Urban League President to Speak at City Club of Portland April 22
At its weekly Friday Forum luncheon on April 22, City Club of Portland welcomes Urban League of Portland President and CEO Vanessa Gaston in a presentation titled “Urban League of Portland: A New Day, A New Direction.”
Portland, OR (PRWEB) April 10, 2005
At its weekly Friday Forum luncheon on April 22, City Club of Portland welcomes Urban League of Portland President and CEO Vanessa Gaston in a presentation titled “Urban League of Portland: A New Day, A New Direction.”
Gaston, now beginning her third year as leader of this community-based nonprofit organization headquartered in North Portland, will discuss the organizationÂ’s revitalized efforts to eliminate gaps in education and income for African Americans and others.
This Friday Forum, which is open to the public, will be held in the Fourth-Floor ballroom of the Governor Hotel (614 S. W. 11th Ave.). Doors open at 11:30 a. m. Program begins at 12:15 p. m. and concludes at 1:15 p. m. Luncheon reservations must be made online at www. pdxcityclub. org or by calling 503-228-7231, ext. 103 or 102, by 2 p. m. Wed., April 20 (members only may call 503-241-9242). Luncheon tickets are $18 ($16 for members of City Club). Coffee/tea table tickets are $5 at the door. General seating, available at the door, is $5 (free for members of City Club).
A Note To Media
Media are encouraged to attend and are invited to sit in general seating. Please sign in at the registration table on the day of the forum. For broadcast media, an audio press patch will be available, and a riser for videotaping can be provided with advance notice. Contact Tim Krause at tim@pdxcityclub. org or 503-228-7231, ext. 102.
About Vanessa Gaston
Vanessa Gaston was hired as President and CEO of the Urban League of Portland in March 2003.
Gaston holds a MasterÂ’s degree in Public Administration with a focus on Education and Social Policy Administration from the University of Washington. Prior to her current position, she worked 12 years in Washington State Government. Her last position was Associate Superintendent of the Washington Soldiers Home & Colony in Orting, Washington, where she managed daily operations for that large 24-hour state facility with an annual budget of $10,000,000, 174 staff members and 183 residents.
Prior to that, Gaston was Administrator and Deputy Administrator for the Department of Social and Health Services in Seattle, Washington. In that position, she managed and coordinated local planning and administered welfare, social service and employment programs in the amount of $11,000,000 to approximately 6,000 clients.
Gaston also has an extensive background in working and serving on state-wide and local community boards and commissions dealing with various social, employment and educational issues. She was recently appointed to Oregon's State Board of Education and also serves on the Portland Schools Foundation Board of Directors.
About The Urban League of Portland
The Urban League of Portland helps empower African Americans and others to achieve equality in education, employment and economic security.
The Urban League Movement was founded in 1910. The National Urban League, headquartered in New York City, spearheads the nonprofit, nonpartisan, community-based movement. The mission of the Urban League Movement is to enable African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity and power and civil rights. The Urban League Movement carries out its mission at the local, state and national levels through direct services, advocacy, research, policy analysis, community mobilization, collaboration and communications.
The Urban League of Portland was founded in 1945 as an affiliate of the National Urban League, and envisions itself as two entities - a movement of people of all colors, creeds and national origins that believe that intelligent cooperation can solve the multitude of minority problems and a social agency with a professional staff working under the direction of an interracial board. This dual vision has provided the framework for the League's programs and activities throughout its 59-year history.
As an early advocate for fair housing and employment, the Urban League was instrumental in creating the Portland of today. Key Urban League participants have become familiar names in regional history: Mercedes Deiz, Oregon's first black female attorney and judge; Dr. DeNorval Unthank, an early founder of the League; and Bill Hilliard, retired editor of The Oregonian. The Urban League has enjoyed the support of such community leaders as journalist turned politician, Governor Tom McCall, Governor Douglas McKay and Oregon's distinguished statesman, the Honorable Mark O. Hatfield, former state representative, Governor and U. S. Senator.
For more information about the Urban League of Portland, visit www. ulpdx. org or call 503-280-2600.
About City Club of Portland
City Club of Portland is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic affairs organization that promotes civic engagement and active citizenship to build a stronger community. Through unbiased research and compelling programs, City Club connects citizens with ideas and issues that affect our community. City Club is open to everyone who wants to interact with other citizens and shape the future of our city and state, providing a neutral forum for many diverse voices. For more information about City Club of Portland, visit www. pdxcityclub. org or call 503-228-7231.
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