2040 Portland Freight Plan Community Advisory Committee
The 2040 Portland Freight Plan (2040Freight) is about planning how to move goods through the city while meeting our goals for a safe multimodal system that supports economic prosperity, human and environmental health, equity, and resilience. 2040Freight will develop strategies to support freight movement in ways that advance Vision Zero and a state of good repair for our asset management in anticipation of population growth and technological changes. And the plan will aim to reduce carbon emissions while advancing equity and addressing structural racism by engaging stakeholders and the public in examining relevant issues of environmental justice.
Committee activities
- Think critically and strategically about the complete transportation system and provide input that champions the success of the whole transportation system, the City of Portland and its diverse residents
- Advise the PBOT Director and staff on effective means of engaging Portlanders in each key step of the planning process
- Help expand the reach of community engagement on the Plan. This may include helping to distribute invitations to open houses, online surveys, or other public events, providing regular updates to one’s community on the planning process, and consulting with members of their community on how best to represent their views, concerns, and recommendations.
- Review and comment on key project materials
- Provide feedback to staff to help identify needs, develop and evaluate alternatives, and identify preferred solutions
- Provide feedback on the prioritization of work in future phases
Meet our 2040Freight CAC!
Amelia "Amy" Schlusser is a staff attorney with the Green Energy Institute at Lewis & Clark Law School (GEI). Her work focuses on identifying effective legal and policy pathways to address climate change, improve air quality, and accelerate the transition to zero-emissions energy and transportation systems. Amelia was the lead researcher and author of GEI’s Deconstructing Diesel report, which presented a law and policy roadmap for reducing diesel emissions in the Portland metropolitan area. She was also the lead author of model regulations to reduce diesel and greenhouse gas emissions from indirect sources of air pollution in Oregon, including freight facilities. Amelia received her J.D. and LL.M. degrees from Lewis & Clark Law School and her undergraduate degree from Penn State University. In her free time, Amelia likes to ski, raft, bike, and explore the mountains and rivers of the Pacific Northwest.
Keith Wilson is president of TITAN Freight Systems, a regional transportation company with operations throughout Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. TITAN is the lowest carbon footprint carrier in the Pacific Northwest using Renewable Diesel for the majority of its operations. This second-generation renewable reduces GHG emissions up to 67%. Keith is a Vision Zero expert who utilizes artificial intelligence resulting in millions of miles traveled with zero accidents. He is also a US High Speed Rail advisory board member where he works with city, state and federal officials to advance this extraordinary technology to put the “RAPID” back in rapid transit. Keith grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Portland, his home wedged between factories, junk yards, landfills, and freeways. He has witnessed firsthand how segregation creates an improper functioning society and is focused on ensuring outcomes are fair and equitable for all communities, always.
During the weekdays, Victoria "Vee" Paykar works as Climate Solution’s Oregon Transportation Policy Manager. There she brings a racial justice lens working on elevating holistic transportation solutions, developing a strategic and equitable transportation agenda for electrification, transitioning off fossil fuels, and reducing the need to drive by advocating for people-centered transportation policies. Out of the office Vee enjoys reading anti-capitalist theory, learning to play guitar, trying new foods, hiking, running and practicing Yoga.
Dave Chalmers is the President and CEO of Bridgetown Enterprises, the parent company of Bridgetown Trucking and affiliates. Over the past 21 years, Dave has grown and managed a team of transportation and warehouse professionals in multiple states and locations. Currently, Daves companies operate out of three office locations with over 200,000 square feet of combined commercial warehouse space and over 50 semi-trucks on the roads in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest regions. His business’s serve a diverse group of customers, ranging from local small companies, to fortune 500 companies. Dave has been married for 24 years to his wife Antoinette. They have two children in high school. He enjoys traveling and golf in his spare time.
Aaron Laheyne has worked for United Parcel Service for almost 10 years. His experience and knowledge come from the logistics side, delivering SW and NW Portland for most of his tenure. He is committed to helping his community thrive and improve safety for the public and its work force. Aaron is from McMinnville, OR in the heart of wine country but currently lives in Progress Ridge in Beaverton. He is happily married to his wife of ten years and has two beautiful children, 8 and 5. He enjoys the outdoors as much as any person born in the northwest and taking his German Shepherd along. Aaron has been Vegan for almost four years now and takes our environmental impact to heart.
