The Cascade Chapter serves Oregon and Southwest Washington. We offer regionally hosted public involvement trainings, conferences, learning and networking events, micro-grants for public participation, and best practice awards. Engage with our local community to share in a mutual exchange of equity-focused best practices in public participation.

Upcoming events

  • No upcoming events

Check back here for upcoming events!

Volunteer for Cascade Chapter Committees!

Do you value diversity and feel decisions are better when diverse voices and lived experiences are uplifted? Are you looking for ways to further your career, get up on the latest trends, enhance your network, create professional relationships, or put your skills to work for the public practitioner community? If you are located in Oregon or SW Washington, we encourage you to apply to volunteer with the IAP2 Cascade Chapter! Committees are seeking new members NOW to help the Board move the organization’s work forward.

Take advantage of the opportunity to make a difference in the P2 community. Develop your leadership skills and grow your professional network by volunteering to serve on a committee or task force. If you're interested in growing personally or professionally, we have a place for you.

Positions are open on our Micro Grant, Communications and Programs committees. Click the application to learn more about this work.

Who is Eligible?

You do not have to be a member of IAP2 USA to be involved in a committee. While the Board of Directors must be members, committee volunteer opportunities are open to non-members and can be a good way to learn about the organization without a financial commitment.

Why should I volunteer?

Volunteering will help you take charge of your career and broaden your knowledge. You can gain access to current events in your career area or take advantage of a safe space to learn about other areas while you have a chance to enhance leadership skills. It’s also a great way to just have some fun while meeting new people.

How do I volunteer?

Fill out a volunteer application, including the prompts asking about your interest and lived experiences. To apply, visit https://bit.ly/3v6RxO5 

Meet our Chapter Board Members

Photographs  Name  Position Organization  Bio
Joey Posada Communications Committee Member EnviroIssues Joey is a creative, energetic communicator with experience developing and managing outreach strategies to support equitable public engagement. His strong interpersonal skills and work with diverse groups of people have given him the opportunity to connect with vibrant communities throughout the region. Joey has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning with a strong background in transportation and sustainability. He grew up in Las Vegas, where he explored the unique desert ecosystem throughout his childhood that inspired his passion for the natural environment and wildlife. Joey is almost always on the go, but you might be able to catch him during one of his meditative sessions of violin practice.
Ashley Tjaden Board President City of Portland Office of Emergency Communications

Ashley has worked in equity, change management, strategic planning, community engagement, and policy development for over a decade. She has a degree in Community Development from Portland State, and a career in public service having worked across the region for the cities of Gresham and Portland, Clackamas and Washington counties, and Metro Regional Government. In her roles, she dove into a variety of fields including Sustainability, Human Health and Services, Construction, Water, and Sewer.

Ashley currently serves as the Equity Coordinator for 9-1-1, and has always been drawn to life sustaining public services and utilities. In her seven years with the City of Portland, Ashley also worked in the bureaus of Environmental Services, Water, and Community & Civic Life. Ashley led citywide policy managing the City of Portland’s Advisory Bodies Program, which transformed the City’s more than 100 advisory bodies to be more equitable, inclusive, and transparent.

Ashley is from a large, mixed-race, multicultural and multilingual immigrant family. A lifetime resident of East Portland and Gresham, Ashley currently lives in the same SE Portland neighborhood in which she was born. During her free time she enjoys being in nature.


Patrick RollinsBoard Member at LargeCity of EugeneBio coming soon!
  Brandy Hemsley Board Member at Large State of Oregon Office or Recovery and ResillienceBio coming soon!
Kimberlee Ables Board Member at Large Metro

Kimberlee Ables is eager to join the board for the Cascade Chapter of IAP2 to work towards authentic relationship building with members of the community and connecting those who make decisions with the community those choices impact. In her work as a Public Affairs Specialist at Metro she has been able to partner with community-based organizations to help amplify the voices of the community and constantly sees how valuable these opportunities are. She is currently working with the Garbage and Recycling team and has played a large role in community engagement for the 2030 Regional Waste Plan. Kimberlee has also worked on the department’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 5-year plan and will continue to help coordinate the agency-wide effort to release additional department plans. Taking a deeper dive into equity issues in her community, Kimberlee has been appointed to the Leaders for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council for Clackamas County by the Board of Commissioners. She is passionate about this work and ready to find interconnections and shared learning opportunities she can bring to the table as the chapter’s Micro-grant pilot program chair.

Kimberlee received a bachelor’s degree in Digital Technology and Culture from Washington State University and a master’s of arts degree in Journalism from Regent University. Currently residing in the outskirts of Clackamas County, Kimberlee finds joy with her family of four by exploring the outdoors, cheering on their favorite teams and enjoying time in their garden. 

Ping Khaw Programs Committee Co-chair PKS International LLC

Born in Malaysia, Ping immigrated to Portland in 1990. Her two decades of community outreach efforts include community art projects with communities of color, immigrants, and disadvantaged youth, that have gained her multiple awards. Her business endeavors include product export; strategic sales; fundraising management and event production. For the 2010 Census, she was the Oregon partnership co-team lead that assisted in hard-to-count operation. Since 2016, she has managed the CELS program which pairs experienced liaisons to assist government agencies and private entities to effectively engage under-served populations and immigrants.

In the past, she has served on the board for New Portlander Policy Commission, Oregon Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (OCAPIA), Golden Leaf Education Foundation, state adviser for the US Civil Right Commission, Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce of Oregon and SW Washington (APACC), IRCO Works LLC, Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), and Mass Mutual women advisory council. In 2014, Ping co-founded API Forward Foundation, an organization that fosters leadership and advancement for Asian and Pacific Islanders. 

Ann Griffin Board Vice President  City of Oregon City

Ann is an experienced economic and community development professional, with strong business outreach and community engagement skills. Ann has worked in the local government, private for-profit and nonprofit sectors. She is driven to develop and implement programs that bring sustainable solutions to communities while enhancing the local economy. Ann currently works in the Economic Development Department for Oregon City. During her 20 years in Portland, Ann has been executive director of the Portland non-profit, Alberta Main Street, a program or project manager for Prosper Portland (then PDC), Earth Advantage, the Lloyd EcoDistrict and Griffin Planning & Development. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and is a volunteer outings leader for the Sierra Club.


Jordan Imlah Board Member at Large City of Milwaukie

Jordan is the communications program manager for the City of Milwaukie where he oversees public involvement, print and digital communication, branding and graphic design. He also serves as the staff liaison to the Milwaukie Arts Committee. Jordan has spent most of his career working for local government agencies to help engage communities in public decision-making processes, build relationships and increase transparency. He is passionate about creating communication and engagement plans that reflect IAP2’s Core Values, and encouraging people from all backgrounds to share their voices. Jordan has a master’s degree in strategic communication from the University of Oregon and enjoys making cat-themed art in his spare time.

Ellen Sweeney  Board Member at Large Oregon Department of Transportation  Ellen Sweeney has worked in the public sector for 25 years in both parks and transportation, focusing on civic engagement and program development to elevate and empower communities throughout the greater Portland region. She is passionate about fostering joy by building the health and wealth of marginalized communities through inclusive and equitable public participation strategies, and agile and responsive programs and institutions. In addition to her civic engagement work at the Oregon Department of Transportation, Ellen is pursuing her Executive MPA at Portland State University. Ellen enjoys biking, walking, jogging (slowly) and spending time exploring the outdoors with her two kids.  

 


Copyright ©2010-2017 IAP2 USA. All rights reserved.