MCDD - Key Persons
Metro Councilor Ashton Simpson (he, him, his) is a proud East County resident, nonprofit executive, community activist and advocate, veteran, father, Portland State University alum, and a committed public servant. Sworn in in January 2023, Councilor Simpson represents Metro District 1, which includes Fairview, Gresham, Troutdale, Wood Village, portions of East Portland and the unincorporated communities of Damascus and Boring.
Betsy Emery (she/her) joined the board in January 2024 with over 10 years of experience in natural resources, community engagement, and policy development. Before joining Metro as their Federal Affairs Advisor in July 2023, Betsy spent two years as U.S. Senator Merkley's field representative, where she connected communities across 6 Oregon counties with federal funding opportunities and coordinated with advocates to address housing, transportation, and climate policy issues. Before moving to Oregon, she worked for the City of Flagstaff, Arizona, where she secured local funding to permanently preserve 3,800 acres of natural areas and formally establish the city's Open Space Program.
In addition to her work experience, she has an undergraduate degree in the Human Dimensions of Forest Management from Northern Arizona University and an M.S. in Forest Ecosystems and Society from Oregon State University. Betsy lives in NE Portland and enjoys traveling, hiking, and Portland's vibrant food scene.
Bob is the Urban Conservation Director for Willamette Riverkeeper. His responsibilities include working on the Portland Harbor Superfund site, protection of urban floodplains, protection of West Hayden Island and advancing green infrastructure programs. Prior to 2023, he worked as Director of Conservation for Portland Audubon for over 30 years.
Job Titles:
- Development Manager for the Port of Portland
Chris Damgen is a development manager for the Port of Portland in the Trade and Economic Development Division and joined the SDIC Board in 2023.
Claudio joined the PEN1 Board in 2019. Originally from New York City, Claudio moved to Portland in 2008 to join the City of Portland's budget office. After 10 years, he left the role of Interim City Budget Director to head to Portland Parks & Recreation in 2018 as the Finance, Property and Technology Manager. A committed public servant, he is dedicated to supporting the bureau provide resilient, sustainable, and equitable recreation services, developed park experiences, urban canopy, and natural areas to all Portlanders. Claudio enjoys spending time with his family, playing futsal and boardgames, and rooting for the Timbers and Thorns.
Darian Santner is Natural Resources Ecologist with the City's Bureau of Environmental Services, and has worked extensively with MCDD staff and numerous other watershed partners towards the improvement of natural area habitat and water quality in the Columbia Slough watershed over the last 22+ years (and in Portland's other watersheds as well). His particular area of focus is designing and overseeing the implementation of on-the-ground projects to improve and diversify native vegetation communities in riparian areas, wetlands, and a variety of other open space areas managed for watershed health and wildlife habitat. Over the years he has worked with many major private and institutional players related to land and water management in the area.
He is a life-long Portlander, a general outdoors/nature enthusiast, and a very frequent recreational user of all of the waterways in the area. Darian is particularly interested in the concept that infrastructure, economic enterprise, livable neighborhoods, and wildlife/healthy ecosystems can mostly coexist in places like the Columbia Slough, if all of those priorities are advocated for and balanced by thoughtful public agencies.
Dave Ripma works as the in-house Patent Counsel for Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc., a high-tech research company located in Vancouver, Washington. He has worked as a patent lawyer for most of his career, 27-plus years. He is very involved in encouraging the historic elements of Troutdale. His goal as a city councilor is to help keep Troutdale the greatest place to live and work.
Ed Washington is a life-long community and civil rights leader. In 1991, he became the first African American councilor for the Portland Metro council. He continues to serve as the Community Liaison for Diversity Initiatives & Inclusion for Portland State University, and as an adjunct professor for Portland Community College. He serves on the Board of Directors for Vanport Mosaic, a memory-activism platform focused on capturing, honoring, and preserving the memories of those who lived in Vanport, Oregon's second largest city and WWII largest federal housing project, wiped out by a flood in 1948.
