Board Of Directors
Cascade AIDS Project is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors who represent both the diversity of who the agency serves and the expertise and networks needed to ensure CAP’s continued success.
While the number of current Board members will vary generally between 14 and 18, the bylaws cap the number of Board members allowed at 21. The Board Officers and Committee Chairs are positions defined within the agency’s bylaws and are elected annually (typically in May). The full Board of Directors typically meets every other month and spends time in alternate months working on Board Committees that include Development, Finance, Nominations, Public Policy, and Executive.
Foy Renfro, President
Global Incentive Group
Foy Renfro is originally from South Carolina and moved west shortly after graduating from Clemson University in 1992, where he received a BS in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management. Foy lived for several years in San Francisco, where he worked for Premier Travel and The Gourmet Center before joining Lufthansa German Airlines west coast regional sales team in 2000. Lufthansa took Foy to Seattle and ultimately Portland, where he was the District Sales Manager for the Pacific Northwest from 2002 until 2007. Foy joined the Oregon State University Foundation in early 2007 and became Director of Individual Giving at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) through 2010.
Since Foy arrived in Portland he has been involved in the community through his support of The Oregon Sports Authority, Basic Rights Oregon, Portland Ambassador’s Program, Travel Portland, Our House of Portland, and Start Making A Reader Today (SMART) program. Foy became involved with Cascade AIDS Project in 2005 while he was representing Lufthansa. Growing up during the AIDS epidemic, Foy has a strong awareness of HIV/AIDS and believes strongly in CAP’s role in the community and its mission.
Jacqueline Yerby, Vice President
Cambia Health Solutions
Jackie Yerby is the Sustainability Program Manager for Cambia Health Solutions (formerly Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon). She works with management and employees to embed sustainability into the company’s planning, decision-making and operations. She had previously served as the company’s Ethics and Compliance Officer. She holds an undergraduate degree in History from Yale University and a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In additional to serving on CAP’s board where she chairs the Public Policy Committee, Jackie also serves on the board of Catholic Charities of Oregon and chairs the Peace and Justice Commission at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Southeast Portland.
Charles Washington, Secretary
Fred Meyer Stores Inc.
Charles Washington has worked for Fred Meyer Stores since 1998. He has worked as a Project Manager for many years doing various projects with Kroger, Fred Meyer’s parent company, and is currently a Manager in Information Services overseeing eCommerce and Web Development. Community activities include volunteer work for Adopt-a-Class, Lifeworks Northwest and many years of fundraising for Junior Achievement of SW Washington and Oregon. Charles recently joined the Board of Directors for CAP and serves on the Development Committee. Charles enjoys gardening and has lived in SW Portland for six years. Charles is dedicated to the mission of CAP and supporting the HIV positive community.
Ron Young, Treasurer
Community Volunteer
Ron Young has a long history with Cascade AIDS Project due to his work with the PAL program in the mid-80s. In addition, Ron brings substantial expertise in the area of human resource management, as he worked from 1978 to 2005 for Freightliner as employment manager. Other community/professional affiliations for Ron include work with the United Way Board of Directors, the Tri-County Affirmative Action Committee, Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Inc. (PCRI) and the Oregon Workforce Investment Board.
Kurt Beadell, Vibrant Table Catering & Events
Kurt Beadell is co-owner and creative director of Vibrant Table Catering & Events. The heartbreaking impact of AIDS/HIV motivated Kurt to become personally involved in the fight against this devastating disease. He has been an active contributor to Cascade AIDS Project and Our House for over 21 years.
Since 1990, Kurt has held several roles on CAP’s Art Auction Planning Committee, applying his expertise in the area of events, food and beverage management, and design to help raise valuable dollars at CAP’s annual fundraising auction. Kurt has a passion for cuisine, hospitality, and art. He has an impressive collection of art, and his own work has displayed in several local galleries, including the Museum of Contemporary Art.
M. Lamar Bryant, Jr., MD, The Vancouver Clinic
Lamar Bryant is originally from Mississippi, where he attended Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. He and his partner have been active supporters of CAP, Our House and Equal Rights Washington since moving to Vancouver in 2005. Lamar is passionate about wine, travel and SEC sports.
Mark Clift, McDonald Jacobs, PC
Mark Clift is the managing partner of McDonald Jacobs, a local accounting firm. McDonald Jacobs serves closely held commercial businesses, individuals and over 120 not-for-profit agencies. Mark joined the firm in 1999 to assist and lead the tax practice and became managing partner of the firm in 2008.
