Meet Our Team
We are a diverse organization — over half our board and staff are people of color. The board includes construction industry executives, skilled construction workers, union leaders, workforce administrators, and apprenticeship program leadership. Many of our staff have experienced and overcome the same barriers our clients face.
Marcus Ball
Job Developer
Marcus Ball - Job Developer
Marcus Ball is of Native American (Klamath tribes of Oregon) and African American roots— born and raised in Portland, Oregon’s historic black neighborhood within an active native community.
Marcus was a recipient of second chance opportunities, and in 2009, he attained a Journeyman Plumber’s license from Area 1 JATC Apprenticeship program. “I look forward to developing my career at Constructing Hope and working with our community to overcome barriers and to achieve our goals to success!”
Irving Brown III
Program Administrator
Irvin Brown III - Program Administrator
Irvin Brown III graduated from Benson High School, with a focus on construction. He graduated top of his class from the Evening Trades Apprenticeship Program, and went on to NW College of Construction, where he graduated and earned his journeyman certificate.
He hopes to be a bridge for returning citizens who want to become a productive member of society, by preparing them with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in a career in the construction trades. He loves to know that his work makes a difference in someone’s life.
In his free time, Irvin loves listening to live music.
Pat Daniels
Executive Director
Pat Daniels - Executive Director
Patricia Daniels guided her organization from the former community development corporation to the Constructing Hope Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program. She developed training curriculum with industry partners at Northwest College of Construction, Hoffman Construction and Pacific Northwest Carpenters Institute, receiving state certification in 2007. Under her leadership, Constructing Hope has increased job placements from 16 to 83 annually. She has developed direct entry with carpenters, laborers, electrical, cement masons, sheet metal, ironworkers, brick layers and Northwest College of Construction apprenticeship programs.
Ms. Daniels was raised in Mississippi and NE Portland. She earned her MBA at Concordia College and, as an African American woman, worked her way up from secretarial duties to Executive Director. She is an active member of her church community.
Current Workforce Board and Committee Involvement:
- Co-Chair of Metro C2P2
- Earth Advantage Board Member
- Safe from Hate Coalition Member
- Metropolitan Alliance for Workforce Equity (MAWE) Member
- City of Portland Fair Contracting Forum Member
- SW Corridor Equity Coalition Member
- Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Member
Accomplishments:
- 2020 Daily Journal of Commerce Icon Award Winner
- 2020 Business Diversity Institute, Inc Leadership Award of the Year Recipient
- 2014 Daily Journal of Commerce News Maker Award
- 2014 Community Innovators Award – Vancouver Baptist Church
- 2012 WSI Green Career Training Project Partners Award
Lisa Dixon
Case Manager
Lisa Dixon - Case Manager
Lisa Dixon is a proud member of the Oklahoma Cherokee and Oklahoma Choctaw Nations and identifies as a Two-Spirited individual. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). Her passion for Constructing Hope’s mission was inspired by a family member who was caught up in the criminal justice system and has issues finding a living wage job. She enjoys assisting people find ways to reach their goals and finding creative solutions to obstacles.
Outside of work, Lisa is active in our community. She is a member of the Portland New Generations Rotary where she volunteers to support organizations like Birch Community Center (a Constructing Hope support) and Sunshine Division. She serves on the board at The Healing Circle which supports children survivors of sexual abuse.
Lisa grew up in Kansas, running around the Haskell Indian Nations University as a Haskell Rascal, and has lived in the Portland area for 10 years. In her off hours, Lisa enjoys photography, beading, drawing, cooking/baking, and traveling.
Will Echols
Outreach & Recruitment Specialist
Will Echols - Outreach & Recruitment Specialist
Will is an outreach and recruitment specialist for Constructinig Hope. From Chicago originally, Will has spent the last 25 years in the Pacific Northwest working in various capacities in community development. He takes pride in assisting underprivileged and underserved people reach their goals. In his free time he loves to spend time with friends and family.
Courtney Jenkins
Director of Development
Courtney Jenkins - Director of Development
As a Portland native, Courtney Jenkins is passionate about raising awareness and critical funding to continue Constructing Hope’s impact right here in our community.
Courtney brings more than 20 years of experience in event management and non-profit fundraising events and campaigns. She has had the pleasure of producing world-class events such as the United States Figure Skating Championships, and raising important funds for organizations to include the American Heart Association, Children’s Cancer Association and St. Mary’s Academy. Her work has taken her to Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, St. Louis, New York City, and Dallas. She is a graduate of the University of Oregon and a proud Duck.
She lives in the Portland Metro area with her husband and two children. She enjoys spending time with family, watching her daughter play softball, Oregon Duck sports, house remodeling projects and time outdoors.