As a child, Ed like so many others lost their homes and almost all their possessions when Vanport was destroyed in a flood on May 30, 1948. Ed joined the NAACP in 1956, "straight out of high school," after experiencing job hiring discrimination. He worked as a phlebotomist and at other jobs at Oregon Health & Science University while simultaneously attending night school and becoming extremely active in the NAACP. The committee that Ed was on ended discriminatory hiring practices amongst grocery stores by threatening boycotts, first on smaller chains, such as the now-defunct Kienow's and then working up to Albertsons, Safeway, and Fred Meyer. Once that had been accomplished, the next target was longshoremen in Portland, which also began to hire African Americans after facing pressure from Ed's committee.
In 1959, Ed married Jean Nova, a music teacher at Alameda Elementary School who was the first black chairwoman of Portland Music Educators. Ed and Jean remained together until she passed away in 1998.
Erich Mueller has resided in MCDD eastern zone since 2011, along with his 300 fellow residents of the Fairview Terrace Homeowners Association (HOA). Erich serves on the HOA Board and as HOA Treasurer since 2012. Erich currently serves on the City of Fairview Budget Committee and Urban Renewal Agency Budget Committee, and previously served on the Urban Renewal Planning Committee. He is currently a member of the Finance Committee for the BOEC 911 IGA Cities/Agencies, and previously served a 3 year term on the Multnomah County Mid-County Lighting District Budget Committee.
After obtaining a BS in Economic Theory from Utah State University, Erich worked as a Federal Reserve Examiner for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. He also worked as an Operations of Officer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. For 12 years Erich was the CFO of a multi-state health care software and services holding company based in the Portland Lloyd District. Erich currently, and since 2009, works as the Finance Director of the City of Troutdale."
Job Titles:
- PRESIDENT of the BOARD
- RESIDENT of the MANAGED FLOODPLAIN
Erik Molander was appointed to the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District representing the residents of the flood plain by Governor Brown. He is a landowner in PEN 2 and serves as Chair of the Land Use Committee of the Bridgeton Neighborhood Association. He has been heavily involved in the USACE Feasibility Study.
His expertise in business and finance is extensive. He has held executive roles in finance at CSX Corporation, the east-coast based railroad and at the spice manufacturer, McCormick & Co. Prior to retiring, he worked a business professor in the Strategy & Innovation department at Boston University.
He takes pride in acting as a responsible conduit of neighborhood concerns to decision makers. Through his role as Corporate Secretary of Columbia Edgewater Country Club, one of the largest landowners in Pen2 and in his role on the Columbia Lombard Mobility Plan CAC, he understands the needs of the wider community. He was recently appointed to the Citizen Advisory Committee on Portland's Freight Plan.
Erik and his wife Peg live in the Bridgeton Neighborhood having moved here from Boston. They are both avid bird watchers, golfers, and love Oregon wines.
Job Titles:
- Columbia Slough Watershed Council As the Executive Director
Heather King joined the Columbia Slough Watershed Council as the Executive Director in March 2022. She has more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, most recently as the Deputy Director at Willamette Riverkeeper, where she was responsible for fundraising, staff development, and supervision, and with 350PDX, where she helped rebuild the organization's fundraising program. In addition, Heather founded two nonprofits: Pride Zone, a center for LGBTQA+ young people in Northampton, MA, and Brandywine Roller Dery in Downingtown, PA. A lifelong social justice educator and leader, heather has a strong commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).
Heather holds a Masters's in Social Justice education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MBA in Nonprofit Management and Social Policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. An east coast native with a lifelong interest in the outdoors and exploring the world, Heather quickly deleted a love of the Pacific Northwest. She is passionate about connecting volunteers, partners, and donors to the outdoors and the importance, vitality, and joy of Oregon's resources, especially her waterways.
