The number of directors of the corporation shall be between seven (7) and eleven (11) directors as determined by resolution of the Board of Directors.  Each director shall hold office for a term of three (3) years or until their successors are elected and qualified. No director may be elected for more than two (2) consecutive full three (3) year terms.

The current Board of Directors is comprised of citizens from several of the affiliate neighborhoods, as described below.

Susanna Neale Duke

Susanna Neale Duke is a resident of Northwest Portland. She is retired from a career as an in-house lawyer in Seattle, Washington. Her position included managing litigation as well as human resource, environmental and other legal issues. Her nonprofit board experience includes nine years as a trustee of Wilson College, located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, serving on the board of BFI and as President of the board of The Healing Center, both in Seattle. Her interests include travel, history, art and historic preservation.

Term expires 2/2025
Not Eligible for re-election in 2025

Bill Harris

and his wife Bonnie have enjoyed living in NW Portland since 1971. They have great fondness and respect for leaders and the volunteers who joined to help preserve the former Christian Science church under the ownership of the neighborhood. Mr. Harris has been a NNCC Board member for three different terms helping deal with the challenge of upkeep to preserve this cultural jewel. Mr. Harris believes that money can be found to make the building earthquake safe and that we can establish activity giving long-term enrichment of life in this community.

Term expires 2/2025
Not eligible for re-election in 2025.


Juliet Hyams, Secretary

Juliet Hyams is a long-time community advocate, writer and resident of Northwest Portland.  She has served as president of the Northwest District Association, vice president of the Neighbors West/Northwest coalition, on city stakeholders’ committees and previously on the Cultural Center board.  As a parent, she values local, accessible opportunities for children. Juliet is versed in the basics of historic preservation and has monitored houses for multiple historic home tours.  Among other properties, she owns her home near Good Samaritan Hospital, built in the 1880s.  She currently manages a small medical practice and will complete her Executive Master of Public Administration in June 2018.  She has two almost-grown children and the handsomest cat in the neighborhood.

Term expires 2/2024
Not eligible for re-election in 2024

Dennis Harper

Dennis Harper has been a resident of NW Portland since 1976. He is a retired architect having spent most of his career with one of Portland’s large firms. Until recently, he was a member of the NWDA Planning Committee. In 1976, as a VISTA architect with the Portland Community Design Center (PCDC), he became familiar with the Christian Science Church on NW Everett, because NW Portland neighbors received PCDC assistance with community organization efforts toward the neighborhood purchase of the church. Living around the corner from the NNCC and being a strong advocate for architectural historic preservation, he looks forward to seeing the historic building end up in the hands of a respectful and responsible owner.

Term expires 2/2026
Not eligible for re-election in 2026

Richard Gronostajski

was born in 1954 in Trenton NJ, lived there and in Somers Point NJ and finished high school in IL.  His academic life took him to Virginia Tech, Harvard, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the University of Toronto, the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University.  In 2001 he moved to SUNY-Buffalo (UB) where he founded and ran the Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics Graduate program and the Western New York Stem Cell Culture and Analysis Center.  He was also the Parliamentarian of the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Council at UB for several years.  He retired in Sept. 2021 and moved to NW Portland and has been enjoying the moderate weather and lovely community.  He hopes to help the NNCC efforts to fund projects that benefit the Northwest Portland neighborhoods.

Term expires 2/2026
Eligible for re-election in 2026.


JoZell Johnson, Treasurer

JoZell Johnson landed in the historic NW neighborhood when she came to Portland to work for Intel in the late 80’s.  Now a resident for over thirty years, she has lived in and managed multi family homes throughout this time.  Key to this passion has been the restoration of historic homes, first a 1890 duplex and then a 1905 fourplex. She has firsthand knowledge and empathy for historic structures and how they integrate with the community. 

Professionally, JoZell worked at Intel first in product development and then transferred her focus to Education Outreach eventually leading Intel’s Worldwide Higher Education program.  Her role was translating and integrating technology into curriculums at top University’s Engineering and Computer Science programs.  

After retirement she focused on volunteering in local community activities, first serving the local Northwest District Association (NWDA) as Director, Secretary and Vice President.  She also serves on the Northwest Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee representing the NW Business Association.  She looks forward to supporting the NNCC in its path forward.

Term expires 2/2025
Eligible for re-election in 2025.


Ginger Burke, President

is a 16 year resident of the Hillside and Goose Hollow neighborhoods. As founder of the Hillside Neighborhood Watch, she has served as an honorary board member of the Hillside Neighborhood Association. Ms Burke is an attorney and a real estate broker. She serves as Secretary of the Board and has been a member since 2015. Her sons, Mitchell (16) and Rowan (14), both attended the NWCTS. Ms. Burke’s vision for the NNCC emphasizes preservation of a unique historic landmark that cannot be replicated in modern-day architecture. She hopes to see the building restored to its original grandeur and maintained as a community asset that celebrates the arts for generations to come.

Term expires 2/2025
Not Eligible for re-election in 2025

Gustavo Cruz, Vice President

Gustavo J. Cruz, Jr., or “Tavo,” is a native of Northwest Portland, and attended Lincoln High School, Santa Clara University, the University of Oregon, and Lewis and Clark Law School.  Tavo’s law practice is focused on commercial finance and business transactions.  He is active in the Portland community, and has served on numerous boards and committees.  He is the current Board Chair for Prosper Portland (formerly the Portland Development Commission), and is a member of the Mayor’s Council of Economic Advisors.  He has been active in the Northwest District Association (President), the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (Board Chair), and Portland Center Stage (board member).   He has served as Chair of both the Business Law and Securities Law Sections of the Oregon State Bar.  Tavo still resides in Northwest Portland, and his 16 year old son, Declan, attends Lincoln High School.

Term expires 2/2024
Not eligible for re-election in 2024

Vicki Skryha

Ms. Skryha lived in the Northwest District with her family since 2011. She served on the Northwest District Association board and planning committee. She has held various positions relating to social services and supportive housing in nonprofit organizations and at the state and federal level. Her work experience included administering a public trust fund established from the sale of a publicly owned property. While recently retired, she has served on various advisory committees and task forces throughout her career and looks forward to continued community involvement. She is interested in historic preservation and supports restoration of the majestic NNCC building. She looks forward to working with other board members to ensure the original neighborhood investments continue as a community asset.

Term expires 2/2026
Not eligible for re-election 2/2026

Steve Pinger

Steve Pinger is an AEC consultant and previously founded and directed an architectural and planning practice with offices in Portland and Las Vegas. He was a member of the Stakeholders’ Advisory Committee of the West Quadrant Plan for Portland’s Central City 2035 Plan and has been involved with various other advisory bodies. He is active in the NW District Association and in neighborhood politics, and still enjoys the occasional post-match pint with his aging soccer teammates.

Term expires 2/2026
Eligible for re-election 2/2026

Wendy Ramage Hawkins

moved to Slabtown with her husband Tom after retiring from managing philanthropy at Intel – a move that felt like “coming home” to the place where she visited her grandparents as a child.  Their son Colin teaches at Roseway Park Middle School, and his two daughters attend elementary school nearby.  

In the short time since moving to the Northwest District, Wendy has joined the NWDA Planning and Grants Committees and now the NNCC Board.  

She hopes her skills can be brought to bear in fulfilling the dreams of the neighbors who have put so much heart and soul into preserving and transforming the NNCC from its original life as a church to a community center and now to its next life. 

Term expires 2/2024
Eligible for re-election 2024