2025-262

​Biographies and Statements of Interest  

​Rubén Alvarado 
Rubén Alvarado is the Executive Director of the Community Cycling Center, a Portland based nonprofit working to remove barriers to cycling and increase access to active transportation. Prior to relocating to Portland, he worked to advance education and housing equity in various roles across Eastern Washington. His previous roles include Executive Director of Communities In Schools of the Blue Mountain Region and City Council member in Pasco, Washington, where he advocated for major infrastructure projects in historically underserved areas. He has served on regional transportation and planning boards and on the Planning Commissions for the cities of Pasco and College Place, as well as on a regional community health board and a community action agency. With lived experience in immigrant and working-class communities, he approaches planning with a commitment to inclusion, public service, and collaborative problem-solving. Rubén holds a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a Master of Public Administration from Arkansas State University. He is bilingual in English and Spanish. 

​Statement of Interest: I am passionate about advancing equity in the built environment and ensuring that community voices guide decisions about growth and investment. With lived experience in immigrant and working-class communities, I approach planning with a commitment to inclusion, public service, and collaborative problem-solving.  

​J’reyesha Brannon 
J'reyesha Brannon is a University of Portland alum, where she graduated with a degree in civil engineering with an environmental focus. J'reyesha spent nearly a decade working as a civil engineer for the City of Portland. She currently works in the private sector as a design engineer and project manager, supporting conveyance and wastewater projects in the Northwest. She is passionate about environmental justice, civic engagement, and diversifying STEM fields. She is actively involved in her community, having served in a variety of leadership roles for non-profits and community boards, such as the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Portland Professionals, The State of Oregon’s Environmental Justice Council, Multnomah County’s Charter Review Committee, Metro’s Parks & Nature Equity Advisory Committee, and more. 

​Statement of Interest: In all its work, the Commission strives to build community and advance urban solutions that make Portland a thriving, livable city for all, something I take to heart and am excited about being part of.  I was born, raised, and have chosen to continue my career and make my home in this City because I am invested in its growth – I work, play, live, and contribute to this City as an avid volunteer, public utility engineer, and part of Portland’s diverse community. I am particularly interested in infrastructure, transportation, environmental policy, and land use issues because they impact the daily life of every Portlander. 

​David Knowles 
David Knowles has been a northeast Portland resident for the last 40 years. His career journey has spanned four decades of public service and private sector consulting, mostly in the fields of urban planning and transit project development. An Attorney, David had an active law practice while serving as an elected Metro Councilor. He went on to serve as Planning Director for the City of Portland. After leaving that position in 1999, David had leadership positions in the private sector with client work focused on planning and development of transit systems for cities and transit agencies. Because of his experience as an elected official, public sector manager and project management expertise, he has frequently led major public projects where multiple stakeholders had conflicting interests and objectives. Since retiring, David has been dedicating time to important civic and non-profit activities, including most recently the Portland Charter Commission. 

​Statement of Interest: The Portland Planning Commission has always played an essential role in articulating a vision for our city. Formally, this happens through the policies and codes recommended to the City Council by the Commission. Just as important, though, is the community conversation that occurs around the ways to make Portland an even better place to live, work and play; a conversation that must be inclusive of our most vulnerable and historically underserved communities. Success for the Planning Commission should be defined not just by what it does but how it does it.   

​Eli Spevak 
​Eli is the founder of Orange Splot, LLC, with a mission to pioneer new models of community-oriented, affordable, green housing developments in Portland. Eli has managed the finance and construction of over 250 units of affordable housing through community-based non-profit organizations and almost 100 more through his company, a quarter of which are permanently affordable. As a consultant, he supports AARP initiatives to expand housing options around the US. As a volunteer, he co-founded ElectrifyPDX. Eli was a Loeb Fellow in Advanced Environmental Studies at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design; has a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University; and has a Physics degree from Swarthmore College. He was the Planning and Sustainability Commission Chair in 2019-21 and has continued to serve on the Planning Commission as a member since that time. 

​Statement of Interest: I always enjoy a steep learning curve, and also like supporting emerging leaders. I look forward to helping provide continuity, setting the Planning Commission up for success going forward. As a commissioner, I appreciate the range of perspectives we get to hear from the public, staff and each other. This input builds my own understanding of issues and trade-offs - and informs the Planning Commission’s role in making thoughtful recommendations to City Council. Based on my professional focus on housing, I particularly look forward to helping Portland create the variety of housing it needs to house everyone in as equitable and climate-friendly a manner as possible. 

​Lukas Pollack 
​Lukas is a Southeast Portland resident, a Franklin High School graduate, and a current undergraduate student at Portland State University. He is currently obtaining a bachelor's degree in Community Urban Studies and Planning and plans to apply to the Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning program, where he hopes to specialize in affordable and multi-family housing. He has prior experience in canvassing for congressional and presidential election candidates and volunteering with the Portland chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League.