Embedded Files
Presentation Attendance Instructions
Presentation Attendance Instructions
Presentations are first come, first serve. Each Presentation room has a maximum capacity of participants, once that maximum is reached, students/teachers will be asked to join another Presentation.
We advise attendees to review the Presentations & their times and determine what you would like to attend prior to the conference.
Adell Amos
Professor
University of Oregon School of Law
Prof. Amos practiced administrative and environmental law at the U.S. Department of the Interior for 10 years. She teaches Federal Administrative Law and Water Law among other topics. She is currently working to establish a new research center on equitable climate solutions. She serves as a faculty leader for the Oceans, Coasts and Watersheds Project in the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center. When not thinking about law, Prof. Amos loves to cook, garden, beach walk and knit, all made better in the company of family and friends.
Kyle Colleen Black
Policy and Outreach Associate
Oregon Justice Resource Center
There are things in life that you don’t see coming in a million years. For me it was committing a crime that resulted in spending decades in prison, then living out my dream of being an artist while incarcerated. Now it is engaging in conversations about how devastating the impacts of incarceration are on communities, individuals, and their families. My name is Kyle Colleen Black, and I work as a Policy & Outreach Associate at Oregon Justice Resource Center and unapologetically and yet politely, talk about improving the carceral system. Looking for opportunities for community engagement and redirecting the current punitive approach to one of restoration and healing for all of those who are affected.
Gavin Bruce
Assistant U.S. Attorney
U.S Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon
Gavin Bruce started his career at the Portland law firm of Lindsay Hart, LLP. In 2016, he accepted a position with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon. Gavin prosecutes white collar crimes and serves as the office’s Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator. He has investigated and prosecuted numerous federal civil rights matters, including hate crimes and color of law cases, as well as wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering across the State of Oregon.
Gavin Bruce started his career at the Portland law firm of Lindsay Hart, LLP. In 2016, he accepted a position with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon. Gavin prosecutes white collar crimes and serves as the office’s Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator. He has investigated and prosecuted numerous federal civil rights matters, including hate crimes and color of law cases, as well as wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering across the State of Oregon.
Janine Benner
Director
Oregon Department of Energy
Janine serves as the Director of the Oregon Department of Energy. Janine joined ODOE in 2017 as Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation and was confirmed by the Oregon Senate as Director in February 2018. Janine came to ODOE from the U.S. Department of Energy, where she served in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs. Janine spent 12 years working for Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), as a Legislative Assistant, Legislative Director, and Deputy Chief of Staff. She grew up in Portland, OR and has a degree from Princeton University.
Janine serves as the Director of the Oregon Department of Energy. Janine joined ODOE in 2017 as Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation and was confirmed by the Oregon Senate as Director in February 2018. Janine came to ODOE from the U.S. Department of Energy, where she served in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs. Janine spent 12 years working for Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), as a Legislative Assistant, Legislative Director, and Deputy Chief of Staff. She grew up in Portland, OR and has a degree from Princeton University.
Sabina Carano
Student Advisor
Oregon State Board of Education
Sabina is a current senior at West Salem High School. Sabina has been involved in West Salem's Youth and Government program for three years, which has led to her position on the Oregon State Board of Education. As one of two student advisors on the Board, Sabina represents student voices in the education system. This has provided her with other opportunities such as serving on the Youth Advisory Council Work Group. Sabina also participates in both track and soccer at West Salem High School.
Amanda Coers
Community & Student Engagement Manager
Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Amanda Coers is the Community & Student Engagement Manager at Lookout Eugene-Springfield, where she manages the Lookout in the Classroom program. Amanda's career includes journalism, public administration, and education. She worked as a journalist, served as the Executive Administrator for the City Manager’s Office in Brownwood, Texas, and later taught high school English. She holds a Bachelor's in English and a Master of Arts in Teaching. Amanda relocated to Eugene, Oregon, in May 2023, drawn by the region’s natural beauty and inclusive community. In her free time, she enjoys family activities, outdoor adventures, painting, and volunteering.
Amanda Coers is the Community & Student Engagement Manager at Lookout Eugene-Springfield, where she manages the Lookout in the Classroom program. Amanda's career includes journalism, public administration, and education. She worked as a journalist, served as the Executive Administrator for the City Manager’s Office in Brownwood, Texas, and later taught high school English. She holds a Bachelor's in English and a Master of Arts in Teaching. Amanda relocated to Eugene, Oregon, in May 2023, drawn by the region’s natural beauty and inclusive community. In her free time, she enjoys family activities, outdoor adventures, painting, and volunteering.
Samara Cooper
Co-chair
City of Eugene Mayor's Youth Advisory Council
Samara Cooper is a senior at North Eugene High School. She is also the Co-Chair of Mayor Knudson's Youth Advisory Council (YAC), where she leads monthly meetings with up to 20 high school students to discuss civic engagement, activism, and youth-related issues. Outside of YAC, Samara has competed in Mock Trial with the Civics Learning Project for four years and interned at Lewis and Clark Law School, supporting the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic with client communication and legal petitions. Next year, Samara will be attending Cornell University, majoring in Government and Political Science.
Samara Cooper is a senior at North Eugene High School. She is also the Co-Chair of Mayor Knudson's Youth Advisory Council (YAC), where she leads monthly meetings with up to 20 high school students to discuss civic engagement, activism, and youth-related issues. Outside of YAC, Samara has competed in Mock Trial with the Civics Learning Project for four years and interned at Lewis and Clark Law School, supporting the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic with client communication and legal petitions. Next year, Samara will be attending Cornell University, majoring in Government and Political Science.
