Courtney Patterson, Interim Director

Email, (503) 823-4375

Courtney Patterson is serving as PBEM’s interim director. She has worked at the bureau for five years, including the last 18 months as the Emergency Operations Manager. She is currently responsible for strategic planning, staff management, policy development, and overall direction for the bureau. She is responsible for the Portland Emergency Coordination Center, where City employees gather to manage disaster situations. She spent five years at the bureau designing trainings, simulating disasters, and writing procedures for PBEM.

Previously, she served as a United States Marine planning and conducting humanitarian assistance training in Okinawa, Japan, Pohang, South Korea, and Manila, the Philippines; evacuating American citizens from Japan following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami; and deploying to Helmand Province, Afghanistan as a battalion Logistics Officer to build roads and bridges and provide bulk fuel and water. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science and Latin American studies from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. Courtney lived in New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina, prompting her passion for emergency management work.

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Sarah Allison, Planning and Mitigation Program Specialist

Email, (503) 823-2055 

Sarah joined PBEM in July 2017 to help develop and support new and updated response and resilience plans for bureaus across the City of Portland. Before joining PBEM, Sarah worked as a long range land use planner for the City of Eugene, developing policies and technical analyses for the adoption of an urban growth boundary. Sarah holds a Master of Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis.

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Denise Barrett, Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) Manager

Email, (503) 823-5386

Denise joined PBEM in August 2001 to stand-up and direct the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization, a partnership of government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private-sector stakeholders collaborating to increase the Portland metropolitan region’s resiliency to disasters. Among her duties, Denise facilitates governance, strategic planning and program development processes and coordinates development and execution of the RDPO Policy Committee’s state and federal legislative agenda.

Denise has extensive global experience leading multi-sector programs in post-disaster, war and poverty contexts. She holds a Master’s degree in International Administration from the School of International Training In 2016, Denise received Oregon Emergency Management Association’s Partner Award for exceptional service to the RDPO in enhancing regional coordination and collaboration across disciplinary and jurisdictional boundaries.

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Angela Carkner, Exercise & Training Specialist

Email, (503) 823-3926

Angela joined the PBEM team in November 2017 as an Exercise and Training Specialist and duty officer. She helps ensure the Portland Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) is prepared by developing and maintaining protocols and aligned software applications for working in the ECC. She also helps train ECC responders and City staff by developing, conducting, and evaluating exercises designed to test and enhance the City’s capabilities. Prior to joining PBEM, Angela worked as a project and emergency manager at Multnomah County Drainage District for four and half years, focusing on flooding and levee systems. Angela is a Portland native and studied Planning, Public Policy, and Management at the University of Oregon. 

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Dessery Castillo-Robles, Intern

Email, (503) 823-4375

Dessery joined PBEM in July 2018 to support the bureau's community outreach efforts through the Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization's (IRCO's) SummerWorks program. Dessery is a first generation college student working towards an Associate of Science degree at Portland Community College. Dessery enjoys volunteering in the community and performance dance.

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Anne Castleton, Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planner

Email, (503) 823-2360

Anne is a project manager with broad experience in disaster risk reduction planning; she has worked in more than 20 countries educating colleagues and communities about risk reduction strategies. Before joining PBEM, she supported the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk Programme based in China. As Mercy Corps’ Director of Disaster Risk Reduction, she coordinated the review and publication of Toward Resilience: A guide to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and developed a companion e-learning course with the Disaster Ready Initiative. Before being lured into international development and disaster risk reduction, Anne spent a decade working in the private sector (technology and pharmaceuticals). 

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Glenn Devitt, Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) Senior Administrative Specialist

Email, (503) 823-2691

As a member of the Community Resilience Team, Glenn is privileged to serve the volunteers of the NET and BEECN programs, and other preparedness efforts throughout Portland. His experience includes leadership of Sunnyside NET, civil rights and civil liberties advocacy, nonprofit governance, design of intercontinental computer networks, and 22 years as the owner of a website and app development firm. In his spare time he likes to get dirt under his nails in his garden and serves on the board of the Portland Bocce League Association.

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Dan Douthit, Public Information Officer

Email, (503) 823-3928

Dan Douthit is responsible for conducting PBEM’s media relations, and overseeing the bureau’s public information program.

Dan started working at PBEM in 2008, first as a program specialist focused on regional coordination, and then as public information officer in 2013. He also previously served as a staff member in Portland Mayor Tom Potter’s office. Dan holds an M.A. in Political Science and B.A. in Political Science and Canadian-American Studies from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA.

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Daire Elliott, Office Specialist

Email, (503) 823-4375

Daire Elliott has been the office specialist for PBEM since 2007, supporting the bureau via timekeeping, financial, and administrative work.  His efforts help ensure an overall smooth flow of work in the office.  He also chairs the bureau's Diversity and Equity Committee and represents the bureau in the Citywide Equity Committee.

Previously, Daire has worked in jobs ranging from warehouse work to veterinary technician, and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture from Portland State in 2000.

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Somer Erickson, Business Operations Supervisor

Email, (503) 823-4781

Somer joined PBEM in June 2018 to lead the Finance team. She has served the City since 2008. Somer oversees accounting, budgeting, timekeeping, and grants management for PBEM. She has a background working in governmental auditing, financial statement preparation, project accounting, grants management, the FEMA incident command structure, and much more. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Western Oregon University.

