Board, Staff & Advisory Committee Founded by Lawyers, Supported by the Legal Community
Board of Directors
- Rose Alappat, adidas
- Noam Amir-Brownstein, Wyse Kadish LLP
- Kristin Bremer Moore, Tonkon Torp LLP
- Erica Clausen, Miller Nash LLP
- Tim Cunningham, Davis Wright Tremaine
- Nicole Elgin, Barran Liebman LLP
- Hon Rima Ghandour, Multnomah County Circuit Court (OLF President)
- Denise Gorrell, Samuels Yoelin Kantor (Vice President)
- Molly Honoré, Markowitz Herbold
- Todd Johnston, Hershner Hunter LLP
- Nicholas Kampars, Wildwood Law Group (Immediate Past President)
- Sara Kobak, Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt
- Julia Markley, Perkins Coie
- Keil Mueller, Keller Rohrback (Secretary)
- Kathryn Olney, Attorney at Law (President)
- Willa Perlmutter, Stoel Rives LLP
- David Rosen, High Desert Law LLC (OSB President)
- Andrew Schpak, Barran Liebman LLP (Treasurer)
- Kristin Sterling, CLEAResult Consulting Inc
- Amy Velázquez, Harris Velázquez Gibbens
- Peter Werner, Attorney at Law
Emeritus Members
- Howard Arnett, Best Best & Kreiger
- Larry Brisbee
- Jeffrey Edelson, Markowitz Herbold
- Gerry Gaydos, Hershner Hunter LLP
- Ed Harnden, Barran Liebman
- Henry Hewitt, Stoel Rives
- Elizabeth Knight, Dunn Carney LLP
- Frank Langfitt III
- Eric Lindauer, Mediation & Arbitration
- Darcy Norville, Tonkon Torp
- Mark Wada, Farleigh Wada Witt
- Ira Zarov
Staff
Ayla Ercin
Ayla returned to her non-profit roots to lead the Campaign for Equal Justice’s 2021 and 2022 Annual Campaigns. The CEJ team pivoted between virtual and in-person events and led creative outreach efforts to maintain the connection between legal aid and its community of supporters during this time of great upheavel. Ayla is honored by the opportunity to support and expand the work of legal aid as Executive Director. "It is a privilege to help the Oregon legal community stretch its capacity to serve all those in need, regardless of their ability to pay."
"My superpower: strong ability to be invited into a book club. Current status: 3 book clubs. My kryptonite: Weak in reading all assigned book club books, but will shamelessly attend the dinner party anyway."
Katie Drumm
After moving to Oregon, she was the Democratic Party of Oregon’s Development Director for six years where she raised money and organized events to help elect more Oregon Democrats. More recently, she was the National Training Director for Wave Fundraising. She ran fundraising and staff management trainings for directors who ran campaigns for progressive organizations including the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and Greenpeace.
Katie is excited to continue to fundraise for and organize volunteers around issues that matter at the CEJ. In her free time, she loves getting out in nature, thrifting, and seeing live music.
"My superpower: saying yes to pretty much all activities and trips. My kryptonite: I’m tired."
Shari Nilsson
Shari's career has been centered on diversity and flexibility, with tasks as wide-ranging as event planning, accounting, database administration, preparation of legal documents, graphic design, assisting with law student education, meeting facilitation, preparation of legislative history materials, and website design. She is proud to be a part of an organization dedicated to providing access to justice for all Oregonians.
In her spare time, she enjoys Swedish language and culture, baking, music, dancing, doing genealogical research, reading, and birdwatching. Shari and her family relocated to Sweden in summer 2022, and she is now working remotely for CEJ.
"My superpower is knowing how to bake all sorts of tasty Swedish cakes, cookies, rolls, and buns. My kryptonite is eating them."
Heidi Thompson
"My superpower is making personal and thoughtful things for people as gifts. My kryptonite is over-committing and not being able to finish them on time."
Advisory Committee
Rose K Alappat
Carlotta O Alverson
Noam Amir-Brownstein
Howard G Arnett
Hon Thomas A Balmer
Hon Stacie Fatka Beckerman
Rep Suzanne Bonamici
Kristin L Bremer Moore
Larry A Brisbee
Hon Kate Brown
Dean Marcilynn Burke
Dominic M Campanella
Barry P Caplan
Erica A Clausen
Linda D Clingan
G Valerie Colas
Sarah J Crooks
Tim Cunningham
Michael C Dotten
Elisa J Dozono
Jeffrey M Edelson
Amy Edwards
Paul R Ehrlich
Brien Joseph Flanagan
Hon Angela M Franco Lucero
Stanton R Gallegos
John C Gartland
Gerry Gaydos
Hon Timothy C Gerking
Kristie L Gibson
Denise Nicole Gorrell
Kamron L Graham
S Ward Greene
Ari D Halpern
Jessica T Hamilton
Sandra A Hansberger
Edwin A Harnden
James K Hein
Sara Christina Heskett
Henry H Hewitt
Audrey B Hirsch
Hon Mary M James
Gina Anne Johnnie
Todd R Johnston
Nicholas A Kampars
Hon Mustafa T Kasubhai
Elizabeth C Knight
Sara Kobak
Gov Tina Kotek
Wayne D Landsverk
Frank V Langfitt, III
Steve D Larson
Shayda Zaerpoor Le
Eric B Lindauer
Brena Moyer Lopez
Sarah M Lowe
Molly K Marcum
Julia Elizabeth Markley
Hon Aruna A Masih
Hon Judith H Matarazzo
Katherine A McDowell
Tracy M McGovern
Jamie E McLeod-Skinner
Sonia A Montalbano
Keil M Mueller
Hon Adrienne C Nelson
Darcy Michele Norville
Kathryn Olney
Jane Paulson
Beverly C Pearman
Willa B Perlmutter
Stephen V Piucci
Travis S Prestwich
Sen Floyd F Prozanski, Jr
Kathleen J Rastetter
Hon Tobias Read
Liani J Reeves
Hon Ellen F Rosenblum
Joshua L Ross
Laura Renee Salerno Owens
Daniel P Santos
Louis D Savage
Andrew M Schpak
Jessica A Schuh
Rachele R Selvig
Lane P Shetterly
Charmin B Shiely
Hon Kamala H Shugar
Hon Gregory F Silver
Hon Michael H Simon
Thomas W Sondag
Richard G Spier
N Robert Stoll
Shane P Swilley
Andrea H Thompson
E Walter Van Valkenburg
Amy N Velazquez
Michelle Vlach-Ing
Mark R Wada
Hon Martha Lee Walters
Hon Ulanda L Watkins
Heather L Weigler
Peter A Werner
Jennifer A Williamson
Ross M Williamson
Theresa (Terry) L Wright
Ira Zarov