We're Hiring a Center for Philanthropy Building Manager

Posted: 10/14/2020

Application Deadline: Open until filled or 5pm, 11/13/2020

Hours: 40 hours per week 

FLSA Status: Exempt

Salary Range: $50,000 - $60,000

Location: Portland, Oregon

Northwest Health Foundation is seeking a full-time building manager to join our team of spirited and dedicated professionals to support the Center for Philanthropy’s operations.

Northwest Health Foundation owns and operates the Center for Philanthropy in Portland’s historic Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood to provide a shared office environment for the Foundation, other foundations and nonprofit organizations. The Center for Philanthropy (C4P) provides shared phone, Internet access and printers along with meeting spaces for tenants and community organizations.

The C4P Building Manager will be responsible for oversight and management of the building. This position is integral to both providing a warm, welcoming and inclusive place for NWHF staff, tenants and visitors and to ensuring the physical building stays safe, clean, and well maintained. This includes working with vendors that provide managed IT services, cleaning, HVAC and other routine maintenance and services; coordinating office and community meeting space; managing tenant relations and leasing; and overseeing building operations and maintenance.

Introducing our New Public Affairs Manager

Today we are overjoyed to announce our new Northwest Health Foundation staff member: Felicita Monteblanco.

Felicita will start at Northwest Health Foundation on August 24. As public affairs manager, Felicita will support advocacy campaigns to change public policy, often in partnership and at the direction of community-based organizations. She will also manage government relations and lead NWHF’s communications, among other responsibilities.

Most recently, Felicita was the policy and advocacy officer for Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, which serves Washington and Yamhill Counties and is the largest federally qualified health center in the state. Prior to Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, she worked at Vision Action Network, building a network of connected nonprofits and philanthropic leaders throughout Washington County.

Felicita was elected to the board of directors for the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District in 2017.
(Read this blog we wrote a couple years ago about Felicita and her friend and fellow elected official Erika Lopez.)

Felicita hosts quarterly gatherings for Latinx leaders in Washington County to connect around social justice issues. She was recognized for her service to the community with the American Association of University Women “Breaking Barriers” award in 2019.

In her free time, Felicita loves to dance, travel and canvass for candidates she believes in. 

Please join us in welcoming Felicita to our team!

We’re Weathering the Same Storm, We’re Not All in the Same Boat

A message from our President & CEO Jesse Beason

These are trying and uncertain times. This virus has laid bare that our health, economy and democracy are inextricably linked. And it’s made clear that whether we’re Black or white, Latino or Asian, Native or newcomer, we’re all in this together.

But COVID-19 is also highlighting what was already true—while we’re weathering the same storm, we’re not all in the same boat.

While I type this in my makeshift office, my partner is at our dining room table fighting to make sure it’s not just the squeaky wheel getting the grease. He works in public education. Every day, it’s the kids that have laptops, wi-fi and parents with time and money that are successfully navigating this new learning space. But what about the kids whose housing and a chance at three meals a day has been taken by this virus? The kids who don’t have access to a computer or reliable internet? We’re failing them. And given our country's past, it's not surprising these kids are less likely to be white.

The same goes for adults. Black, Native and other people of color—across urban and rural communities—are more likely to be laid off or confined to dangerous jobs that cannot be done from home, denied proper protective equipment, and faced with barriers to adequate treatment and care.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We can pull through by pulling together as we’ve done in the past. All of us. Together. We define what possible means.

Over the coming months, the choices we make as individuals can reflect the best of what we know this region and country can be, where we look out for one another no matter our differences. The choices our governments make at this moment can do the same, setting a better course for the future of our communities. That course can’t just be a return to business as usual. We know that business as usual left too many of our neighbors behind.

There are proven solutions to the problems we face both in this crisis and those that existed before it. Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to help our leaders and our communities seek those solutions out. I hope you’ll join us in that effort. Because the future—our future—is what we do together.

May you, your families and communities be well. And may all of us rise to meet what this moment requires of us.

We're Hiring a Public Affairs Manager

POSTED: April 8, 2020
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 5pm, May 8, 2020
HOW TO APPLY: Submit a cover letter (2 pages max) and résumé (2 pages max) as a PDF via email to employment@northwesthealth.org with “Public Affairs Manager” in the subject line. 

The Public Affairs Manager is responsible for providing strategy, leadership and implementation in public affairs and communications. This is a full-time, exempt position reporting to the President & CEO. Salary depending on experience. Excellent benefits package with retirement, full medical and dental insurance and generous paid time off. 

Goodbye and Q&A with Michael Reyes, Community Engagement Officer

Michael and his son Fidel posing with Plank.

A few words from Northwest Health Foundation Director of Programs Jen Matheson:

In this precarious moment it is dedicated and reliable people that give us reassurance. Michael Reyes Andrillion has been just that at NWHF for the past six years. 

