’s Foundation of Oregon, including Parenting with Intent and Portland Women in Investment Management, where she sits on the Board.
Outside the office, Ms. Malone is a competitive rider at hunter/jumper horse shows and enjoys running and traveling with her two daughters and husband.
Kola Shippentower-Thompson
Personal Safety Consultant & Motivational Speaker, Kola Shippentower works with individuals and organizations to amplify their communication, connection and confidence so they can advocate for their own personal safety & cultivate change in their communities. She mentors with passion, guiding her clients to effectively strengthen and elevate their safety knowledge, while building relationships & creating a fun interactive environment.
With over 15 years of personal & training experience, a knack for making meaningful connections with audiences and an insatiable appetite for helping others maximize their potential, Kola knows how to rock a platform, connect with a crowd and provide training so that others can learn & build community with each other.
Kola’s down-to-earth humor compels audiences to laugh while they learn & connect. She engages groups from the moment she steps in front of them and leaves them with empowering tools and focused mindsets that they will use long after the lights have gone out on the event. Kola is passionate about people, leadership and successful safety training. She is especially inspired to help people take their personal safety – and themselves – to higher, more meaningful levels.
Kola’s work includes being a survivor of domestic violence & sexual assault, a professional fighter in MMA & brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Kola has spoken at various events for the National Criminal Justice Training Center, Rising Hearts, Runner’s World Magazine, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs and the National Crime Victim Law Institute.
When not speaking or training, Kola can be found on the football field playing for a woman’s professional tackle football team, the Oregon Raven’s or trying to keep up with her 3 beautiful sons, Abraham, Simon & Samuel. Kola is an enrolled tribal member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Briana Spencer
Briana Spencer is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and Afro-Puerto Rican. Her Indigenous name is Šápliš Hétsin (Shup-lish Hat-seen) which means “like a whirlwind”.
She has been involved in activism since she was a child standing on the front lines on the streets or in boardrooms with her family. She stepped into a prominent leadership role as one of the lead organizers of Pendleton's Black Lives Matter march. She has continued to support the movement and her community as the Founder & Board Chair of the Pendleton Community Action Coalition (PCAC), as a Steering Committee Member for Luchadores por Cambio, and Board Member for the Women’s Foundation of Oregon (WFO).
Briana draws on her experiences of being a person of color, a woman/female presenting, living in poverty, being homeless and in foster care to be a strong advocate. She strives to show people with similar lived experiences that they too, can take up space and have a voice at the table.
Denise Blair
Denise is a seasoned nonprofit management consultant and the founder of Blair Morgan, Inc., a nonprofit management consulting firm. With over 15 years of experience, she is dedicated to guiding organizations toward growth and impactful change. With a mindful heart for community, Denise has devoted her career to working with women, children, and individuals experiencing houselessness. Her compassionate approach to leadership has empowered organizations to deepen their offerings while navigating the complexities of day-to-day operations.
Denise’s primary area of expertise is nonprofit development, encompassing all things revenue. She focuses on organizing developmental infrastructure to enhance fundraising strategies, especially during the giving season. Supporting her clients during this critical period by crafting compelling appeal letters, preparing for GivingTuesday, social media marketing, and planning successful fundraising events. Her philosophy is simple: the giving season starts on October 1st, so let’s get to it!
Her favorite area of expertise is executive director coaching. She is deeply passionate about empowering executive directors to excel in their roles and lead their organizations effectively. Through personalized coaching sessions, Denise provides guidance on key leadership skills, strategic decision-making, and organizational management. More importantly, executive directors need an objective partner; it can be a lonely position. She has a great ear and an understanding heart to guide them in this role.
Known for her thought-provoking question, “Who’s missing from this table?”, Denise challenges organizations to think critically about diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is deeply committed to ensuring no one is left out of important conversations! Be prepared because she will ask the tough questions.
At the heart of her professional and personal journey is warmth and positivity. Whether she’s working with a nonprofit to increase its reach or sitting down with community members to listen to their stories, her leadership is always infused with kindness, care, and a steadfast belief in the potential of every individual.
Patty Unfred
Patty Unfred is an experienced and collaborative leader with a focus on strategic planning and program development centered in equity and co-created with community. Currently leading strategic planning program work at the Oregon Department of Human Services, she spent most of her career at Oregon Metro working to transform community engagement. She served as the interim Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Director and led creation of a racial equity strategy.
Patty earned her B.A. in Political Science from Seattle University and a M.A. in Public Policy and Administration at Sacramento State University, with a focus on Women’s Studies. Her thesis explored the policy gaps of the Family Medical Leave Act and private sector models supporting parents.
Born and raised in Oregon, Patty has lived in all the West coast states plus Hawaii and Japan. Other than her two daughters and large extended family, her greatest love is spending time outdoors hiking, kayaking and climbing mountains. She also serves as an Ambassador with the Alzheimer’s Association and volunteers with the American Lung Association.