Constance Plager
Director of Finance & Operations
Constance Plager - Director of Finance & Operations
Constance Plager has more than 20 years of professional and volunteer experience providing leadership and support to a variety of community organizations, government agencies and school groups. In her most recent role, she was the program administrator for a non-profit child development center. Throughout her career, Constance has been an outspoken advocate for equity and inclusion in both education and employment. Her experience includes work with a number of marginalized communities including migrant families and youth involved in the foster and juvenile justice systems.
An Oregon Native and longtime resident of Northeast Portland, Constance is the very proud mom of three young adults. She enjoys trail running, rock climbing, hiking and exploring the outdoors.
Barbara Schulz
Job Developer
Barbara Schulz - Job Developer
Barbara Schulz has over 20 years of experience in the staffing, industrial and construction trades in recruiting and administrative roles. Her ability to forge professional relationships and to embrace cultures is a skill that is crucial as she helps to find employment and advancement opportunities for Constructing Hope students and graduates.
She is a native Oregonian and has a large blended family that loves spending time together. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, scrap booking and spending time with her 2 black labs and 2 Mainecoon cats.
Amanda Webber
Executive Assistant
Amanda Webber - Executive Assistant
Amanda is an Executive Assistant at Constructing Hope and is excited about the work that Constructing Hope does not only for the students but also, their families. Amanda loves the outdoors, gardening, and building things. She has also been a photographer for the last 25 years. Amanda and her husband have two kids, aged 20 and 14, and they adopted their neighbors’ children in 2016 who are 10,12, and 14. They have a 1-year-old mini Goldendoodle and 3 cats.
Ahmed Yusuf
Case Manager
Ahmed Yusuf - Case Manager
Ahmed is a Case Manager at Constructing Hope. Before joining the Constructing Hope team, he was in the non-profit sector helping people reach their dreams either through employment or the arts.
After graduating from Mountain Pointe High School in Arizona, he enrolled in Lewis & Clark College where he studied various subjects to include film, biology and music. Ahmed is an avid film lover, sardine eater, chess player and free throw king.
Our Board of Directors
Dewey Amos
Assistant Project Manager, Mortenson Construction
Dewey Amos - Assistant Project Manager, Mortenson Construction
Dewey Amos graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 2014. He has worked in engineering at Mortenson Construction the past six years. While in college, he additionally worked as a project manager for university construction projects and as an assistant project manager for a commercial construction contractor.
Senator Robert Boyer
Oregon State Senator, Retired
Senator Robert Boyer - Oregon State Senator, Retired
Former State Senator Bob Boyer is a long-time civil right, organized labor, political and community activist in Portland and the State of Oregon. At age 19 he left Philadelphia to join the Air Force. He made Portland his home when he was discharged from the service.
Bob was appointed as state senator by Multnomah County Commissioners when Senator Bill McCoy died in office. Always an advocate for higher education, he served on the Board of Regents at Concordia University in Portland for 9 years.
For 40 years Bob has owned and managed several rental properties. He has been a labor union activist during most of his time in Portland and was elected to serve two terms as President of the Inland Boatmen’s Union of the Pacific – the first African American to serve in that capacity.
Bob is a longtime supporter and board member for the Constructing Hope Pre-apprenticeship Program. Bob is married to Judy Knawls Boyer. He is father of 6 children; grandfather of 12; great-grandfather of 18.
Michael A. Burch
Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Local No. 1503
Michael Burch - Union Representative, Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters
Michael Burch is a Union Representative at Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters. He was a Program Manager at Portland YouthBuilders for sixteen years and now continues his service through the agency’s Board of Directors. He is skilled in program development, community outreach, workforce development and skills training.
John Chriswell
Hoffman Structures
John Chriswell - Human Resources Manager, Hoffman Structures, Inc.
John Chriswell worked his way up from carpenter to carpenter foreman and then to safety manager before working as a human resources manager on all Hoffman Structures projects. He now serves on several boards and committees, including the Constructing Hope Board, Carpenters Statewide JATC, Portland Carpenters JATC, CWWC Construction Industry Panel, and the Safe from Hate Steering Committee.
Bob is a longtime supporter and board member for the Constructing Hope Pre-apprenticeship Program. Bob is married to Judy Knawls Boyer. He is father of 6 children; grandfather of 12; great-grandfather of 18.
Zack Culver, Vice-Chair
Laborers’ International Union of North America Local No. 737
Zack Culver - Business Manager, LiUNA Local 737
Zack Culver Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer for the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 737, and Current Vice President of Constructing Hope. He has served on the board of Constructing Hope since 2015, and currently finishing up 23 years with the Laborers Union. As the Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer of LIUNA local 737, he would like to see steady growth in our membership and leave the industry better for the next generation of workers and leaders. He’s from the small town of Gales Creek Oregon and Graduated from Forest Grove Highschool. Zack married his high school girlfriend, has three boys ages 14, 16, and 2, and currently lives in Yamhill Oregon. He enjoy vacations with family, Hunting with his sons, summer BBQs by the pool, and spending time with his wife.