Michael has been the key driver of our disability equity work, stewarded the Kaiser Permanente Community Fund, Healthy Beginnings + Healthy Communities and otherwise lent his expertise across our programs. He has had a tremendous positive impact across our organization and this region. 

How Michael shows up to support partners has changed who we are as an organization. Whether it was traveling to Eastern Oregon to meet with local leaders, finding a new meeting location to ensure accessibility, or staying late to clean up after an event, his willingness to show up and serve is a practice we strive to continue. 

We are thrilled for Michael’s new role at the Oregon Department of Education. Oregon’s students and families have an advocate who centers community voice and power. We are excited to see the impact he will make for educational and racial justice in our state. 

Saying goodbye to a beloved colleague is hard, but saying goodbye during a global pandemic is an unexpected challenge. As we work from home we are finding ways to celebrate Michael and look forward to a future date when we can raise a toast and offer a hug in person. 

Michael's last day with NWHF is March 27th. We will miss him so much. 

Read more about transitions at NWHF here.

Q&A with Michael:

Q. What are you most proud of having worked on during your time at NWHF?

I’m proud of seeing all the accomplishments our funded partners have made in the legislature and at the ballot. As the funder, we cannot and should not take credit for the hard work our communities went through to pass these policies. But I know we helped a bit and gave their organizations funding and capacity and resources to stay in the fight. When I think about important policies like restoring driver’s licenses and Cover All Kids, it feels really good to know we contributed to that.

Q. What’s something you’ve learned at NWHF that you’ll carry with you?

Relationships matter and we should all be in the business of relationships. None of the work we do at NWHF would be possible without the relationships we forged with our community partners. And those relationships don’t form simply because we’re a foundation and we have money to give them. I hope we earned their trust by spending time in their communities, sharing meals, having tough conversations, and really getting to know the people who do the work. 

Q. What’s something that you contributed to NWHF that you hope will continue after you’ve left?

I hope the foundation continues to prioritize meeting our communities where they are at. We spent so much time across our region of Oregon and SW Washington being in community and you could always tell they appreciated having the funding partner come to them and get to know them in their own backyards. One of my favorite comments from a community partner I visited in Burns, Oregon once was, “wow, no one ever comes out here to visit with us.” You could tell it meant so much to her.

Q. What will you miss most about NWHF?

My team. We really did become like a family because we spent so much time together not only in the work but opening up our personal lives to each other. Everyone there inspired me to do my best because I was surrounded by colleagues who are all doing their best too.

These are some of the most amazing people I’ve ever worked with and I’m honored to consider them my friends.

Q. What advice do you have for the philanthropic sector?

Philanthropy has been the community’s steward, and often the gatekeeper, for funds and resources for many, many years. It’s time communities have more of a say where those resources go. I challenge funders to go out there and build stronger relationships with community partners. Make them part of your decision-making and re-examine how your policies and practices keep communities out. Most importantly, if your staff and board don’t reflect the communities you serve, make an honest effort to fix that.

Q. What’s next?

I’m excited to share that I will be joining the Oregon Department of Education in a new role as part of the Student Success Act. This was such a monumental piece of legislation that will invest significant resources back into our schools. The state is working to ensure that community members have a say where those funds go. I’ll be working with schools, community partners and state leaders to improve educational outcomes across our state for Latinx students and families.

What’s very exciting is I get to bring so much of what I learned at NWHF and many of the relationships I’ve forged with me. I may be in a new role at a different organization, but I know I’ll be seeing many of you around!

Goodbye and Q&A with Jason Hilton, VP of Finance

A FEW WORDS FROM NORTHWEST HEALTH FOUNDATION PRESIDENT JESSE BEASON:

Jason brought his expertise to bear across the Foundation’s investments. He deftly moved us into a more responsive portfolio, guided mission-related investment work and helped elevate our role in both owning and managing the Center for Philanthropy. Throughout, Jason brought humor and stories forged from a childhood in southern Oregon and a continued love of the outdoors. We will miss him!

Q&A WITH JASON:

Q. What are you most proud of having worked on during your time at NWHF?

A. I am very proud of the fact that during the past six years we have increasingly been able to incorporate our values into our investment process. As a result, we have been able to drive significant impacts in Oregon, as well as around the globe, while still achieving investment returns sufficient to cover our spending needs and grow Northwest Health Foundation’s endowment.

Q. What's something you've learned at NWHF that you'll carry with you?

A. I have learned so much during my tenure here. Having had opportunity to spend time getting to know diverse communities around our state, learning about the history of racism in Oregon, and seeing the challenges different communities face has been both eye opening and life changing. I can’t think of many other jobs in the financial world where I would have had that opportunity.

Q. What will you miss most about NWHF?

A. Besides the innumerable opportunities to share feelings in meetings, I will miss my colleagues the most. It is rare to work alongside such talented and wonderful people.    