Mark moved to Portland and started his public accounting career in 1991 and soon joined the board of Our House of Portland. He has also served on the board of Friends of the Performing Arts Center, American Advertising Museum, Big Brother Big Sisters and the Portland Advertising Federation. Mark has been a long-term CAP volunteer through AIDS Walk and looks forward to being more involved as a board member. He enjoys outdoor activities, music and sings in the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus.
Kevin Cook, Darcelle XV Showplace
Kevin Cook’s involvement with Cascade AIDS Project goes back to the late 1980s as a volunteer with the PAL Program. Since then he has served many posts, mostly in Development and Special Events. His strong communication and organizational skills serve the organization well as a member of the Board and sub committees. Adding to those skills his welcoming personality and quick wit, he often emcees CAP events as his alter go, Poison Waters. Kevin is also a member of the planning commission that works year round on one of CAP’s programs, Camp Starlight.
Elisa Dozono, Miller Nash LLP
Elisa Dozono, an Associate at Miller Nash LLP, is a fourth generation Japanese American. Over the years her family battled discrimination through the World War II internment, and has continued to fight discrimination of all kinds. With several gay and lesbian family members, they have worked hard to improve and protect civil rights, fighting the various Oregon ballot measures. As a journalism student in the late 80s, Elisa reported frequently on AIDS. Today she writes about race and politics as a columnist for the Asian Reporter; she is a founder and member of the new Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association and a member of the board of Japan America Society of Oregon. Elisa had a childhood friend who as a hemophiliac received contaminated blood; he died of AIDS in 1987.
Jack Gahan, Community Volunteer
Jack Gahan most recently served the citizens of Oregon in the capacity of an Adjudicator for a state agency and has a seventeen-year career formerly as a banker with the Bank of America and West Coast Bank. He graduated from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon with a degree in economics in 1993 and is a member of the City Club of Portland. Jack has been a board member of Cascade AIDS Project for the last five years, after working with the organization for the past 11 years in various volunteer capacities.
Robert Goman, NIKE, Inc.
Robert Goman, a California native, relocated to Portland in 2002 to continue his career with NIKE, Inc. A 15-year veteran of NIKE, Robert works on the Global Retail Brand Presentation team in product presentation, an area of expertise and passion he has worked in for over 20 years. He also serves as the chair of the LGBT & Friends Network at NIKE. As the chair of the employee network Robert works to continue to educate and inspire other NIKE employees on the value of being involved and invested as a NIKE employee by being your “true self.”
Robert enjoys involvement within the Portland LGBT community with organizations like Cascade AIDS Project, Basic Rights Oregon and Q Center. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, and finding ways to make a difference. Robert sees Portland as a community of opportunity for everyone – just get involved.
Dr. Nancy Haigwood, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)
Dr. Haigwood heads up the Oregon National Primate Research Center (one of the eight national centers) and serves as an Adjunct Professor of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology at OHSU. For more than 25 years, Nancy has dedicated considerable efforts to HIV/AIDS research in the areas of vaccines and mother-to-child transmission. She has worked in both academia and with pharmaceutical enterprises on HIV vaccine design and testing, and she currently leads a highly collaborative research group at OHSU exploring the role of antibodies in controlling HIV. Over the past several years, Nancy and her husband have been major contributors to CAP.
Jennifer Jako, Fix Studio
Jennifer Jako is an eighteen year survivor of HIV/AIDS. Her infection at age eighteen inspired her to advocate for AIDS education and prevention. Her documentary film about HIV+ youth, “Blood Lines/It Could Be You,” broadcast for five years on MTV. This award-winning film is now used around the world to educate youth about HIV/AIDS. Her interviews have appeared on television and in print. In May of 2006, Jennifer appeared pregnant on the cover of Newsweek Magazine’s commemoration of the 25th anniversary of AIDS in America. Her media consultations have resulted in recent episodes of “Without a Trace” and “Gray’s Anatomy” based on her story. She has spoken directly with over 250,000 people, and her media outreach has communicated with tens of millions.
Jennifer has a three-year-old daughter born free of HIV due to adherence to HAART medications. She is engaged with her family and community and continues to empower and inform the public about HIV.
Warren Jimenez, Office of Mayor Adams, City of Portland
Warren Jimenez is the Chief of Staff for Mayor Sam Adams. He is responsible for leading, developing, and implementing Mayor Adams’ strategic goals for the city. Warren worked as the Mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff from 2009 through 2010 and as a Senior Policy Director for economic development and workforce training during Adams’ term as City Commissioner.
