Jim Darr is a retired attorney and former Hillsboro mayor. He began his career in the district attorney's office and later worked for two law firms. His areas of specialization included real estate law, probate and estate planning.

Darr served as president of the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce from 1979-1980, and was prompted to run for mayor in 1980 when Tom Hughes - a mayoral hopeful later elected in 2001 - accepted a post with the League of Oregon Cities and was unable to campaign. Darr won the election and served two consecutive two-year terms.

While in office, Darr can point to many accomplishments, including formation of Hillsboro Community Arts and the Hillsboro Downtown Business Association. In addition, the Hillsboro Farmers' Market was established with the help of Greg LaHaie, and has been a downtown staple for more than 20 years. It was also during Darr's tenure that an organized urban renewal campaign was launched, ultimately converting property at Ronler Acres - once divided among a number of independent owners with no unified direction - into an Intel campus and the award-winning Orenco Station neighborhood.

Jim has served on the board of the Hillsboro Community Foundation since 2003. He brings extensive knowledge of community, having lived here since 1951 and participated actively in its government and civic organizations. He currently serves on the Fund Development Committee of the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center and has himself contributed financially to the project.

In addition to his work for the Hillsboro Community Foundation, Darr is a board member of the Tuality Healthcare Foundation and the Hillsboro Farmers' Market. He is an active member of the Tualatin Valley Garden Club, and maintains membership with the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce. Formerly, Darr has been a member of the Hillsboro Rotary Club, the Intel Advisory Board, and the boards of the Tuesday Market and Hillsboro Downtown Business Association. He has also served on the committees and boards of several professional organizations.

Jim is a 1952 graduate of Hillsboro High School, and graduated from law school in 1963. He is married and has three stepchildren.


Les Davis is the owner and chief executive officer of Lithtex Printing Solutions, a business he founded in 1973, just seven years after graduating from high school. Since then, he has grown the operation and built a new state-of-the-art facility in Hillsboro that not only prints but offers business solutions and fulfillment to an impressive list of award-winning customers. Les and his team of 60 employees are the leading innovator of business printing solutions in Oregon.

In 1998, Davis was the majority-founding partner of Pacific Legal Corporation, an organization that grew to include over 100 employees doing business all over America before he sold it in 2004. And with two partners in 2002, he launched Lithtex Northwest in Bellingham, Washington, and has grown that company to 20 employees.

Les and his wife Pamm also own The Hideaway, a 32-acre park and picnic resort in Mountaindale that hosts corporate events for up to 3000 people. The couple has operated the facility since 1986.

Les's affection for parks is actually what led him to the Hillsboro Community Foundation. Through his in-kind donations benefiting the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, Davis was introduced to the Foundation by board member Robert Evans. Les was looking for opportunities to become more involved, and saw the Foundation as a perfect outlet for his time and energy.

Through Lithtex Printing, Davis has provided in-kind support for the Hillsboro Community Foundation and its signature project, the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center. His generous in-kind contributions have also benefited the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, local Rotary clubs, the Hillsboro Library Foundation and the Make a Wish Foundation, among others.

Outside the Foundation, Davis is a member of the Beaverton Rotary Club, serves on its board of directors, and participates in various club projects, including construction of a Habitat for Humanity house. He holds membership in the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, was a founding member of the Hillsboro Sunrise Rotary Club, and belonged to the Hillsboro Jaycees for several years. He is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the Printing Industries of America and Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, which he served as a board member.

Les and his wife Pamm have lived in the Hillsboro area since 1964. He has four children, all graduates of Hillsboro High School and Oregon colleges; and five grandchildren enrolled in local schools.


Scott Eisenstein works for the Hillsboro law firm Nachtigal, Eisenstein & Associates, where he has been a partner for the last eleven years. He is a member of the Oregon State, Federal and Washington County Bar Associations, and also belongs to the American Trial Lawyers Association.

Since moving to the community fifteen years ago, Scott has invested his energy in the Washington County Historical Society as the organization’s counsel and as a member of its board of stewards. His family supports several other area organizations dedicated to culture, arts and education.

Eisenstein notes there are several worthwhile organizations in the community, and the Hillsboro Community Foundation is a great way to spread the word about these groups. After trying to make decisions concerning his own year-end charitable giving, and finding it difficult to locate the lesser-known organizations in the community, the value of an organization like the Hillsboro Community Foundation became obvious to him.

