Dana is the Executive Director of the Portland Housing Center, beginning that role in January 2023 after joining the Portland Housing Center January 2022 as Deputy Director. Prior to PHC, Dana worked for seven years at the City of Portland’s Housing Bureau, managing a $10M annual budget dedicated to increasing access to homeownership opportunities. Dana is a Portland Native and holds a BA from Warner Pacific University. Her career started with a number of roles over the course of a 15 year tenure at First American CREDCO, now known as CoreLogic.  She then worked at Portland Housing Center as a Homebuying Specialist and Coordinator for three years.  Dana is thrilled to lead a team of passionate and service-oriented staff, and board members and partners dedicated to assisting individuals and families reach their goals, through quality education, intentional and meaningful relationships, and financial services. Homeownership matters as a necessary part of the housing continuum, and because of the access to prosperity that it has provided throughout history. Ownership is power.

Bernice joined Portland Housing Center in 2017 and is a HUD Certified Housing Counselor. She holds a BS degree in Psychology from Portland State University and over 10+ years of coaching & counseling experience, Bernice is dedicated to assisting individuals and families in achieving economic stability and empowerment. Working in a diverse workplace at Portland Housing Center, Bernice finds fulfillment in her role, knowing she can directly contribute to closing the wealth gap through financial empowerment and homeownership. She firmly believes that homeownership serves as a pathway to wealth accumulation and recognizes the numerous social benefits stable housing provides to families and communities. Bernice’s passion for her work stems from her understanding that homeownership positively impacts various aspects of life. By promoting sustainable homeownership, PHC contributes to creating stronger and more vibrant communities.

Christy joined Portland Housing Center in 2023 as a Homebuying Specialist. Prior to PHC, she spent five years working with REACH CDC in affordable rental housing. She holds a BS in Community Health Education from Portland State University.  Christy loves helping first-time homebuyers meet their homeownership goals and build generational wealth for their families. Homeownership matters to Christy because housing stability is crucial to social, emotional, and financial wellbeing. She feels privileged to be able to help others experience homeownership.

Darcie joined Portland Housing Center in January 2020 as the Office Manager. Prior to joining PHC Darcie had over 14 years of experience in Office Management, accounting and HR. She enjoys working with the passionate team at PHC and appreciates the shared vision and dedication to PHC’s mission. Homeownership matters to her because it provides a sense of stability and strengthens our communities.

Jessenia L Juarez is the Lending Director at the Portland Housing Center. She has over 15 years of experience in the real estate industry and working with nonprofits whose mission is to close the homeownership and racial wealth gap. Jessenia is bi-cultural and bilingual, born in El Salvador and was raised in the states since age 3, she is passionate about assisting others in their homeownership goals. Her transparent, unbiased approach to information sharing helps build trust in her community. She currently sits on numerous boards and committees with a focus on homeownership for underserved and underrepresented communities, including being appointed by the Governor to Oregon’s Real Estate Commission Board. She enjoys serving on committees because she believes that diverse perspectives strengthen communities.  Homeownership is important to her because it creates stability, generational wealth, and security.

Kade joined Portland Housing Center in January 2020 as a Loan Servicing Specialist. Prior to joining PHC, Kade worked in portfolio management, loan servicing, and customer service roles. Kade enjoys working for a non-profit and building relationships with his co-workers. Homeownership matters to Kade because homeownership is one of the best things someone can do financially and for their quality of life. He’s proud to help facilitate that through his work at PHC.

Kim joined Portland Housing Center as a Program Assistant in 2019. She currently works in the IDA department . Kim brings 23 years of experience in the real estate industry. She appreciates that Portland Housing Center is in the business of helping and empowering people. Homeownership is important to her because it creates a community where homeowners are vested in and care about the community in which they live. She believes caring people help change the world.

Laura joined Portland Housing Center in 2021 as the IDA Program Manager. Prior to joining Portland Housing Center, Laura spent over 6 years in the real estate industry and has a BA in Economics and Business Administration. She enjoys helping Oregonians realize their dream of homeownership through her work with PHC. Homeownership matters to Laura because it helps create security and helps families build generational wealth.

Margot joined PHC in late 2021. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mathematics, and a certificate in Data Analytics. Prior to joining PHC, Margot was a college mathematics instructor for 15 years, and has been involved in housing justice related advocacy since 2016 as the founder of Portland Tenants United.  As a tenant rights advocate and organizer, she helped increase protections for renters at the local and statewide level.  Margot is excited to be part of PHC’s  mission to bring homeownership to the people who have traditionally been shut out due to systematic barriers. She loves being part of a diverse and passionate team of experts who are committed to the mission of PHC. Homeownership matters to Margot because she believes that housing stability is the cornerstone of a healthy family and community.

Mark joined the Portland Housing Center in December 2022 as the Finance Director. Mark is a CPA with extensive nonprofit experience.  He has a true passion for nonprofit work, and even has a podcast dedicated to nonprofit accounting topics.  Prior to becoming an accountant, Mark worked as a mortgage broker on the island of Maui. He is excited to bring his expertise in these two different arenas to the important and meaningful work that Portland Housing Center is doing every day. A home is often the largest asset in a family, and the ability to be a homeowner and watch your asset appreciate is one of the most impactful things you can do for your (and your family’s) future financial security.