Prior to joining the mayor’s office, Warren served as the Executive Director of the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center. During his tenure, he built the internal infrastructure capacity of the organization and increased awareness to policy makers about the issue of HIV in Native communities.
Warren’s resume also includes Health Director for the Native American Rehabilitation Association, Area Manager for Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette and Executive Director of Tri-County Economic Development District. Warren is a member of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation located in Santa Barbara, California.
Liz Rabiner Lippoff, Liz, ink
Liz Rabiner Lippoff began her career as an English and journalism teacher in Beaverton, exposing young minds to Shakespeare and the three part essay. When her husband’s job took the family to a new state every few years, she turned her attention to volunteering, spending time with the kids and learning new skills: business communications, public relations and marketing. What she found was a way to a new career when she was ready to get back to the business world.
Liz has been public relations director for a runaway shelter and interim public relations director for the American Red Cross in Central Florida. Now a freelance marketing and PR consultant, she works primarily with professional service providers, especially physicians, and with non profits … when she’s not in the gym or at the stove.
Robert Lusk, MD, Providence Health & Services
Robert Lusk is a native Texan transplanted to the northwest for the last 19 years. He received his undergraduate education at the University of Houston (go Coogs!) and went to medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He finished his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch Hospitals, then moved to Portland for a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Oregon Health and Sciences University. After the fellowship, he worked for 8 years in Salem where he provided HIV care and served as medical director of Willamette Valley Hospice. In 2001 Robert moved to Portland to take a position at the newly created Providence Milwaukie Hospital Family Medicine Residency. Since 2005 he has served as the associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency program at Providence Portland Medical Center. In his practice he cares for many types of infectious diseases, but HIV/AIDS is a large part of his practice.
He is active in the community in a variety of volunteer roles. He has served on the board of Our House of Portland and as their Medical Director for almost 11 years. He has also been active with the Oregon Repertory Singers, Social Venture Partners Portland and his church. Robert and his partner of 15 years, Christopher Bailey, live in southeast Portland on the slopes of Mt. Tabor. They enjoy cooking, entertaining friends and bicycling.
Michael O’Connor, Epiq Systems
Michael O’Connor is a Project Director in the Class Action and Claim Solutions division of Epiq Systems, Inc. Epiq is a publicly traded company with 12 offices around the world. The company assists law firms, corporate legal departments, governmental bodies, bankruptcy trustees and other legal professionals in the areas of class action claims administration, bankruptcy administration and eDiscovery. Prior to joining Epiq, Michael practiced law for 13 years.
Michael, a Portland native, was selected as one of the Portland Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40″ in 2006 for both his professional accomplishments and community involvement. He was named by his peers as a 2009 “Rising Star” in Oregon Super Lawyers® magazine. In 2000, Michael was honored with the Multnomah Bar Association’s Michael E. Haglund Outstanding Volunteer Award for his pro bono work with the Domestic Violence Project and Cascade AIDS Project.
Michael is committed to community service and is a member of several non-profit boards. He has served on CAP’s Board of Directors since 2006 and was Board President for fiscal year 2011.
Maria Rojo de Steffey, ALMAR Contracting LLC
With a lifelong family commitment to public service, former Multnomah County, Oregon Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey has followed her parent’s path towards economic security and social justice for a diverse community. Ms. Rojo de Steffey has worked in workforce development, in higher education, managed a ballpark and worked in government. Ms. Rojo de Steffey was elected to the position of Multnomah County Commissioner in 2001 and again in 2004 having each time won her seat in the primary. On December 31, 2008, she completed her second term as a Multnomah County Commissioner.
Ms. Rojo de Steffey has extensive public and private sector experience. Prior to her position as Commissioner, she was the Director of Multnomah County Department of Sustainable Community Development. Previously, Ms. Rojo de Steffey served as the manager of Civic Stadium (now PGE Park) and has worked with the Private Industry Council and other organizations focusing on workforce issues. She also held positions at the University of Oregon and the University of Maryland.
Brian Wong, MD, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)
Dr. Brian Wong is Professor and Director, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine at OHSU. Dr. Wong has been a supporter of Cascade AIDS Project since he moved to Portland in 2006. Prior to his arrival in Portland, he served as the Chief of the Infectious Disease Section of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Wong’s work with HIV and its associated conditions dates to the early days of the pandemic.