Staff
Executive Director
Mike Dennis
Mike is a seasoned non-profit leader committed to improving communities and lives by working across the public and private sectors. For nearly two decades, Mike led and supported policy and advocacy initiatives at The Nature Conservancy in Oregon and nationally, including passing Ballot Measure 49 to restore Oregon’s pioneering land use system; lobbying with Tribal leaders to protect Table Rocks in southern Oregon; securing U.S. transportation funding to expand an Oregon Coastal refuge, an effort honored by a national award; and mobilizing strategies & people to drive national legislation such as the Great American Outdoors Act. Mike started his career as an urban planner and management consultant and has lived & worked in both Africa and Asia. Outside of work, Mike has enthusiastically dedicated himself to improving pedestrian & bicycle access in Oregon, including the Ned Flanders Bridge project, the Salmonberry Trail, and Oregon Walks where he served as Board Chair 20 years ago. Mike graduated from Swarthmore College and has an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley and is fluent in Thai. His wife Allison is a teacher and he has two children who walk & roll to school in Portland every day.
Walking School Bus Program Manager, Washington County Organizer
Sara Etter
Prior to joining the Oregon Walks team, Sara had a career in public education as a teacher, district coordinator, and school administrator. After teaching in the classroom and seeing the direct impact that health and wellness has on a students ability to engage with and find success at school, Sara became an advocate for health in education. She worked on the committee to adopt and implement a health curriculum that was comprehensive, affirming, and inclusive of all students. She also coached teachers in health and wellness instruction, and partnered with community organizations such as Safe Routes to School to create safe and healthy experiences for families. As a school leader, Sara took an interest in restorative practices as a way to build social and emotional skills in students while helping them to feel a greater sense of belonging and commitment to their community.
Sara cares deeply about serving and believes wholeheartedly in the power of building strong, supportive communities. She is honored to support the mission at Oregon Walks of helping to create a safe and healthy Oregon.
Community Organizer
Zachary Lauritzen
Before joining Oregon Walks, Zachary had a career as a high school educator: coach, teacher, and administrator. Part of his daily work focused on supporting students of color navigate and succeed within the school system. He worked to reduce inequitable disciplinary practices by eliminating exclusionary discipline and implementing restorative practices. He partnered with Safe Routes to School on walk and roll days and the creation of a bike shop at the school. Zachary believes deeply in engaging community members and his doctoral work at the University of Oregon focused on increasing student engagement in the classroom. He believes in the profound transformational power of public education in a thriving democratic society. Similarly, Zachary believes that equitable access to safe, environmentally, and community friendly transportation is a cornerstone of a thriving neighborhood and society as a whole. He also tries to go for a walk every day (even if short!) without any electronics, with eyes up, and engaged in his neighborhood.
Zachary served as Oregon Walks' Executive Director for more than three years and now is a community organizer and advocate.
Board Members
Claire Vlach - Chair
Claire Vlach grew up in Portland, where she enjoyed taking Tri-Met downtown after school rather than hanging out at the mall. In 2016, after stints in New York, Michigan, and San Francisco, Claire moved back to Portland, joined the Oregon Walks Plans and Projects Committee, and reluctantly bought her first car. Claire is an urban designer who likes to rethink public space by taking auto-dominated places and reallocating them to people-centered uses. She also enjoys dancing, biking, taking walks with friends, and teaching her two kids words like "diverter" and "induced demand."
Jason Nolin - Vice Chair
Jason loves exploring cities and transit systems, biking and running, rock climbing and yoga, unobstructed sidewalks, transit to trails, car-free vacations, and dried mango.
Holly Querin - Secretary
Holly Querin is currently a student in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program at Portland State University and is specializing in transportation planning because it allows her to combine her passions for equity, accessibility, sustainability, and public health. Her background in sociology informs her intersectional approach to centering racial equality, class equality, and gender equality in her approach to transportation planning. She is currently interning at Metro on the 82nd Avenue Project and is eager to get involved in the community organizing side of imagining a more liveable and equitable 82nd Avenue. In her free time, she enjoys riding her bike, weightlifting, swimming, and reading.
Matthew Hall - Treasurer
Matthew Hall comes to Oregon Walks with a varied background where he dabbled in education, renewable energy and public policy before making the transition into transportation planning. A 2022 graduate of Portland State University’s MURP program, he has previous experience advocating to make Portland more walk-friendly as a member of the city’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee and working to increase economic opportunities for People with Disabilities with Disability Rights Oregon. As a Person with a Disability himself, he’s keenly aware that the path to a better world for everyone comes from making the places we live more inclusive, accessible, and affordable. When he’s not out on a walk or staring dreamily at the FX-2 rolling by, he can be found reading, gardening, cooking, and playing boardgames.
Jamie Snook
Jamie Snook serves as the Director of Major Projects in the Engineering & Construction Division at TriMet. She is dedicated to creating livable communities that prioritize equity and sustainability. In her professional role, Jamie collaborates with local jurisdictions and community partners to enhance transit investment throughout the region. Her experience in transit has given her a deep appreciation for the significance of a robust pedestrian network, recognizing that every transit rider begins as a pedestrian.
Outside of work, Jamie is the mother of twin boys and envisions a world where they can safely play outside, visit parks, meet friends, and walk to school. She enjoys biking, hiking, and taking long walks with her dog, Stella.
Devery Sheridan
Justin Fogarty
Juma Whatley
Juma was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He is a multifaceted entrepreneur with a passion for creativity, culture, and community. With a career spanning music, media, and mentorship, Juma has established himself as a respected music artist, studio engineer, videographer, DJ, and event planner.
His work goes beyond entertainment: Juma is also a community advocate and mentor, dedicated to inspiring positive change and creating safe, expressive spaces for growth. Whether writing music, filming visuals, or leading local events, Juma brings vision, purpose, and heart to everything he does. Juma’s mother is a retired Tri-Met driver for 36 years, so he has lived and experienced a multimodal transportation system, and he plans to bring his knowledge of the city–and how to get around–to Oregon Walks.
Inna Levin
Inna is a life-long pedestrian who has lived car-less in Philadelphia, London, and LA. From 2015 to 2018, Inna worked for Oregon Walks, wearing many hats from organizer to executive. Some of her proudest accomplishments are implementing Walkways, a large-scale walking event, and leading walks with PPS students, parents, and faculty to identify gaps in the sidewalk network.
Inna earned her bachelor's degree at PSU, where she organized around student debt issues and co-founded the PSU Student Union. Inna began her career in public service as an intern in Mayor Adams’ office, supporting his transportation initiatives. Inna spent several years managing electoral campaigns, passing ballot measures supporting local schools and parks, as well as progressive candidates, including Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, and State Representative Hoa Nguyen. Inna now serves as Chief of Staff for State Representative Thuy Tran. Throughout her career, Inna has focused on policy informed by solid relationships with frontline communities and the lived experiences of those most affected.