Environmental Leader, Public Auditor, and Disabilities Advocate 

 

Zone 5 Director—West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District

Terri is publicly elected as the Zone 5 Director of the West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, representing approximately 200,000 voters for the past 16 years. Terri wrote and championed the successful ballot measure to establish permanent tax levy at .075/$1,000 assessed property value (2007). She oversees a multimillion-dollar annual budget, including about $2 million in property tax revenue. Terri advocates for local, state, and federal policies that support regenerative farming, carbon sequestration, healthy soil, and clean water, and makes sure taxpayers’ money is spent wisely.

General Manager—HAKI Community Organization

As General Manager of HAKI Community Organization, Terri has raised nearly $2 million over the past two years to support African immigrants and refugees in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties with stable housing, healthy food, and access to public transportation. She worked to establish HAKI as a federally recognized non-profit organization (501c3), and regularly works with partners at Unite Oregon, APANO, Centro Cultural, CAT, CPAH to plan and implement projects in the community. 

Executive Director—Tryon Creek Watershed Council

Terri has been a leader on the Tryon Creek Watershed Council for about 20 years. She currently serves as the Executive Director. She has established and grown partnerships with cities of Portland and Lake Oswego, Metro Regional Government, Multnomah and Clackamas Counties, West Multnomah and Clackamas Soil & Water Conservation Districts, state and federal agencies to restore and protect wildlife habitat, water and soil quality, and urban forests.  She has worked with staff to develop educational programming (Watershed 101 program) for delivery to local K-12 schools, PCC Sylvania students, and adults, and manages staff and the organization’s budget, including grant writing and reporting.

Performance Auditor

Terri served under Secretaries of State Bill Bradbury and Kate Brown as a Senior Performance Auditor to complete performance audits across several Oregon state agencies and TriMet.  She identified risks, best management practices, and compliance recommendations for improving state agency program delivery, and developed a public communication strategy to share this information with the public. In her role, Terri managed staff and developed audit objectives, budgets, and audit methodologies.

 

Boards & Committees

  • Metro Policy Advisory Committee – Multnomah County Special Districts Rep. (2018 - current) 

  • Multnomah County Audit Committee – Committee Chair (2019 - current)

  • Oregon Association of Conservation Districts Board – Board President (2018 -current) 

  • National Association of Conservation District Board – Oregon Representative (2019 – current)

  • West Portland Town Center Advisory Committee (2019 - current)

  • Southwest Corridor Equity Coalition (2019 - current)

  • Levee Ready Columbia Public Engagement Advisory Committee (2019)

  • SW Capitol Highway Advisory Committee (2016-2017)

  • Barbur Corridor Transportation Community Advisory Committee (2013)

  • Portland Code Streamlining Committee (2006)

 

Professional Memberships

  • Urban Land Institute

  • International Living Future Institute

  • Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

Awards

  • 1,000 Friends of Oregon: Innovator Award

  • Spirit of Portland: Sandy Diedrich Environmental Award

 

Education

  • Graduate Certificate in Urban Sustainability: Harvard University, Massachusetts (in progress)

  • Master’s in Public Administration-Natural Resource Management: Portland State University, Oregon

  • Watershed Management Professional Certification: Executive Leadership Institute, Portland State University, Oregon

  • Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication & Journalism: James Madison University, Virginia