Felix Eshesimua is a Portland-based entrepreneur, non-profit founder and president, and a global account manager with experience in logistics planning and import/export. His management consultancy, Insightful Consult, gives minority-owned businesses the tools necessary to build profitable and sustainable businesses. He is also the founder of the Itoto Global Foundation and Itoto House Organization, which are non-profits dedicated to uplifting and inspiring the next generation of minority youth. Felix possesses a Master of Business Administration in Management from American InterContinental University, Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship from Gannon University, and an Associate’s degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He worked on a freight project during his bachelor's and master's degree studies and is currently studying to obtain a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (EdD) from the City University of Seattle (online). He's currently a Business Development Manager at Coyote one of the leading Logistics companies in Portland.
Heather Stebbings has spent the majority of her career focusing on maritime and transportation issues in the Pacific Northwest. For over 13 years, she worked with the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, serving as their Government Relations Director before working at the Port of Vancouver USA as their Director of Communications. She now works as Marine Services and Government Liaison for Shaver Transportation, a 140-year old tug and barge company located in the Portland Harbor and operating throughout the Columbia-Willamette-Snake River System. She hopes to provide the perspective of river transportation as the City’s broader freight plan is developed, and to help communities understand the role of commercial navigation in the regional transportation network. Heather grew up on the east coast and graduated with a degree in applied mathematics from the University of Connecticut. She has lived in Portland for nearly 20 years, and currently resides in Northeast Portland with her husband and two children.
Ryan Hashagen is the founder of Icicle Industries, where he manufactures commercial vending and delivery tricycles (Icicle Tricycles) to ship to customers across the United States, Canada and overseas. Ryan is responsible for three Central City commercial properties, located in Old Town and the Central Eastside, and understands commercial property interests. His business is freight dependent and relies on cargo bikes, box trucks, and semis daily, and he personally drives the business box truck and forklift for inventory and shipping. Ryan is the former Co-Chair of the Old Town Transportation Committee, a current member of PBOT’s Bureau and Budget Advisory Committee (BBAC), a member of the Central Eastside Industrial Council Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee (CEIC TPAC), a principal organizer at Better Block PDX, and a member of the Central City in Motion Working Group. Ryan currently spends weekends on a quest to paddle every 'reasonable' river in the Pacific NW with an old aluminum canoe.
Sara Wright is Transportation Program Director at Oregon Environmental Council and has a background in public health and transportation and land use planning. She advocates for policy change to move people and goods more efficiently and sustainably to support thriving Oregon communities and reduced greenhouse gas pollution. Sara is excited about opportunities to break old habits of thinking and use new and old technologies to meet community needs. In this pandemic period, she is spending her spare time fostering dogs, taking long walks, and befriending crows.
Residing in SE Portland, Josh Kubisch is an avid cyclist and member of the Northwest trail alliance which supports mountain bike trail advocacy and stewardship. Josh is interested in improving urban infrastructure that can create equality across communities and support all voices across the metro region. As a Senior Hub Manager at FedEx, he brings a deep understand of logistics and the requirements to safely move goods across our region. He is a creative at heart, always seeking a solution to fit the puzzle.
Rachel Dawson lives in Southeast Portland near the Brooklyn Yard and the Brooklyn Industrial area, and she walks through the industrial area every day to exercise and meet up with friends. She’s excited to be on the 2040 Freight Committee, where she hopes to represent her neighborhood and positively impact the community she lives in. Rachel works as an electricity regulation policy analyst. She owns a car but was previously transit dependent, so she understands the importance of balancing the needs of both transit and road improvements.
Tom Dechenne has more than 37 years in the commercial and industrial real estate business and has been involved in brokerage, real estate finance and development. For the past several years, he has specialized as a broker in the marketing of industrial projects, commercial properties, as well as the sale of various investment properties and land. Tom has assisted locating warehouse, office and flex users and represented landlords and sellers in the marketing of properties. Land use and traffic considerations, most notably industrial/freight movement, are used daily in his kind of work, and he consults to provide the most efficient, cost effective solution to these property selection needs.
Tom served on the Metro Freight and Goods Movement Advisory Board for the 2010 Regional Transportation Plan and has served on the Portland Freight Committee since it began about fifteen years ago. He is part of the Commercial Association of Brokers and has a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics from Washington State University. Tom is an avid bike rider in Portland and attended Portland Community College classes on a regular basis, in the performing arts arena.
