Meet the RCPNA Board

Officers

Zachary Lauritzen (Chair)

Zachary is a father of two who loves to play with his kids, be outdoors backpacking and gardening, plays nerdy board games, and primarily gets around town by foot, bike, and transit. He is deeply aware of the environmental damage we humans cause and tries to do things–ditch the car, use less electricity, consume fewer things and avoid plastics, repair rather than rebuy, buy/trade second hand, eat fewer animal products, etc.–that will lessen his impact on the world around him. As Chair of the Board, Zachary has two primary goals for his efforts on the board. First, he will advocate for safe and accessible streets, paths, and sidewalks so all our neighbors can get around, not just those in cars. He hopes to live in a walkable neighborhood where groceries, cafes/restaurants, and shops are accessible by walking and rolling. Second, he wants to facilitate many events throughout the neighborhood to create community and connection. Zachary believes many hands make lighter work, and hopes his efforts with the RCPNA board, combined with those of his neighbors, can create a cleaner, greener, more connected, and safer community.

Andrew Duchon (Vice Chair)

Andrew grew up in Oklahoma, went to college in Chicago and has lived and traveled all over the world.  He has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Brown University, and spent 20 years on the East Coast in Providence, Philadelphia and Boston.  Andrew came to Portland from Spain in 2013 and settled in Rose City Park in 2017 with his wife Clara, a psychiatrist at Providence Portland. Andrew is the director of data science at a mid-sized global company and is focused on analyzing news data to improve sustainable corporate leadership.

Having lived all over the US and the world, Portland is the first city that I’ve found that I want to stay in, and I really enjoy walking through the quirky and beautiful garden that is this neighborhood.  Whatever our problems, we’re not the first city or neighborhood to encounter them.  There are success stories out there, and my hope is that we can learn from them and apply them to our situation.

Richard Crockett (Treasurer)

Richard and wife Jeanette have lived in Rose City Park for over 30 years. A retired middle school math teacher, Richard serves as the treasurer of RCPNA and also does the same for The Rose City Timberliners, a local male barbershop singing chorus and for the Genealogical Forum of Oregon. He is a long- time volunteer and supporter of All Classical radio (89.9). He currently works as the Program Operations Director for Chess for Success, a leading non-profit provider of after school programming in Oregon and southwest Washington.

Ian Davie (Secretary)

Around the house, Ian plays dad to a 2-year-old and 4-year-old. Outside the house, he has other titles including pusher of stroller, puller of bike trailer, and carrier of dandelions and interesting leaves.

This home reality has given Ian a great perspective for RCPNA Board engagement, and the broader community engagement that comes with it. And a lot of other life experiences have prepared Ian as well. He grew up in the foothills of the Coast Range, roughly between Eugene and Corvallis, and at 11 moved across the state to Eastern Oregon. College took him south to Los Angeles, and law school bounced him east to New York City. After nearly 12 years of long subway rides, delicious pizza, and a wonderful life education as a legal services attorney focused on eviction prevention, Ian and his wife moved to Portland to be closer to family.

Ian works for the local housing provider Home Forward, where he supports various departments including rent assistance, homelessness initiatives, property management, and safety. When not at work (read: in front of computer in basement), Ian plants hydrangeas and sneaks in bike rides, jogs, and scooter parties under the supervision and direction of the kids.

Members

Kelly Davis

Kelly moved into Rose City Park in 1981 and got involved in the neighborhood shortly thereafter under the urging of a co-worker who was actively involved in the Comprehensive Plan updates for RCP and other issues. As an Architect, Kelly naturally gravitated to Land Use and Transportation (LU&T) issues. He soon became close with the then Chairman of the RCPNA, George Walker. George and Kelly were co-chairs of the neighborhood for a couple of years before Kelly became Chair – the beginning of a 17-year run. In 2010, Kelly was transferred to his company’s Washington, DC office and ran that office until his return to Portland in 2017. He rejoined the Neighborhood Association and is currently Co-Chair of the LU&T Committee. Kelly lives in a 1907 Victorian (one of the first houses built in RCP) with his wife Jackie. He has two daughters – Kelsie who is the DA for Union County Oregon and Courtney who is a Structural Engineer in Portland. Kelsie and husband Kyle had his first granddaughter (Addie) in 2017, which pretty much accelerated his move back to PDX. Kelly retired in 2017 from ZGF Architects and is happy to be back in the Rose City.