Scott identifies the Foundation’s role of matching donors with organizations as its most important contribution to the community. He also appreciates the ability of the Foundation to spearhead campaigns that address needs that would otherwise go unmet.

Scott joined the board of the Hillsboro Community Foundation in 2006, after being introduced to the organization by board member Jeff LaGood. He was impressed by the leadership of the board and saw the Foundation as an opportunity to personally contribute to the continued positive growth of the community.

Scott is married and has two children.


Bob Herb Throughout his career and now in his retirement, Bob Herb has played an active role in the Hillsboro community. He is perhaps best known for his leadership of the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, an organization he served as executive director from 1983-1995.

Those years marked dramatic change for Hillsboro, with the arrival of new industries and tens of thousands of new residents. As executive director of the Chamber, Bob served as a catalyst for many projects - the light rail extension to Hillsboro being one of them - that would position the city well for future growth. He also successfully bolstered the Chamber, which was struggling to grow membership when he came aboard, and saw its annual budget grow from $75,000 to $1.4 million during his tenure.

It was under Herb's watch that the Hillsboro Community Foundation was formed from a partnership between the Chamber and the Parks Commission. He not only was a key player in development of the Foundation, but with a strong sense of responsibility to give back to the community, has continued to serve the Foundation as a board member ever since. He has raised funds for several of the Foundation's sponsored projects, including Noble Woods Park and Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve; as well as its signature project, the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center.

Over the course of his career, Herb has served on both the Hillsboro City Council and the Planning Commission. He is a past president of the Hillsboro Rotary Club and the Washington County Visitors Association. He was instrumental in bringing the Rose Festival Airshow to Hillsboro, and volunteered for many years with that organization. He is also a past board member of the Hillsboro Library Foundation, and past steering committee member for Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve.

In addition to his work for the Hillsboro Community Foundation, Herb is an active board member of the Tuality Healthcare Foundation. He was named “Executive of the Year” by Oregon Chamber Executives in 1991, and to this day, the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce continues to present a leadership award in his honor.

Bob is married to Brenda and has two daughters and four grandchildren. His ancestors have lived in the Hillsboro area since 1870.


Tom Hughes is Mayor of Hillsboro.


Fred Johnson was born and raised in Hillsboro, and aside from the 15 years he spent in southern Oregon, he has lived here all his life. Fred's spirit of service comes naturally as the son of Grant T. Johnson, a longtime leader within the Hillsboro community and early champion of the Hillsboro Community Foundation.

Fred first learned of the Foundation's work through his father, who was involved in several of the organization's projects. Through Grant and through the connections Fred shared with several of the Foundation's board members, he could easily recognize both the quality of the Foundation's leadership, and the quality of its work. From the creation and improvement of parks, to scholarship opportunities for our young people, Fred wanted to be part of this organization that makes Hillsboro a better place to live.

Fred has been a board member of the Hillsboro Community Foundation since 2001, and has also served as its president. He has been involved in all of the organization's sponsored projects, and has supported its signature project - the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center - by soliciting donations and giving of his own financial resources. Fred has also participated on the Foundation's selection committee for distribution of Gordon Faber Scholarship funds, and has interviewed prospective organizations wishing to utilize the Foundation as a catalyst for their own fundraising efforts.

Fred views the role of the Foundation as two-fold. One aspect is the proactive promotion of charitable giving within the local community. The other is to help potential donors more easily identify and select worthwhile organizations to receive their contributions.

Fred is the executive vice-president and chief credit officer of Columbia Community Bank. He is a member of the Hillsboro Rotary Club, and serves on the finance committee of Community Action. He is an advisory board member of Oregon Chorale, and also serves on the board of overseers at Hillsboro First Baptist Church.

Fred is married to Letha A. Johnson, and has three children, Stacy, Kevin and Mackenzie.


Jeff LaGood is the chief executive officer of Advanced Technology Group (ATG). Headquartered in Hillsboro, the company specializes in architectural and mechanical services for the semiconductor, healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotech, food processing, and other related industries in the western United States.

Jeff was first introduced to Hillsboro in 1981 while on assignment as a management trainee with First National Bank of Oregon (now Wells Fargo). It is a date he remembers well, as he spent his second week on the job removing ash from the sidewalks after Mount St. Helens erupted!