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Aaron Fox, Operations Specialist

Email, (503) 823-3924

Aaron Fox joined PBEM in August 2017 as an Operations Specialist and duty officer. His responsibilities include maintaining the crisis information sharing software WebEOC, developing procedures, and training City employees. Aaron holds bachelors’ degrees in Communications and Geology from the University of Washington and a Masters of Engineering in Geotechnics from Missouri S&T. He is an active volunteer with CERT teams in Beaverton and Tigard. Before joining the City, Aaron worked as a geological engineering consultant for Golder Associates. 

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Laura Hall, Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) Senior Administrative Specialist

Email, (503) 823-4359

Laura joined the RDPO in 2017 to provide administrative and communications support for the RDPO staff, committees, discipline work groups, and project task forces. She is Team Leader for the Arbor Lodge / Kenton Neighborhood Emergency Team and co-chair of the group Parents4Preparedness. She teaches disaster preparedness classes at venues throughout Portland​.

Prior to joining the RDPO she worked in program coordination/management for Portland Community College and Portland State University.​ She holds a B.A. in Sociology and an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

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Laura Hanson, Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) Project Coordinator

Email, (503) 823-9799

Laura joined the RDPO in 2016 to lead planning for the organization, which includes stakeholders from five counties (Clackamas, Clark, Columbia, Multnomah and Washington). Prior to joining RDPO, Laura worked for more than a decade in international humanitarian relief and development with Mercy Corps. She managed a multi-country resilience program focused on disaster risk reduction and market systems development in Asia. She holds a BA in Political Science and Latin American Studies from Seattle Pacific University, and an MBA Certificate from Portland State University’s Entrepreneurial Leaders program.

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Hussein Idow, Staff Assistant

Email, (503) 823-4406

Hussein Idow joined PBEM in 2018 as Staff Assistant.  Prior to PBEM, Hussein worked as a self-employed language consultant with Dayow Language Consultancy Service and trained, translated, and interpreted legal and medical case files and manuals. He also served as humanitarian organization staff in Kenyan refugee camps for the past 10 years with Innovation and Poverty Action-Kenya (IPAK), United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Youth Empowerment and Rehabilitation Association (YERA).

Hussein holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Kenyatta University. He is currently working on his master’s thesis in Economic Cooperation and Human Development (MECOHD) at Kenyatta University.

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Regina Ingabire, Community Resilience Outreach Coordinator

Email, (503) 823-4614

Regina Ingabire joined PBEM in January 2018 to lead public engagement initiatives focusing on disaster risk awareness, community resilience, and household preparedness in historically underserved communities.

Before joining PBEM, Regina worked with Oregon Public Health Institute as Community Engagement and Equity Manager, where she managed projects addressing social determinants of health, mainly to increase health access services to low income communities in East Portland. She also worked with the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Rwanda coordinating public health projects.  She obtained a master's degree from Brandeis University in Sustainable International Development and Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from National University of Rwanda.

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Ernest "Ernie" Jones, Volunteer Program Development

Email, (503) 823-4711

Ernest Jones joined PBEM in October 2015 to work with the BEECN and NET programs and conduct outreach. He previously served 22 years as a reservist at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in community relations and disaster survivor assistance on approximately 55 federally declared disasters, including Super Storm Sandy, Hurricane Katrina, and the World Trade Center in 2001.

Since 2005, Ernest has represented the U.S. as an election monitor for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He was a Rotary Foundation Graduate Scholar at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, and holds a B.A. from The Evergreen State College and M.S.W. from the University of Washington.

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Jonna Papaefthimiou, Planning and Community Resilience Manager

Email, (503) 823-3809

Jonna joined PBEM in 2013.  As the Planning and Community Resilience Manager, she coordinates citywide planning for emergency response, continuity of operations, and hazard mitigation.  She also supervises the bureau’s community resilience team, which includes the Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) and Basic Earthquake Emergency Communication Nodes (BEECN) program, and overall community outreach.

Jonna has previously worked as a community organizer, land-use planner, and political policy advisor. She has BS in Urban Studies and in Writing, and a Master in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

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Mike Phillips, Management Analyst

Email, (503) 823-4402

Mike started working for PBEM in February 2017 and manages the solicitation process for Professional, Technical, & Expert Services (PTE) projects. He also works closely with the RDPO Manager on all grant related matters. Before joining PBEM, Mike worked for the federal government as a Contract Specialist for 9 years, awarding various types of contracts including supply/services, PTE, and construction. He also served nearly a decade in the U.S. Army.   

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Jeremy Van Keuren, Community Resilience Manager

Email, (503) 823-4421

Jeremy manages the bureau’s volunteer programs and is a duty officer. He has worked for the City of Portland since 2003. He has been a policy manager in Portland City Hall (advising two mayors and one commissioner), worked in finance, housing, and economic development. Jeremy has graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and an Executive Masters of Public Administration. 

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Da'Von Wilson-Angel, Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) Program Specialist

Email, (503) 823-3732

Da'Von joined the PBEM team January 2018 as a NET Program Specialist. He is responsible for organizing basic NET classes for new volunteer recruits, conducting community outreach events, and representing PBEM at community NET meetings. He also serves as a Duty Officer for PBEM. Da'Von has worked in a wide range of jobs, including education, community outreach, and mental health. He received his Bachelor's in Sociology from California State University Long Beach.

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Katy Wolf, Exercise & Training Coordinator

Email, (503) 823-3874

Katy Wolf is responsible for recruiting and training Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) responders and for developing, conducting, and evaluating exercises designed to test and enhance the City’s capabilities. She staffs the ECC during emergency activations and serves as a duty officer. Katy is also a Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) Lead for Boise, Eliot and Humboldt neighborhoods. Before PBEM, Katy worked for six years in energy efficiency program management and business development and in urban planning and design for two years. Katy holds a B.A. in English from the University of Oregon.