Board of Directors

Katrina brings over a decade of experience as a health educator / public health professional with a passion for reproductive justice and community organizing. She is currently the Assistant Regional Testing Coordinator for Region 2 on Oregon Health Authority's (OHA) COVID-19 Response and Recovery Unit (CRRU). As a member of the Oregon Adolescent Health Alliance (OAHA) board, she drives community collaboration and works hard to ensure that all Oregon youth have access to comprehensive health education and reproductive health services. In addition to her work with OHA and MESD, Katrina serves in leadership roles on the board of the Oregon School Board Association (OSBA), as the founder of Northwest Quality Care (NQC) and is an active volunteer for a variety of nonprofits like NWAAF. Katrina lives in South-East Portland and enjoys baking, gardening, her ducks Abbi and Ilana, and creating fun fundraisers.

Amanda Squiemphen-Yazzie is a dedicated advocate for Indigenous and underserved communities, with a strong commitment to advancing social change through culturally grounded leadership. She’s Wasco, Navajo, Yakima and a Citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Squiemphen-Yazzie was raised in Warm Springs on her family's cattle ranch.

She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Practice and Leadership with Communities and Organizations from Portland State University and has a robust background in community organizing, public policy, and Indigenous advocacy. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her strategic leadership in campaign management, coalition building, and project development, all while advocating for the needs and rights of underserved populations.

Renee was born in San Francisco, California, and earned her degree in mathematics from UCLA. She began her teaching career in Compton, California, while awaiting her Peace Corps assignment in Liberia, West Africa. Upon returning to the U.S., she taught mathematics in Berkeley before accepting a position as Director of the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program at San Francisco State University. In 1985, she was recruited to launch a MESA Program for Portland Public Schools in Portland, Oregon.

Later, Renee joined Saturday Academy (SA) as Outreach Director, where she was tasked with increasing participation among students of color in SA’s workshops and internship programs. In 2000, she returned to the classroom, teaching until 2012—a decision driven by her love for teaching and the flexibility it provided to spend time with her two children during school breaks.

Today, Renee is on the Board of Oregon Alliance of Black School Educators on the Portland Chapter of the NAACP. She is also the Program Coordinator for the Black Student Success Network and Co-Chair of the African American/Black Student Success Advisory Group for the Oregon Department of Education. Renee remains deeply committed to ensuring that all students receive the quality education they deserve.

Jessica is an experienced educator and cross-sector systems collaborator and has spent the last 10+ years leading and coordinating efforts to improve outcomes for the children who face the most barriers. She is currently the Chief Impact Officer at Greater Than (formerly “I Have a Dream” Foundation of Oregon), an education nonprofit working in the Reynolds and Hillsboro school districts. As a member of the Leadership Team at Greater Than, she drives decisions and strategy for the organization’s Impact Model. In addition to her work at Greater Than, Jessica has served on several statewide committees and boards including the Governor appointed Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee, the Student Success Act Rules Advisory Committee, the Legislative Policy Committee with Oregon School Board Association, and with the National School Board Association as a member of the Delegate Assembly. Jessica also spent 8 years with the Women’s Foundation of Oregon in multiple roles including Board Member, Board Vice-Chair, Grants Committee Chair, and Treasurer. She lives in Gresham with her family, enjoys the outdoors, long distance running, and absolutely loves being a new mom. ​

Elected as its youngest member, Danny brings well-rounded community and government experience and is an active community organizer. He currently works in property management with Cascida Health and homeless services with Portland Streetcar. Working at the intersection of sustainability and education, Danny helped craft and lead the drive with Portland Public Schools to implement its climate policy, which is one of the strongest climate policies in the nation for a school district to adopt. Danny has served on several local and statewide committees and boards, including the Governor-appointed Oregon Environmental Justice Council, Oregon Department of Education civics review committee, Multnomah County homeless advisory committee, and vice-chaired Portland Public Schools climate committee. Danny lives in Southwest Portland with his partner and is currently pursuing his Political Science degree from Portland State University.

Susie Jones is a lifelong educator who taught for 30 years in the North Clackamas and David Douglas School Districts, and at Mt. Hood Community College. Her first school board tenure was at Mt. Hood Community College from 2013-2017, where she served for two years as chair and headed a bond campaign. Next, she served on the MESD board from 2017-2021, one year as chair.

Susie believes that all students deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential and should have multiple exposures to pathways to success. She also believes that curriculum should be responsive to both personal and social needs. 

In her spare time Susie is a performing musician and enjoys traveling and the outdoors. She has one daughter and son-in-law and is looking forward to grandchildren.

Denyse O. Peterson was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and graduated from Jefferson High School. Her focus professionally has been on regional government and education. She worked in the 72nd and 73rd Oregon State Senate Legislation session for Senator Avel Gordly, mediating with various agencies to bring resolutions to the challenges of affordable housing, employment and food. She also has 12 years of experience at Metro E-R Commission serving seven commissioners and the general manager. She served for six years as a Personal Family Counselor for Dignity Memorial, at Caldwell’s Funeral and Mortuary assisting families in “Planning ahead 4 All the Right Reasons”. For the last 14 years, she has worked at Portland Community College and currently serves on the Executive Council for the college’s union, the A.F.T., and is the V.P. of Political Action, which affords her a meeting with an elected official each month. Denyse has been an active volunteer with faith based and community organizations since she was a child. For 25 years, she has mentored homeless women helping them to transform their lives, liaising with DHS and the courts in working towards reunification with their children. Denyse has coordinated the Portland Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Breakfast with the Skanner News for more than 20 years.