Karen Costello
Chief Judge
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
Karen L. Costello is the Chief Judge for the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, located in Coos Bay, Oregon. She is admitted to practice law in Oregon and in several Tribal Courts in Oregon, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Washington. For more than twenty years, she has advised and represented tribes and tribal members across the country in individual cases and in matters of legal policy and justice systems development.
Bryan Dearinger
Assistant Professor & General Counsel
University of Oregon
Luca Feldhof-Choi
City of Eugene Mayor's Youth Advisory Council
I’m someone who leads by listening first—curious, steady, and not afraid to step into the unknown. Whether it’s speaking up as a BIPOC leader, helping shape policy on the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, or guiding my team as a captain, I show up with purpose. I’ve learned that real leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about being open to growth and staying grounded in who you are. I care deeply about community, equity, and the quiet strength it takes to create change. I’m still becoming—but I move forward with clarity, empathy, and a voice that knows its worth.
Kurt Hermansen
Supervisory Assistant Federal Public Defender
District of Oregon
Kurt Hermansen has been a Supervising Assistant Federal Public Defender in Eugene, Oregon since 2019. He received his B.A, from UCLA, and his J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. He garnered a 2017 Appellate-Attorney-of-the-Year award and a 2016 award for exceptional and unselfish devotion to protecting the rights of the indigent accused. Kurt previously worked as a trial attorney for Federal Defenders in San Diego; he headed his own law firm; he worked as a state court criminal research attorney; and he was a federal court habeas corpus staff attorney. He also served as an adjunct law professor.
Laura Johnson
Director of Program Development
Sponsors
Laura serves as Director of Program Development at Sponsors, a nonprofit organization that works in collaboration with government and community partners to improve outcomes and opportunities for individuals with conviction histories. Her leadership work at Sponsors began in direct services and is currently focused on program development, implementation and evaluation. For more than 15 years, Laura has facilitated, developed and advocated for community-based solutions at the intersections of incarceration and social determinants of health. Before joining Sponsors, she served as Deputy Program Manager for the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama; and as Assistant Director of the University of Oregon School of Law’s Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center. She holds a Master’s of Education in Counseling, Family and Human Services and a Bachelors of Arts in Journalism, both from the University of Oregon.
Valerie Love
Judge
Lane County Circuit Court
Judge Valeri Love was appointed to the Lane County Circuit Court in 2011 and currently serves as the court’s Chief Juvenile Judge. She is a Board Director for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and member of the Oregon DOJ’s Trafficking Advisory Committee, National CASA Judicial Leadership Council and Oregon Juvenile Court Improvement Program Advisory Board. After graduating from Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, Judge Love received her B.A. from Linfield College, and M.M and J.D. from Willamette University. In her spare time, Judge Love enjoys spending time with friends and family, spoiling her dogs, cooking and dancing hula.
Scott Lemons
Program Director
Lane Independent Living Alliance (LILA)
Kurt Hermansen has been a Supervising Assistant Federal Public Defender in Eugene, Oregon since 2019. He received his B.A, from UCLA, and his J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. He garnered a 2017 Appellate-Attorney-of-the-Year award and a 2016 award for exceptional and unselfish devotion to protecting the rights of the indigent accused. Kurt previously worked as a trial attorney for Federal Defenders in San Diego; he headed his own law firm; he worked as a state court criminal research attorney; and he was a federal court habeas corpus staff attorney. He also served as an adjunct law professor.
Camilla Mortensen
Editor
Eugene Weekly
Camilla Mortensen is the longtime local editor — and soon to be owner — of Eugene Weekly, the area’s alternative newspaper. The paper, which has been in print since 1982 (originally as What’s Happening) continues to print more than 27,000 copies a week in addition to its email newsletters and website. Camilla has been a reporter and editor at EW since 2007 and is on the board of directors for the rural Highway 58 Herald newspaper. She teaches journalism at the UO in the mornings before heading to the Weekly’s office. She also teaches news writing at Lane Community College where advises The Torch student newspaper.
Chief Judge Karen L. Costello
Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, & Siuslaw Indians
Karen L. Costello is Chief Judge for the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, located in Coos Bay, Oregon. She is admitted to practice law in Oregon and in several Tribal Courts in Oregon, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Washington. Judge Costello obtained her Juris Doctorate degree with distinction from the University of North Dakota School of Law, where she was a member of the North Dakota Law Review, Law Women’s Caucus, Legal Aid Clinic, and the Tribal Law Project with the Spirit Lake Lakota Nation. She is a member of Oregon’s Tribal/State Judicial Forum, and the Oregon Municipal Judges’ Association. For more than twenty years, she has advised and represented tribes and tribal members across the country in individual cases and in matters of legal policy, justice systems development, and multi-jurisdictional collaborations. In her spare time, Judge Costello enjoys playing her Irish harp, hiking the fabulous local coastal trials, and spending time with her family.
Layla Schropp
City of Eugene Mayor's Youth Advisory Council
Camilla Mortensen is the longtime local editor — and soon to be owner — of Eugene Weekly, the area’s alternative newspaper. The paper, which has been in print since 1982 (originally as What’s Happening) continues to print more than 27,000 copies a week in addition to its email newsletters and website. Camilla has been a reporter and editor at EW since 2007 and is on the board of directors for the rural Highway 58 Herald newspaper. She teaches journalism at the UO in the mornings before heading to the Weekly’s office. She also teaches news writing at Lane Community College where advises The Torch student newspaper.
Page updated
Report abuse