In addition to needing volunteers to help with day-to-day function of the community center, we’re also recruiting members for our Board of Directors. We currently need a board treasurer, strategic planning committee members, and development committee members. You can find more information about these positions and how to apply in our CNRG bulletin.

Staff

Susie Thurston
accounting@inotherwords.org

“I do the accounting for In Other Words and I love the comfortable and welcoming environment. The women I’ve met here are open, kind, intelligent, and fun to be around. My work is challenging and diverse; I am continually learning and figuring things out. Accounting is my second career and it feels like what I was always meant to do. I got my Post-baccalaureate from PSU in 2007 and passed the CPA exam in 2008.
I was first introduced to feminism in the 60’s with the emergence of the women’s liberation movement. Like many underrepresented groups, we were presented with new opportunities and awareness, but didn’t come from an upbringing that prepared or empowered us to put them fully into action. This is why it is so important that women support each other to be who they are proudly and to find a vocation in life where they can feely valued and inspired.
I love video games, reading, and hanging out with my little neurotic dog, Misty. My favorite book is The Secret History by Donna Tartt.”

Board

Lauren McCartney
lauren@inotherwords.org

“I have worked with the NE Coalition of Neighborhoods and the Native American Youth and Family Center in Portland, OR, and I bring my passion for equity and social change with my experience in community organizing, leadership development and non-profit organizational development to the IOW board. I love Adrienne Rich’s poems and essays because of her beautiful words and her strength in advocating that feminism must include the voices and experiences of the complexity of identities that people hold in our feminist community, because if we don’t, then we’re severely limiting ourselves in our work.”

Alice King
alice@inotherwords.org

“I am a social worker for a community non profit mental health agency.  My hobbies include pursuing social justice, chasing sailors, sewing, roller skating, arm wrestling and crocheting.  One of my favorite books is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.”

Celeste Grover
celeste@inotherwords.org

“I am a mostly left brained scientist that also dabbles as a basketball official.  In my spare time I  enjoy good food, making people laugh, and staying active. The book that got me to proudly claim the ‘f’ word as a sophomore in high school was Susan Faludi’s Backlash.”

Mykeia Martin
mykeia@inotherwords.org

“I am a Portland native and I was introduced to IOW in 2004 from friends and my studies at PSU.  I support women’s issues and the well being of all women.  I am a proud pet parent, humorous-wine connoisseur, and in my free time I enjoy winning at Scrabble and various card games.  I love traveling by airplane to warm sunny places.
I have been inspired by the writings of June Jordan, bell hooks, Alice Walker, Patrica Hill Collins and Gloria Anzaldua.”
“…Womanist…a woman who loves other women sexually and/or nonsexually. Appreciates and prefers women’s culture … and women’s strength … committed to survival and wholeness of entire people, male and female. Not a separatist … Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender.“–Alice Walker

Julie Park-Williams
julie@inotherwords.org

“I have been an IOW Board member since 2008.  I have worked and volunteered in the non-profit realm in Portland for the last several years.  In my spare time I enjoy dinner parties, hiking, and traveling.  I thank Kate Bornstein, Anne Fausto-Sterling, Judith Butler, and Susan Bordo for turning me on to feminism!”

Kim Meinert
kim@inotherwords.org

“I work for the state of Oregon as a case manager for families who are receiving public assistance.  I enjoy spending my spare time writing/reading poetry and eating cookies and volunteering as an interpreter at a nearby free health clinic.  But not all at the same time.  One of the (many) books that I hold close to my heart is Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde.”

Kate Kimball
kkate@inotherwords.org

Jeana Hooker
jeana@inotherwords.org

“I am a technical editor and have volunteered for various non-profits in Portland for the last several years. I am a pursuer of social justice, enriching life experiences, physical activity, good wine and great friends. I like coffee shops and good pens. At the same time. I prefer acoustic to electric, love poetry read out loud, and try to attend as many music & art festivals as I can. Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, Jennifer Baumgardner and Ani Difranco have educated and inspired my journey through feminism.”

Ali Young
aliy@inotherwords.org

“I currently volunteer with a non-profit that works to empower girls and young women. Additionally, I am a research assistant in the field of yoga and mindfulness. One of my favorite books is The Bell Jar. To me, feminism is ultimately about exposing the constructedness of taken for granted categories and norms and encouraging people to think critically about these constructs with the aim of increasing equity for everyone. In my free time I enjoy running, ultimate frisbee, and playing guitar.”