About

“She is a force of nature and does amazing things through leading by example. 

She is dedicated and pulls people along with her commitment and enthusiasm.”

— Leo MacCloud, Portland Trainer, Coach

For more than four decades, Ruth has acted as an agent for change in Portland and in Oregon. Her work has led to the re-thinking of intractable business, community and organizational issues.  She embraces both innovative and best practice problem-solving approaches and has also leveraged her local successes by creating templates that have been applied around Oregon and across the country.

Ruth’s focus is on the evolution of the organization or community and its programs. Her extensive experience in managing organizations at all levels of development ranging from start-ups to multi-million dollar operations provide a strong resource base for her work.

Examples of shaping the future for Oregon communities and organizations:

  • Safer, Healthier Schools — Five years in the making and in partnership with volunteer leaders from around Oregon, the Center for Innovative School Facilities brought the importance of the learning environment to the forefront.  The Center involved more than 150 volunteers and businesses in assisting districts achieve safer, healthier facilities that are also centers of community, all at lower cost.  The Center’s work resulted in systemic change in the way Oregon addresses facilities and their funding and all of which was launched with a $300 million fund to spur local commitment.

  • Investigated, developed consensus and launched the Diverse Civic Leaders project subsequently affiliated with the Portland Business Alliance as today’s Partners in Diversity.

  • Conceived, researched, developed and published Connecting with Students, an online training for teachers and mentors that supports them in building relationships with youth at risk of dropping out.

  • Researched and initiated Ready for School, an early learning project that was adopted by the Children’s Institute and resulted in 100% Head Start funding for 4 year-olds.

  • Downtown Clean and Safe – This innovative program revamped downtown management by establishing the first and then largest cleaning, security and marketing district in the nation. It became a model for over 100 districts nationwide. The revamp included the development of the “Smart Park” concept and branding, as well as, the Downtown Ambassadors and Foot Patrol, the Project Respond mental health outreach teams and new approaches to panhandling.

  • Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) – Led the development and adoption of legislation that allowed Oregon’s business districts to tax themselves to support needed services. This legislation has been copied nationally.

  • Oregon Main Street Program / Oregon Downtown Development Association – Created a statewide Main Street Program, forming a statewide advocate group into a 501(c) 3 to fund the first in the nation a 50/50 public, private venture. The effort received the Bill Naito Main Street Award.

  • Albany’s National Historic Districts – Championed the National Register designation of three historic districts in Albany, changing its community image, improving the downtown economy and providing innovative funding programs for residential and commercial restorations.

  • Oregon Architecture — Funded and managed development and publication of the first comprehensive book on Oregon’s historic architecture.