Beth Faris

Beth Faris is a marketing leader with over 20 years of experience in tech, publishing, and e-commerce programs. Her expertise and passion lies with communications and event execution. She loves working with people to plan strategy and complete projects. Beth is currently the Marketing Director at a regional fire and life safety company located in Portland.

Personal Statement:
I moved to Portland in August 2019, just a few months before things started shutting down due to the pandemic. I feel like I'm still learning about my new home due to the lost year we all experienced. Because of my passion for marketing and events, the desire to get to know my neighbors, and to help my community—I am hoping to join an RCPNA Committee, ideally focused on communications or event planning. I hope to support and bring awareness to RCPNA projects and events.

Santiago Gil

Santiago has been a physicist and a filmmaker and is now in the process of becoming an architect. Originally from Argentina, he has lived in Germany and the East Coast, but his family of three has called Rose City Park home for the last 8 years. His biggest hope in this life is to be an agent of positive change, helping people connect with each other and live more wholesome lives together. He is very excited to participate in the work of helping this neighborhood be ever more vibrant, welcoming and peaceful. Say hi when you see him power-walking along the streets, even if he has his headphones on!

Don Levine

Don Levine was raised and educated in Northeast Portland, attending Alameda Grade School and Grant High School.  His primary interests and work history are in Emergency Medicine, Education and Public Health.  His work history includes working as an EMS provider and 15 years training EMS volunteer groups in SE Alaska bush communities and developing and conducting medical and crisis intervention programs for groups in both the public and private sectors.  He spent 10 years teaching at Benson High School in Portland, and has worked at the local and state levels in education, civic government and community health.  His focus is in building capacity within communities by developing communication and networking among stakeholders, instead of relying on outside resources to resolve identified needs and concerns. 

Todd Milbourn

Todd lives on Clackamas St. with his wife and two children. He moved to Rose City Park in 2022, and loves what the neighborhood has to offer — especially its welcoming neighbors, independent businesses, charming homes and leafy parks. 

Professionally, Todd is a journalist and an educator. Before moving to Portland, he directed the journalism master’s program at UO in Eugene, and now works as a training manager for a national business publication. He’s interested in joining the RCPNA board because he’s passionate about connecting with neighbors, and wants to contribute his writing, research and public-engagement skills to the communication and events team. 

In his spare time, Todd enjoys tackling house projects, doing historical research, jogging around Normandale Park and scouring the city for fun new spots to take the family.

Erik Mitchell

Erik was born and raised in Portland with stints in Seattle (University of Washington) and Los Angeles (for a corporate job). He has lived in Rose City Park since 2008 when he bought his home. He has been a bus driver for Trimet for the past five years. Previously, he was a food cart and restaurant owner for 10 years. He bikes, busses, and walks most everywhere and is trying to live a sustainable life.

Terry Parker

Born in Portland and starting at the age of four, Terry grew up in the Rose City Park Neighborhood attending Charles Rice, Rose City Park and Madison High schools. Continuously living in the neighborhood, now retired and serving as Rose City Park Neighborhood Association Board member and on the Land Use and Transportation Committee; most of Terry's career was in the yellow page industry as a National Account Representative working with Customer Marketing Representatives hired by national corporations to place advertising in up to 300 yellow page directories within a 14 state region. Terry also has held positions in automotive related fields and as a Supply Center Manager for a three state savings and loan.

In the 1970's, Terry served on the four year Oregon Department of Transportation Banfield Transitway Citizens Advisory Committee. He chaired the committee in the last two years as the only elected chair. The committee recommended the region's first modern light rail system from Portland to Gresham coupled with widening the Banfield Freeway (now I-84) between I-5 and Gateway.

