Dr. Gustavo Balderas serves as superintendent of schools in Beaverton, the third largest school system in Oregon. As the son of migrant farm workers, Dr. Balderas developed his passion for education in Oregon public schools, receiving his doctoral degree in educational leadership at the University of Oregon. He was named national Superintendent of Year, Oregon Superintendent of the Year, and the Oregon Latino Educator of the Year and he has served on the Oregon State Board of Education.

Brent Barry has served as superintendent for Phoenix-Talent for six years. He began his career teaching health and math, going on to serve as assistant principal and principal, ultimately becoming the superintendent at Phoenix-Talent School District. Barry was named the 2022 Oregon Superintendent of the Year by the Oregon Association of School Executives and the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators.

Dr. Maggie Bennington-Davis is the Chief Medical Officer for Health Share of Oregon (a coordinated care organization serving 460,000 Oregon Health Plan members) where she leads strategic planning and clinical transformation efforts. As a psychiatrist, she focuses on the impacts of supports during pre-conception, pregnancy, and early childhood as well as behavioral health supports and education throughout the lifespan. In addition, she assists organizations in implementing trauma-sensitive services and eliminating coercive practices.

Reem Hasan, MD PhD is Associate Professor School of Medicine (Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics) at Oregon Health & Science University. As a primary care physician, her focus is on health across the lifespan, with interest in adolescence and emerging adulthood. At OHSU she has created clinical care pathways to streamline the process of pediatric to adult transition. She leads an initiative focused on professional advancement for faculty who are underrepresented in medicine, and is interested in workforce development.

Eric C. Hunter (Board Treasurer) is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CareOregon, serving over 500,000 Oregonians access Medicaid and Medicare coverage. Prior to joining CareOregon, Hunter was COO of Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan and served in Chief level roles across the country for plans owned by Centene, ValueOptions Behavioral Health and Schaller Anderson, Inc. He’s also worked with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the Oklahoma Governor’s office.

John Kitzhaber (Board Chair) was elected Oregon’s governor in 1994 and is the state’s longest-serving governor. He served 14 years in the Oregon legislature, including eight as Senate President. Governor Kitzhaber wrote the Oregon Health Plan and was the chief architect of Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organizations. During his terms, he developed the Oregon Children’s Plan and led the transformation of Oregon’s early childhood delivery system as well as the creation of the Early Learning Council and local Early Learning Hubs.

Gustavo Morales is the executive director of EUVALCREE, an organization that helps develop community member’s social capital and leadership capacity. Morales was appointed by Governor Kate Brown to serve on multiple boards and commissions, including the Oregon State Board of Education, the Oregon Advocacy Commission-Commission on Hispanic Affairs, and the Cultural Development Board for the State of Oregon.

Lisa O’Connor has served as the CEO of the Family Nurturing Center since 2015. Born and raised in Southern Oregon, a mother of four, dedicated her career to the non-profit sector, including helping found Kids Unlimited Charter School in Medford. With over 25 years in youth development, her work is now centered on systems change, the overall well-being of children 0-5, using the social determinants of health and Strengthening Families framework to create a safety net for families.

Kamesha Robinson currently serves as Legacy Health’s Director of Community Benefit, where she is responsible for directing and overseeing community health strategies and funding to community-based organizations. She has deep expertise and leverages over 25 years of cross-discipline experience to address health disparities and inequities within our community. Robinson earned her BS in Administration of Justice and a Master’s of Public Administration from Portland State University.

Heidi Sipe has served as the Superintendent of the Umatilla School District since 2007. She was the 2016 Oregon Superintendent of the Year. Sipe has served at the state level as Assistant Superintendent at the Oregon Department of Education, Chair of the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, and Superintendent Advisor for the Oregon Board of Education. She believes rural students have equal talent to urban peers but are often limited by reduced access to resources; she is committed to providing opportunities for all Oregon children.

Bob Stewart (Board Secretary) has worked in education for 48 years and currently serves as superintendent of Gladstone School District. He is a founding board member of the Gladstone Education Foundation and Clackamas County Family Stepping Stones and is on the board of Health Share of Oregon and the Oregon Educators Benefit Board. Stewart also served on Governor John Kitzhaber’s Early Learning Transition Team and was a member of the Early Learning Design Team.

Kali Thorne Ladd serves as CEO of the Children’s Institute, a statewide policy organization focused on making Oregon the BEST place to be a kid. Previously, Thorne Ladd was the co-founder and executive director of KairosPDX. Thorne Ladd currently serves as a Trustee of the James F and Marion Miller Foundation, is a member of Oregon’s Early Learning Council and Co-chairs the Center for Black Excellence Steering Committee. Thorne Ladd was also elected to the Portland Community College board of Directors for two terms where she served as Chair.

Jamie Vandergon serves as CEO of Trillium Family Services & Executive Director of the Trillium Family Foundation. She brings over 22 years of experience in behavioral health to her leadership of Oregon’s largest provider of mental health services to youth and families. Jamie is a voice for strengthening behavioral health services for youth and families and is a passionate advocate for the de-stigmatization of mental health, believing that mental health is health.

Marsha Williams is a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of KairosPDX, a Portland-based nonprofit dedicated to eliminating racial achievement and opportunity gaps in education. Williams is a board member of Coalition of Communities of Color, Financial Executives Alliance of Portland, Center for Black Excellence and Advisory Committee, Portland Willamette Valley Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, and African American/Black Student Success Advisory Group.