Current Board Members:
We currently have a six-member board, who have overall responsibility for the organization. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors. Our board provides a strong foundation of success and stewardship, upholding the importance of civic engagement and its role in policy and political decisions.
Helen Ying
Helen’s professional career encompasses over 30 years of experience as a mathematics teacher, high school counselor, high school vice-principal, and hearings officer. She is currently serving in her second term on the Multnomah Education Service District Board and her first term on the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. In addition to her professional work, Helen has also been very active in the community. She is presently serving on a myriad of boards and in leadership positions involved in education, health care, civil rights, environment, and social justice issues. In addition to her service locally, she is also serving in her second term as the National Executive Vice President of the C.A.C.A. National Board. Her vision is to connect the dots for a better world. She is living that out through her mission to engage and empower people to take action in improving their communities. Helen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Education and Counseling from Portland State University.
Laura Raymond
Laura Raymond is Founder of Laura Raymond & Associates Consulting. She works with non-profit organizations dedicated to improving community health and social drivers of health. Her focus areas are: launching new programs; project management; research, needs assessments, and communications to create a platform for organizations to achieve their goals; and resource development, particularly for projects involving partnerships or more complex grant opportunities. Prior to consulting, Ms. Raymond was Finance and Development Director at the Coalition of Community Health Clinics. Other roles have ranged from managing a Robert Wood Johnson-supported program to help faith communities institute health-enhancing environmental and policy changes, to working with an international organization educating patients and health providers about antibiotic resistance, to providing intake and navigation for families in Washington County’s WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Nutrition Program. Laura holds a Master’s in International Development with a community health concentration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor’s in English and Spanish from Portland State University.
Edna Nyamu
Edna is the Health Care Interpreter Program Manager at Oregon Health Authority (OHA)- Equity and Inclusion Division. Edna earned her Master of Science in Global Health from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in Portland, Oregon. Edna is a Community Health Worker (CHW) and also a Qualified Health Care interpreter (HCI) by the state of Oregon. She has a strong background in health equity and advocacy work. Edna speaks three languages, Swahili, Maasai, and English, and does Swahili language interpretation for her community. She has a deep understanding of cross-cultural practice and has years of experience working closely with healthcare providers, immigrants, refugees, and people of color. Edna enjoys hiking, camping, and gardening.
Kimmy Schenter
Color Innovator in her professional career, passionate about building community in all life’s settings. Kimmy’s favorite community project was hosting an annual 4th of July parade and pancake breakfast in her neighborhood that attracted 250+ people. Kimmy has a master’s degree in Textile Chemistry from UC Davis. She worked for Nike for 25 years, now at Under Armour where in addition to her Color Innovation role, is the community activator. Her passions are rooted in Health, Food, Voting and Housing equity. She is raising two daughters that teach her how to be a better person daily. She is involved in We Can Do Better to help impact access and understanding of the current health issues and needs.