Site Logo

Stay Connected

Sign up to stay in the loop about funding opportunities and updates from the Levy.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Community Council

The Community Council advises Portland Children’s Levy staff and the Allocation Committee on Levy policies and procedures, including community engagement and potential future funding rounds. It is composed of 11-13 members, who serve three-year terms. The council was created in 2022 and operates under a set of bylaws.

Meetings are open to the public, and notices are sent to our email list prior to meetings and posted on the PCL website. You can  to stay in the loop about the Community Council, funding opportunities and other updates. 

Learn more about the City of Portland’s advisory bodies.

Community Council Meetings
Attending a Meeting Guide

Adrian Calderon

Coming soon

Alejandra Favela

she/her/ella

Alejandra Favela is an education professor and former bilingual elementary school teacher who has spent the last 25 years teaching and advocating for underserved children and families. She currently teaches at Lewis & Clark College and was previously director of the English for Speakers of Other Languages program there. “I believe that our best investment for the future is in supporting children and families,” Alejandra writes. She is fluent in Spanish and is very fortunate to be a dual U.S./Mexico citizen. After living in many different places, she finally found home in Portland. She treasures the rich cultural diversity and natural beauty of Oregon.

Amy Trieu

Coming soon

Ashley Renick

Coming soon

Deian Salazar

he/him/his

Deian serves on the Oregon Commission on Autism and is co-chair of the Social Services and Adult Supports Subcommittee. He is involved with the Multnomah County Democratic Party and previously with Participatory Budgeting Oregon. Deian has autism and ADHD, is Latino and has Pueblo and Jewish roots. He is especially interested in youth education and loves learning from others. “I have elevated young, diverse youth as much as I can,” Deian writes. He views education as the bedrock of economic opportunity. Deian is laser-focused on a good balance between performance, efficiency and looking at things holistically.

portrait of Kamla Hurst

Kamla Hurst

she/her/hers

Kamla Hurst is a senior solid waste planner at Metro and is serving her second term as a Community Council member. She is pleased to bring her experience in philanthropy and public service to advance the Levy’s mission, drawing on her strengths in building partnerships, elevating community voices and supporting meaningful systems change. Kamla is also a proud mom of two boys enrolled in Portland Public Schools’ Japanese Dual Language Immersion Program. “I am excited to help advance equitable opportunities for children and contribute to a region where everyone has the support and resources they need to thrive,” Kamla writes.

Karina Bjork

she/her/hers

Karina Bjork is a communications professor at Portland Community College’s Southeast campus. She also works on the college’s Pathways to Student Success and YESS (Yes to Equitable Student Success) committees and programs to ensure all students can succeed in their educational goals. “Being a part of this advisory body would mean that I get to be a part of giving future generations a pathway I didn’t have, a pathway that makes the road to their success a little bit easier than mine,” Karina writes. Outside of academia, Karina is working to expand research in racial and cultural representation in education literature and in the field. “Representation is one of the first steps in showing students of different backgrounds, races and cultures that they can achieve the goals they set for themselves.”

Lolita Broadous

she/her/hers

Lolita is a manager of Housing Stability and Energy Services at Multnomah County, where she oversees eviction prevention and economic empowerment programs. After a brief stint as a classroom teacher, Lolita found that she was more passionate about addressing the barriers and issues that students faced outside of the classroom. She was previously a part of Multnomah County’s prenatal through third grade early learning engagement program, with a focus on reaching and connecting with communities of color and underrepresented communities. She has a master’s degree in early learning education. Lolita is a Black woman and a grandmother. “I have been a single mom and involved with multiple social service systems,” Lolita writes. “I understand how social and educational services can be used to empower and support economic stability for families.”

Saara Hirsi

Coming soon

Sara Silverio Marques

Coming soon

Sidonia Simpson

Coming soon

Stephen Pham

he/him/his

Stephen is a social impact consultant helping organizations develop leadership, strategies and systems for impact. He started his career as a 5th grade math and science teacher and then led innovation strategy for a national network of elementary schools. Most recently, he worked at a national education nonprofit, developing educator programs before shifting to leading operations, talent, and diversity, equity and inclusion work. Stephen identifies as a queer, second-generation Vietnamese American. “I hope to bring my personal and professional perspectives and partner with the community to help achieve the goals of the levy in an equitable and responsive way,” Stephen writes. Raised in Southern California, Stephen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from UCLA and looks forward to developing deeper roots as a newer Oregonian.

Yamungu Seraya

Coming soon