In 1988, Jeff went to work for Loy Clark Pipeline Co. in Beaverton, Oregon, and established Loy Clark Mechanical (which became ATG in 1992). He has served the company as chief executive officer for his entire tenure, and has owned majority interest in the operation since 1999.

Jeff's family, desiring a more rural environment in which to live, relocated to Hillsboro in 1992. They so enjoyed their neighbors and the community that Jeff moved the company headquarters to Hillsboro in 1996.

Jeff became acquainted with the Hillsboro Community Foundation through Gary Baker, who was on the Foundation board at the time. He was intrigued by the concept of a non-profit organization built by community leaders for the purpose of providing a vehicle for local investment. Jeff joined the board in 2004, and points to the benefit the Foundation provides as a means of charitable giving for individuals who do not have, nor desire to establish, a traditional trust.

Jeff's participation is motivated by the principle of reinvesting in the community where he lives and works. His company has sponsored a concert series at the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center, and has also supported the Oregon International Airshow for several years. Jeff is vice-president and co-executive in charge of marketing for the Airshow, and has served on its marketing committee since 2003. He is also an active member of the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce.

Jeff is married to Sheryl LaGood.


Jerralynn Ness is the executive director of Community Action, a private, non-profit agency addressing poverty in Washington County. Jerralynn has been with the organization in Hillsboro, which is part of the Community Action Partnership of 1000 agencies nationwide, since 1973.

Jerralynn is recognized as a leader in the Portland metropolitan area for her ability to bring the community together and facilitate positive change for those less fortunate. She has dedicated her life to eradicating poverty, with the mission of helping low-income families achieve self-sufficiency.

She was invited to join the board of the Hillsboro Community Foundation in 2003. Her decision to accept the request, and her motivation to support the organization by lending her time and expertise are rooted in a strong belief in the Foundation's mission.

As a board member, Jerralynn has participated in the Foundation's signature project - that of raising funds to support the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center. She also organized a task force to assist with development of the Foundation's marketing materials, and led a process for revision of the organization's bylaws.

Jerralynn also serves on the boards of the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, the Vision Action Network, and Community Action Directors of Oregon. She is a member of all Washington County chambers of commerce, the Hillsboro for All task force, the Pacific Northwest Region of Community Action and the national Community Action Partnership. Over the course of her career, she has served on the boards of numerous other organizations as well, including the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center and the national Community Action Partnership.

Jerralynn has been recognized on numerous occasions for her professional and civic contributions. Most recently, she was distinguished as a Woman of Achievement by the Oregon Commission for Women.

Jerralynn is married to Kent “Bernie” Thurber, a partner with the Davis Wright Tremaine law firm. They have one daughter and twin granddaughters.


Mary Ordal is with Hillsboro Parks & Recreation.


Deanna Palm is president of the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, an organization she has served since 2001. Combined with her tenure at the Portland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Deanna has more than 20 years of chamber experience.

As a chamber president, Deanna is often asked to share her expertise by serving on the boards of other local organizations, and when the request came in 2003 for her to join the board of the Hillsboro Community Foundation, it was one she didn't hesitate to accept. She identifies the potential of this organization as a means to ensure a sustainable community for future generations - like her own two children whom she hopes might choose to settle here and raise families.

Deanna points to the efficiency of the Foundation as a hub for managing multiple community projects - often involving several other organizations or government agencies - while minimizing duplication of effort across groups. She also values the Foundation as an important vehicle for raising awareness of the many community-based non-profits in the area, and serving as an initial point of contact for philanthropic efforts.

As a board member of the Foundation, Deanna has helped raise funds for its signature project, the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center. She has also served on a task force to coordinate development of the Foundation's marketing materials. Outside the Foundation, Deanna is a board member of the Oregon Chamber Executives, an advisory council member of the Hillsboro Schools Foundation, vice-chair of the board of directors for Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, and a member of the Hillsboro Rotary Club. She previously served as a board member of Hillsboro Tuesday Marketplace.

