??Portland Business Journal 40 Under 40! ??

Hey, that’s me in the Portland Business Journal 40 Under 40 Awards! ???

?? What an honor, especially being recognized alongside powerhouse political friends like Christine Lewis, Felicita Monteblanco and others.

When I learned about the award, I went back to my early days working in Portland.

I was a scrappy and forever-running-late intern at R\West, looking up to these incredible women leading the team there, including Elizabeth Morrow McKenzie and Heather Stammer Villanueva.

?? I was driving from Western Oregon University in Monmouth to SE Portland each day in my Kia Sephia that we called the ‘flying tomato’ thanks to its red-trending-sun faded pink hue. It was a long drive, and the car didn't even have a decent radio signal. But I was dedicated.

??? Portland was glittery and shiny and felt like an enormous city to a girl from a small Alaskan town with two stoplights. I was forever getting lost on this interstate or that exit, traversing the city with a map I barely knew how to use or faintly printed Google Map directions. I spent evenings with friends who had just moved to NW 23th Avenue and reveled in the newness of this massive and exciting place before returning to my lovely, safe college town.?

Preparing to graduate, I eagerly pursued an entry-level PR role in Portland. I had notched internship after internship in preparation for this moment. But in the face of the Great Recession, the economic landscape collapsed almost as quickly as I applied for jobs, agencies were losing clients, and news headlines were filled with pink slips and mass layoffs. It was a difficult and heartbreaking moment as I ultimately turned my attention further south, accepting a position in San Francisco that kick-started my career in the face of the impending economic doom. But I was incredibly lucky for that experience, too; it was formative for my career. PR industry titans like Jennifer Thompson in Alaska, and in San Francisco Shannon Hutto , Bill Bourdon , January Machold , Mina Manchester fostered, mentored, and taught me basically everything I know -- and I'm still watching from afar and learning from them daily.

?? Years later, with several years of professional experience and a pipe dream to parlay my PR experience into a career in political campaigns, I returned to Portland. I found a city that was brand new to me and just as fantastic, yet somehow felt much smaller and almost like home. I began working on political and legislative campaigns, and I loved the work so much that I swear I could nearly eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I felt adopted by Oregon, and I loved giving back to this state and learning from it.?

?? First, I worked for the Oregon Senate Democrats, Majority Leader Diane Rosenbaum , and Senate President Peter Courtney whom I admired as much as I tried to stay out of the way of. I learned so much from Christine and Tom Powers and Christy Splitt and the whole crew of badasses working in and around that team. I found a new home working for the team of Senate Democrats as we won a supermajority in 2014.

? Then I got a call from Governor Tina Kotek when she was Speaker of the House, and you can never say no to her or Jennifer Williamson , so I worked for the Oregon House Democrats, working with a fantastic team to win another majority in 2016.

? Then I got a call to help Governor Kate Brown win in 2018, and despite having a newborn, I took that job too and pumped in the bathroom until we knocked every single door and won every ballot measure and won the Governor’s race by 6 damn points and ushered in a whole new generation of campaign leaders, and DAMN has it all been so good!?

? In 2017 I started Stuart Collective which seemed like such a crazy idea that my lovely mother got me a magnet that reads, “leap, and the net will appear.”?

I still have the magnet on my coffee maker, which nudges me forward each morning.

?? This summer we celebrate our sixth anniversary in business, and our client roster has included indomitable nonprofits, labor unions, political action committees, and state agencies taking on the toughest fights and the most significant challenges our region faces.

?? Usually, when the news is bad or the campaign is tough, we get a call.

And I love that.

?? Our firm developed campaigns to pass the Student Success Act and overtime for Oregon farmworkers, organized for a more inclusive democracy, worked to address the devastating impacts of climate change and recruited and helped fund and train candidates running for office at every level.

And now, I’m growing our team, expanding it, and adding to our work. I love every day of it. I'm grateful to our team and my friends at the firm, particularly Ethan Krow .

?? So to say I feel absolutely humbled to be able to contribute to this incredible place that I now call home is an understatement. Of course, I married an Oregonian — a proud Portland Public Schools teacher — and now we have two little Oregon boys that help me see this place in a new light. Thank you to my husband for going for my dreams with such zeal. And I am damn proud to call this beautiful place my home. I am incredibly fortunate to live and work here, to immerse myself in the unique challenges and opportunities that Portland presents. It is both a responsibility and a privilege to help our city and state progress toward a brighter future.

I am grateful to my professors and mentors at Western Oregon University , my small but mighty alma mater that nurtured and incubated my early career when it mattered the most. Nick Backus and Mark Henkels , your mentorship was everything. Thank you. Oregon Student Association , thank you for giving me a moment to shine and organize early on — even if I liked campaigning for office more than public service :). To my amazing Oregon adopted family, thank you for pushing me forward and laughing along the way ( Chelsie Taresh Ciscell M.S. and Kiki Dohman ).

?? And my friends working in Oregon politics from every corner of this work: Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for trusting me with our fights and encouraging me to take on tough campaigns - and knowing that I love a good challenge — even when I would’ve sometimes rather taken the easier gig. I appreciate you. And, please, if you see me exclusively eating canned soup on the campaign trail ever again, point me in the direction of a fresh salad.

None of this would have been possible without the guidance, support, and friendship of my mentors, friends, and colleagues. Just like the magnet reminding me to 'leap' every day, this honor reminds me to push forward and be humbled but determined to address the challenges of our city and state.

And, I'm just getting started!?

?? There is plenty more work to do, and I can't wait to see what's next.?

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