UOAA welcomes new board members
This July, ten new directors will join the University of Oregon Alumni Association Board.
Board President Erin Watkinson, BA ’00 (international studies, Spanish) and UOAA Executive Director Raphe Beck welcome these new board members as they begin three-year terms, which can be renewed once. The board is responsible for overseeing and managing the association’s finances and advising staff on how best to engage more than 269,000 living alumni.
“The new board members this year are a remarkable group of individuals, and collectively they are more geographically diverse than any recent class,” said Beck. “We’re really looking forward to having these new voices at the table to think about serving the full breadth of our alumni.”
The UOAA board maintains between 38 and 44 voting members and represents the broad diversity of UO alumni in all respects, including but not limited to age, class year, school, degree, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and participation in various student and alumni programs.
Members of the board are also alumni who have remained active with fellow UO alumni and/or students, or who have demonstrated a history of service to other communities.
Meet the new board members
Kristen Bennett, BS ’08 (planning, public policy and management)
Washington, DC
Kristen Bennett is the Chief Executive Officer of Service Year Alliance, a nonprofit working to make a year of service a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans. A former UO Rowing coxswain and driver for the Assault Prevention and the Designated Drivers Shuttles, Kristen has since earned her master’s degree in public policy and administration from Sacramento State University and served on the boards of three UOAA regional chapters—the Inland Empire, Sacramento, and DC Ducks. She currently serves as a board member for America’s Service Commissions and is a proud mom to Winnie, her five-year old Cavalier King Charles rescue.
Kirsten Blair, BA ’01 (advertising)
Seattle, Washington
Kirsten Blair is a Manager of Early Career Experience at Amazon, a global e-commerce retailer in Seattle. While at the UO, she was an Athletics Department intern and a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Kirsten earned her MBA from the University of Washington and is currently a sustainer member of the Junior League of Seattle. The UO runs strong in her family, with her mother, two aunts, and twin sister all Ducks. Kirsten and her partner Cory live in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle with their rescue pup, Peanut.
Lisa L. Brody, BA ’92 (political science), JD ’95
St. Petersburg, Florida
Lisa L. Brody, Esq., is the Chief Strategy Officer for the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg in St. Petersburg, Florida. A former president of the Black Student Union as an undergraduate and member of the UO Intercollegiate Athletics Committee and UO Supreme Court while in law school, Lisa was actively involved in a variety of activities through her tenure at the University of Oregon. Lisa was a charter member of the Black Alumni Network, where she served as the secretary. Lisa is active in her community and is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and the Links Inc. She is married to Carl E. Brody, Jr., Esq., JD ’94, and the proud mother of two children.
Emily Escobosa, BA ’10 (international studies)
Memphis, Tennessee
Emily Escobosa is the Director of Operations at Kappa Delta Sorority National Headquarters in Memphis. Emily joined Kappa Delta at the UO and has a combined 14 years of work and volunteer experience with the sorority. Emily earned her master of education from Northeastern University and volunteers on the Duck Alumni Recruiting Team. She lives on the outskirts of Memphis with her partner, Jesus, their two chihuahuas, and many chickens.
Hugh Jensen, BS ’94 (finance, management)
Glendale, Arizona
Hugh Jensen earned his BS in finance and management from the University of Oregon in 1994. While at the UO, he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega and the IntroDUCKtion staff. Currently residing in the Phoenix, Arizona area, he is the Principal Coach and Consultant at CoachingToResults.com, specializing in higher education and leadership/performance consulting. He earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix—Tigard, Oregon campus. Over the past two decades, Hugh has held various roles in higher education, including director, vice president, and campus president. Hugh is also a Maxwell Leadership® certified coach, speaker, and trainer.
Colin Kelly, BA ’03 (political science)
Long Beach, California
Colin Kelly is the Assistant Chief Counsel for the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, part of the California Environmental Protection Agency. During his time at the UO, he served as the vice president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and volunteered on the Alumni Property Trust Board during major renovations. Since 2019, Colin has served as the president of LA Ducks regional chapter. He has also served on several local boards of directors and has been the chair of the City of Long Beach’s Marine Advisory Board for several years. He is the proud parent of two girls (ages 7 and 11) and the spouse of a high school teacher.
