Board Members

Robert Aldisert is a partner at Perkins Coie LLP. He joined the CLP board in 2011 and currently serves as Chair after two years as Vice Chair and chair of the Resource Development Committee. In addition to his regular board duties, Rob regularly volunteers to judge We the People and mock trial competitions. He’s also for many years been active with local youth as a volunteer and high school baseball umpire.

Steven Wilker is a partner at Tonkon Torp LLP. He joined the CLP board in 2014 and is currently Vice Chair. He has also served as co-chair of the Legal Citizen committee and is on the resource development committee. Steven has been active in other community organizations including serving on the Board of Directors and Lawyers Committee for the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, Inc. and the Board of Directors of Metropolitan Family Service.

Matt Park is a CPA and Senior Manager at Perkins and Company. He joined the CLP board in 2014, bringing his spirit of collaboration, attention to detail, and dedication to education. Matt currently serves as the board Secretary and Treasurer.

Steffan Alexander is a shareholder at Markowitz Herbold PC. He joined the CLP board in 2015. In addition to his regular board duties, Steffan serves on the annual scholarship committee and coaches the Jefferson High School Mock Trial team. In 2018, he was appointed to the Oregon Public Defense Services Commission by Chief Justice Thomas Balmer.

Charissa Anderson is Senior Vice President at West Bearing Investments, a division of Ferguson Wellman. She joined the CLP board in 2011 and serves as co-chair of the golf tournament committee.

Robb Ball is a retired founding partner of Ball Janik LLP. He joined the CLP board in 2017, bringing a wealth of experience in non-profit board experience including terms as Board Chair for OPB, the Nature Conservancy, and Whitman College. Robb serves on the finance, board development, and Legal Citizen committees and has volunteered for We the People competitions.

Hon. Thomas Balmer is an Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, appointed in 2001 by Gov. John Kitzhaber. Justice Balmer joined the CLP board in 2000 and regularly volunteers to judge mock trial and We the People team competitions. He has also served as Board Chair. He served as Oregon’s Chief Justice from 2012 to 2018. He has also taught as adjunct faculty at Lewis and Clark Law School and serves on the board of the Oregon Law Institute. In 2016, Justice Balmer was named CLP’s Legal Citizen of the Year.

Paul Berg is managing partner at Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP. He joined the CLP board in 2018, bringing a passion for education and a commitment to ensuring that young people develop trust and confidence in our public institutions.

Sam Breyer is the Superintendent of the Multnomah Education Service District. He joined the CLP board in 2017, bringing decades of education experience as a teacher and administrator in Oregon schools. He also serves on the finance committee and volunteers with We the People competitions.

Jim Carter retired from Nike, Inc. as VP and General Counsel in 2010. He joined the CLP board in 1999 bringing a passion for civic engagement that he demonstrated in his time at Nike and as Chair of the Port of Portland Commission. Jim is chair of the board development committee and a regular volunteer for CLP programs; he also served two years as Board Chair. In 2018, he was named CLP’s Legal Citizen of the Year.

Nance Case is a teacher at Antonia Crater Elementary in Newberg, OR. She joined the CLP board in 2013, bringing a wealth of experience in teaching civic engagement to her students, including CLP’s We the People curriculum. Nance was named the 2015-16 CLP Civic Educator of the Year.

John Casey is a litigation partner at Stoel Rives LLP. He joined the CLP board in 2014 and is chair of the reach and inclusion committee. John volunteers extensively with CLP programs and has coached the Madison High School We the People Con team. He also is President of the Georgetown Club of Oregon, serves on the board of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest, and is active in the Oregon State Bar, including leadership roles in the Business Litigation and Securities Regulation sections.

Laura Dominic is a senior consultant at Tsongas Litigation Consulting, Inc. She joined the CLP board in 2017 after many years as a community judge for both mock trial and We the People competitions. She also regularly volunteers as a guide for the court tour program.

Marjorie Elken is a shareholder at Buckley Law. She joined the CLP board in 2017, bringing a commitment to ensuring civic engagement programs reach all students. Margie currently serves on the Legal Citizen and reach and inclusion committees and volunteers for the We the People and mock trial competitions.

Melissa Healy is an associate at Stoel Rives LLP. She joined the CLP board in 2017 after a few years coaching for the Parkrose We the People Con team. She has also volunteered to judge mock trial competitions and serves on the reach and inclusion committee.

