Meet the Team
Aron Carleson
Executive Director
Matthew Brennan
Development Director
Matt oversees fundraising and communications for the foundation. Before joining the staff in 2019, Matt served as Board President, chaired the annual Gala & Auction committee and also helped facilitate Tony’s Tourney, a golf tournament fundraiser for HSF. A Glencoe alum, Matt is proud to be raising his two sons in the same community in which he grew up.
Laurie Schmidt
Program Manager
Laurie manages HSF’s bookkeeping and databases, assists with our fundraisers and events, and performs other program support duties. She volunteered for HSF for several years prior to joining the team as a staff member. Laurie is very involved in her sons’ elementary school in Hillsboro and has spent all of her professional career and much of her personal time helping children and families in Washington County.
Our Valuable Board of Directors
Kim Strelchun
President
Harvey Berkey
Vice President
Jake Mead
Treasurer
Jake, an Alumni of the Hillsboro School District, is thrilled to join the HSF Board. HSF has had a lasting impact in Jakes life as not only an Alumni who benefited from the investments made, but from his Grandmother who worked at Peter Boscow & David Hill Elementary who made HSF part of his family legacy. Jake, who owns Mead Agency and Associates in the new South Hillsboro neighborhood, truly believes in building up the community around him. While not working in his office or with HSF, he actively volunteers with FFA Hillsboro, Chairs the LGBTQ+ Business Advisory Council and is a board member for Washington County Chamber of Commerce
Rebecca Nelson
Secretary
An HSF member since 2022, Rebecca is a 2000 Glencoe Alumni and HSD parent of three. Passionate about education and community, Rebecca has served as a past Chair and Vice Chair on the Community Curriculum Advisory Committee, member of the literature adoption committee, and member of HSD’s Strategic Planning Committee. Rebecca is a former board member of Glencoe Youth Football as well as both Brookwood Elementary and Evergreen Middle School’s Boosters, and serves as a current board member of Patterson Elementary’s Booster Club.
When Rebecca is not at her kids’ sports or volunteering, she is a Principal Broker and Agent Trainer at NextHome Realty Connection in Orenco and the owner and Performance Coach at Rebecca Nelson Coaching LLC. Rebecca also enjoys hiking, reading, table top games, and most new adventures. Rebecca looks forward to all of the opportunities to serve the HSF community!
Laura Bekken
Past President
Dylan Alford
Board Member
Dylan has lived in Hillsboro since 2005, and both of his children are graduates of Minter Bridge, South Meadows and Hilhi.
He owns a Farmers Insurance agency in Orenco Station, and is active volunteering with youth basketball and baseball organizations, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Hillsboro Schools Foundation. He also umpires JBO baseball in the spring and summer.
He joined the HSF board in 2023 because he wants to give back to the school community that has helped educate his children and given his family so much through the years.
Kim Gaston
Board Member
Kim joined the Hillsboro Schools Foundation in 2021. Kim has lived in the Hillsboro School District since 1978 and currently works at Portland General Electric (PGE).
Megan Kaye
Board Member
Megan originates from California and has an extensive background in science and in science education. She has taken her multiple science degrees and used them in a lot of educational settings: from being a camp director, a tutor, a middle school science teacher, to even working as a science museum educational expert! Megan understands the value of hands-on education opportunities for students and that passion for education drove her to join the board in early 2024. Megan works for Thermo Fisher Scientific and enjoys spending her free time with her animals, whether it’s reading on the couch with the cats or hiking with the dog!
Carol Loughner
Board Member
Art Mendez
Board Member
Arturo Mendez is a 20 year semiconductor professional. He is an operations manager with Applied Materials managing a team of 40 semiconductor engineers working in the Epitaxy module.
He has a passion for community engagement where he has the opportunity to assist under-represented youth in the Portland Metro area. Arturo is a member of the board for the Latino Business Advisory Council through the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, sits on the board for the Oregon Startup Center and is the Chairman of the Board for Hispanics in Partnership through Applied Materials Foundation.
Arturo enjoys playing golf, reading, drawing/painting, riding motorcycles, working on old BMWs and spending quality time with his family.
Tim Moe
Board Member
Tim grew up in Washington County, moved away for college and work, and returned home in the late 1990’s. His family has lived in Hillsboro since 2001. All 3 of his adult children have proudly gone through the Hillsboro School District. Tim previously worked in Finance and Risk Management. Over the past 20+ years Tim has worked as an educator in various capacities at the college level but primarily at the high school level in the Beaverton School District.
He joined the HSF board in 2023 because he wants to give back to the school community that has helped educate his children. He strongly believes in the mission of public education and is proud to support an organization that helps HSD student be all they can be.
