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November 4, 2015 | 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Presentation & Continental Breakfast at 8:00, Networking at 9:30
Ecotrust Conference Center, 2nd Floor | 721 NW 9th Avenue | Portland, OR 97209
Member Pass Eligible, $25 NAO Members, $50 Nonmembers

Facilitator
Jim White, Executive Director, Nonprofit Association of Oregon

Panelists
Christa Thoeresz, Vice President, Social Responsibility, Portland Trail Blazers
Karis Stoudamire-Phillips, Community Relations and Corporate Responsibility, Moda Health
Kristen Connor, Senior Vice President, Relationship Banking Officer, Pacific Continental Bank

Learn why leading regional companies are seeking impactful connections to your community and how they can benefit your organization. Explore how companies utilize Foundation and corporate giving to support organizations like yours, and better understand what other non-cash assets these businesses have to benefit local communities. Determine how your organization can best access all they have to offer in order to build lasting partnerships.

A panel of leaders representing a diverse pool of businesses committed to social responsibility will share how they focus their community engagement efforts. Each panelist will have the opportunity to talk about how they connect to the community, how they like to be solicited for support, and what resources they can offer your organization. In this session you will learn:

  • Why business values community engagement
  • How to connect with corporate engagement programs
  • How to be a great partner for community engagement efforts

The panelists for this session will share the following information:

  • Organizational background
  • Strategic areas of impact
  • Giving policies, priorities, and process
  • Additional and unique non-cash assets
  • How to begin accessing these resources
  • How to build more in-depth relationships
  • Examples and success stories

About the Presenters

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Jim White

Jim White serves as Executive Director of the Nonprofit Association of Oregon, where he works collaboratively with a statewide board of directors, staff, strategic partners, and the nonprofits across Oregon to build a more visible, influential, and resilient nonprofit sector in Oregon. Prior to joining NAO, Jim worked in the nonprofit sector both domestically and internationally for more than 17 years. Most recently, he served as a senior manager with Mercy Corps. Throughout his career, Jim has worked on some of the most difficult humanitarian and development challenges of our times, in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, and North Korea. He is specifically skilled on working to build alliances and partnerships so that communities and organizations have a voice in the issues that are most important to them. He has also worked for the International Organization for Migration and the American Red Cross. Jim earned a BS in Engineering Technology from Temple University and an MA in Central Eurasian Area Studies from Indiana University.

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Christa Thoeresz

Christa Thoeresz was named Vice President of Social Responsibility in August 2015. In her role, Thoeresz is responsible for the management of the Trail Blazers social responsibility platform: make it better. Chief among her duties is the strategy, development, planning, and execution of the Trail Blazers’ community involvement in conjunction with local nonprofit organizations, key team partners and the Trail Blazers Foundation, the primary channel for the Trail Blazers’ charitable fundraising and giving. Thoeresz joined the Trail Blazers as Senior Director of Social Responsibility in February 2014. Before joining the Trail Blazers, Thoeresz managed the Portland Timbers Community Relations Department starting in 2011. Major League Soccer recognized the work of Thoeresz, her staff and the Timbers in 2012 and 2013 with the Community Relations Department of the Year Award. Thoeresz gained international development experience in sport and social change in South Africa, Australia, and Central and South America prior to moving back to her hometown in Portland. Thoeresz holds an MBA from Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and is also a graduate of Connecticut College with a Bachelors of Arts degree. Christa married her husband, Jake, in August 2015.

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Karis Stoudamire-Phillips

Karis Stoudamire-Phillips, a native of Portland, is a proud graduate of St. Mary’s Academy, alumnus of Saint Mary’s College of California and earned her master’s degree from Washington State University. Karis directs Community Relations and Corporate Responsibility at Moda Health. Her focus is to develop, direct and implement Moda’s community engagement strategy and action plan in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. In her roll, Karis leads the company’s community engagement strategy, ensuring alignment with best practices and core values, mission and overall business strategy. She ensures that corporate responsibility is integrated across business units and coordinated with other internal departments and stakeholders to raise awareness and promote community relations goals and objectives. Prior to joining to Moda Health, Karis was the Corporate Relations Officer with the Legacy Health Foundations. She was responsible for planning and implementing a comprehensive corporate giving program, including sponsorships, workplace giving, restricted and capital gifts and in-kind donations for all six Legacy hospitals. Before her position with Legacy Health, Karis was the Foundation Administrator at Damon Stoudamire, Inc. where she established, led and managed The Damon Stoudamire Foundation and was also responsible for the Damon Stoudamire Basketball Camps and Fan Club. Karis brings with her an extensive background in public affairs, marketing, non-profit management, fund raising, community relations, event planning and project management. Karis also worked as a medical study researcher and as medical assistant with Allergy, Asthma and Dermatology Associates. Karis is very active in the Portland metropolitan area. She currently serves as a Multnomah Exposition Recreation Commissioner (MERC), Boise Neighborhood Association Treasurer and is also active in several other civic organizations.

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Kristen Connor

Kristen Connor specializes in serving non-profit organizations, including some of the region’s leading independent schools and organizations whose missions focus on a broad range of sustainability and equity & inclusion issues. She serves as co-chair of the bank’s internal Green Team and spearheads the growth of her company’s business development outreach to environmental organizations and businesses with a commitment to sustainability. Active in the community, she serves on the board of Sunstone Montessori School and is a member of the Finance Committee for EarthShare Oregon. Kristen is an active member of the Economic and Environmental Committee for Oregon Business Association. She holds a degree in international economics from the University of Colorado with a minor in business administration from the Colorado University Leeds School of Business. She is also the proud mama, and loves spending time with her 4 year old daughter Charlie, especially when they can enjoy the outdoor recreation of Oregon.

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When
November 4th, 2015 from  8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Location
Ecotrust Conference Center, 2nd Floor
721 NW 9th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
Multnomah
Event Fee(s)
Price $50.00
Event Particulars
City Portland
NAO Event? Yes
Topic Board Governance, , Leadership, Operations
Presenter Portland Trail Blazers, Moda Health
Event Region Metropolitan Portland
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