Q. What advice do you have for the philanthropic sector?    

A.  I have become increasingly convinced that lived experience matters as it relates to our work.  I would encourage philanthropy to consider lived experience in relation to mission statements as it selects leaders, employees and grantees.  I believe the work is more effective when we have leaders and employees who reflect and can identify with our priority communities.  

Q. What’s next?

A. I am looking forward to some much-needed rest and time with friends and family over the holidays. Then I will begin to thoughtfully contemplate my strengths and experience and hopefully identify a job opportunity where I can have a significant impact.

We're Hiring a Part-time Director of Finance

POSTED: October 30, 2019
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open until filled OR 5pm, November 22, 2019
HOW TO APPLY: Submit cover letter and resume to employment@northwesthealth.org

This part-time (.25 FTE) position is responsible for oversight and management of the investment, accounting and financial functions of the Foundation and other administrative areas. It works closely with other senior leaders to drive growth and seek improvements in operational processes.

We're Hiring a Building & Office Manager

POSTED: October 3, 2019
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open until filled OR 5pm, November 1, 2019
HOW TO APPLY: Submit cover letter and resume to employment@northwesthealth.org

The Center for Philanthropy Building & Office Manager is responsible for oversight and management of the Center for Philanthropy. This includes managing office and community meeting spaces, tenant relations and leasing, and building operations and maintenance.

Goodbye and Q&A with Eduardo Moreno, NWHF Community Engagement Officer

A photo of Eddie in the Oregonian, holding a sign at a Yes on Measure 88 rally.

Eddie has helped transform who we are as a foundation, how we work and how we engage with community. Eddie brings graciousness and presence to everything he does, making sure everyone feels welcome and connected to each other. Eddie also brings joviality and curiosity, is quick to laugh, is game for the mundane and the novel, and is dogged at getting resources to the communities that deserve it most! He naturally sees the ways our local funding community can work together differently to better serve community-based organizations and encourages us to work harder to build those connections.

Through The UnWind, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente Community Fund, Eddie gathered leaders from across our region to come together, build relationships and learn about sustainable practices for social change organizing.

Eddie helped build the Health & Education Fund, convening five regional funders (no small feat!) to find shared values and develop a strategy focusing on the resilience and strength of parents and families, challenging our assumptions and pushing us to learn and fund in different ways.

We hope we can carry on his approach—centering people, honoring the power of relationships and building trust through working together.

Eddie will be deeply missed. We wish him the best on his next adventures!

Q&A with Eddie

A. What are you most proud of having worked on during your time at NWHF?

Q. This a tough one to answer, because I love every aspect of my work. The Health & Education Fund, Oregon Active Schools and the Momentum Fellowship are all prime examples of how diverse and unique our work at NWHF is, but when I started working here in 2012, we used to host community dinners where I had the opportunity to engage with familiar faces and meet rising community leaders from around the state. Spending that unstructured time over a meal to learn about one another helped inspire what I think my answer is…. The UnWind. From inception to implementation, I worked with our friends/partners at Kaiser Permanente Northwest to design a people-focused investment. I am proud of the two fearless facilitators and the 19 incredible community-based organizations who understood our vision and brought this program to life. I hope they continue to support one another and teach others in our sector the importance of unwinding.

Q. What’s something you’ve learned at NWHF that you’ll carry with you?

A. Relationships matter. Go where community is. We all have conflicting personal lives that sometimes limit our ability to travel, but our team at NWHF (board and staff) often plan tirelessly to bring our foundation to people and places outside of the Portland metro area. This is something I will continue to advocate for, and if you don’t believe this is effective, check out how our grant giving and community partnerships have changed over the years.

Q. What’s something that you contributed to NWHF that you hope will continue after you’ve left?

A. Work hard and have fun. We live in a topsy-turvy world, so let’s not burn ourselves out or think we are in this alone. I hope that NWHF will continue to invite our close friends and family to visit community. Sometimes it takes a little more time and energy, but in the end we all have a shared fate, and we need to include our loved ones in sharing both the good and the tough moments in our NWHF lives.

Eddie, former NWHF President Nichole June Maher, and Eddie’s Nana and Tata at Native Professionals Night.

Q. What will you miss most about NWHF?

A. Hands down, the NWHF family. I look forward to working every day, because the NWHF family extends beyond those who work here. Every day I interact with many thoughtful and hardworking leaders from community groups, philanthropy and government dedicated to making our region a better place to live for every person who calls Oregon and Southwest Washington home.

NWHF staff, Health & Education Fund consultant Dani Ledezma, and Parent Voices Oakland Executive Director Clarissa Doutherd.

