Debbie Small, President

Debbie is a recent arrival to Portland, having retired from teaching and then selecting Portland as her retirement location.  Her love of hiking and walking led her to choose the Hillsdale area where she can walk to places like the grocery store, the library, many fine restaurants, and the Multnomah Arts Center, just to name a few.  She is president of the Board and works as a jack-of-all-trades to support the efforts of hiking, trailwork, the website, and other projects as they arise. debbie.small@swtrails.org

Don Baack, Vice President 

Don Baack was a farm kid who lived on farms in four states. He has degrees from Nebraska University (Civil Engineer), University of Washington (MBA), and is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer. He has worked in a variety of management positions, mostly dealing with forest products and timber, and also ran his own company. After retiring in 1993, he founded SWTrails (1995) and has been advocating for pedestrian improvements and joining others in building connections in southwest Portland ever since.  The Raz-Baack Crossing on the Stevens Creek Trail honors his many years of service trail-building in southwest Portland.  He’s been married to Gaile since 1964. They have two children and two grandchildren, and have been residents of Hillsdale/southwest Portland since 1972. Don can be reached by phone at 503-246-2088, or by email at don.baack@swtrails.org

Lee Buhler, Treasurer  

Lee has been involved with SWTrails PDX since 2006 and is currently our treasurer.  He lives in the Homestead neighborhood and is one of the leaders of our monthly walks, along with his dog Benny. Lee enjoys all SWTrails PDX activities, especially trail-building, walks, fairs and just being around other people who share those interests. The Buhler Cut-Off  honors his many years of commitment to the activities of SWTrails PDX.  lee.buhler@swtrails.org

Bonnie Birch, Secretary

Bonnie joins us as our newest board member in 2023.  After moving to the Marshall Park area, she began wondering about those brown SW Trails signs she kept seeing on her daily walks.  She was surprised to learn that much of the work on this extensive system is done by volunteers with SW Trails PDX. She is very happy to be serving with a dedicated group of people who share her passion for the outdoors and making our urban environment more walkable.

 Dave Manville, Trail Construction  

Dave has been involved with SWTrails PDX since 2008, working mostly on trail construction, maintenance and advocacy in both our southwest Portland Parks and on PBOT rights-of-way. Dave has some former trail experience working with WTA in Washington and the Forest Service.  He has enjoyed getting involved in Portland’s trail culture. Dave lives in the Ashcreek Neighborhood.  If you include Crestwood, you will find over 20 neighborhood trails and 3 Natural Area parks that connect via trails to provide an excellent walking environment. Retired from the Telecom Industry as a developer, Dave enjoys the change of pace of working in the dirt, with an occasional return to administrative and organizational duties. dave.manville@swtrails.org

Glenn Bridger, Strategy & Audit  

We are sad to report that Glenn passed away on May 16, 2023. His always-present smile and sense of humor will be sorely missed. A job well done, Glenn.  Glenn enjoyed living in Portland since 1991. His professional career spanned 50 years in the obscure field of acquiring rights-of-way for highway projects. With his background in transportation he is a valuable asset when we meet with the city to discuss ways to make walking safer in southwest Portland.   In addition to his work with SWTrails PDX, he has been active in the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association, Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. (SWNI), and the Hillsdale Farmers Market. Glenn passed away on May 16, 2023.  More details on his passing and services will be shared when available.

Barbara Stedman, Social Media              

Barbara moved to Portland from Germany in 2002 and is living in Hillsdale with her husband and two daughters. She likes exploring the neighborhoods of southwest Portland on foot and commutes to work downtown by bicycle.  She manages the social media accounts for SWTrails PDX. barbara.stedman@swtrails.org

Laura Campos

Check back for more information as we update Laura’s profile. laura.campos@swtrails.org

Brian Brady, GIS & Website Manager

Brian is a native Portlander and an avid walker/trail runner. He has completed 15+ marathons on four continents, and is always looking to explore more. Becoming involved with SWTrails PDX has led him to discover the best trails in Portland as he helps to maintain and establish new routes. As a newly minted stay-at-home father, Brian hopes to stay current with ever-changing GIS technology. He is currently working on improving webmaps for urban hiking routes in SW Portland, and has been the driving force behind our new self-led hikes, developed as a response to COVID restrictions in 2020-21.  Brian is a certified arborist and holds a BS in Forestry from Oregon State University.  Map or website inquiries can be directed to: brian.brady@swtrails.org.

Jason Bergstrom

Jason Bergstrom is a long-time volunteer at SWTrails work parties and we finally convinced him to join our board!  Jason spends his days as a “computer guy” for a large local employer and would like to see more people (including himself) out of a car. He is also involved in other local non-profits supporting causes that aim to improve the environment and access to common services for everyone.  Learn more about the SW Portland Tool Library.

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Suzie Blount – Hike and Walk Coordinator

 Questions on our monthly walks can be directed to walks@swtrails.org

Christa Britton – Membership Chair

Questions on Membership can be directed to Christa membership@swtrails.org

OPEN POSITIONS

There are two spots immediately available on our board of directors.  If you have passion for improving the pedestrian experience in SW Portland, please contact president@swtrails.org for more information.