Dr. Jon Pede
Board Member
Jon has been a part of the Hillsboro School District for 16 years as Principal of Jackson Elementary, Director of Student Services and recently 9 years as Principal of Poynter Middle School. He has been in education for 33 years starting as an instructional assistant, teacher, and administrator. He recently retired to start the next chapter of his life. Jon has witnessed first hand the positive actions and generosity of the HSF through many grants that his schools have received over the years. When he retired, he decided that it was time that he give back to the HSF for all the generous giving that they gave his students and continue to support students and staff in the Hillsboro School District.
Shannon Rose
Board Member
Shannon is a Principal Broker at The Shannon Rose Group. An active member of the community and proud parent, both of her children graduated from Century High School.
Nathan Sosa
Board Member
Nathan joined the Board in 2015. He was elected as board vice president from 2017 – 2018 and president from 2019 – 2022. He also served on the Grant Committee and currently serves on the Marketing Committee.
Nathan is an attorney at the law firm of Vames, Wang & Sosa Injury Lawyers in Hillsboro. He is also a legislator in the Oregon House of Representatives where he represents District 30 which is based in Hillsboro. Prior to becoming a lawmaker, he served on the Oregon Government Ethics Commission and was its chair in 2020.
Over the past several years, he has also volunteered as a youth mentor with Portland State University as well as Lewis & Clark Law School, an ambassador with the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Hillsboro 2035 Community Plan Oversight Committee.
Jaci Spross
Board Member
Jaci Spross has been an education advocate since her oldest began Kindergarten at Imlay. She has served as an officer with both local and State PTA’s, and as the Century High School Marching Band and Colorguard Booster Club President. Jaci is an Executive Assistant at Synopsys, Inc, serving on the Synopsys Silicon Valley Outreach Foundation Board of Directors, and currently chairing the Synopsys Hillsboro Community Outreach Committee. Synopsys has been a proud supporter of HSF and sponsor for our Gala for 15+ years. Jaci joins HSF’s Board after four years in service to the Hillsboro School Board that included serving on the Budget Committee, Safety Task Force, School-Based Health Center Steering Committee, the Licensed Bargaining Team and Policy Committee. Jaci and her husband Tom are the proud parents of two Century High School graduates.
Matt Turner
Board Member
Matt grew up in the Washington county area, graduating from Westview High School. Matt’s journey started out as a teller at Washington Mutual right out of high school, eventually growing into his current role as Manager at the WaFd branch right here in Hillsboro. He thinks the big part of growing his career was learning to adapt but always being true to himself, and this shows with his clients. His focus is being with his family, his wife Nicole, and his four beautiful kids: Asher, Lexy, Maddox, and Maddox. Yes, being a blended family, he has two boys named Maddox, calling them “big” and “little”. His four kids keep him busy with sports all year as they are all active in wrestling, baseball, soccer, and basketball. Matt loves to cheer on the Ducks, Blazers, Mariners, and Seahawks, but most of all he enjoys spending time with his family adventuring from Florida to Long Beach to Cozumel. Matt and his wife want their children to travel and experience all the different cultures in the world. Matt joined the HSF board because he wanted to be part of this amazing opportunity to make a difference for our youth.
Sue Voigt
Board Member
Nadine Zimmerlund
Board Member
Nadine worked in the Hillsboro School District as an instructional assistant, special education teacher, special education director, elementary school principal, director of instruction and assessment and executive director of curriculum, instruction and assessment. She is very committed to supporting public education and the youth of our community. She has served on the Hillsboro Schools Foundation Board for over 12 years.
Beth Graser
Hillsboro School District Board Liaison
Beth Graser has been serving as the Chief Communications Officer for the Hillsboro School District since July of 2009. Beth grew up in Hillsboro and was one of the valedictorians of her graduating class at Glencoe High School before heading off to Duke University where she competed on the varsity track team and graduated magna cum laude. Her four sons all went through the Hillsboro School District and graduated from Glencoe as well. She is passionate about education and about serving the Hillsboro community.
President’s Advisory Council
MaryAnn Barnekoff
Betsy Biller
Trudy Brennan
Marilynn Helzerman
Tom Hughes
Kurt Koehler
Deanna Palm
Adam Schmidt
Michael Tinnesand
Katy Walker
Judy Willey
Volunteer
Our HSF Volunteer League is looking to expand our team of individuals who are passionate about education and want to donate their time and skills.
Meet the Team
HSF at Your School
Since 2000, HSF has invested over $5.5 million in Hillsboro Schools. Find out which programs have been funded at your school.
CHAMPIONS OF EDUCATION
Contact
5193 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite A
Hillsboro, OR 97124
501(c)(3) Federal Non-Profit Tax ID Number 91-1779425