Q. What advice do you have for the philanthropic sector?

A. Nothing is set in stone, and it’s time to evolve. Don’t let made up (sometimes archaic) rules get in the way of advancing your mission. Our community partners seek strong and unapologetic leadership in the philanthropic sector. The sector needs to continue to partner with community and step up to take risks when there are opportunities to do so.

Q. What’s next?

A. Wouldn’t you like to know?

Eighteen years ago I left El Centro, California and moved to this beautiful city. That meant I had to leave behind a loving, supportive family network I miss every single day. Today, I’m still fortunate to have five generations of Moreno-Araiza’s (that’s right, my grandparents are also great-great-grandparents) excited to reconnect and spend some much-needed uninterrupted quality time together. That’s about as much as I will share for now, but if you are in the SoCal area these next few months feel free to reach out and who knows… I may have mastered my Nana’s empanada making skills by then.

What’s Waiting for me in SoCal! [Eddie taking a selfie with ten of his family members.]

A Look Ahead: Changes at Northwest Health Foundation

There are few institutions more privileged than philanthropy. Such privilege can make us think we have the luxury of time and an infinite amount of resources. We know neither are true. 

We recognize that when it comes to health, too many of our friends, family and neighbors don't have the luxury of time. Historic and current injustices mean Indigenous and Black people, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, and many others face the biggest barriers to wellbeing and have for far too long already. NWHF has been evolving to focus on the bold steps needed to truly advance health for everyone in our region. 

We’re also evolving because we know our cash assets are not infinite and, in our minds, they don’t belong to us. They belong to our mission. Since 2012, this has meant making structural changes to manage our endowment for perpetuity while still increasing grantmaking. It also means, as I first mentioned back in January, further staff changes as we wind down grant programs that we've managed in partnership with other contributors.

This isn’t news to us, as we’ve been preparing for these changes over many years. But it might be news to you. Over the next ten months, we will reorganize our team. We will say goodbye to beloved colleagues whose impact on our work will last well beyond their time at NWHF. We will also hire for some new roles. (Curious? You can view our 2020 organizational chart.)

Some of the ways we do our work will shift. We will rely more on content experts outside of NWHF to support grantees in capacity building. But plenty will stay the same: our steadfast commitment to being a good partner to grantees, rolling up our sleeves when required, and coming alongside community-based work when we’re asked to.

Regardless of how long we’ve been preparing, these changes are not without difficulty or sadness. We make them with our mission in mind and in our effort to remain a small but mighty foundation focused on action. 

Yours,

Jesse Beason, President & CEO

Goodbye and Q&A with Laura Nash, our Communications Manager

A few words from Northwest Health Foundation President Jesse Beason:

This Friday, we bid farewell to our Communications Manager Laura Nash. Where is she headed? You’ll have to keep reading to find out!

From day one, Laura brought a keen eye for improving our communications. She helped crystallize our style to be more plain language and our approach to be supportive of our grantees, not self-congratulatory. But she expanded her role to be way more than we ever imagined. She brought her design savvy to our website and publications. She became integral to program planning. She helped lead our work exploring disability and disability justice, earning national attention in doing so. And she’s been a great friend to so many of us.

In her more than five years at Northwest Health Foundation, Laura has made a lasting impact and we will miss her dearly. But we are so proud of and excited for her next adventures!

Q&A with Laura:

Q. What are you most proud of having worked on during your time at Northwest Health Foundation?

A. Our disability equity work. I’ve been part of Northwest Health Foundation’s disability equity journey since I first started working here in 2014, from Learning Together, Connecting Communities to Advancing Disability Justice. I assisted with meeting logistics to help bring members of disability communities together in person and virtually. I also contributed to our Striving for Disability Equity blog series, in which we owned up to our mistakes and shared our efforts to do better. And, with Disability Justice Leaders Collaborative facilitator Stacey Milbern, I supported members of the Disability Justice Leaders Collaborative to create a recommendations report for advancing disability justice in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Through communications, we held ourselves accountable to our word. We followed through on making our public meeting spaces fragrance-free, supporting disabled leaders of color and disability-led organizations, and introduced disability justice to community partners throughout our region. We also catalyzed other organizations, regionally and nationally, to examine their own practices and consider how they can do better by disability communities.

This work benefited me personally as well. Through learning and building relationships with disability communities, I realized that I feel at home with these communities. I realized that I am neurodivergent. And recognizing this has allowed me to examine my own internalized ableism and become more self-aware and self-confident.

Q. What’s something you’ve learned at Northwest Health Foundation that you’ll carry with you?

A. It would be impossible to name everything I’ve learned at NWHF, because I feel like so much of it has sunk into me and become integral to how I move through and think about the world. I’m not sure I could parse it all out. One lesson I can point to is how important it is for people to have a say in anything that affects their lives. It seems like common sense, but so many groups of people aren’t represented in decision-making positions. When our leaders reflect our communities, laws and policies will work better for all of us. I’ll hold on to this lesson and continue to contribute what I can to making reflective democracy a reality.

