Project Grow

Emese Ilyes

Coordinator
eilyes@portcitydevelopment.org
An explorer of everyday wonders, Emese Ilyes is documenting the potential in every moment and artist as the Direct Care Coordinator at Project Grow. Originally from Transylvania, Emese moved to Portland, Oregon from Michigan to attend Reed College after several years of exploring. She graduated from Reed after completing her thesis titled ‘The heat beneath the melting pot: the implicit and explicit stereotyping of immigrants’. Along with her dedication to Project Grow, she is currently committed to several all consuming personal projects.

Jen Erickson

Coordinator
jerickson@portcitydevelopment.org
Jen Erickson is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She earned her BA in Human Development with a minor in Sustainable Community Development from Prescott College in 2007. While in school, she spent time in Zimbabwe developing the non-profit Friends of the Honde Valley, where she assisted in creating a chicken-raising project for a small community called Gatsi. She has also worked as a massage therapist, a Spanish teacher, and a representative for funeral homes. Jen moved to Portland in 2007 and began developing the weaving studio at Port City in the fall of 2009. In her free time Jen loves cooking, biking, camping, gardening, and traveling.

Tim Donovan

Project Grow Farming Coordinator
tdonovan@portcitydevelopment.org
Tim received his BA from Bard College and has since worked in Farming, Urban Gardening, Environmental Toxicology research, and high school teaching. He Coordinates the farming of Project Grow, and The North Portland Farm. Tim also founded and facilitates independent media label, Lazercave.

James Ragsdale

Animal Husbandry Coordinator and Supported Employment
jragsdale@portcitydevelopment.org
James Ragsdale owned and operated a goat and sheep fiber farm in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington until his recent relocation to Portland. He has spent most of his life living in the mountains of the great Western United States while working on various goat and sheep farms. He also worked in group homes and in supported employment before coming to Port City last year.

Charlie Foster

cfoster@portcitydevelopment.org
Charlie was born and raised in Baltimore, Md. He has previously worked at a retirement home, in a drug and alcohol counseling clinic, and a before and after-school art education program for kids. He received his BSW from Juniata College, a small liberal arts college in the central Pennsylvanian mountains. His travels around the world – a semester in England traveling around Europe and a month in southern India – were the most influential aspects of his education. In addition to travel, he enjoys photography, art, making underwear and other crafts using recycled material, hiking, biking, and seeing the beauty in every inch.

Dasha Shleyeva

Art Assistant
dshleyeva@portcitydevelopment.org
Dasha was born and raised in Moscow, Russia until she was nine, when she moved with her mom to the United States. She is  currently working on her BA in Painting at Portland State University. She has volunteered with and worked on various design projects, murals and art show fundraisers with non-profit organizations in California, Oregon and Mexico.  She has also previously worked with inner city youth after school programs and distribution centers for the homeless in Long Beach, CA. Dasha loves telling (and hearing) stories, picking around on her guitar, cooking for her friends, cartwheels,  and mainly dancing randomly whenever possible. 
www.dashadraws.com

Bekka Holmquist

rholmquist@portcitydevelopment.org
Bekka has lived in Montana and Alaska before moving to Oregon 5 years ago. She recently graduated from Portland State University with a B.S in Communication Studies. When not working at the front desk of Port City Bekka enjoys traveling, reading, exploring the waters of Oregon and barbecuing with friends in her backyard

Shannon Shea