PRESIDENT

Shawn comes from an immigrant household that moved frequently, and arrived in Portland 6 years ago, fresh out of high school, determined to set down roots. Since moving to the city, Shawn has strived to seek avenues to implement changes in the built environment that foster a deeper sense of community in the city where he has found home. Studying Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus in Sustainable Urban Development at Portland State University, his first experience with Depave was de-paving parts of the Whitman Elementary playground which was an inspiring moment of 2021 for him. He hopes to continue to support work to uplift and empower communities to make their environments their own. In Shawn’s professional life, he designs stormwater solutions and fosters collaborative spaces for improving equitable community outcomes. In his free time, Shawn enjoys riding his fixed gear bike – dodging potholes – to Portland’s beautiful greenspaces, and taking pictures with his old Nikon film camera. serves on the Storytelling Committee and Executive Committee. Contact Shawn

VICE PRESIDENT

Sam grew up in the Midwest and moved to Oregon 8 years ago. He came to Oregon to work as an outdoor instructor facilitating multi-day outdoor rock climbing and whitewater rafting courses for the Northwest Outward Bound School. His time working, living and instructing outside led him to the field of landscape architecture 5 years ago, where he got his master’s degree from the University of Oregon. He currently works as a landscape designer at Alta, a sustainable planning, design, engineering firm, focusing primarily on active transportation projects. Sam became more familiar with Depave’s work when he volunteered at Powell Butte Elementary School on a planting/weeding day. Only after getting more involved did he find out how layered and important the mission of Depave really is. Sam is passionate about helping to build up his community and using his design education and experience to create beautiful spaces. In his free time, you can find him climbing, hiking, throwing pottery or riding his motorcycle. Sam serves on the Site Stewardship Committee and Exectuive Committee. Contact Sam

TREASURER

Benni grew up in the Willamette Valley, in and around Corvallis. In 2017 they moved to Portland, the city that they have since proudly called home. As a lifelong enjoyer of the Oregon wilderness, their commitment to conservation has continually grown to include all of the flora and fauna, big and small, that make up this beautiful biome. Benni has worked primarily in the restaurant industry, with a focus on vegan and vegetarian cuisine and local agriculture. Additionally, they have spent a number of years supporting the local arts as a theatre front of house manager and volunteer supervisor. As the owner and operator of “U-Scream!”, they can often be found during the summer months near or atop a pink tricycle full of tasty vegan frozen treats. Through these varied work experiences, Benni has developed a strong sense of community and a deep understanding of the importance of teamwork.

Benni’s hobbies include music (playing, listening to, talking and obsessing about, etc), cycling (unicycling, bicycling, tricycling), gaming (board, card, tabletop), and making parenthesis-laden lists. Benni serves on the Executive Committee. Contact Benni

SECRETARY

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Eden grew up enjoying the city parks and exploring Oregon’s landscapes. Her passion for environmental stewardship and love of art led her to pursue a landscape architecture degree at the University of Oregon. After college, Eden worked as an environmental educator on Catalina Island, an experience that fueled her commitment to environmental justice. Eden is a ceramic enthusiast and is happiest in the garden, basking in the sun or collecting rocks at the beach. She is excited to work with Depave to create green space that combats racial inequity and climate change to create more resilient and livable communities. Eden serves on the Site Stewardship Committee, Executive Committee, and Feedback Loops Working Group. Contact Eden

MEMBER

Paige grew up in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, where she found her love for all things related to land, ecology, and being outside. She moved to Oregon to pursue degrees in psychology and gender studies, and has since worked in a variety of fields and communities, from therapeutic horseback riding to stream surveying to outdoor sport retail. In her free time, Paige can be found hiking, skiing, checking out new cafes in town, or relaxing with her partner and dog. Across all of these experiences, she has maintained a deep interest in the intersection of human and environmental wellness, and is thrilled to be developing her relationship with the land and community of Portland through her work with Depave. Paige serves on the Site Stewardship Committee. Contact Paige

MEMBER

Jennifer is originally from Long Island, New York and migrated west with a 10 year stop in Colorado before landing in Portland Oregon in 2006. Her education and professional work includes biology, wetland science and landscape architecture. While in Denver, during and after graduate school from the University of Colorado, her career started depaving elementary school playgrounds comprised of asphalt play areas and converting them into greenspaces for play and learning. The work impacted her in positive ways that when she was introduced to Depave in Portland she knew it was an organization she wanted to volunteer for and put her energy into being on the board. Currently Jennifer is employed at Metro, the tri-county regional government in the Portland metropolitan area, working as a landscape architect and planner on Willamette Cove nature park. Jennifer is also on the Oregon ASLA Climate Action Committee. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys gardening, foraging, making plant medicine, backpacking and dancing flamenco. Jennifer serves on the Site Stewardship Committee and Spatial Equity Lens Working Group. Contact Jennifer