Q. What will you miss most about Northwest Health Foundation?

A. I’m going to miss the work environment. I know I’ll find jobs in the future that feel satisfying, where I know I’m doing good work. But I’m worried I’ll never find a workplace as supportive or fun as NWHF. Everyone at NWHF believes deeply in health equity and puts so much thought and time into making that vision reality. But we also pause for silliness and enjoy spending time with each other. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the chance to make a music video or organize an all-denim photo shoot with coworkers again.

Q. What’s your communications advice for the philanthropic sector?

A. Foundations and other philanthropic institutions should focus less on marketing themselves and creating shiny communications materials. As foundations, we of course need to put ourselves out there so people know we exist and what we’re about. We don’t need to be salespeople; grantees will come to us regardless. Instead, we should use our influence to tell truths, uplift our grantees’ stories, and educate and advocate on the issues we care about.

Q. What’s next? 

A. Grad school! I started a master’s program in fall 2018 at Pacific Northwest College of Art. In fall 2019 I’ll continue working on an M.A. in Critical Studies, and I’ll start working on an M.F.A. in Applied Craft + Design. That means I’ll spend the next two years reading, writing and making, three of my favorite things. I’ll also continue to do some freelance communications work. Oh! And wedding planning. My partner Teddy and I are getting married in 2020.

Q&A with our President Jesse Beason

Q. What first drew you to work at Northwest Health Foundation?

A. Honestly? The chance to work with our previous president, Nichole June Maher. I believed in her leadership and commitment to equity. Still do.

Q. What’s something you’ve learned working at NWHF?

So much. It's my first look at philanthropy from this vantage point. Before that, I was an executive director focused on getting philanthropy's attention and resources, trying to make payroll and advance the mission of my nonprofit through policy and programs. Now, I've the luxury of money and a broader perspective. And yet, I've learned that the work is similar in so many ways. I just don't worry about payroll—which, I'll repeat, is a luxury.

Q. What are you most looking forward to in your new role?

More meetings! Just kidding. I'm looking forward to working with partners on building more reflective democracy and decision-making practices. We know a big part of health stems from public policy decided by voters and elected officials, so the ability for everyone to participate in that policymaking is fundamental to our mission.

Q. What do you see as our region’s greatest obstacle to health?

I think our greatest obstacle is the ahistorical and individualistic narrative that dominates the context of our civil society. We like to pretend all policy begins from this point forward (as if history is irrelevant) and that hardworking people are more in charge of their opportunity than they really are (as if they simply must choose to be successful). But, in reality, we begin with so many wrongs from our collective past that require repair and a false sense of individual choice for too many of us. To create opportunity for ourselves and our neighbors, we have to keep this true context in mind.

Q. What do you see as our region’s greatest strength?

We have no shortage of amazing leaders across our communities. Compared to plenty of other regions, our bad behaviors are less entrenched and our politics are milder. Plus, we have an abundance of resources and a strong sense of possibility.

Q. What do you think you’d be doing if you didn’t work for a nonprofit or philanthropic organization?

I'd probably be fixing computers and gadgets. Don't get me wrong, I love working with people on big, thorny, intractable issues. But I also like tinkering with problems that I can solve with just my brain and my own two hands.

Q. Are you looking for someone to fill your prior role—Vice President of Strategy & Public Affairs?

We don't have plans to fill my old position as of yet. In fact, we're taking the next six months or so to figure out what's the right size staff for us, given the winding down of grant programs we've run on behalf of other donors. That simply means less money, and so we have to figure out what we want to do about that. We've got time to figure it out, but also the responsibility to get it right.

Announcing our New President

On behalf of the board of directors and staff of Northwest Health Foundation, I'm excited to announce that Jesse Beason has been named, effective immediately, our new President and Chief Executive Officer. 

Jesse has been with Northwest Health Foundation since August 2013, most recently as Vice President of Strategy and Public Affairs. He was selected to be our next president after a thorough national search conducted by Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group with guidance from the NWHF board of directors' Presidential Search Committee. NPAG connected with hundreds of community partners and potential candidates before developing a short list of finalists.

Jesse's experience and expertise in policy and electoral work, his established relationships with community leaders and organizations throughout our region, and his bold vision for the Foundation's future, among other qualities, distinguished him as the best candidate to lead NWHF.

As we start 2019, the board and staff of Northwest Health Foundation will follow and work alongside Jesse in pursuit of our vision of health for everyone in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Warmly,

Phil Wu, NWHF Board Chair

Updates on our Executive Search

August 22, 2018

As many of you know, Friday, August 3 was Nichole June Maher’s last day as Northwest Health Foundation’s president. In case you didn’t know, here’s our original post about her transition to a new role.

