Berta Ojeda Peregrina | Tigard | she/her | Spanish

My name is Berta Ojeda. I was born in a town called San Andrés Mimiahuapan in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Later, when I was still a little girl we moved to the city of Puebla. I grew up there into my adolescence living with my parents, my sister and my three brothers. I attended primary and secondary school and sewing classes caught my attention, I became a dressmaker, and I practiced it for a few years in Puebla.

Then due to different reasons I decided to emigrate to the United States and when I arrived to Oregon, I worked in a meat factory. A few years later I met my husband and got married. I have two daughters, one is 20 years old and is in college, and my other daughter is 17 and is in high school. Since they were little, I have liked to help them with homework, read books, go for a walk with our puppy called Peanut, I enjoy watching movies with my family.

Last year I started to get a little more involved in my community by volunteering with “Packed with Pride” delivering food boxes to families in Tigard-Tualatin district schools. I was in the Tigard GOLD program where I learned that there are many ways to help my community. 

Click to read more about the Tigard GOLD program.

Term: October 28, 2021 through October 26, 2023, extended to October 24, 2024

Carine Arendes | Portland | she/her | English

Carine Arendes (Carina, she/her)

Carina is a life-long Oregonian and long term Tigard resident. Her lived experiences as a working single mother informs her commitment to affordable housing and transit equity. Carina’s urban and regional planning education and practice reinforce her commitment to equity and policy development that centers those with the least resources.

She has volunteered in the community with a broad range of organizations including Unite OR, Proud Ground, SOLV, Friends of Trees, Coalition for a Livable Future, BTA/the Street Trust, Tualatin Valley Gleaners, Friends of Spring Garden Park, Metro and the City of Tigard. Carina is excited and grateful to be working with the 2022-23 Washington Leadership Council to make a difference in our community.

Carine Arendes is one of the 2021 National Association of Secretaries of State Awards recipients.

Term: October 28, 2021 through October 26, 2023, extended to October 24, 2024

Eboni Samuels-Dreger | Portland | she/her | English

My passion is bringing healing to people who have been through a traumatic/stressful experience. I help my clients, who include children, adults, and families, to find healthy perceptions of themselves and strengthen their relationships so they can know themselves as peaceful, complete, whole, and safe.

I know that no single approach is the right one for every individual, and so I have been trained in a range of modalities including Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) training, Drug and Alcohol Therapy, Trauma Informed Therapy, Preventing, Recognizing, and Reporting Abuse, Working More Effectively with the LGBTQ+ Community with transparency and integrity as the approach.

My educational background includes an AA in Drug and Alcohol Counseling, MSN of Science from San Diego State as well as perusing my MA in Correctional Supportive Services with University of Phoenix.

Term: October 27, 2022 through October 24, 2024

Jazmin Miranda | Beaverton | she/her/ella | English, and Spanish

Jazmin Miranda, moved to Beaverton, OR in early 2021 and she is ready to contribute to her new home her extensive skills and experience working in New Hampshire where she was a driver for language access and health equity for the last 25 years. She was instrumental in expanding health services to diverse populations and started the first interpretation training program in NH. Jazmin continues to stay involved in NH through consulting services with So. NH AHEC (Southern NH Area Health Education Center) as faculty for their Community Health Worker Training, and leader/facilitator of their Chronic Pain Self-Management and Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs. She is also a co-founder and co-leader of the Equity Leaders Fellowship (ELF). ELF aims to develop cohorts of leaders from communities of color in NH to take leadership positions on community committees, boards of directors, and other state & local civic engagement opportunities. Most recently she joined the Chronic Pain Self-Management ECHO at University of New Hampshire as a subject matter expert.

Jazmin was invited to join the Unite Oregon’s Washington County Leadership Council on the Fall 2021 where she’s looking forward to joining her efforts, commitment and passion with other community leaders who share a common belief in a multi-racial, multicultural democracy inclusive of all, and the passion for putting their beliefs into action.

Jazmin has a Master’s Degree in Adult Education from the University of New Hampshire.

She was born in Costa Rica and moved to the US 30 years ago. She lives in Beaverton, OR with her daughter, Jessie.

Term: October 28, 2021 through October 26, 2023, extended to October 24, 2024

Muni Kalenandi | Beaverton | they/them | English; Moderate- Espanol, Francais, and Basic- Russian, Arabic

Muneeb Kalenandi is a longtime activist. They were President of the LGBT Association and a leader in the Free South Africa movement from 1983-1986 at University of Rochester. They organized and headed the Clinic Escort Team in Portland, which protected women and girls going to 3 Women's Health Clinics, from 1991 to 1994. They founded and led the Portland chapter of the Pink Panthers community street patrol, which protected the Queer Community and Businesses, from 1995-1996. They led the Sexual Exploitation Education Project (SEEP) as Program Director, from 1995-1996, going on to work for SEEP's sister project, Council for Prostitution Alternatives (CPA), from 1996-1997. They went on to work as Volunteer Coordinator at Tillamook Women's Crisis Center/Helping Hands from 1997-2000. They also served on the Board of the Tillamook Drop In Center, a peer-run mental health project, from 1999 to 2003. They currently serve on the Steering Committees of the CUMC Community Garden/Food Forest Project and the Street Resiency Team, working with unhoused persons, and serve on Millikan Way CAC and the Unite Oregon Beaverton Inclusive Housing Cohort, as well as the Interim-Chair on the Washington County Leadership Council.

Term: October 28, 2021 through October 26, 2023, extended to October 24, 2024

Chair – Rebecca Johnson | Hillsboro | she/her | English

My name is Rebecca Johnson. 

I am a Case Manager Coordinator for a local nonprofit organization. I am a Wife, Mother, Grandma, and crazy enough I am recently a Great Grandma. People usually can't even believe I am a Grandma. 

I am a person in long term recovery that lives each day trying to be better than the day before. I have worked for many years in the treatment field. I always felt that I could do more. I made a change a year ago and started serving as a Housing Caseworker. When I made this change, I knew I was in the right place. My creator has truly blessed me on this path through the people I work with and the people I serve. I have also grown more as an individual more in the last year than I ever imagined possible. I Love my life today serving my community.

Term: October 27, 2022 through October 24, 2024

Syed Qasim | Beaverton | he/him | English, Urdu, and Hindi

Syed is committed to creating inclusive spaces for all. He believes that everyone deserves to be seen, acknowledged and cherished. He is focused on enabling and empowering people to thrive and challenging structural, cultural or personal limitations that keep people. As a father of 3, he is dedicated to shaping a future where the coming generations can realize and embody the best that humanity has to offer. Whether it's at work as technology, in the community as an informed and engaged member or in personal life as a friend and partner, he genuinely embraces the belief that the best life is one that is lived in service of others.

Click to read more about Syed Qasim.

Term: October 28, 2021 through October 26, 2023