Keith Jones is Executive Director of Friends of Green Loop. Friends of Green Loop provides community-based leadership for the development of a six-mile linear park around the city that will change the way people experience Portland. He has led the development and management of the Culinary Corridor - a concept to move food carts at risk from development projects onto the Green Loop. Keith is a board member of the Lloyd Community Association and the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods. He also is a member of the South Park Blocks Master Plan Community Advisory Committee for Portland Parks & Recreation. Keith is an avid biker, going carless in 2018. His interests includes photography, collecting vinyl and geology. His favorite Portland events are Pedalpalooza, Ladds 500, the Big Float and PDX Adult Soap Box Derby.
Ellen Wax is Executive Director of the Working Waterfront Coalition (WWC) a member coalition representing Portland harbor industrial businesses. The WWC is dedicated to working with its partners to ensure an appropriate balance between environmental concerns and the needs of river-related, river-dependent employers. Portland’s Harbor is a vital employment area: home to thousands of middle income, family wage jobs and Ellen is passionate about representing the interest of the employers who provide the jobs, and employees who depend on industrial jobs. Ellen works closely with other Portland industrial associations including as the Northwest Industrial Business Association (NIBA) and Columbia Corridor Association (CCA). Past employment experience includes working as a planner with the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Bureau of Development Services, and with the engineering firm of David Evans and Associates.
Ellen grew up in Northeast Portland and lives there still with her husband Dave and teenage daughter. Ellen likes home improvement projects, gardening, reading history books and travel.
David Stein is Chair of Portland's Bicycle Advisory Committee and has been a member of that body since 2018. Before that he served on the board of the Bridlemile Neighborhood Association for nearly four years including terms as Secretary (2015-16) and Chair (2016-18). Professionally he works as a data reporting analyst at Cambia Health Solutions where he compiles, interprets and visualizes data to enhance decision-making. Stein completed the 2018 edition of the Portland Traffic and Transportation Course.
David is married with two young children in elementary school and is part of SW Portland's vibrant Jewish community. He is looking forward to finding solutions that benefit the movement of goods and people throughout the city while adhering to our goals around climate, land use, and Vision Zero.
Born and raised in Portland, Robert "Bob" Price graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor's in Geography followed by his master's in Urban and Regional Planning. After his brief employment as a Campus Planner at the University of Oregon, Bob joined the U.S. Peace Corps and was posted to Afghanistan where he spent 3.5 of the most enjoyable years of his life, followed by six months of open traveling in Asia and the western Pacific region.
Following his return to Portland, he married Candy and “settled down” to life as a land use planner and development consultant with different professional firms in the Portland area until he decided to retire from the “corporate world” in 2010 to establish his own practice out of his home office. That practice continues to the present, but on a limited basis.
Bob has three children, Colin, Brendan, and Alexandra, and one granddaughter. As empty nesters Bob and Candy continue to live in their home of 40 years in NE Portland. Bob recently retired after 39 years as a high school football official and 27 years as a high school baseball umpire. Bob is currently active as a Board member in the Roseway Neighborhood Association and on the Rivergate Traffic Advisory Committee. He also volunteers with the Oregon Humane Society, taking care of “small animals” at the shelter.
Isaura Ascensio has over 10 years of experience working in the public sector with roles in public policy, community engagement, public health, economic development, anti-poverty programming, and strategic sourcing for Multnomah County. She is also the owner of Forward Logistics, a small freight brokerage entering its 2nd year in business. In this capacity, Isaura assists companies with finding vetted carriers with the right equipment to handle their shipment needs. It is through this relationship with semi-truck drivers, that Isaura gains insight to the many challenges in moving goods, the barriers to equity in economic opportunities, and the workforce needs in order to uphold the goal for a more safe and sustainable industry. For Isaura, our freight community is a reflection of how well we understand that people, policy, systems and infrastructures are all interconnected. She looks forward to serving and helping our local economy strengthen partnerships.
Isaura grew up in North Portland and still lives there. She also serves on Habitat for Humanity's Ambassador Council and enjoys volunteering her time with other local organizations.
