Spring has sprung! As incoming co-chairs of the OPHI board, we feel an incredible sense of energy and possibility about OPHI’s team (Board and staff!) as we head into this new season.Let us introduce ourselves:

• Sami Jarrah: Sami has a master’s in public health from University of Washington and serves as the Deputy Director for Integrated Clinical Services at the Multnomah County Health Department. He spends much of his time analyzing health policy, leading a great team, and supporting large clinic and jail health systems. His role allows him to engage right in the sweet spot between health care and public health. But he’s used to that: the child of a mom from Michigan and a dad from the Middle East, he finds comfort in the in-between spots. When he’s not working or filling his OPHI board responsibilities, you might find Sami riding his bike around town to an art gallery or estate sale.

• Anne Philipsborn: Anne is a recently retired Nike executive. She spent 23 years at Nike and served in a variety of leadership roles in Retail, Product Development, Manufacturing, Sales, Operations, and Merchandising. She is passionate about making health and fitness accessible to all and is pushing the OPHI team to have deep, meaningful discussions on equity and inclusion. She is currently studying and apprenticing to be an Iyengar Yoga teacher. When she’s not at the yoga studio or filling her OPHI board responsibilities, you might find Anne hiking in the Gorge or working in her vegetable garden.

So, why co-chairs? As you can see, we come to OPHI with very different backgrounds. The blending of our experiences and skills are a strong fit for where OPHI is today and where we’re headed. While we have many priorities, we are clear that equity and inclusion along with business development are top priorities for the team.

We will continue to engage with community members and public health professionals at a grassroots level across our large and diverse state. We hope to meet you soon and that you will look for new opportunities to work with OPHI to improve the health of Oregonians.

Our search for OPHI’s next executive director

Last October, we announced that Liz Baxter, our executive director, was getting ready to move to Bellingham, WA. While she hasn’t left OPHI yet, she has set OPHI up for its next stage of growth, and that leaves with an untraditional search for the next ED.We have big ideas, and need a leader capable of actualizing those ideas.The team has actively been searching, and so far, we have had dozens of incredible applicants for the job from near and very far, and we are excited to be reviewing some very strong candidates.

The search and recruitment process, along with meeting with several of the candidates, has helped us become clearer and sharper that OPHI is primed to move to the next level of being a premier Institute. We need a leader who is visionary about the public’s health, with a strong business development mindset, and unswerving focus on equity. If you, or someone you know, might be a good fit for OPHI’s future, please contactKarli Thorstenson.

As we continue this important search, Liz has graciously agreed to stay on as ED, supporting OPHI and the teamuntil the next steps aredecided. After that Liz will join our pool of consultants/subcontractors. Thanks Liz!

Board Transitions

Since we have prioritized equity and inclusion, we continue to push ourselves to embrace these principles in all we do. We are excited about the current composition of ourand the rich conversations we have.

We are grateful for Paige Sipes-Metzler, DPA, MSN, RN, Vice President of Aon Consulting,who has recently rolled off the board after many years of serving our organization and thank her for her long term leadership!

And in the past year, we welcomed these exciting additions to the OPHI Board:

• Ben Duncan, Chief Diversity and Equity Officer, Multnomah County
• Alicia Atalla-Mei, MPH, Social Determinants of Health Manager, Oregon Primary Care Association
• LaKeesha Dumas, Community Health Worker and Peer Support Specialist
• Aaron Lones, MPH, Senior Associate, Point B Management Consultant

We are always looking for great talent to join the OPHI board. If you are interested in being part of this dynamic organization, please reach out to OPHI Board member Jennifer Pratt atboard@ophi.org, and she can provide information about upcoming opportunities.