Hon. Karin Immergut is a Judge of the Multnomah County Circuit Court. She was appointed to the Court by Gov. Kulongoski in 2009 after having served as United States Attorney for the District of Oregon for six years. Judge Immergut joined the CLP board in 2016 and serves on the Legal Citizen and board development committee. She has also volunteered as a judge for We the People competitions.

Noah Jarrett is an attorney and industry group leader at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC. He joined the CLP board in 2009 and serves on the resource development committee. Noah also volunteers regularly to judge mock trial and We the People competitions.

Steve Johansen is a Professor of Law and Director of the Lawyering Program at Lewis and Clark Law School. He joined the CLP board in 2013 and serves as co-chair of the golf tournament committee. Steve has volunteered extensively in CLP programs including judging at We the People and Project Citizen days at the state Capitol and We the People Con team coaching. He was the 2009 recipient of the Thomas F. Blackwell award.

Richard Josephson retired as SVP and General Counsel at Schnitzer Steel in 2015; before that he practiced law at Stoel Rives LLP. He joined the CLP board in 2014, bringing his passion for civic engagement and community service. Rich volunteers regularly in CLP programs, judging mock trial and We the People competitions. He also serves on the resource development committee.

Tom Karnes is a partner at Ater Wynne LLP. He joined the CLP board in 2018, bringing a commitment to multi-generational responsibility for active community participation and a background in providing legal services to non-profits. He volunteers with We the People competitions.

Sid Khanijou is Associate General Counsel at Cambia Health Solutions. He joined the CLP board in 2018. Sid advises the Provider, Pharmacy, and Clinical Services teams on healthcare insurance and managed care regulations, transactions, medical management policies, litigation, and provider contracting. Sid has a passion for healthcare. Clients look to him for cutting-edge strategic counseling, risk management, regulatory policy, and government affairs assistance to meet the challenges posed by this fast-paced environment.

Margaret Kirkpatrick is Of Counsel at Pearl Legal Group. Before she joined the Pearl Legal Group, Margaret was a partner at Stoel Rives, LLP, followed by ten years as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for NW Natural.She joined the CLP board in 2010 and has served as board chair. Throughout her career, Margaret has been committed to community service; she is currently Chair of the Oregon Chapter of the Nature Conservancy Board of Trustees and also serves on the PSU Board of Trustees and the Children’s Institute Board.

Peter Koehler is an attorney currently practicing arbitration and dispute resolution with extensive corporate and trial experience including serving as US General Counsel and Legal Vice-President at Nike, Inc. Peter joined the CLP board in 2010 and has served two terms as board chair. In addition to his CLP board and volunteer service, he is a member of numerous other charitable and non-profit boards, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Shelley Larkins is a retired attorney. She is also an active community volunteer and supporter of education. She joined the CLP board in 2009 and has served as co-chair of the Legal Citizen committee for many years. Shelley also coaches the Grant We the People Con team.

Crystal Lindquist is Assistant General Counsel at Portland General Electric. She joined the CLP board in 2015, bringing a passion for education and civic engagement. Crystal serves on the resource development and scholarship committees.

Chris Magaña is the President and Chief Compliance Officer at IMS Capital Management. He joined the CLP board in 2008 and has served as treasurer. He is on the board of the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools and was named one of the Portland Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” in 2011. Chris also serves as chair of the United Way Advisory Council and teaches as an adjunct at Willamette University’s Atkinson School of Management and Washington State University – Vancouver.

Hon. Jean Maurer is a former presiding judge of the Multnomah County Circuit Court in Oregon. She joined the court in 1996 and retired in 2016. She now works full-time as a mediator with Maurer mediation. She joined the CLP board in 2011 and regularly volunteers as a mock trial coach and judge. She has also taught at Lewis and Clark Law School as adjunct faculty. Judge Maurer was named CLP Legal Citizen of the Year in 2010.

Kimberley McGair is shareholder and firm president of Farleigh Wada Witt. She pursued a career in law after participating in mock trial as a student and regularly volunteers to judge mock trial competitions. Kim joined the CLP board in 2010 and serves on the Legal Citizen committee. She is also a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society.

