Executive Director, Dan Petegorsky - danp@wscpdx.org

Dan joined the Western States staff as Executive Director in January, 1996, after four years of service on the Board as Treasurer. Previously Dan worked for eight years as Western Regional Director for the Peace Development Fund in Seattle, and in this capacity funded and supported many of the key grassroots and progressive organizations in the Western states. Prior to moving to Seattle, Dan completed graduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley, and has worked in social justice organizations on a wide variety of domestic and foreign policy issues since the late 1960s.

Field and Training Programs

Field Director, Kelley Weigel - kelleyw@wscpdx.org

Kelley joined the Center's staff in July, 2002. From 1995-2002 Kelley was a field organizer and co-director of the Rural Organizing Project based in Scappoose, Oregon. Beginning as an organizer with Community Alliance of Lane County from 1991-1995, she has worked with groups throughout the state challenging the emergence of right-wing extremist organizations and supporting grassroots human and civil rights groups. Kelley was a graduate of Western States Center's first Advanced Leadership and Mentorship Program class, and during 1993-94 worked for the Center as coordinator for the "Democracy Under Siege" conference.

Field Director, Kalpana Krishamurthy - kalpanak@wscpdx.org

Kalpana Krishnamurthy is a Field Director and the RACE Program Director at Western States Center. From 2002-2005, she was the director of the Third Wave Foundation, which works nationally to support and strengthen the next generation of young women activists. Prior to Third Wave, Kalpana organized around reproductive health and justice and young women's empowerment. She also worked as a youth organizer in Madison, WI. Kalpana grew up in Oregon and graduated from the University of Oregon.

Trainer/Organizer, Moira Bowman - moirab@wscpdx.org

Moira Bowman joined the staff in November 2000. She came to us fresh from two years of research and organizing on issues of money in politics culminating in serving as Statewide Field Coordinator for Oregon's "Clean Money" campaign finance reform ballot initiative. Moira has extensive background and experience in domestic and sexual violence issues and dismantling oppressions training and curriculum development.

Trainer/Organizer, Kayse Jama - kaysej@wscpdx.org

Kayse Jama joins Western States Center in June 2005 under a New Voices Fellowship. Born into a nomad family in Northern Somalia, Kayse left when the civil war erupted, and finally found sanctuary in Portland. After becoming a social worker, he left the social services arena compelled by the attacks against immigrants and refugees post 9/11. Kayse eventually founded the Community Language and Culture Bank to bring cross-cultural solidarity to the struggle for political, social and economic justice. He is a Leadership Fellow and an adjunct instructor for University Studies at Portland State University.

Trainer/Organizer, Lucilene Lira - lucilenel@wscpdx.org

Lucilene Lira just ended a five and half year as labor educator/field organizer for The Evergreen State College Labor Education Center in Olympia Washington where she coordinate the Annual Summer School for Union Women, the Young Workers in the Labor Movement and many other community and labor activities. She does a good amount of cross-border organizing and solidarity work by supporting resistance and autonomous peasants and indigenous movements, community and labor organizations at the fore front fight against capitalist corporate power. Born and raised on the banks of the Amazon River, Brazil, she participated actively in political and social movement during the 1980s working to support the struggle of river dwellers, fishermen, rubbertappers, landless workers and many rural communities affected by the industrialization of agriculture and rapid deforestation. A worker and union organizer herself, she was and still is a member of the Workers' Party (PT).

Back Row : Kayse Jama, Michelle Beasley, Moira Bowman, Kelley Weigel, RuthAlice Anderson
Front Row: Taneisha White, Stephanie Stephens, Dan Petegorsky, Kalpana Krishnamurthy, Lucilene Lira

Finance and Administration

Office Manager, Taneisha White- twhite@wscpdx.org

Taneisha provides support to the administrative and field staff. Taneisha also manages our database and resource library. Before coming to Western States Center, Taneisha worked for the State of Oregon. Taneisha serves on the boards of Oregon Action and Western Prison Project.

Admin & Finance Manager/Web Developer, RuthAlice Anderson - rutha@wscpdx.org

Our Finance Administrator, RuthAlice Anderson, brings extensive experience which she gained from her work as Financial Manager with Oregon Fair Share and Basic Rights Oregon. Ruth is President of the Board of Oregon Action. She also serves on the board of US Action, Progressive Action Network and Fair Share Research & Education Fund. She has volunteered with several candidate and initiative campaigns and served as Treasurer of the Oregon Political Accountability Campaign - which worked to win public financing in Oregon.

Development & Communications Manager, Stephanie D. Stephens - stephanies@wscpdx.org

Stephanie has spent the past nine years in nonprofit work, with an emphasis on communications and development for social justice and civic organizations. In response to the post-9/11 backlash against immigrants and refugees, Stephanie co-founded the Community Language and Culture Bank (CLCB), a grassroots organization dedicated to countering the fear and mistrust isolating Oregon's diverse cultural communities and strengthening the collective struggle for social, political, and economic justice. Prior to her work at CLCB, Stephanie served as the Communications Manager of the City Club of Portland, where she spearheaded efforts to diversify public involvement in civic affairs and formed the New Leaders Council, which provides young people access to elected officials, policymakers, and community leaders. Stephanie is a graduate of the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.

CSTI Coordinator- Michelle Beasley - michelleb@wscpdx.org

Michelle brings more than 10 years of experience working in social and environmental movements, both locally and internationally. Most recently, she came from Bellingham WA, where she worked as a community development consultant for a variety of groups including Communidad a Communidad, the Eco-Integrity Center of Bellingham and Institute for Northwest Community Advancement. She brings donor/event coordinating experience from her previous work with CityClub, in Seattle, Wa. Moreover, she has worked as a community organizer for both CALPIRG and Urgent Africa. Michelle carries an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana.

 

 

© 2005, Western States Center