William "Bill" Burgel has been a member of the Portland Freight Committee since its inception in 2003. He generally represents the views of the rail industry at these once-a-month meetings. For the last 50 years, Bill has worked for various rail companies, the US Surface Transportation Board, several DOT’s and transit agencies and several consulting companies. He was the primary author for WSDOT’s 2010 PRIIA (High Speed Rail) Application for which the state received over $850M for the Seattle to Portland passenger rail corridor. He has also been heavily involved for the past 20 years in the development of the various rail plans for the Portland/Vancouver region. These planning efforts have assisted in the completion of nearly all of the projects identified enabling the passenger rail and freight rail volumes to expand without incurring excessive delays.
Bill spends his time in retirement kayaking and/or dragon boating, cleaning up trash off the streets, assisting a team of volunteers with an NGO that spends one week a year performing dentistry for kids in Guatemala (Bill is one of the team's engineers), and giving presentations about earthquake preparation.
Clint Culpepper is currently the Transportation Options Manager at Portland State University, managing the university’s transit, bicycle, and carpool programs. He is a member of the City of Portland's Bicycle Advisory Committee, the Fixing Our Streets Oversight Committee, and the Multnomah County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Clint has been involved in the UPS e-trike delivery pilot that began in 2019 and helped to establish PSU’s bicycle mail delivery program.
He lives in Northeast Portland with his wife and two young children. He is also a board member of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association and promoter of one of the largest bicycle race series on the west coast. He holds a BA in Political Science from Arizona State University.
A former professional bicycle race mechanic, Christophe Esayian is a senior logistics industry executive with 20 years of international expertise in freight forwarding and customs brokerage.
He has focused on aligning people and processes with an eye towards addressing sustainability challenges with emphasis on creating innovative solutions to reduce impacts from transportation.
Christophe currently works as the Sustainability Manager for OIA Global, a Portland-based Logistics and packaging firm.
Stephanie Fong's main mode of transportation is her own two feet. She cares deeply about building safer streets and public spaces to make cities healthier for everyone, especially children, elders, and people with disabilities. When she isn't walking around Portland, you might find her making paper art, trying out a new recipe, or weeding at her community garden plot. For work, she manages communications and writes grants for William Temple House, a nonprofit offering mental health counseling and healthy food to the community.
Stephanie grew up in Washington County and has family roots in Eastern Oregon, China, and Mexico. Before moving back to the Portland area, she lived, worked, and studied in Chicago and England. She currently lives car-free in Goose Hollow with her partner and one-year-old.
Hannah Skutt (she/they) graduated from Scripps College in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Analysis and French. She works as the Sustainability Coordinator for Skutt Ceramics, a 3rd Generation family business. Hannah is also an active organizer with the Sunrise Movement- a youth movement to stop climate change and bring about a Green New Deal that centers social justice. Born and raised in Portland, Hannah loves getting outside in all weather and has a 2021 goal of building their knowledge about foraging. She loves visioning alternative and adapted systems that consider power dynamics, accessibility, empowerment and support of folks on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and collective liberation. Hannah has a background in Human Centered Design as well as social and ecological Permaculture. Hannah loves to quote Rob Hopkins who argues that the climate crisis is a “crisis of imagination”. As a youth voice on the committee, they advocate for comprehensive and timely sustainability initiatives within freight that support local businesses and boldly re-imagine freight as a part of our ecosystem.
Russ Goff (not pictured) has been a UPS leader for over 22 years and is active in his community and with philanthropy. Russ is interested in betterment of the environment and to enable the seamless flow of goods and people in the Portland Metro area.
Erik Molander (not pictured) served on the Columbia-Lombard Mobility Corridor Plan Community Advisory Committee for PBOT and is the Land Use Chair for the Bridgeton Neighborhood Association. He also serves as an Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District board member and participates in the Levy Ready Columbia and I-5 Bridge Replacement projects. Before retiring, he was an experienced logistics professional and former executive at CSX Corporation, the east coast railroad.
Gary Hollands (not pictured) is an entrepreneur providing opportunities for communities of color in the trucking industry. His Interstate Trucking Academy was the first African American truck driving company to obtain a B.O.L.I. approved trucking apprenticeship program. He's a twice-elected member of the Multnomah Education School Board and the Executive Director of the Albina Sports Program to help youth achieve their athletic and academic goals.