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Community Advocacy Highlights – What’s Happening In Southeast?

  • by Muz
  • May 2, 2019May 6, 2019

By: Leah Fisher, Neighborhood Planning Manager

It is finally spring! Look around Southeast Portland, what do you see? Flowers blooming, rain falling, people outside working and playing? At SE Uplift that’s not what we see… ok, maybe we see that too. At SE Uplift we see our neighbors joining together to make streets safer for walking and biking, transit more accessible, the air cleaner, and to preserve the historic character of our main streets. There are a number of groups across our coalition area gaining traction on a number of livability issues. They are making change happen by sharing information, creating collaborations, and conducting strategic advocacy with key decision-makers at all levels – state, region, and locally.

We just had to share what dedicated volunteers have been up to and also share these advocacy opportunities with others passionate about these land use and/or transportation causes. Review the efforts going on across SE Portland, join in, share, replicate, and let’s all work together to help everyone in our community thrive.

Want more information on these groups, or to connect? 

  • Learn more about PNDA here and here, and connect at contact@pnda.info
  • Visit Main Street Design Initiative’s website here.
  • IPA meets monthly, to connect and learn more, email IPA’s main point of contact at ckna.landchair@gmail.com.
  • Visit SEAM’s website here.
  • Attend an 82nd Avenue Coalition meeting, the 4th Monday of the month 7-8:30 at the Lumberyard on 82nd Ave.

Want to learn more or did we miss your advocacy efforts? Connect with Leah Fisher, Neighborhood Planning Program Manager or join us for our monthly Land Use and Transportation Committee meetings.

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Lindsey Johnson
Lindsey is thrilled to join the staff team at SE Uplift as Administrative and Operations Specialist.
 
Over the past two years, she has served on the board for Montavilla Neighborhood Association and SE Uplift. Lindsey has an extensive background in the nonprofit arts and education sectors. She is passionate about building community and supporting local businesses.
 
Lindsey hails from Minneapolis and has been living in East Portland since 2016. She earned music degrees from Luther College and the University of North Texas. Lindsey performs with the Portland Opera Chorus, serves on the Board of Governors for the American Guild of Musical Artists labor union, and is President of the Mu Phi Epsilon Portland Alumni Chapter. In her spare time, she enjoys board games, hiking, mushroom foraging, and cuddling her puppy and two cats.
Nanci Champlin

Nanci is the Executive Director for SE Uplift.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” -Nelson Mandela
 
Nanci Champlin has a passion for social justice, civic engagement and conservation with nearly thirty years’ experience in scaling up organizations at the local, regional and national level. She leaned early in her career as a grassroots organizer that a key to success comes from authenticity, trust and active listening. These values have guided her approach to work ever since. 
 
In her professional roles, Nanci has led outreach at Oregon Wild; communications and operations at the Funders Committee for Civic Participation; and most recently was Director of Development at Western State Center, a movement building and leadership development organization helping to build a 21st century civil rights movement. 
 
Nanci has lived in SE Portland for 32 years where she has devoted countess hours to volunteer-driven conservation initiatives through her past role on a neighborhood association board. She currently serves as the fundraising chair for Friends of Moreland Woods and on the board of the Sellwood Community House. When not working or volunteering she can be found creating pollinator habitat in her backyard or hiking with her family and dog in Portland’s parks. 
 
Nanci is excited to help lead SE Uplift in building a vision and strategy that empowers everyone in our community to learn, connect and engage in civic opportunities to build a future where every person can thrive. 
Paola De La Cruz

Paola is the Communications & Outreach Manager for SE Uplift. Paola’s professional background lies in design and community advocacy. She has worked with non-profits from Boston, MA to the Portland metro area, to campaign for equity and inclusivity.

Paola received a BFA in Illustration under Communication Design. She looks to merge illustration and design with community organizing to bring SE neighbors together.

On her free time, Paola is painting ethereal, powerful women or putting on a 90s R&B concert for her small dog.

Paola is the SE Uplift Liaison for the following neighborhoods: Buckman, Mt. Tabor, SMILE, Laurelhurst, Brentwood-Darlington, and Ardenwald-Johnson Creek.

Matchu Williams

Matchu feels fortunate to work with the community in advancing the SE Uplift mission of collaborating to build informed, inclusive, and participatory neighborhoods that support our social and ecological well-being. He looks forward to assisting neighborhood and partnering with the community in building capacity in building equity in their programs for civic engagement.

Matchu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a focus on Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies and Criminal Justice. You may know Matchu from the SE Uplift Board of Directors where he was recently Vice Chair. He brings a wealth of community engagement to SE Uplift having previously served as Chair of Mt. Scott Arleta Neighborhood Association, BikeLoud Memorial Events Coordinator, Arleta Triangle Project Planning Committee, South East in Active Motion Co-Chair, and has volunteered with many groups including Urban Gleaners, Sisters of the Road, SOLVE, Transition Projects, Food Not Bombs, Humane Society of SW Washington, and more.

On his days off he dreams of the next bikepacking (biking + camping) trip. Last year he bikepacked the San Juan Islands and campgrounds in the Cascades. When in town he enjoys cycling, seeing movies on the big screen at the historic Hollywood Theatre, and enjoying food at Portland Mercado with friends.

Matchu is the SE Uplift Liaison for the following neighborhoods: Creston-Kenilworth, Kerns, South Tabor, Foster-Powell, Mt. Scott-Arleta, HAND, and Sunnyside.

Leah Fisher

Leah is the SE Uplift Neighborhood Planning Program Manager, and serves as the main point of contact for community members wanting to communicate about Portland’s land use and transportation planning policy and processes. Leah supports SE Uplift’s Land Use and Transportation Committee which meets monthly and represents perspectives of volunteers from each of our twenty neighborhood associations as well as several business associations. Another part of Leah’s multifaceted role is supporting several neighborhood associations.

Leah holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Bachelor’s degree in City and Regional Planning, Minor in Economics. She has worked for state and local government, and is a LEED accredited Professional (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

On any given day, Leah can be found working in her yard or garden, relaxing on the porch with her 2 daughters, playing soccer, jogging, or walking through her Southeast Portland neighborhood.

Leah is the SE Uplift Liaison for the following neighborhoods: Reed, North Tabor, Montavilla, Woodstock, Richmond, Eastmoreland, and Brooklyn.