Job Titles:
- SECRETARY of the BOARD
- TREASURER
Karen is a native Oregonian. She graduated from Gregory Heights and Madison High School and worked in various roles as a dental assistant and as a route manager for the Community Press prior to serving a long-term career at City Bible Church (now known as Mannahouse) for 28 years. She moved with her family to the district in 2001 and shortly thereafter became involved with the East Columbia Neighborhood Association. She has contributed years of hard work to clean-up and enhance the Columbia Children's Arboretum, among several other projects in the community. Having grown up in Portland, Karen remembers the Vanport flood and is passionate about increasing awareness of flood-risk and preparedness in her community.
In her free time, she enjoys fishing and supporting organizations abroad such as Food for the Hungry in Guatemala, Uganda, Cambodia, and China.
Job Titles:
- PRESIDENT of the BOARD
- Senior Manager of Real Estate Development for the Port of Portland
Ken Anderton is the Senior Manager of Real Estate Development for the Port of Portland and joined the MCDD board in 2019. He has been active in the airport and industrial real estate field since 1997 and has served a variety of real estate related roles in his 17 years with the Port. He started his career in Salt Lake City where he was the Airport Property Manager during the 2002 Olympic Games.
In his current role at the Port, Ken leads a team to acquire, develop and redevelop industrial and aviation properties; while supporting the Port's mission to retain and recruit traded sector companies to locate to the Portland Metro area. He also serves as the program manager for Troutdale Reynolds Industrial Park an EPA award winning brownfield redevelopment and Gresham Vista Business Park.
Ken holds a BS in Aviation Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA with emphasis in International Business from University of Phoenix.
Job Titles:
- Head of Strategic Risk Management
Kensey is Head of Strategic Risk Management and Ecosystem Engagement at Portland General Electric. She has held a number of roles across PGE's corporate strategy, commercial, and finance teams. She began her career at GE Capital investing in utility-scale wind and solar projects. She conducted equity research at Goldman Sachs, advising institutional clients investing in the ClimateTech space. Kensey was compelled to transition from banking to the utility space by the opportunity to meaningfully impact the energy transition.
Commissioner Lori Stegmann was elected to her first term as a Multnomah County Commissioner representing District 4 in 2016 and re-elected for a second term in 2020. Prior to serving on the Multnomah County Board, Commissioner Stegmann served six years on the Gresham City Council and as City Council President in 2014.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager for the City of Portland Bureau
Nancy Hendrickson is a Program Manager for the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services. In addition to serving on the UFSWQD Board, she has served on the MCDD board representing the City since 2018. Nancy manages the Columbia Watersheds Team, which encompasses the Columbia Slough watershed and Portland-area portions of the Columbia River including Hayden Island. For more than 20 years Nancy has engaged the community, neighboring jurisdictions, three drainage districts, and state and federal agencies to improve the Columbia Slough and its watershed. Nancy also serves as the Bureau liaison to the three Drainage Districts in the City of Portland. Nancy has a BA in chemistry and an MS in environmental science. In her spare time, Nancy enjoys hiking, biking and kayaking in Oregon, and she teaches self-defense for children and adults.
Job Titles:
- SECRETARY of the BOARD
- TREASURER
- Retired Civil Engineer
Niki Schulz is a retired civil engineer. She has served on the MCDD Board since 2018. Niki holds a BS in civil engineering and MSE in environmental and water resources engineering. As a lifelong district resident, Niki grew up swimming, sailing, and playing in the mud of Fairview Lake, the headwaters of the Columbia Slough. She is a lifelong MCDD resident, living in the Interlachen neighborhood. When not enjoying the lake, Niki and her husband Allen enjoy whitewater boating, sailing, and sea kayaking throughout the northwest.
Patrick Christopher has worked with the Port of Portland for over 14 years, currently serving as Business Development Manager.
He is a motivated real estate professional with experience in property management, property acquisition, land use planning, and business development. He holds a master's in public administration from PSU.