In the 1980's, Terry served as the Vice President followed by three years on the Board of Directors of the Pacific Northwest Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. Terry was involved with the Excursion Committee preparing budgets, trip guide booklets and hosting on charter Amtrak excursions; and on the Rolling Stock Committee helping with the restoration of various pieces of rail equipment including the Southern Pacific 4449 and the Spokane Portland and Seattle 700 - two of the steam locomotives now housed at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center near OMSI. One of Terry's fondest memories was flying to New Orleans in 1984, visiting the Worlds Fair and then staffing the return to Portland of the Louisiana World's Fair Daylight excursion train which included the special privilege of riding in the cab of the 4449 from El Paso, Texas to Deming, New Mexico.

Kip Pheil

Kip and Jane moved from the Brooklyn neighborhood to Rose City Park in January 2015. Kip grew up in The Dalles and retains a tendency to wave at other drivers if he’s out on a lightly traveled road and is likely to say howdy if you walk by him in the neighborhood. He’d like to help Rose City Park be a place where neighbors mostly walk or ride bikes to a local business, school, or park as they work and play. After he graduated from Oregon State, Kip lived in NW Portland for two years, moved to Berkeley for five years, raised three kids in Salem, then took a job with the USDA in 2010 that enabled his return to Portland. Kip works to help farmers, ranchers, and other ag producers conserve energy and shift toward renewable resources for sustainable, long-term operations.

Nick Putnam

Nick Putnam grew up in San Francisco but visited Portland every summer to see his grandparents who lived in Roseway. In 2007, Nick, his wife and three children made the move to Portland. He has worked as a marketing manager and graphic designer for an architecture firm for the last 20 years. Nick spends much of his free time outdoors on foot or pedaling, on the move, and has interests in land use planning and low impact transportation modes.

Marina Samaltanos

Marina grew up in the southeast, mainly Atlanta, GA, until a move in her mid-20s her rooted on the west-coast. After 25 years in Southern California, and a 2-year stint in London for work, her husband’s job moved them to Portland just over a year ago. They initially landed in Arbor Lodge, followed by purchasing a home in Rose City Park in October 2021.

Marina continues to remotely work for the University of California, Los Angeles as a program manager for a research facility. While living in Los Angeles, she spent nearly as much time on activism work as she did in the office by volunteering for various political campaigns, starting a newsletter with the sole purpose of making it easier for everyone to participate in democracy by distilling issues down to bite sized actions one could take. She also organized both civic and social events for her Los Angeles neighborhood. Now settled in a home in Portland, she hopes to refocus and dig into life where her feet are, get to know her new city better, build community, and do a bit of good. She's throwing her hat into the ring for the RCPNA.

Laura Serecin

Laura Serecin is a nationally certified commercial and residential interior designer with over 26 years of experience.  She is originally from Pittsburgh and made her way to Portland via Los Angeles.

She is involved with the neighborhood association to provide support for local businesses and to beautify and maintain the neighborhood.

She lives in Rose City Park with her partner and 2 small dogs.  She is a vegan, an animal advocate and a Master Recycler.

Graham Trainor

Graham has lived in Portland nearly twenty years. Presently, he lives with his wife Sarah and two daughters in their Rose City Park home, which they were grateful to buy in 2016.

Graham has a long career within the labor movement in Oregon working on the frontlines of many fights to make our state’s economy more fair and just. As a lifelong organizer, he brings a wealth of experience engaging with community leaders, businesses and elected officials.

Most weekends, Graham can be found chasing his two girls and their dog Barkley around the various parks and playgrounds in the neighborhood, or tending to their Fraser Community Garden plot. As such, he is particularly excited to be involved in RCPNA’s efforts to improve green spaces for current and future residents. Graham is an avid outdoorsman and can be found often on one of the region’s incredible rivers, lakes, or mountain trails.


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