Current Board Members

All photos copyright: Stuart Mullenberg Photogragphy, LLC

President: Maria Young

Maria has been involved in AMA Oregon since 2006, and has seemingly defied the laws of physics by holding nearly every board position, including Secretary, Director of Programming, Treasurer, President-Elect and President. For a paycheck, Maria works is the CPA at Perkins & Co., the largest local accounting firm in Portland, where she specialize in working with clients in the creative services industries. Maria is passionate about small business, entrepreneurship, and growing the Portland economy. In her free time you can find her running, cycling, travel, gardening, cooking, reading and day dreaming about her next escape to Paris.

Alison was ‘sucked in’ to the AMA three years ago, learning the ropes through the Secretary and Communications positions. Currently President-Elect for 2012/13, she enjoys working with a stellar Board to spread the AMA love throughout the Portland marketing community. Alison recently joined Kinesis, Inc., a creative design and strategic marketing agency for growth-oriented businesses, as Execution Team Leader, or, as she likes to call it, the ‘Making it Happen Master’. Previously, Alison was a marketer at an engineering firm for 5+ years, playing an integral part in the marketing, branding and outreach of the company; leading internal events, improving and implementing proposal processes and initiating marketing best practices. In her free time, Alison is an avid runner, Portland restaurant explorer and traveler.

After living and working in the Seattle area after college, Marcella returned home to Oregon and jumped right into AMA. Having served two rewarding years volunteering in the Community Outreach Program with nonprofit Engineers Without Borders, and producing the AMA Marketing Awards of Excellence, Marcella is now serving as an active role and resource to the Board, and will be the 2013/14 President. She works as the Sales Strategy and Marketing Manager of Perkins & Co., Portland’s largest locally owned accounting firm, managing brand strategy for the company overall and developing strategic marketing plans for nine growing niches as well as interactive marketing initiatives, sponsorships/events, proposals and marketing communication. Marcella loves to run and train for local races, and enjoys cooking and drinking wine with her new husband Graham.

McKean is a rookie to the AMA, but a seasoned veteran in the world of marketing and entrepreneurship. As the Luncheon Chair, he works to bring industry leading marketing professionals to the AMA’s monthly luncheon series. McKean’s background includes a marketing degree from Syracuse University, Small Business Development volunteer for Peace Corps Morocco, former managing partner of web development firm Harlo Interactive, and current co-owner of Migration Brewing in Northeast Portland. In addition to the AMA, McKean volunteers his time on the Oregon Brewer’s Guild marketing committee and is involved in a variety of Portland based community events. When he’s not sampling Migration’s latest brews, he enjoys spending time running, hiking, reading, traveling and gettin’ jiggy with it.

Matt was born to network. In high school he maintained a, self imposed, goal of meeting a new person every day. After earning a degree in advertising from the Art Center College of Design, Matt has spent the last two decades in the world of communication arts and marketing. He worked for ten years as the co-founder/creative director of a local advertising agency and now acts as a print marketing consultant for B&B Print Source. Along with helping his clients stand out from the fray, you’ll also find Matt playing his harmonica, entertaining friends in his basement tiki bar, yuckin’ it up with his wife and two kids or leading the charge for the AMA’s Blind Pig Networking Brigade.

Christy joined AMA in 2011, first as the Correspondence Director and now as VP of Communications. Christy is currently the Product Marketing Manager for Daily Insight Group, a network of media properties that includes Tarot.com, DailyHoroscope.com, Numerology.com and Twittascope.com. At Daily Insight Group, Christy manages team members around major milestones for ecommerce products, site launches and re-launches, mobile site launches, and mobile, web and social applications. Outside of work, Christy loves to run organized races (mostly half marathons), moonlights as a foodie, stays active through kickboxing, hiking, and yoga, and constantly fuels her pop culture addiction.

Correspondence Director: Carrie Sutton

Carrie has been involved in the AMA since she graduated from the University of Oregon in 2006. After serving on the Willamette Valley AMA board and volunteering in various roles over the years, she has happily migrated to the Oregon chapter as the Correspondence Director. She is currently a Marketing Programs Specialist at Digimarc, a leading innovator and technology provider. Carrie helps to manage and develop key campaigns, social media strategy, brand identity and events. Her inner geek gets to let loose and she is enjoying learning the ever-evolving and exciting tech world. Delicious food, great friends, graphic design and photography are just a few of the interests that keep her busy outside of work.