Rachele has served as the City of Portland's project manager for City work related to the Columbia Corridor Drainage Districts since early 2021. She has devoted her career to public service, serving as a strategic advisor, communicator and project manager who has helped diverse stakeholders understand each other's interests and collaboratively identify and pursue solutions in service to the community.
Job Titles:
- Finance Director for the City of Wood Village
Seth Reeser is the Finance Director for the City of Wood Village where he has worked since 2018. He currently serves as chair of the Portland 911 User Board and on the League of Oregon Cities' Finance and Taxation committee. Seth lives in Southeast Portland with his wife, Rachel, and their four children. They enjoy traveling, kid's sporting activities and volunteering at Imago Dei Community.
Prior to working for the City of Wood Village he worked for Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District and the cities of Portland, Gresham and Grants Pass. Seth obtained Master's in Economics from Purdue University after attending Linfield College for his BS in Economics, Mathematics and Computer Science. The last eighteen years he held various local government roles focused on budgeting, operational analysis, utility rate modeling, performance measurement and long term financial planning, helping to improve organizational efficiency and financial transparency.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Chairman of the BOARD
- City Manager
- Director
- Public Works Director
Steve Fancher is an Assistant City Manager and Public Works Director for the City of Gresham, where he has worked since 2006. Gresham has made several strides toward sustainable infrastructure in this time, including achievement of net-zero energy use at its wastewater treatment plant, 100% LED street and park lighting, a fully automated water meter system, and widespread green stormwater systems.
Prior to Public Works Director, Steve managed the City's Watershed Division, which as Gresham's stormwater utility provides flood protection, water quality monitoring and enhancement, and natural resources management. His prior work experience includes over 10 years with the City of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services, where he helped develop Portland's Green Streets Program and Stormwater Management Manual.
Steve is a lifelong Oregonian, registered Professional Civil Engineer, and University of Portland alum. He enjoys traveling with his wife and daughter and coaching his daughter's basketball teams.
Job Titles:
- SECRETARY of the BOARD
- TREASURER
Tanney started in the grocery business at Lamb's Markets in 1975 sorting bottles. While majoring in business management at Portland State University, he worked his way up to Store Director in 1983. He opened five new stores and became a partner in the company in 1990. Throughout his professional career, he has volunteered and served on several boards and committees, including eight years as chairman of the Thriftway Advertising committee and ten years on the Thriftway/Sentry Board of Directors, representing 39 stores in Oregon, Northern California, and Southwest Washington.
After 32 years with Lamb's Markets, he retired. He presently serves as an adviser and a member of Progressive Grocers Advisory Board and the National Share Group, and as an Elder at Mountainview Christian Church. Additionally, Tanney serves on the City of Troutdale's Planning Commission and Budget Committee and chairs the Town Center Redevelopment Committee. In 2017, Tanney was honored to be named Troutdale Citizen of the year. Tanney has served on the SDIC Board since 2015.
Tom Colett is a Property Coordinator III with Portland Parks and Recreation. In this capacity, he oversees the teams that negotiate and draft agreements and permits for PP&R owned and managed properties across the City of Portland. Tom has over a decade of leadership in the public sector including previous work in labor, politics, and education. Tom loves cooking and getting outdoors. He grew up in the Portland Metro area, racing his bicycle at Mt. Tabor Park and PIR, hiking in Forest Park, and attending concerts at the Rose Garden.
Tom Hansell has 22 years of experience with Multnomah County as a results-oriented finance/asset manager. An enthusiastic, high-energy, and technologically savvy individual who demonstrates his capability to effectively manage and lead the delivery of GIS, Asset Management and Financial Services as an employee at Multnomah County's Department of Community Services. His duties include managing several complex programs, acting as a Board Director for the Sandy Drainage Improvement Company, and serving as District Administrator for two County Service Districts (Mid-County Street Lighting and Dunthorpe-Riverdale Sanitary Sewer).
Under Tom's finance manager role he serves as staff to a Citizen Budget Advisory Committee soliciting community input in preparation of the department's annual budget. Tom has served on the SDIC Board since 2016.