David Drinkward
Hoffman Construction Company
David Drinkwell - President & CEO, Hoffman Construction Company
Dave Drinkward is President & CEO of Hoffman Construction Company. Founded in Portland in 1922, Hoffman is the largest general contractor headquartered in the Pacific Northwest. Dave leads the company with a passion for bringing together talented builders to complete some of the world’s most challenging projects. Dave is active in the community. Among other roles, he is currently serving as a Board Member of Meals on Wheels People, as a Director of the Oregon Business Council, and as a Trustee of Willamette University.
Keith Edwards
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Ninth District, Retired
Keith Edwards - Retired International Business Representative, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Ninth District
During a 44-year career as a union electrician, Keith Edwards broke many barriers and achieved leadership positions in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). He became the first African-American business manager of a construction local in IBEW history, was the first African-American to serve as a member of the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee and co-founded the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus in 1974. He was the first African-American appointed to IBEW Local 48’s Executive Board he served as international representative for IBEW’s Ninth District.
Keith is a community activist and has been involved with the Coalition of Black Men, the Portland Workforce Alliance and the NAACP, where he has served as president of the Portland chapter. He is the current President of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus and represents District 5 on the Tri-Met Board of Directors. He also served eight years on the Oregon Electrical Board under Governor Barbara Roberts.
Anne Raccine Fishe
ARF Architecture
Anne Fishe* - Architect, ARF Architecture
Anne Fishe is an architect and principal of Anne Raccine Fishe Architecture, which has been providing architectural services to public and private clients in the Portland area since 1992. The firm has focused primarily on public, community, commercial and multifamily projects. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, she accumulated years of experience in offices in New York, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Brussels, Belgium. Her work experience has been with a wide variety of architectural projects. From 1995 to 1997 she was a Project Architect for the Portland Bureau of Parks and Recreation where she oversaw numerous architectural projects.
*Temporarily stepped down from Board of Directors for Workforce Training Center Expansion Project
Twuana Hennessee, Secretary
Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters
Twauna Hennessee - Community Outreach Representative, Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters
Ms. Twauna E. Hennessee is a native of Portland, Oregon and was educated in the public schools here as well. She has acquired over twenty years of business experience in retail and non-profit business sectors.
In her current role as the Community Outreach Representative for The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, she works to build support for the Regional Council, particularly around diversity goals. She is a strong advocate for Equity and Inclusion; One of the hallmarks of her work is the vision she has to help organizations be so successful in implementing their equity and inclusion goals that it becomes part of the culture, and everyone sees the success as a part of their own job responsibility no matter where their position is in the organization.
In her blended family she is mother of four children and has eight grandchildren. She loves the outdoors, loves to travel, and enjoys volunteering her time and talent in the community as a Crisis Response Team member for the Portland Police Bureau and at her church.
Art Hiemstra, Treasurer
First Interstate Bank
Art Hiemstra - Senior Vice President, First Interstate Bank
Art Hiemstra offers a strong background in banking and capital management. At First Interstate Bank, Mr. Hiemstra manages a portfolio of credit lines, equipment loans, real estate construction and investor owned properties. He previously served as managing director for Manzanita Capital Advisors, president of Vencore Capital, and division manager for Silicon Valley Bank.
Mel Jones, Chair
Hoffman Construction
Mel Jones - Director of Inclusion, Hoffman Construction
Mel Jones provides over 27 years’ experience in construction, diversity and inclusion and civil engineering. At Hoffman Construction, he supports a collaborative and innovative culture throughout the firm. Mel previously served as Senior Diversity & Inclusion Manager at JE Dunn, as well as National Diversity Director for Skanska USA. He was the owner and project manager for Rucker LDC land development consulting, serves on the American Contracts Compliance Association (ACCA) Board, serves on the Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME) advisory board, served as President of the Black Citizen’s Coalition of Portland Neighborhoods.
Angela Watkins
Minority Construction Group
Angela Watkins* - Chief Operating Officer, Minority Construction Group LLC
Angela Watkins brings over 20 years’ experience working with small businesses, general contractors, public contracting, and diversity initiatives. She was most recently Chief Operating Officer/Diversity & Inclusion at Portland Commercial Construction and previously managed the Port of Portland’s Small Business Development Program. She holds a Master Compliance Administrator certification from the American Contractors Compliance Association. Ms. Watkins served for five years on the advisory board of the Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME). She earned her BS in Business Administration at Warner Pacific College and an MS in Global Supply Chain Management at Portland State University
*Temporarily stepped down from Board of Directors for Workforce Training Center Expansion Project
GET INVOLVED
Interested in volunteering with Constructing Hope? Take a look at the volunteer opportunities and let us know what you are interested in.