John McGrory is a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and chair of the firm’s Portland office litigation department. He joined the CLP board in 2015 and regularly volunteers as a mock trial coach and We the People competition judge. John also serves on the boards of the Mt. Hood Museum and Cultural Center and the St. Andrew’s Legal Clinic. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Beth Merrill is a civics and history teacher at Sunset High School in Beaverton. She regularly uses CLP materials in her classroom. Her Project Citizen students have presented their projects before the Beaverton City Council, advocating for real policy change. Beth joined the CLP board in 2018, following a long family tradition of public service and leadership.

Jay Nusbaum is Vice President and General Counsel at Vestas – American Wind Technology, Inc. He joined the CLP board in 2017 and has volunteered as a We the People and mock trial competition judge and civics conference facilitator. Jay has also served on the board of the Oregon chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Angelique Okeke is Assistant General Counsel at Nike, Inc. where she serves as lead attorney for the Global Digital Commerce & Retail business. Angelique is originally from Washington, DC and was Vice President and General Counsel at Lotame, an online advertising data management platform company. She was also in private practice at Cooley and Bingham McCutchen where her practice concentrated on Mergers & Acquisitions. Outside of her regular work day, Angelique is very involved in the community and serves on the Tualatin Hills Park Foundation Board of Trustees, serves on the leadership team of Nike’s Black Employee Network, Women of Digital and Women of STEM which raises awareness about the issues regarding Pay Equity and Gender Equality, and the desire to create an inclusive culture. She joined the CLP Board in 2018.

Jollee Patterson is Senior Counsel at Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP. Prior to joining the firm, she served as General Counsel for Portland Public Schools for 16 years. She joined the CLP board in 2015 and regularly volunteers as a We the People competition judge; she also serves on the reach and inclusion committee. Jollee serves on the Oregon State Bar Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion and the Multnomah Bar Association’s Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity.

AJ Prasad is VP Branch Manager Portland Downtown for Columbia Bank. He joined the board in 2015, bringing his passion for community service and education. AJ serves on the resource development and reach and inclusion committees.

David Reese is Vice President, Chief of Staff, General Counsel, and Board Secretary for Lewis and Clark College. Prior to this appointment, he served as General Counsel for Portland State University and Gov. Kulongoski. David joined the CLP board in 2012, bringing his passion for education and civic engagement. He serves on the resource development committee and regularly volunteers as a We the People competition judge.

Bruce Rubin is a partner at Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP. He joined the CLP board in 2007 and is a regular volunteer as a mock trial coach and judge. Bruce also serves on the Legal Citizen committee. He is a former member of the Oregon State Bar’s Pro Bono Committee and was given the Clifford N. Carlsen Jr. Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Achievement.

MardiLyn Saathoff is Senior Vice President of Regulation and General Counsel at NW Natural. She has also served as General Counsel for Gov. Kulongoski and Assistant Attorney General with the Oregon Department of Justice. Prior to her career in law, MardiLyn taught high school in the Beaverton School District. She joined the CLP board in 2017 and serves on the board development committee. She has served on many non-profit and governmental boards and commissions and is currently chair of the Oregon Lottery Commission.

Darin Sands is a shareholder and Chairs both the Data Security and Privacy Team and the Class Action Team Chair at Lane Powell PC. He joined the CLP board in 2014 and serves on the resource development committee. Darin is a coach for the Lincoln High School We The People Con Team.

Hon. Michael H. Simon is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. He was appointed to the bench by President Obama in 2011. Prior to that he was a partner at Perkins Coie LLP. Judge Simon joined the CLP board in 2001 and has been an active volunteer in many programs. He regularly judges for We the People competitions and presides over the Mock Trial state championship. He also served as board Chair.

Brian Talcott is a partner in Dunn Carney LLP’s Litigation Team. He joined the CLP board in 2011 and serves on the resource development committee. Brian is a regular volunteer with the We the People program and judges at state and regional competitions.

Kate Wilkinson is Senior Director and Assistant Counsel at The Standard Insurance Company. She previously served as the Director of Litigation Services at the Oregon School Boards Association and as General Counsel of C&K Market. Ms. Wilkinson has also been an adjunct law professor at both University of Oregon School of Law and Willamette College of Law. She joined the CLP board in 2018 and is very active as a mock trial coach and judge.

Rep. Jennifer Williamson is Majority Leader of the Oregon House of Representatives and Representative for District 36. She joined the CLP board in 2010 and regularly volunteers at the annual civics conference and the Project Citizen showcase at the Capitol.