Board Chair

Ken Thrasher retired as chairman of the Board of Alternative Legal Solutions Inc. (dba Compli) in December 2018, and was its chairman and chief executive officer from 2002 through December 2009. Prior to joining Compli, Thrasher served 19 years in executive positions with Fred Meyer Inc., including serving as president and chief executive officer from 1999 to 2001, as executive vice president and chief administrative officer from 1997 to 1999, as senior vice president and chief financial officer from 1987 to 1997, and as vice president and treasurer from 1982 to 1987. He also serves on the boards of directors of NW Natural, The Jensen Quality Growth Fund, College Possible Oregon, Children’s Public/Private Partnership, and is on the OSU College of Business Dean’s Council of Excellence. He also is a senior director on the Oregon Business Council. Prior to 2020, Thrasher served as a member of the board of directors for GSL Solutions Inc, Children’s Institute, Friends of the Children, Education Northwest, the Portland State University Foundation, the Cradle to Career Council of All Hands Raised, Albertina Kerr Centers, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and is past chair of Oregon’s Quality Education Commission. Ken is a resident of the Pearl District and a member of the Livability and Safety Committee.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A long-time Pearl resident, Al Solheim, is known as the “Father of the Pearl District.” He began the development of the Pearl District in the late1980s with the conversion of the warehouses that would initiate the award-winning Pearl District, one of the most successful urban transformations in the United States. He is a long-time resident of the Pearl District. Solheim has served on a number of boards and organizations, including Pacific Northwest College of Art—Chairman Board of Governors, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Board of Directors, Portland Streetcar Inc., Board of Directors, Pearl District Neighborhood Association, Vice President (1998), Northwest Triangle Business Association, Founding President, Portland Planning Commission (1978-1982) Oregon School of Design, Director and Portland Sign Review Committee, Chairman.

TREASURER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A native of Oregon, born and raised in Forest Grove, Ms. Dunken began her real estate career in 1993 after working in high-tech and as a co-owner of several family-owned businesses. Judie has been a fixture of the community in the Pearl since it was merely a shared vision of what a revitalized neighborhood could be. In 1996 she started working for Keller Williams, and her relationship with the Pearl only grew from there. Judie has been instrumental in many successful Pearl community initiatives and knows the neighborhood inside and out. Judie is the proud recipient of both the NW Examiner’s Community Awards “2018 Civic Engagement” Award and the Pearl District Business Association’s inaugural “Real Estate Broker of the Year” Award for 2015. Since 2019, Judie has served on the Pearl District Neighborhood Association’s Board. She is the chair of the Livability and Safety Committee and co-chair of the Business Support Committee. Judie also chairs the neighborhood Clean Team and is on the Advisory Council for the Neighborhood Foot Patrol.

Originally hailing from the East Coast and after 5 years in the Bay Area, Ricki moved to Portland and has lived in the Pearl District for 20 years. After retiring from 25 years in the technology industry, most recently as a Global Product Support Manager at Intel Corporation, Ricki expanded her community volunteering and is currently serving on her condominium’s HOA Board.  In addition, she is the building’s Safety and Security Chair where her enthusiasm for and focus on maintaining a high quality of residential living is apparent through her development of building improvements, safety and security guidelines and resident awareness and education.

 Coupled with her BA in Economics and years of industry experience in technology, program management and operations, Ricki spearheaded multiple projects to upgrade the building’s security systems and was instrumental in the documentation of neighborhood safety measures. Recently, in collaboration with the Portland Police, she developed guidelines to explain how to prepare for, respond to, and report intrusions/thefts/damage affecting businesses and multi-family residences.

 Ricki has enjoyed volunteering with a variety of organizations including: the Portland’5 Centers for the Arts serving as tour guide and in multiple roles on the Volunteer Council; Portland Center Stage; and the Oregon Food Bank.

SECRETARY, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Susanne is the President of Meadowlark Collective PDX, a women-owned communications consulting firm based in Portland, Oregon. With over 20 years of experience, she has earned a reputation for transforming organizations into dynamic, strategically focused leaders in communications and fundraising.

Her expertise encompasses strategic communications, fundraising, leadership development, and organizational growth. A longtime champion of community building, Susanne has a proven track record of fostering meaningful connections that drive engagement, collaboration, and impact. She has successfully partnered with corporations, nonprofits, startups, high-net-worth executives, and family foundations to elevate their reach and effectiveness.

Today, she applies her deep expertise to guide leadership teams, nonprofits, startups, and small businesses in achieving sustainable growth and strategic success.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Amy is the Senior Vice President of Strategy at Curious Plot, a subsidiary of Land O'Lakes. She’s an experienced marketing strategist with a track record for building award-winning campaigns and driving industry growth. For the past two decades, she’s represented leading agricultural producers, manufacturers, retailers, trade associations and consumer brands. Her work for large organizations has given her deep experience in collaborating with diverse audiences and building stakeholder consensus to reach common goals. Amy is passionate about civic involvement and an avid volunteer on local political campaigns and industry initiatives. Since 2017, she’s been appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to serve multiple terms on the Fresh Pear Commission. She also serves on the board of the Northwest Cider Association. Recently, she was appointed to serve on the Government Transition Advisory Committee to advise Portland’s City Council on the development and implementation of Portland’s new form of government. Amy has lived in Portland most of her life and earned her Bachelor of Science in Communications from Portland State University. Amy and her husband Rob are longtime residents of the Pearl.

Since moving to the Pearl District in 2014, John Hollister has been a very active member of the neighborhood. He is a PDNA board member and has participated on several committees: Planning & Transportation, Safety & Livability, Clean Team, and Foot Patrol. John led the $220k fundraising campaign to purchase trash cans for the Pearl District and, with his wife, Deb, coordinated their installation with the City. John is recently retired, having spent 30 years of his management career at several local organizations: VP at US Bank and sales management at WebTrends and Greater Giving. John was a director at Yahoo and a sales executive at Digital Equipment Company (DEC) and Burroughs Australia. In 2018, John received the Inspiration Award at the NW Examiner’s Community Awards ceremony for his work on the Pearl District trash can program.

Retired CEO of Umpqua Bank.

“For anyone who lives in the Pearl District; if you care about improving the livability of our neighborhood, if you’re interested in reducing crime and homelessness, then we encourage you to join with the NWCC as we together reclaim the Pearl.” - Ray Davis, NWCC Advisor, and Pearl Resident.