Deanna and her husband, David Palm, met while attending high school in Banks. Both are native Oregonians and have spent most of their lives in Washington County where they are raising their two children. David owns a local landscape construction company


Dick Stenson is president and CEO of Tuality Healthcare, an independent, not-for-profit, community-governed healthcare system. He has performed in that capacity since 1992, and spent the previous 17 years at Straub Clinic and Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In his position, Dick is responsible for two hospitals - a 167-bed facility in Hillsboro and a 48-bed facility in Forest Grove - as well as a half-dozen outpatient locations throughout western Washington County. He oversees approximately 1200 staff, 250 physicians and 300 volunteers. With Dick leading the organization, it has consistently been ranked among Oregon Business magazine's 100 best companies to work for in the state the past six years.

Dick joined the board of the Hillsboro Community Foundation in 2003 at the invitation of (then) board member Shirley Huffman. He sees the value of the organization in its ability to improve quality of life in the community and fund projects that otherwise would not be possible. As a board member of the Foundation, Stenson has served on its fundraising committee for the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center, the organization's signature project.
Stenson is active in several other local organizations as well, including serving on the boards of the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, Community Action, the Virginia Garcia Foundation, Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve and the Washington County Commission for Children and Families. He is also a board member of many organizations outside the local community.

Dick has lived in Forest Grove with his wife Doreen since arriving in Oregon in 1992.


Don Suhrbier is a native Oregonian, and has lived in Hillsboro for more than 40 years. His family's history in the area precedes him, however, with his mother's family settling a farm in Washington County in 1878. One hundred years later, that property became a Century Farm and remains in the family to this day.

Don is a veteran of the electrical industry. He was a partner at Sunset Electric, which later became part of Oregon Electric Group. Don continued with the new company as its service manager until his retirement.

Don joined the board of directors of the Hillsboro Community Foundation at the request of Shirley Huffman, one of the organization's founding board members. His service as a director spans ten years, and includes active participation in the Foundation's signature project, the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center. For this project, Don has raised funds within the community, and lent his expertise in redesigning the center's electrical system and supervising its installation.

One of the reasons Don and his family have stayed in Hillsboro all these years is the city's strong sense of community. As Don sees it, the Foundation provides a means to help preserve that quality by bringing projects and programs to fruition that otherwise may not have been possible. He is a vocal advocate of the Foundation, and works to raise awareness of the organization and what it does within the community.

Don is active in other organizations as well. He is a long-time member of the Hillsboro Rotary Club, serving as its president for the 2005-2006 term. He is part of the Port of Portland's Project Advisory Committee for the Hillsboro Airport, and also volunteers time with the Oregon International Airshow.

Don is a former city councilor and planning commissioner, and previously served the boards of Valley Commercial Bank (now West Coast Bank) and the National Electrical Contractors Association.

Don and his wife Patti have four children - Randy, Kim, Aimee and Gina. They also have three granddaughters.


Rick Van Beveren is president of Reedville Cafe and Reedville Catering in Hillsboro. Both companies represent the evolution of a family business that spans more than fifty years, beginning in 1950 when Rick's parents bought the tavern that originally occupied the property.

When his father's life was cut short by cancer, Rick suddenly found himself in charge of the family business in 1978. Fresh from college and only twenty-two years old, he set out on a career he'd never quite imagined. Since then, he has successfully grown the family business, engineering a complete overhaul of the operation in the early 1990s to convert the tavern to a neighborhood café. The catering company was born soon after.

Rick has been a board member of the Hillsboro Community Foundation since 1998 and served as the Foundation's president when many of its sponsored projects were selected. It was also during his term that the Foundation adopted its signature project, the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center, and launched a major fundraising campaign on its behalf. As a board member, Rick has solicited funds for this campaign, and given generously of his own resources.

Rick also serves on the board of the Washington County Vision Action Network and the Oregon International Airshow. He is a member of the Hillsboro 2020 Vision Implementation Committee, past president of the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, and past board member of the Portland Rose Festival Association.

Aside from his studies at the University of Notre Dame, Rick has lived in the Hillsboro area his entire life. He has a long history of service to the community, and strongly believes in investing in local projects. For both his professional and civic accomplishments, Rick has been honored on numerous occasions, including receipt of the Chamber's highest honor, the Emma C. McKinney Award, in 2001.

Rick is married to Cheryl Van Beveren and has two children.


Jeff Van Raden is with Columbia Industries, Inc.

P.O. Box 808, Hillsboro, OR 97123 | Tel. 503-648-1102 | www.hillsborocommunityfoundation.org