“The purpose of the board is to elevate voices in the Black community to ensure that project outcomes reflect community interests and values, and that historic Albina benefits from the investments of this project,” said Megan Channell, Project Director.
The board includes appointed members and at-large members selected through a public application process. The 10 appointed members were identified by ODOT’s strategic engagement team led by Ericka Warren of Try Excellence, LLC., who will also serve as the board’s facilitator. The members at-large were chosen and interviewed by the strategic engagement team through a collaborative process with ODOT and Metro as a project partner.
“It was our goal to identify individuals with deep personal ties to Albina, whose professional and volunteer experience serve the community and who are willing to work collaboratively to bring positive change,” Warren said. “In line with doing business differently, ODOT empowered a team of strategic advisors deeply connected and invested in this community to lead this charge, which is a positive first step.”
ODOT brought Try Excellence, LLC to the table to help in strategy development as it pertains to community relations, particularly related to building connections and facilitating conversations between the agency and the Black community. “We felt that this was a great opportunity to help influence the potential for growth and change in this area,” said Dr. Steven Holt, Founder and President of Try Excellence, LLC and facilitator of the project’s Executive Steering Committee.
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