Katy, our current Secretary, is no stranger to AMA Oregon. In 2005, she joined as the Volunteer Coordinator and served as the Human Resources Chair in 2006. Katy left PDX to pursue an MBA at the University of Oregon, where she honed skills in marketing and business development. She currently works in the Studio D Insight and Analytics group at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, a leading global PR and digital communications agency. In her role, Katy conducts campaign measurement, buzz and social media measurement, and web analytics for the Microsoft Corporate team. Katy is also passionate about sustainable business and involved with the Net Impact Portland chapter. In her free time, Katy enjoys hiking the Gorge, cheering on the Ducks, and sampling Portland’s finest coffee and wine.

Erika got her start with AMA through the Community Outreach program, and has never looked back since. Jokingly, Erika refers to herself as a “professional volunteer.” Currently serving as Co-Chair for the MAX awards, she looks forward to working with a creative and energetic team. Her daytime gig involves working as the Branch Administrative Marketing Assistant for the Portland branch of AXA Advisors, LLC, a leading financial protection company and a premier provider of life insurance, annuities and related financial services. Her duties include grass roots marketing and outreach, organizing client events, and being the product processing queen. Aside from her AMA involvement, she manages her women’s outdoor soccer team, is a Young Patron with the Portland Art Museum, and can frequently be found getting her exercise on running the Waterfront Loop, biking around Portland, or burning off the day’s stress at the gym.

Bio is coming soon!

Shelli was introduced to the AMA recently when she went back to school, and joined soon after moving to the Portland area from San Francisco. Her background in sales and business development makes her a perfect fit as the Co-Chair of the Sponsorship Committee. With over 15 years of sales, marketing and business development experience, Shelli leads teams to success across various industries in her career and as a volunteer. When not working, she enjoys running, doing community service projects, and seeking adventure. Shelli is also currently working on her MBA at Willamette University.

Nick started his AMA career as the President for the Willamette University student chapter in Salem, Oregon. He launched their website and social media communications plan. As he began to interface with the Oregon Chapter, the allure of Professional Development drew him in. Nick is a business development executive at Anvil Media, a search engine marketing company in Portland, Oregon. His business and school connection have already proven highly beneficial for the Professional Development Committee and the chapter itself. When Nick isn’t at work or planning events for AMA he is an avid sports fan and golfer.

Dan joined the AMA in the summer of 2010 as a committee member of the “Professional Development Posse.” Now PD Co-Chair, he enjoys the continuous education provided by the AMA and working with other wonderful members on the board. Dan is a marketing associate at Tektronix Component Solutions, a high-performance microelectronics services company, and is responsible for a variety of different marketing tasks including web development, public relations, brand management and more. Outside of marketing, Dan enjoys traveling, playing tennis and is an avid sports fan.

Past President: Gillian Kennedy

As our recently retired AMA President, Gillian now advises and heckles the board. Over the past 4 years, her previous roles have included President, President-Elect, and the founder of our current Community Outreach program that pairs AMA marketing talent with local nonprofits. Gillian spends her work hours as the Internet Communications Manager for Tillamook Cheese, leading the 102-year old farmer-owned co-op’s digital strategy and award-winning online campaigns. She is also an active philanthropist, photographer, traveler, and of course, eater of cheese.

Community Outreach: Emily Bui

Emily started her AMA journey two years ago as a volunteer with Community Outreach. Inspired by the program’s mission and successes in creating opportunities for local business professionals to contribute their talents to the community, she is thrilled to take on a larger role this year as VP of Community Outreach and to work with such a dedicated team to advance the program. In addition to AMA, Emily is an Account Executive with R2C Group, a full-service advertising agency located in Portland. She strives to offer strategic insight and solutions that help clients achieve optimal growth by collaborating with creative teams, media planners, buyers and analysts to orchestrate successful, integrated multi-channel campaigns. In her spare time, Emily is a passionate photographer and cycling enthusiast who’s always looking for new adventures.

Treasurer: David Shellan

David has been the Treasurer of the AMA since 2010, and also assists the various committees in budgeting, reporting and ensuring the tax returns are timely filed. In addition to his board role on AMA, David is a Certified Public Accountant at Perkins & Co., where he specializes in servicing local, middle-market clients in the manufacturing and creative services industries. David is a member of the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and Toastmasters International. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, lifting, running and movies.

VP of Membership: Matt Schaeffer

Bio is coming soon!