Nonprofit Leaders Gather for the Nonprofit Association of Oregon S Annual Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Carrie Kaufman Development & Communications Director Nonprofit Association of Oregon 503-239-4001, ext. 103 | [email protected]

Nonprofit Leaders Gather for the Nonprofit Association of Oregon’s Annual Meeting

Portland, OR, 10-18-13 —Over 160 members and guests joined the Nonprofit Association of Oregon (NAO) for their 2013 Annual Meeting on October 18, 2013 at the Oregon Zoo. For the first time, members outside the Portland area were able to join the Annual Meeting through video-linked meeting sites in Bend, Medford, and Springfield.

The gathering began with a review of the impact of NAO’s work over the past year and the unveiling of several exciting results of that work. NAO Executive Director Jim White introduced NAO’s new Theory of Change. Through a series of meetings and focus groups over the past six months, NAO developed a document that articulates how it works with nonprofit organizations, their leaders, and society as a whole to fulfill its mission. The Theory expresses the results NAO is working toward and the underlying beliefs and core values that animate that mission. The Theory of Change—along with feedback loops that keep NAO in touch with organizations, funders, and partners throughout Oregon—provides a basis for accountability, continual learning, and the evolution of vital programs and services that support the nonprofit sector. White explained, “It has been an interesting process for us and an important step in our work as the sector-wide network representing all Oregon nonprofits.”

Newly elected Board President Karin Kelley-Torregroza, announced NAO’s launch of the Oregon Nonprofit Event Calendar. “The calendar provides a much-needed resource for our state. It is a central location to promote, network, and coordinate nonprofit events across Oregon and its adjacent communities,” stated Ms. Kelley-Torregroza. Nonprofits post events on the calendar at no cost. The calendar identifies professional development opportunities, gets the word out about events, de-conflicts event dates, and reduces duplicative programming.

New officers were announced and NAO welcomed five exemplary nonprofit and business leaders to its 2014 Board of Directors. Karin Kelley-Torregroza, Executive Director of Vision

5100 SW MACADAM AVENUE, SUITE 360 | PORTLAND, OREGON 97239 | P 503.239.4001 F 503.236.8313 | WWW.NONPROFITOREGON.ORG Action Network (VAN) succeeds Rick Nitti, Executive Director on Neighborhood House, as president. Nitti served in that role for two years.

In addition to the new Board president, NAO’s Board of Directors elected new officers. They are: Chris Krenk, President and CEO of Albertina Kerr Centers in Portland, as vice president; Tonya Graham, Executive Director of the Geos Institute in Ashland, as treasurer; Ross Laybourn, former Assistant Attorney General with the Oregon Department of Justice, as secretary; Mark Langseth, President and Chief Executive Officer of “I Have A Dream” Foundation in Portland, as public policy committee chair; Claire Seguin, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) in Springfield, as governance committee chair; and Rick Nitti as past president.

New Board members representing nonprofits include Michelle Neal of Portland, Pacific Northwest Regional Director of INROADS, and Chris Otis of Portland, Executive Director for SMART (Start Making a Reader Today). New At-Large members include Ian Lombard of Portland, Managing Partner of Skyline Capital; Nancy Ramirez Arriaga of Portland, an independent nonprofit consultant and Program Director with Unidos for Oregon Leadership Project through the Latino Network; and Jen Rusk of Bend, owner of Rusk Coaching and Consulting.

Following the business portion of the meeting, a thought-provoking presentation—How Can Nonprofits Stay Relevant?—by Dr. Shashi Buluswar challenged the audience to think about how nonprofits can evolve, stay competitive, and “push the envelope” for social benefit. A panel of community leaders discussed how social entrepreneurship and social enterprises have become an integral part of the world of social good.

Sponsors of the 2013 Annual Meeting included Bank of the Cascades, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Lewis Kennedy Associates, James E. Richman, CPA, PC, and The Standard.

As the sector-wide network representing all Oregon nonprofits, the Nonprofit Association of Oregon (NAO) works across the state to strengthen and connect nonprofit leaders, organizations, and the sector as a whole. NAO accomplishes this by giving voice to the collective achievements and aspirations of nonprofits; growing organizational and leadership capacity and diversity; and facilitating knowledge exchange among nonprofits and across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. Building on its rich history of capacity building over more than three decades, NAO ensures a future in which Oregon nonprofits are visible and valued as essential contributors to our society.

For additional information, please contact Carrie Kaufman at 503-239-4001, ext. 103 or by email at [email protected].