Staff & Board

Executive Director (he/him)

Mike has more than 20 years of experience working in museums and nonprofits, most recently co-founding a Portland-based business focused on environmental education and nature-based learning. He previously served as Director of Learning & Community Partnerships for the Portland Art Museum, and has focused much of his career on expanding ways to engage diverse communities and bring people together through collaboration and partnerships. Outside of work, Mike is an avid trail runner and lover of all things outdoors. You can often find him out enjoying the trails throughout Washington Park.

Operations Director (she/her)

Mariah grew up in the stunning Sonoran Desert and has called Portland home since 2020. A museum professional by training, she is passionate about community building, empathetic education, and inspiring connection and curiosity across differences. Much of her work has focused on making cultural spaces welcoming and accessible to broad audiences; that perspective drew her to working with Explore Washington Park. When she’s not working, Mariah enjoys thrifting, taking in live music and local farmer’s markets, and wandering through the Pacific Northwest with her husband Theo and their rescue dog Macy.

Marketing & Communications Director (she/her)

Meghan is a lifelong Oregonian who began her marketing career at Nike, where she spent nearly a decade. In 2018, she left her corporate job in response to a deep calling to give back to her community: she started a non-profit that served children in foster care, patients in children’s hospitals, and students in under-resourced schools. Expanding opportunities and improving access for underserved communities is what drew her to this role. Outside of work, Meghan coaches youth basketball and enjoys reading, hiking, and biking with her family.

Transportation & Projects Manager (she/her)

Erin loves parks, the outdoors, and the natural world. She was born and raised in Oregon; growing up in Eastern Oregon and attending college in the Portland area. Erin studied archaeology and worked as a field archaeologist before turning her professional focus to visitor service programs within museums and park organizations. She enjoys spending time with animals, hiking, traveling, reading, watching movies, and exploring the great outdoors.

Field Operations & Visitor Services Manager (she/her)

Elisa is a visitor service expert and lover of nature. She grew up in Oregon and has called Portland her home since 2012. She was drawn to Washington Park with a desire to bring her skills to the outdoors and help guests from all over the world explore. Elisa’s experience spans from staff management and customer service to floral design and operations planning and strategy. Elisa enjoys reading, hiking, photography, and exploring the Pacific Northwest with her husband, David, and papillons Finn and Freyja.

Administrative Manager (she/her)

Caitlin considers herself lucky to have lived her whole life in the beautiful pacific northwest, growing up in northern Washington before moving to Oregon to attend college and start her professional career. She started her career working as a recruiter in the accounting industry and now brings her passion for connecting people and building relationships to the EWP team. Caitlin loves the beauty and diversity of Washington Park and still can’t believe she gets to make this special place her “office.” Outside of work, Caitlin enjoys spending time with her family watching youth sports, paddle-boarding, watching movies, and reading.

Digital Marketing Specialist (he/him)

Ryan was born and raised in Salem, Oregon and graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing. Having visited Washington Park since childhood, he has a deep personal connection to the Park and enjoys sharing all it has to offer with new and returning visitors. Ryan specializes in social media management, paid digital advertising, and traditional marketing strategies. Outside of work, he’s a music enthusiast who enjoys listening to artists like Benny Sings, James Taylor, and André 3000.

Field Operations Specialist (he/him)

Originally hailing from the southern tier of NY (ancestral homeland of the Oneida and Onondaga nations; Haudenosaunee confederation), Brendan has spent the last decade crisscrossing the country working in various public-facing capacities. From Park Ranger for the Bureau of Land Management and the city of Portland to operating a food truck in Massachusetts, he has enjoyed mixing it up with the people he’s met and learning from the various paths they’ve walked through life. In his spare time, you can catch Brendan on his motorcycle in the woods, reading in a hammock by the water, or in the pit at a local show!