Council Chair Claire Hall
Claire Hall has served 14 years as a Lincoln County Commissioner. She has made housing and homelessness the primary focus of her work at the local, state and national levels.
The US Interagency Council on Homelessness honored her with the "Home for Every American Award." She received the award at a conference in Washington DC in 2008. Ms. Hall was one of two county officials to receive the award.
The Commissioner has served as Chair of the Association of Oregon Counties. She represents a rural coastal district that faces steep housing challenges. She also previously served as Co-chair of the Oregon Ending Homelessness Advisory Council.
Council Term
7/01/2018 to 6/30/2026
Councilmember Sami Jo Difuntorum
E-Mail
Sami Jo Difuntorum is a member of the Kwekaeke band of Shasta from the Upper Klamath River canyon of Northern California. Ms. Difuntorum presently serves as the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) board member representing Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and previously served as the NAIHC Chairwoman for two terms. Ms. Difuntorum has been employed as the Housing Executive Director for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians since 2010 and previously worked for a Tribally Designated Housing Entity in California for 16 years.
Her experience in tribal housing spans 26 years and includes providing testimony to the United States Congress during the reauthorization of the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), representing the National American Indian Housing Council at the first tribal leader meeting with the White House, and membership on the Indian Housing Block Grant Formula Negotiated Rulemaking Committee.
Ms. Difuntorum has served on numerous boards and committees including co-chair of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Housing Committee, Chair of the NAIHC Legislative Committee, Vice-Chair of the Northwest Indian Housing Association, Chair of the National Congress of American Indians Housing Sub-Committee, and as board member of the former Lincoln Community Development Corporation.
Ms. Difuntorum currently resides in Oregon.
Council Term
11/25/2019 to 06/30/2023
Councilmember Mary Ferrell
Mary Ferrell is the founder and Executive Director of Maslow Project. A lifelong Oregonian, Mary graduated from Southern Oregon University and began working with children and families in 2000 as an advocate in the public school system for the civil rights of homeless students.
Mary founded Maslow Project in 2009 in response to a need in her community. Her vision was to offer a service delivery model that works best for those needing help – low barrier, trauma informed, and responsive to changing needs. Maslow has gained national and international attention and Mary has received numerous awards for outstanding service and community impact. Mary’s experience brings a lens as a service provider to a population that often has extensive barriers to housing, education, and employment.
Mary is an American Leadership Senior Fellow, Vice Chair of the Jackson County Continuum of Care, and has served on numerous advisories and initiatives in support of her State and community. She currently sits as a Governor appointed member of the Oregon Housing Stability Council.
Council Term
10/01/2020 to 6/30/2024
Councilmember Mary Li
Mary Li is the Director of the Multnomah Idea Lab (MIL) at the Multnomah County Department of County Human Services. The MIL is charged with seeking policy and innovation within the human services and government sectors. The MIL aims to positively change community conditions resulting from poverty and racism. They accomplish this by practicing:
- Human-centered design
- Seeking out critical thinking and research
- Conducting applied research tests in the real world
Council Term
07/01/2018 to 6/30/2026
Councilmember,
Gerard F. Sandoval, PhD
Dr. Sandoval is an associate professor at the University of Oregon. He serves in the department of planning, public policy, and management.
His research intersects areas of urban planning, immigration, and community change. This includes issues such as housing affordability in low-income neighborhoods.
Dr. Sandoval has published in journals focused on urban planning and community development including:
- The Journal of Planning Education and Research
- Urban Studies
- Community Development
- The Journal of Urbanism
He received his Ph.D. and MA in city and regional planning from the University of California at Berkeley. He received his BA in community development from the University of California at Davis. Dr. Sandoval served as an intelligence officer in the U.S Army National Guard.
Council Term
05/03/2017 to 6/30/2024
Councilmember Javier Mena
E-mail
Born in Ecuador, Javier Mena immigrated to Portland in 1982. He served in the Army for two years and graduated from Portland State University with a degree in Economics and minor in International Studies. He has over 25 years of finance and public policy experience in the private and public sectors.
Mena currently works as the affordable housing manager at the City of Beaverton. To ensure the City continues being the most diverse city in the state, he focuses on ensuring affordable rental and homeownership housing opportunities are available to all, especially Black, Indigenous, People of Color and marginalized communities. Until July 2018, he was the assistant director of the Portland Housing Bureau, where he had worked since 2010 in various roles. He worked with more than 40 nonprofits and service providers that partnered with the Housing Bureau to ensure the City's housing and rent-assistance programs were fulfilling their mission. Mena also has an extensive record in the finance industry, working for Wells Fargo until 2006 as an assistant vice president.
Mena currently serves on the Boards of Network for Oregon Affordable Housing (NOAH) and Community Housing Fund (CHF); he also serves on the Oregon Zoo Bond Oversight Committee
Council Term
05/14/2021-06/30/2026
Sharon Nickleberry Rogers, CPA
Email
Sharon Nickleberry Rogers is a native Portland resident who resides in NE Portland with her husband and is an empty nester while her daughter attends college in Texas. She has observed the changes throughout the city of Portland with the population growth, the housing developments in NE Portland, and the increased number of people experiencing housing issues throughout the state.
Her compassion for housing stems from her childhood when her parents provided housing for family members relocating to Portland. She recognized early on the importance of housing and knew having a safe place to call home was special. Sharon's parents' commitment to helping others ignited her interest in helping others.
She is a public servant employed as a Financial Analyst III with the City of Portland. She has over 20 years of experience in various financial roles with the Internal Revenue Service, PricewaterhouseCoopers, NE Community Development Corporation, Harsch Investment Properties, and Home Forward.
Sharon received her undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon and two master's degrees from Portland State University in Business and Taxation. Additionally, she's a licensed, certified public accountant with the State of Oregon.
She is passionate about serving the community and making a difference for vulnerable residents who lack adequate or affordable housing and is honored to serve on the Oregon Housing Stability Council.
Council Term
06/10/2022-06/30/2025