The Steering Committee is a volunteer group local residents, business owners, and employees who in partnership with Our 42nd Ave’s steering committee provide oversight of the Cully Neighborhood Prosperity Districts. Contact us if you wish to present at one of their monthly steering committee meetings or wish to join. *All attendees must agree to abide by the codes of conduct set forth by the CBA*
Our most recent steering committee meeting minutes can be found here.
District Manager: Eron Riddle, Cully Blvd Alliance Staff
As a long time NAYA Community Development staff member, Eron Riddle has been serving the Cully Community in one form or another for well over a decade. He started at NAYA in late 2009 as an employment specialist, then transitioned to a charter member of both the Green Careers Training Project and the DHS based Community Works Program from 2010-2014, and most recently managed the Cully WX 2.0 anti-displacement and home repair project. During this time he has built strong working relationships with many community-based agencies, including Multnomah County, Work Systems Inc, Prosper Portland, Meyer Memorial Trust, and the department of human services. He has also had the opportunity to serve on 2 neighborhood advisory boards, VERDE Energy and the Living Cully Energy Plan. Eron was raised in St. Ignatius, Montana and is married with one daughter.
CBA Steering Committee Chair: Open
Treasurer: Sky Waters, Community Prosperity Manager at NAYA Family Center
NAYA serves as the Cully Blvd Alliance’s fiscal sponsor and as such it’s steering committee representative assumes the role of treasure and oversees the daily activities of the district manager. At NAYA, Sky manages NAYA Community Development’s community wealth building efforts. These programs are largely focused on supporting Portland’s Native American and Cully based residents. Prior to NAYA, Sky was a Research Associate on the Capital Markets Innovation team at Fisher Investments. Sky graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with BS in Economics. Outside of work, Sky enjoys Brazilian jiu-jitsu, playing basketball on 8-foot hoops and reading random books unrelated to business, economics, or investing.
Committee Member: Liz Hanna, Owner of Mad Hanna and The Hannex
Liz Hanna is one of the owners of Mad Hanna and the Hannex General Store, both just inside of Cully on NE Fremont Street. Liz is a member of Portland Kitchen Cabinet, a local grassroots effort by the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association to help restaurant and bar owners be present for legislative decisions. As a business owner, a mother of young adult twins on the autism spectrum, and a woman of color, Liz has had many opportunities to refine diplomatic skills and implement creative conflict resolution solutions to help foster positive change.
Committee Member: Dana Ingram-Shepard, Housing Program Manager at City of Portland
Dana Ingram returned to the Cully Neighborhood 7 years ago after spending most of her childhood and young adult life in the area. Her professional experience in housing and city policy will enhance the boards ability to evaluate the Cully Neighborhood as a whole. Dana was also a driving force in the Cully WX 2.0 that utilized city and federal funds to support Cully Homeowners facing displacement.
Committee Member: Nancy Le, Owner Of Professional Auto Body & Paint Inc.
Nancy Le is a native Oregonian who is a proud Portland State University Alumni, PSU Diversity Scholar, Ford Family Foundation Scholar, and a volunteer at the Vietnamese Community of Oregon. Nancy holds a B.S. in Business Management and has a background in retail corporate from global supply chain, planning, buying and merchandising and has worked for Oregon based companies such as Pendleton Woolen Mills, Fred Meyer, and Nike. Nancy and her partner, Anthony own Professional Auto Body & Paint Inc, a family owned Cully business since 1997. Nancy joined the CBA Steering Committee to advocate for local small businesses in the Cully neighborhood grow and prosper. In Nancy’s spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two dogs, two goats, trying new local food trucks, and cooking any type of food she craves. Follow Professional Auto Body & Paint Inc. on Instagram @PROPDX
Committee Member: Vena Rainwater, Cully Association of Neighbors
Vena is a Pacific Northwest native, with deep roots in Seattle and Portland. She has lived in the Cully neighborhood for 6 years with her rambunctious family. Vena has an education background in urban planning and an employment focus on diversity and inclusion, she is invested in creating inclusive housing and employment policy in Cully and Portland broadly.
Committee Member: Jaclyn Sarna, Director of Youth and Family Services at Hacienda CDC
Jaclyn Sarna has 12+ years of community engagement experience and has served as Hacienda’s Director of Youth and Family Services for the past 4 years. Jaclyn earned her Bachelor’s in Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of Iowa in 2007 and graduated with her Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Portland State University in 2012. Jaclyn is fully bilingual in Spanish and feels deeply proud to work in the Latinx community in Oregon. When working with community Jaclyn employs a trauma-informed approached and believes deeply in the power of popular education.
Committee Member: Lisa Rohleder, Executive Director POCA Tech
Lisa a long time Cully Resident and business owner is a writer, an acupuncturist, and an organizer. She is a co-founder of Working Class Acupuncture, a founder of the Community Acupuncture Network, the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture, and POCA Tech. Apparently she can’t stop founding things. Lisa is POCA Tech’s Executive Director.
Ex Officio: Tonda McFerrian, Owner of Tondalayera Designers
Tonda McFerrian opened the Tondalayera Designers Salon in 1980 and has been serving the African American and Cully Community ever since. The Tondalalayera is currently the oldest continuously ran business in the district and Tonda brings a wealth of institutional knowledge to the CBA. She graciously agreed to stay on with the CBA as an Ex Officio member after serving 8 years a a voting member.
Advisory (non-voting): Justin Howe, Owner Howe Law Firm
Justin has practiced law since 2014 after graduating from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, OR. As owner of the Cully based Howe Law Firm, Justin has a passion for helping businesses and individuals navigate the complex federal and Oregon tax systems. He has assisted small businesses in the formation process, drafting contracts, and generally assisting those clients in many of the legal issues that businesses encounter on a daily basis. He has also successfully assisted nonprofit organizations through the 501(c)(3) application process. Outside of work, Justin enjoys playing rugby, snowboarding, hiking, and working in his garden.
In Memoriam: Gary Guzman, Owner at East Side Motorcycle – Committee Emeritus
Gary opened East Side Motorcycle on Cully Blvd in 1981, and was an active member of the business community for almost 4 decades. As a homeowner in the Alberta neighborhood he witnessed the negative effects that gentrification and involuntary displacement had on low income communities of color. Because of this Gary provided the CBA with great wisdom and insight advocating for projects that best served those in Cully that currently face similar challenges. Gary was an active and vocal member of the the CBA steering committee until his passing in 2019. We are forever grateful for Gary’s service.
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