Since Nichole’s departure, we’ve received a lot of questions about what this means for Northwest Health Foundation. We’re writing this post to answer some of those questions.

1.     Do you have an interim president?

We do not. Our board and staff agreed on a shared leadership model during the transition. Our Vice President of Strategy & Public Affairs Jesse Beason and Director of Programs Jen Matheson are leading program operations, and our Vice President of Finance Jason Hilton and Operations Manager Stephenie Smith are leading internal operations.

2.     How are you going about hiring a new president?

Northwest Health Foundation’s board of directors formed an ad hoc search committee to guide our search for a new president. The search committee solicited and reviewed proposals from executive search firms and selected Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group LLC. NPAG will conduct a search for NWHF’s next president with input and support from our board and staff.

3.     Are you accepting applications yet?

Not quite yet. Right now, the search firm is drafting and editing a new position description. They plan to open the position to applications in September and conduct outreach and interviews through December. [Now we are! Please see below. - 9/10/18]

4.     When will the new president start?

We hope the new president will start in early 2019.

We’ll continue to add updates to this post as we have them. Thank you for your patience as we work through this transition!

September 10, 2018

Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group is now accepting applications for Northwest Health Foundation's next president. The position description is available on their website.

November 19, 2018

The executive search is going well, and we hope to name our new president in early 2019.

January 2, 2019

Happy New Year! We’ll announce our new president on January 22.

January 23, 2019

Our new president and chief executive officer is Jesse Beason! Read the announcement from our board chair.

Our President & CEO Prepares for a New Role

We are sad, proud and thrilled to announce that Northwest Health Foundation’s President and CEO Nichole June Maher has accepted a new position as President and CEO of Group Health Foundation.

Group Health Foundation was founded in 2015 and funded in 2017 with the profits from Group Health Cooperative’s sale to Kaiser Permanente. GHF is a 501(c)(4) with $1.72 billion in financial assets. Their mission is to shape and accelerate efforts to improve health equity and advance community aspirations for a vibrant, healthy future in Washington.

We know Nichole is the right person to lead GHF’s work. Over the last six years at NWHF, Nichole led the Foundation through a significant transformation. After years of giving to healthcare systems, mainstream nonprofits and research institutions, we shifted our approach to partnering with community-led organizations that focus on changing policies and systems. We increased our giving to communities of color, rural communities and disability communities significantly, and started to make better use of our 501(c)(4) resources.

We will miss Nichole so much, and we’re incredibly thankful for all that she’s accomplished in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

“Health stems from all aspects of our lives: education, economic opportunity, a sound environment, a connected community and loving family and friends. I have been so fortunate to experience all of this here in Oregon.

It is hard for me to leave Northwest Health Foundation and for my family to leave the place we’ve called home for so long. I also know that while a river may separate us, Washington and Oregon face many challenges in health equity together. I look forward to working on those challenges in my new role at Group Health Foundation. And I know that the many friendships I’ve forged, and community partnerships Northwest Health Foundation has created throughout our region, will endure. The staff and board at the Foundation are such an inspiration to me. I’ll miss them all dearly.”

— Nichole June Maher

Nichole’s last day at NWHF will be August 3rd. Northwest Health Foundation’s board will work with an executive search firm to select a new president and CEO over the coming months. Please stay tuned for more information.

We're making some staffing changes

We like to say that we are a small but mighty foundation. After a bittersweet goodbye to our friend and colleague Suk Rhee, we set about retooling some roles to make Northwest Health Foundation that much mightier.

Today, we're excited to announce those changes.

Jesse Beason

Jen Matheson

Eduardo Moreno

Jesse Beason is now our Vice President of Strategy & Public Affairs. Jen Matheson is our Director of Programs, providing oversight for NWHF's grantmaking initiatives and programs. Michael Reyes Andrillon and Eduardo Moreno will be our Community Engagement Officers, and Laura Nash, Communications Manager, will increase her hours, joining us full-time to lend support to our program team.

We can't think of a better team of ten to drive our vision for health and our foundation for action!

Goodbye, Suk Rhee

Friday, August 11, is our Vice President of Strategy & Community Partnership Suk Rhee's last day at Northwest Health Foundation. Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly recently appointed Suk to direct the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, and she begins her new job in two short weeks, on August 21.

Here at NWHF, we couldn't be more proud of and excited for our friend and colleague's next step. Suk is deeply committed to the health and well-being of everyone in our region; always asks difficult, big-picture questions; fosters a welcoming and inclusive environment wherever she goes; and understands the importance of community-led change. We know she will impact the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, and the whole City of Portland, in positive and meaningful ways.

Suk started working at Northwest Health Foundation in January 2005, more than twelve years ago. She's been a part of some big decisions and transitions here, as well as most of our favorite memories. We are sad to see her go, but we're happy she won't be moving far!