Mayra joined Portland Housing Center in 2018 as a HomeBuying Specialist. Previously, she worked in the social services industry for six years, including one year of experience as a Foreclosure Counselor. She enjoys her work educating and empowering first time homebuyers and being able to have a direct impact on addressing the wealth gap and creating generational wealth. She believes everyone deserves an equal opportunity to have a safe and affordable place to call home, regardless of socio-economic status.

Monica joined Portland Housing Center in 2020 as a Loan Processor. Monica has a BA in Business Management and 8 years of previous experience in loan processing. Her favorite part about working for PHC is being part of an organization that changes lives through homeownership. She feels everyone deserves a place to call home.

Quran joined Portland Housing Center in 2022 as a HomeBuying Specialist. Quran is a HUD Certified Housing Counselor and graduated with a BA from The University of Tennessee. Prior to joining PHC, Quran worked with renters facing housing insecurity. She enjoys working on PHC’s team of passionate individuals dedicated to the prosperity of their community. Homeownership is important to her because she believes that everyone deserves both housing and financial stability.

Sara joined Portland Housing Center in 2023 as an administrative assistant. Before moving to Portland, Sara earned a BA in Communication from Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo where she also worked for three years helping conduct outreach to sign up college students for federal nutrition benefits. Sara enjoys working for PHC because she gets to ‘soak up’ the knowledge of her coworkers and gain essential skills to hopefully work in the nonprofit sector for the rest of her life. Homeownership is an integral part of creating generational wealth and Sara feels fortunate to be a part of the PHC team, helping to create financial security and stability for the community.

Tai joined Portland Housing Center in 2024 and is the Director of Development. With over 20 years of experience in fundraising, she has held pivotal roles at various nonprofits including United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Children’s Miracle Network, and Habitat for Humanity in both Dallas and the Portland region. In these positions, Tai successfully led fundraising and development efforts, significantly increasing funding through community & donor engagement. Tai is passionate about working for PHC because it enables her to contribute to meaningful change in affordable housing within our community. Being part of a team dedicated to making homeownership accessible and fostering stability for families is incredibly fulfilling. Homeownership is more than just having a place to live; it represents stability, security, and an opportunity for families to build a prosperous future. Tai believes that everyone deserves the chance to own a home and experience the pride, peace of mind and joy that comes with it. Working towards this goal at PHC aligns with her personal mission to support and uplift our community.

Humberto was a long time PHC homebuying specialist at our Beaverton office before retiring at the end of 2021. He returns to PHC as a Homebuying and Financial Literacy Instructor, providing Spanish instruction for ‘Decide Tu Futuro’, PHC’s culturally specific financial education course for the Hispanic and Latinx communities. He is passionate about expanding access to homeownership and is legendary at PHC for his tenacious ability to inform and inspire hundreds of PHC families to successfully purchase their first home.

Jacqueline Butts facilitates the Getting Your House in Order and Homebuying 101 courses. She is a HUD certified housing counselor and the former Home Ownership Program Director for Portland Housing Center.  She is the Founder and manager of Sum Clarity, an organization that was formed to help narrow the wealth disparities of the Black community through culturally specific financial education.  Her relevant experience includes being a branch manager for two major banks, holding a loan originator and Life and Health insurance licenses, and facilitating financial education courses for 10 + years. She firmly believes that homeownership is the foundation of wealth building and is honored to play a part in the journey of PHC clients towards achieving their goal of homeownership.

Raina Evans opens doors to housing through education as the owner and founder of Ready To Rent LLC, the nation’s premier tenant readiness and eviction prevention curriculum. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Ms. Evans developed a love for community involvement at a young age. This “love” manifested into 40 years of experience serving communities throughout North America in various professional capacities. Her titles include talk show host, journalist, educator, program manager/developer, public relations professional, motivational speaker, and (her current favorite) “social” entrepreneur. Ms. Evans has been a part of the PHC family for over 20 years, first as a board member, then employee, and currently as an instructor. She has taught HOB 101, Get Your House In Order, and Financial Fitness. In 2007 Ms. Evans became the distributor and administrator of PHC’s Ready to Rent and in 2010 acquired full ownership. She has licensed over 200 organizations to administer the program and trained over 600 instructors to successfully deliver the curriculum. Today, Ready To Rent has helped over 60,000 renters learn to be successful tenants. A dynamic master teacher and facilitator, Ms. Evans holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication from Portland State University. She currently lives in Oregon with her husband and enjoys traveling, cooking foods from all over the world, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Dr. Spears has been a dedicated member of the Business Department of Warner Pacific University since 2010 and is currently serving as the Interim Dean of Business since early 2022, after starting as an adjunct faculty member. With over 25 years of experience in education, nonprofit work, business, and leadership development, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role. He is also a prolific author, having published five books on leadership, family and personal development.

From 2007 to 2011, Dr. Spears served as a Home Buying Coach and Community Homeownership Coordinator. In these roles, he prepared buyers for homeownership. He also led and coordinated the African American Advisory Committee, African American Home Buying Club, African American Networking Events, Home Buying and Financial Fitness Class, as well as conducting agency outreach through community relations and partnerships.

Dr. Spears holds a Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from Regent University, VA, a Master of Management from the University of Phoenix, AZ, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Corban University, OR.

Maria has been with the Portland Housing Center since 2001 and has had many roles during that time and now a contracted Program Administrator. In 2019 she received her HUD Certification and is a HUD Certified Housing Counselor. Maria enjoys interacting with the clients that PHC serves. Homeownership is the biggest purchase many families will make in a lifetime and she enjoys being a part of helping them accomplish that goal.