Emerge Oregon

In 2005, Teresa Baldwin and her children settled in Portland after having lived in the United Kingdom since 1988. Currently an instructor in Clackamas County teaching GED and vocational training to adults receiving assistance from the Department of Human Services, Teresa is deeply committed to education. Her background includes work as a special needs teacher and coordinator, education policy development and as commentator for the BBC.

Deborah Barnes is an educator, a wife, mother, and grandmother, and President of the Milwaukie City Council. This former broadcast news reporter who gave up a successful career in broadcasting in Oregon now teaches high school students the art of broadcasting and digital media in the North Clackamas School District. Deborah has three daughters and three grandchildren.

Tami grew up in Idaho and moved to Oregon in 2004 after finishing law school in Michigan. She and her husband have a blended family with four young adults and is on her way to becoming an “empty nester.” She is a bankruptcy lawyer in North East Portland and loves to pursue her two favorite crash helmet activities of downhill skiing and dirt bike riding as often as possible. When not wearing a crash helmet she has fun digging in her yard and playing with the family dog.

Maria Caballero Rubio has lived in Oregon since 1969 when her farm-worker family moved here from California. From a young age she became involved in social justice, political activism, and volunteering. She has a background in employment and training, criminal justice, and organizational development. Recent experience includes five years with the U.S. Department of Justice and policy advisor for Portland Mayor Tom Potter.
Maria is passionate about transparency, access, and continuous improvement in government.

Marisha Childs is not a “native” Oregonian but she has been an Oregonian longer than she hasn’t.  Having attended virtually all facets of her educational career from elementary school through Juris Doctor.  After experiencing Klamath Falls and Oregon Institute of Technology, Marisha graduated with a degree in Medical Imaging Technology and worked as a radiographer for many years in various hospitals and clinics.

Louise Currin has been a long time volunteer for several organizations in various capacities.  Those organizations include Parent Child Preschools of Oregon(PCPO), Parent Cooperative Preschools International(PCPI), Beaverton School District, Portland Federation of Teachers and Classified Employees(PFTCE), American Federation of Teachers-Oregon(AFT-OR).

A native Oregonian, Wanda was born in Toledo and joined the Navy out of high school. She spent eight years in the southeast before moving back to Oregon to raise her son and daughter. 
Wanda has worked in various private sector industries including an Oregon snowboard manufacturer. She currently works as a Hearing Representative for the State of Oregon. Her husband, Michael, is a newspaper reporter. The couple lives in Dallas with their Dachshund, Bob.

Sally Erickson currently oversees the City of Portland's Ending Homelessness Initiative, building innovative partnerships among public and private entities to develop cost-effective solutions. Sally is a passionate advocate for affordable housing and services for those with disabilities, particularly those with mental illnesses.
As Executive Director of the Council for the Homeless in Vancouver, Washington, Sally led the community's efforts to increase affordable housing.

Born and raised in a small farming town in Illinois, Julie Fahey attended the University of Notre Dame, studying Chemistry and Anthropology and graduating summa cum laude. She and her husband were drawn to Oregon by their love of the outdoors and the great sense of community they found in Eugene.
Julie has worked as a management consultant for ten years, and in 2005, she co-founded a small business called ThreePoint Consulting, which offers human resources consulting services to both businesses and education organizations.

Dana returned last year to her native Oregon after a long career in the U.S. Foreign Service and, prior to that, in academia. She taught International Politics, Law and Organization at George Washington University. After joining the Foreign Service, she served in Haiti, Washington D.C., Paris, Cairo and New Delhi.
Now in Oregon, Dana is seeking opportunities to put her international experience to work to meet the needs of the state's youth and support Oregon's aspiration to become a hub of global green technology.

Michelle Ganow Jones lives in Portland, OR, with her husband, daughter, and son. She recently began working as a freelance consultant again after several years at home with her children. Prior to that, Michelle had more than a decade of experience in the public policy field, working in the public and non-profit sectors on a range of funding and policy issues related to supports for children and families.
She holds a BA from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, and a Master in Public Policy degree from Harvard University.  

Rachel Gilmer graduated from Vassar College in 2010 with a degree in American Culture and Africana Studies. As a fourth year student, she received an award for her thesis, a critical analysis of the rise of Barack Obama as both an emerging hero of the African Diaspora and the new face of American hegemonic power. While researching the project, she received a grant to conduct fieldwork in France, where she worked with various civil rights organizations in Paris, studying the impact his presidency has had on Black Frenchmens’ view of themselves and America.

I have been engaged in politics at the volunteer level in various degrees of intensity throughout my adult life.  My political focus has been on women's issues, GLBT activism, and election integrity issues.

In 1999, my husband and I decided to move to Oregon with our 2 children based in large part on the strength of the reputation of the Eugene, Oregon public school system - both K-12 and university level. I became politically active in Oregon because I believed that our schools should live up to that reputation. I am currently the Legislative Aide for Sen. Floyd Prozanski and plan to use my experience in politics to help my community reach its potential.