Board of Directors and Staff
Albert Khine, MD
I was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. My education brought me around the U.S., including New Haven, CT, Washington, Chicago, IL, and Cambridge, MA. I finally established roots in Portland in the 2000s when I joined the gastroenterology staff at The Portland Clinic. I want to make my new hometown even better for me and my son. The Portland Clinic Foundation’s focus on local charities accomplishes that. As a doctor, I aim to improve the health of one patient at a time. Seeing the breadth and diversity among the grant recipients, I appreciate the foundation’s work in advancing my whole community’s health. It opens my eyes to many worthy nonprofits to which I would normally not be exposed.
Diana Umene, MD
I am interested in preventive care, which includes screening, routine care and managing risk factors through healthy lifestyle changes. Although lifestyle changes are particularly challenging, I believe they can make a difference. I enjoy being an advocate, active listener and educator for patients, as these are at the core of maintaining a long-lasting and trusting relationship. For our Japanese-speaking patients, I am fluent in Japanese.
I grew up in California and moved to Portland for my medical training at Oregon Health & Science University. Over the years, I’ve fallen in love with Portland. I particularly enjoy the proximity of city life and nature — it makes weekend excursions easy and convenient. I am enjoying continuing my practice here in the Northwest at The Portland Clinic.
My work-life balance centers around good food, good laughs and good sleep. I really enjoy discovering new cuisines and plan to travel a lot for just this purpose.
Doug Capps
Doug grew up in and still resides in Portland’s Dolph Park/Grant High neighborhood, where he and his wife, Liz, raised two children. Doug attended the University of Oregon, graduated from Portland State University, earned a master’s degree from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and a law degree from Northwestern School of Law. Prior to retirement, Doug held executive-level positions in local, regional and state government agencies, and has been a consultant in public affairs and community/government relations, principally focused on urban planning, development and transportation issues. He has served in leadership positions on several local nonprofit boards dedicated to Portland’s community, cultural and civic life, including the Portland School Board and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral’s governing board. In addition to their involvement in the Portland community, Doug and Liz are experiencing the joys of being grandparents, with their two young grandchildren living in the Portland area.
Emma Rommel
Being born and raised in the Portland metro area, I feel strong ties to this community and grew up finding ways to serve the people in it. Whether that was putting on a community walk-a-thon for autism awareness month, or volunteering at care homes, I’ve always found a way to do this through the various seasons in life. Throughout each experience, the common thread has been the people. As an extrovert, I thrive when it comes to human interaction. Being able to meet new people, hear their stories, and understand their circumstances is the most rewarding part of it all. Serving on the board of The Portland Clinic Foundation has been no different. I’m able to work with people who have different lived experiences, outlooks, and biases from my own and learn from all of them. I’ve been able to think in ways I haven’t before, and my eyes have opened to community needs, populations, and service organizations I didn’t know of before. Overall, it’s been more rewarding than I had ever anticipated, and all because of the people we serve and those I serve alongside. I’m excited to see what the future holds for this group and this community!
Jennifer Baron
I have been supporting the foundation for many years through donations, volunteerism, and in-kind goods drives. I have served on the Grants Committee and have enjoyed discussing how to support local nonprofits. My life experiences help me bring diverse perspectives to the Board and I enjoy being able to engage in this generous work and help advocate for issues that are important to our community. My experience has included serving as a Board Member for other nonprofit organizations and helping through planning and running fund-raising events and helping with logistics support to ensure everything runs smoothly. I have loved learning more about our local nonprofits and serving as a Board member for The Portland Clinic Foundation.
Jessica Binkley, PsyD
I grew up in North Carolina and moved to Oregon to attend graduate school at Pacific University, where I received my doctorate in clinical psychology. My clinical emphasis is on multicultural psychology, including Latino with bilingual and LGBTQ+ focuses. In my behavioral health practice at The Portland Clinic, I strive to take an inter-sectional approach by attending to the impact of systemic injustices and marginalization on a person’s physical and mental health. I also believe that effective advocacy and wellness initiatives can include empowering individuals and communities to leverage their strengths and resources. I am proud to support the Foundation, which acknowledges the strengths of community members and works towards holistic, equitable community wellness. When I am not at work, I enjoy playing and coaching soccer, teaching courses focused on multicultural psychology, and exploring the Northwest hiking trails and beaches with my dog Kolya.
Laura Bledsoe, MD
I was born in Portland and have lived here most of my life. I received my undergraduate degree in psychology from Reed College, then worked as a research assistant at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center for a little over a year. After that, I moved to Philadelphia, but decided to return to the Pacific Northwest to go to medical school, and I’ve been here ever since. I completed my medical degree and my pediatrics residency at Oregon Health & Science University.
I chose a general pediatrics practice rather than a pediatric specialty because I enjoy the variety that it presents. I like getting to know my families and watching my patients as they grow and develop. It’s a privilege to take care of kids from their newborn visits in the hospital to their pre-college physicals. My patients make me laugh every day, which is good for my health! In my free time, I like spending time outdoors, hiking and biking. When I’m stuck inside on rainy days, I like to read, cook and knit.
Marvin Kaiser, PhD
Marvin A. Kaiser is Dean Emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Portland State University, Portland, Oregon. He followed this work by serving as the CEO of Mary’s Woods at Marylhurst, retiring in 2017. He received his B.A. degree in philosophy from Cardinal Glennon College, St. Louis, Missouri, an M.S.W. from the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1979. He has served as staff fellow and consultant to the United Nations Office at Vienna, Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, as a staff fellow and consultant to the US Agency for International Development and to the House Select Committee on Aging, US House of Representatives. He has served on numerous community boards, including the Nativity School, Cedar Sinai Park, Catholic Charities of Oregon and the Jessie F. Richardson Foundation. He co-chaired Portland’s visionPDX. As the author of numerous articles, book chapters and monographs, Dr. Kaiser has focused his scholarly efforts on domestic and international aging issues and community development.
Walt Smith, MD
I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended college and medical school in the South. After graduating from medical school, my wife and I came to Portland for my internship and orthopedic surgery residency at Oregon Health & Science University. After 38 years, I retired from my orthopedic surgical practice, but I still perform independent medical evaluations for insurance and legal matters. I was attracted to the service of The Portland Clinic Foundation by its strong focus on supporting the needs of our local citizens and the many worthwhile community organizations that serve them.
Becky Jones, MPH, MSW, Executive Director
The daughter of a Filipina immigrant, I have been razor-focused on addressing and remedying disparities and injustices throughout my career. I am a proud beneficiary of Title 9, having received a full-ride scholarship to play Division I volleyball at Gonzaga University with two majors, psychology and criminal justice. Without this financial support, I would likely be in a much different position in my life.
I began my career providing residential care for foster children and teens, and later individuals and families impacted by houselessness. Following my dreams of making widespread change, I pursued my Masters in Social Work (PSU) and Masters in Public Health (OHSU/PSU). In recent years, I have been lucky to work alongside nonprofits serving all 36 Oregon counties by providing child abuse prevention, intervention, and healing services. I also feel remarkably lucky to be consistently surrounded by professionals who care deeply about the well-being of others. This “heartbeat” is what led me to the work of The Portland Clinic Foundation and what inspires me daily about our Board, volunteers, and grantees. The way we give and to whom we give makes me most proud of our work.
Contact Us
The Portland Clinic Foundation
800 SW 13 Avenue, 2nd floor,
Portland, OR 97205
530-304-9148
[email protected]
[email protected]