Board

Keith Heyward is in his first season as a part of the coaching staff with the University of California - Berkeley football team, following a long-stint in Oregon. Keith views his job through the lens of developing young men as much as developing great football players. Heyward graduated from Oregon State with a degree in communications in 2000. He and his wife, Cameo, have two daughters, Kendyl and Kamryn.

Katie Jeremiah is CEO of ARI, Inc., a Springfield-based mining services contractor that provides drilling, blasting and portable crushing for mines, quarries, renewable energy and development projects throughout the West (12 states). Katie was appointed by Governor Kate Brown to the Governing Board of the state’s Department of Geology and Mineral Resources, serves on the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) as a board member on The Oregon Concrete and Aggregate Producers Association. Katie is also a practicing attorney with Lake Oswego-based Jordan Ramis PC. Katie has a strong dedication to mentoring and has previously served with various mentoring and tutoring organizations including Friends of the Children in Portland.

Steve Korin Is a Title 1 teacher at Cesar Chavez Elementary School (4J) who specializes in early literacy instruction. Steve previously served as a Friend during a short pilot project when the Portland Friends of the Children Office implemented a short-lived pilot project in Eugene. Steve played a strong role in catalyzing the creation of a Friends chapter in Lane County including helping ensure helping land ensure the organization had a great youth/family selection partner in Cesar Chavez. Steve is a musician and lives with his family in Eugene.

Mark Sheppard Is the owner of Farmers Union Coffee Roasters and Co-owner of The Barn Light in downtown Eugene. Mark is very active in the local food/restaurant scene. Mark and his family have been involved with Friends of the Children in Portland for many years.

Susan Walsh focuses on the long-range sustainability and policy development plans to advance the mission of Friends of the Children. She oversees data and evaluation, including the longitudinal RCT study of the Friends model. Susan is committed to ensuring that holistic, individualized K-12 support for high-needs children is an essential priority for public and private sector investment. She currently serves on the Board of The Children’s Institute. Prior to joining Friends, Susan served as Executive Vice President of The Campbell Foundation and as Executive Director of Committed Partners for Youth in Eugene, OR from 2001-2011. In addition to her non-profit work, Susan was an adjunct professor at the University of Oregon, teaching both undergraduate and graduate students about youth development. Susan holds a B.S. degree from Georgetown University, a law degree from Villanova University, and a doctorate in special education from the University of Oregon.

Da’Vell graduated in 2011 from the Ashland University with a Bachelors of Business Administration degree and a minor in marketing. After college, he worked several jobs in sales. While working his day-to-day job he also coached high school football and mentored kids in the community. In 2015 Da’Vell decided that he had a larger calling to help young people, so he started his journey to start coaching at the collegiate ranks. While earning his stripes in the business Da’Vell had stints at Wofford College (Spartanburg, SC) and the University of Oregon (Eugene, OR). His first paid job in football was at the University of Pittsburgh. While at Pitt he worked in the recruiting department. He was in charge of identifying talent and selling the program to prospects, families, and high school coaches. After one year at Pitt Da’Vell returned to Eugene to run the football programs’ player development program. As the director of player development Da’Vell is responsible for all aspects of the players’ lives off the field. This includes but not limited to; mental health, finances, community service, academics, family communication, and life after football. Da’Vell is originally from Marion, Ohio.

A graduate of the UO Lundquist College of Business, Brian Fox has served in multiple roles across Oregon prior to taking over the COVID-19-related as Executive Director of the University of Oregon’s Monitoring and Assessment Program. Mr. Fox previously served for 4 years as the Vice President of Finance and Administrations at Oregon Institute of Technology and served as a Director in the Oregon University System. Brian has volunteered on United Way of Lane County’s Emerging Leader’s Council and previously been a Mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lane County.

Kirsten Hughes, M.Ed., LMFT, has served youth and families in Lane County for 25 years including stints with Looking Glass, the Child Center, the Center for Family Therapy, Ophelia’s Place, Acorn House and the Bethel Health Center. Mrs. Hughes now runs a private practice and is an individual, family and group therapist for K-12 students and their families in the Bethel School District. She lives in Eugene with husband, Adam, and two boys, Oliver and Nathan.

Ilisa Rooke-Ley currently works as a Senior Judge for Oregon. Prior to being a Senior Judge, Rooke-Ley worked for Lane County Circuit Court in Oregon's 2nd Judicial District, retiring from that post December 21, 2020. She was appointed to the Circuit Court judgeship on May 1, 2010, by Governor Ted Kulongoski to replace retiring Judge Kip Leonard. Rooke-Ley won election to a second full term without opposition in the primary election on May 17, 2016.

Rooke-Ley earned her undergraduate degree from William Smith College and her J.D. from the Nova Southeastern University Law School. Prior to joining the bench in 2010, Rooke-Ley spent 16 years working as a criminal defense lawyer. Her criminal defense work began in Miami as an Assistant Public Defender then continued in Eugene where she worked at the Law Offices of Terri Wood and Public Defender Services of Lane County. She has three amazing kids. They, serving on boards and being a Senior Judge continue to keep her hopping.