Olivia Ortery, class of 2026 (business administration)
Eugene, Oregon
Olivia Ortery is a business administration major with a sports business concentration and a minor in legal studies. She is from Houston, Texas but currently lives in Eugene and is going into her third year as a student at the University of Oregon. Olivia serves as the student representative on the UOAA Board of Directors and as Director of Alumni Relations for the Student Alumni Association. She is a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority and an intern with the Quack Pack, which does marketing for Duck Athletics.
Jessica Quinn, BS ’15 (theatre arts), MBA ’24
Eugene, Oregon
Jessica Quinn is a Vice President at Obie Companies, a commercial real estate firm based in Eugene, Oregon that specializes in hospitality, residential, and mixed-used assets. Having worked at Obie for 11 years, Jessica oversees and is highly involved in the company’s administration, human resources, IT, and finance departments. A double Duck, Jessica earned her BS in 2015 and recently graduated from the UO’s Executive MBA program in Portland. In addition to this board role, Jessica is joining the Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene’s board this July and volunteers at the UO’s Career Center, helping students with practice interviews, resume writing, and navigating the workforce post-graduation. Jessica has two sons, ages 4 and 6, who enjoy attending Ducks sporting events in their free time.
William “Grier” Ross, BS ’98 (economics)
Altadena, California
Grier Ross is the Chief Lending Officer for Commercial Banking with City National Bank, an RBC Company. He’s based in Los Angeles and has enjoyed a 25+ year career in financial services including 15+ years with Wells Fargo. While attending the UO, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and served on the Interfraternity Council as Tribunal and Judicial Chair. Grier went on to earn an accounting certificate from UCLA Extension. He served as president and treasurer for the LA Ducks regional chapter and has represented the UO Admissions Department at numerous college fairs in Southern California. He is currently a member of the finance committee at St. Philip the Apostle School in Pasadena and has been a member of the Tournament of Roses Association since 2006. He’s been happily married to Susan (Gilbaugh) Ross, BS ’99, MS ’01 (exercise & movement science), since 2005, and they have two sons.
Oliver Schweizer, BA ’07 (political science)
New York, New York
A native of Eugene, Oliver works in the U.S. Department of Treasury’s independent banking regulatory agency, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. He is in large bank supervision, specializing in anti-money laundering and economic sanctions oversight. Oliver’s prior stops have been at predominantly global Wall Street banks and Big Four consulting firms. He was previously the president of the UOAA’s New York Ducks regional chapter and served on the boards of the DC Ducks and NY Ducks in various capacities since 2009. He was a student ambassador while on campus. Oliver and his wife reside in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan.
Erin and the UOAA also thank departing board members, whose terms will conclude June 30, 2024, for their dedicated service to the UOAA:
Awab Al-Rawe, BA ’14 (international studies), MS ’17 (conflict and dispute resolution); John Branam, JD ’04; Rosa Chávez- Jacuinde, BA ’96 (international studies, Spanish), JD ’03; Teresa Hoffman, BS ’82 (leisure studies and services); Dan Ryan, BA ’85 (rhetoric and communication); Eric Siow, BS ’86 (finance), MBA ’88. Kayla Choate, class of 2024 (business administration), currently serves as the board’s student representative and will conclude her term in the fall. And a special thank you to UOAA Past President Maylian Pak, MA ’05 (geography), who has served on the board for 12 years.
About the board president
Erin Watkinson, BA ’00 (international studies, Spanish)
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Erin is a native Oregonian who was fortunate to grow up in Eugene and was literally born to be a Duck. She has served on the UOAA Board of Directors since 2018. As a student, Erin was president of Gamma Phi Beta, vice president of the UO Panhellenic Council, and actively involved in multiple campus and community volunteer activities as a mentor and coach. Upon graduation, she began her career in the technology space in Portland. She is currently the Vice President of Client Success at Avetta, a cloud-based supply chain risk management and commercial marketplace platform, with previous roles in executive leadership in professional services and customer success. In her free time, Erin enjoys golfing and traveling with her husband, and they currently live in Lake Oswego.
Read more about Erin in her recent Q&A with fellow board member Alexa Tieu Whippo, BS ’10 (journalism, electronic media production).