A few words from Suk:

When my family immigrated to this country, we landed in North Carolina. There are many reasons to love NC, yet, I never gained a sense of belonging or home there. This feeling is captured in a passage in The Moon and Sixpence (by W. Somerset Maughn): 

I have an idea that some men are born out of their due place. Accident has cast them amid certain surroundings, but they have always a nostalgia for a home they know not...Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels that he belongs. Here is the home he sought, and he will settle amid scenes that he has never seen before, among men he has never known, as though they were familiar to him from his birth. Here at last he finds rest.

There have been a few places where I have found such rest. This region, its communities and the work we have pursued together through my many years here at Northwest Health Foundation have felt like home. 

I leave NWHF this month to join the City of Portland’s Office of Neighborhood Involvement as its Director. Thank you to everyone who has walked some part of this journey with me—for the actions you have taken, the lessons you have taught me and simply, for being your brilliant self.  You have graced my time here with your leadership, humor and optimism, for which you have my endless gratitude and love.

Q&A with our SummerWorks Interns, Hawi and Elisa

Hawi Muleta

Q. How do you relate to Northwest Health Foundation's mission and vision?

Hawi: When I was a kid, I used to tell my parents I wanted to open a hospital one day in my country (Ethiopia), so people would have access to healthcare whether they could afford it or not. I even made a poster with little drawings of what my hospital would look like. My parents kept the posters to push me in my dreams. Even though I don’t have that exact dream now, I still feel very passionate about working with others to improve the societies we live in. I thank my parents for teaching my siblings and I from a young age that what we have in this life, however big or small, is a blessing, and to appreciate it, as well as work hard to change the things we want to see. Those lessons — lessons they were taught from their parents, passed down from the generation before them, which were finally passed down to us — showed us the importance of learning from the past, the value of community and doing what we can to help each other grow and thrive. Northwest Health Foundation's promotion of health for everyone, including physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being, easily ties into my own values of advocacy, equity and opportunity for everyone in our communities near and far.

Elisa: I’ve always felt compelled to do everything in my power to improve the quality of life for the members of my community. Growing up, I wasn’t sure how my actions could directly influence the world around me, but through my high school years I have realized that my voice matters, and there are many different ways to get involved in social justice and advocacy. Northwest Health Foundation’s work to build connections between individuals and groups who seek to affect change resonates with me profoundly. I admire the fact that NWHF uses its platform to work with different regional communities and uplift local advocacy groups working for health equity. Many people (myself included) want to make a difference in the communities they call home, and NWHF not only understands this, but encourages the involvement and leadership of community members in their work towards health equity.

Q. What have you learned from your experience at Northwest Health Foundation?

Hawi: What I have learned from working with the staff at NWHF is looking at all the ways in which health can be promoted, as well as pushed to another level, as we learn new things. Life is not static, nor should health be or how we work with others to change, inspire, build and provides different avenues to support one another.

Elisa: My experience here — even though it’s not over yet — has given me so many opportunities to learn about social justice issues present in Portland and the world as a whole. It has also been amazing to work in a building that houses so many other nonprofit organizations. Even through just daily activities, I have been able to meet and speak with so many people from so many different walks of life, and learn about what their organizations are working towards. Interning here is also the first job I’ve ever had, so I’ve learned how a real office functions, and how to dress and act in a professional environment.

Elisa Suarez

Q. If you could make one change in your community, what change would you make?

Hawi: If I could make one change in my community, I would make higher education more accessible for students from all walks of life. Education in any form is important, but due to the rapid increase of tuition, many are unable to pursue higher education, especially people of color who are tokenized for “diversity” purposes instead of seeing the systemic issues that have played a part in their lives in seeking education.

Elisa: If I could make one change in my community, I would make it possible for the students at my school to remain in the district, as opposed to being forced out due to the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. I transferred into my school from a different neighborhood, but I have witnessed too many of my friends from around Northeast have to leave their childhood homes and move to Troutdale, Fairview, or Gresham (a.k.a. “The Numbers”). It is enraging when the infrastructure of a neighborhood improves, yet the original members of the community are unable to reap the benefits, because it is no longer financially possible for them to lay claim to the place they call home.

Q. What are you going to do next, after this internship?

Hawi: After this internship, I will return to Willamette University to finish my last year of undergrad and see where life takes me next.

Elisa: After this internship, I will be going into my senior year of high school and dancing full-time when I am not in school. I will also be taking courses at Portland Community College in order to complete some of my prerequisites for my freshman year of college. I plan on majoring in English and minoring in Gender and Sexuality Studies at a four-year university, most likely somewhere warm and sunny.

Q. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what food would you choose?

Hawi: I don’t think I could only eat one food for the rest of my life. Life would get boring, at least food-wise.

Elisa: If I had to eat one type of food for the rest of my life, it would be Thai food for sure. But if I had to pick just one actual food item, I would probably go with rice, because it’s very versatile and gluten free!

