GRESHAM AREA BRANCH
Welcome! We're glad you've discovered our website, and we hope you'll find it as warm and friendly as we are. Our branch is located in the north part of Oregon in the shadow of majestic Mount Hood, just minutes away from the stunning Columbia River Gorge and the bustling city of Portland. Whether you are a newcomer or a long-time resident, we welcome you! Membership is open to anyone with a two-year college or university degree or higher.
The 2010 AAUW of Oregon Leadership Retreat at Willamette University July 23-25 was fun and educational. Our newly elected AAUW Oregon President, Cynthia Rauscher (an AAUW Gresham Area Branch member) led the workshop "Speak Easy - You and the Microphone" and introduced several others, including "Exercises for Becoming an Extraordinary Leader" (led by Barbara Spencer) and "The Social Network" (led by Becky Washington). Cynthia is pictured in the photo at right (R) with Deb Frick, our branch Fund Development Chair, at the AAUW Oregon State Convention.
Congratulations Bonnie Jepsen!! Bonnie (pictured at left between her son and daughter) was recently selected as one of only five women in Oregon to receive the prestigious March of Dimes White Rose Award for her decades of volunteerism in the community. The awards luncheon was on May 27, 2010 at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Portland. In addition to her work with our branch, Bonnie has logged many years of volunteerism with the Friends of the Vista House, the Friends of Multnomah Falls, Gresham Historical Society, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, and more. 
Our Branch Installation Banquet on May 10, 2010, was a great success! We installed new board members, announced awards, and heard from our Mt. Hood Community College scholarship award recipient. Our new board members are pictured at right.
On April 26, our branch program topic was "Citizen Volunteers Bolster Gresham Safety" with Sylvia Milne, Crime Prevention Specialist for the Gresham Police Department and Joan Albertson, a volunteer with Citizen Volunteers in Policing. Since being hired by the department in the summer of 2008, Milne has created internal and external partnerships to establish or revitalize the following: Neighborhood Watch, CVIP program, Community Outreach, Prescription Drug Turn-In and Gresham Police Landlord Forum. Joan Albertson has served our branch as Co-President, Finance VP, and Reviewer. As our Gresham Chamber of Commerce liaison, she has gotten our branch involved in the wider community in ways we never imagined. She was our branch's choice to be a Chamber Golden Note recipient for 2010.
On March 18, our branch co-sponsored a forum on "What Every Voter Needs to Know in This Political Climate" featuring respected pollster Adam Davis and former Oregon Secretary of State Phil Keisling. Our co-sponsors were the Gresham Chamber Government Affairs Council and the League of Women Voters - East Multnomah County. Pictured at left are (L to R): Moderator Cynthia O'Brien, Adam Davis, Joan Albertson, Phil Keisling, and Shirley Luttrop.
On February 25, 2010, our branch sent a panel of leaders to speak to the CASS/IALS students at Mt. Hood CC about "Gender Equality and Women in Leadership." Pictured on left below, our panelists were (L to R) Tricia Aynes, retired attorney & AAUW Gresham Area Branch President; Colonel Mary Mayer, ret., US Air Force and AAUW Gresham Area Branch past Co-President; Janet Young, Economic Development Services Director, City of Gresham; and Carol Nielson Hood, Executive Director of the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce and City of Gresham Councilor. In the middle photo below are (L to R): Griega Sambola, Jim Aynes, Kattia Perez, Karlin Sellington, Tricia Aynes, Mariana Sales, and Ruth Valderrama. In the right hand photo below, students greet the panelists.
Hi! I'm Tricia Aynes, AAUW Gresham Area Branch President and Webmaster. Our branch, founded in 1971, has 96 members. At the recent April 2009 AAUW Oregon State Convention in Bend, we received the top honor in recognition of our outstanding growth and achievement. Our goal is to reach "110 in 2010." Our members are a dynamic, multidimensional, professional group of women and men from science, business, education, law, and military backgrounds. We include residents of Gresham and surrounding cities. We are actively involved in promoting programs that empower women and encourage success. Our monthly meetings feature a wide array of interesting speakers who focus on current issues (see our "Meetings" page for more details!). Members have the opportunity to meet other professionals, expand their horizons, and form lasting friendships. We provide opportunities to develop leadership and networking skills while offering a balance of activities that combine friendship, learning, and advocacy. Our involvement includes local, statewide, and national activism. Join our national AAUW Action Network.
We are committed to community involvement and are active participants in many local programs (see our "public policy" page for more details!). We are proud members of the Gresham Chamber of Commerce. Our many social and educational groups offer a chance for members with similar interests to meet regularly to share ideas, interests, and hobbies (see our "groups" page for more details!). Branch fundraising events and donations promote education for women and girls at both the local and national level.