Nanci is the Executive Director for SE Uplift.
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 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 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.