Meet more of Northwest Health Foundation's staff.

Thoughts from NWHF Staff on National Voter Registration Day

September 27, 2016 is National Voter Registration Day!

"On September 11, 2001, I, along with the rest of the nation, watched the events of the day unfold. I was living in Los Angeles, and it was around 6 a.m. when I first heard of the attacks on the news. That was a tragic and confusing day. There were so many important things to prioritize: calling our friends in New York, being with and being there for others, and just trying to understand what was happening. It was also an election day. I remember going to my neighborhood polling place and casting my ballot for our local elections before going to work. There are so many things we are called to do—and have the privilege and right to do—in this country. The issues on the ballot that day paled in comparison to national and global events, but we were voting on issues that would impact children, families, workers, residents…everyone… in our corner of the world. I never take that for granted, even on historic days like that." - Suk Rhee, Vice President of Strategy & Community Partnership  

- Stephenie Smith, Executive Support & Operations Manager

"I have vivid memories of accompanying my father to the polls as a little girl and being in awe of the ritual of it: the curtained cubicles, the sharpened pencils and the punch cards. Even though we only vote by mail in Oregon now, I still love participating in the democratic process, because it’s a way of joining my community to make a collective decision. I’m also playing a small but critical part in our country’s democratic process, while briefly setting aside my social status and identity. By voting, I am an equal citizen among many others." - Shannon Duff, Grant Administrator

- Eduardo Moreno, Health & Education Officer

"So many of us use social media to let our voices be heard. Now it’s time for us to let our voices be heard where it counts. Get out and vote!" - Michael Reyes Andrillon, Community Engagement Officer

- Nichole June Maher, President & Chief Executive Officer

"My family took their responsibility to vote very seriously. As a child, I remember watching my mom enter the voting booth. With the curtain and levers it all seemed so mysterious. Now, as an adult, I love Oregon’s ‘Vote-by-Mail’ system, it allows me time to consider my options and to vote with my friends and neighbors. We can inform and challenge each other. I know my vote also counts for those who cannot vote, such as our children or people with different citizenship or legal status. Voting makes me feel like we are in it together." - Jen Matheson, Community Engagement Officer

- Laura Nash, Communications Coordinator

"I vote because of the passion of my 5th grade teacher from Jacksonville, Oregon who stressed the importance of our civic duty to vote and the sacrifices that were made to make it possible. So basically I'm afraid of the heartbreak my teacher would feel if I wasn't doing my part in democracy. That's why I vote." - Jason Hilton, Vice President of Finance

- Jesse Beason, Director of Public Affairs

“Voting is empowering as it makes me feel like my voice matters. I always get a sense of hope and excitement when dropping off my ballot, a perpetual longing for change and reform thinking of the generations to follow.” - Katie Kordash, Senior Accountant

Farewell, Fannie Black!

Our Grant Administrator Fannie Black will be moving on to bigger and better things at the end of March 2016. We are deeply sad to see her go and will probably shed more than a few tears on March 31st. However, we are also so excited for and proud of her; and we're looking forward to the opportunity to welcome a new person to our team!

A few words from Fannie:

It is so hard to believe that it has only been three years since I started working at the Foundation. As much as I have grown personally and professionally, and as much as I have learned over the years, I feel like I’m not the same person I was when I first stepped off that elevator and through those glass doors. Over the years, I have learned some amazing things about myself and the many communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington working toward a healthier region. I’ve learned about my ableism, what it means to be an ally, and the importance of community-based solutions led by the very people the solutions aim to serve.

From becoming a self-proclaimed food coloring master for gingerbread houses to learning how to be an ally to other marginalized communities, I have gained skills, knowledge, and personal and professional relationships that will last me a lifetime. I am so grateful for the opportunities and growth this experience has offered me, and if the next three years are anything like the last three, I can’t wait to see what this next journey will bring.

A few words from Suk Rhee: 

Every now and again, you have the honor of working with someone who is an exceptional person in the world, and you are the better for it. For the past several years, we and our partners at NWHF have had the privilege—and joy—of working with Fannie Black, who has served as grant administrator. As a leader within the NWHF team, Fannie has played many roles: the person who saves the day for community partners applying at the 11th hour; a champion of our equity priorities; the standard-bearer for fairness and transparency before, during and after the grant process; the patient teacher; and the social connector who shows us by example that we can all do more and better, together.   

At the same time, Fannie was pursuing her studies. This spring, Fannie earns her master of science in engineering and technology management at Portland State University. (Applause and congratulations!) Now, it is time for new adventures and the next chapter. On behalf of all of us who have worked, played and laughed with Fannie—we will dearly miss you. And, we are excited for the world to be transformed by you as you have transformed NWHF. Bon voyage!