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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Cheri Jamison joined Alberta Abbey as Executive Director in September 2024. Cheri brings over a decade of experience in strategic leadership within the arts and nonprofit sectors, making her uniquely qualified to lead Alberta Abbey into its next phase of development and community impact. 

Cheri is a passionate advocate for the arts and still finds great joy in singing. She is a lifelong learner focused on personal development while having fun enjoying music, travel, and reading. Cheri leads an active, balanced lifestyle and loves hiking to waterfalls with her husband.

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DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING

Leah Mocsy joined the Alberta Abbey in February 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, and has been instrumental in working towards the mission of amplifying opportunities for Black and Underrepresented groups. As the former Executive Director, she worked to build the performing arts venue from the ground up, securing critical grant funding, developing diverse programming and enhancing marketing strategies. 

Through collaboration with local nonprofits and artists, Leah grew attendance from 3,000 to over 25,000 last year, establishing the Abbey as a key nonprofit performing arts venue in Portland. Over four years, she has booked and organized more than 300 shows, showcasing diverse talent and creating youth programs.

Leah is driven by a vision to create spaces where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive through the arts. This commitment to inclusivity and empowerment is central to her work, enriching the cultural landscape of Northeast Portland and fostering community pride. In her new role as Director of Programming, she looks forward to expanding offerings and enhancing community impact.

With 20 years of experience in education and nonprofits, Leah taught at King Elementary, Access Academy, and Catlin Gabel, and served as Assistant Director of Catalyst Education, working with disadvantaged youth in Portland. She holds a Master’s in Education from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Santa Clara University. Passionate about educational reform and creating opportunities for disadvantaged youth, she also enjoys live music, exploring the great outdoors, and embracing creative expression.

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MARKETING ASSISTANT

Ronnie Carrier joined the Alberta Abbey team in the summer of 2022. As a local musician, she is an advocate for the thriving Portland music community and believes in tipping the scale to balance out representation in the music scene. She is passionate about creating diverse and accessible programming that more wholly represents all the cultures in Portland, and looks to create those opportunities at Alberta Abbey.

Her background includes working for independent bookstores, community radio, and teaching music to kids. She is an active live musician, and her original music has appeared on television, radio, and in podcasts. She holds a BA in English Literature from San Francisco State University, and spends some of her time working with a local non-profit teaching reading skills to elementary school children.

Ronnie has an extremely cute cat named Clementine who is arguably more vocal than Ronnie is, and likes to sleep on her keyboard when she's trying to work.

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DIGITAL ASSETS

Beck joined the Abbey as a freelance audio technician in late 2021. She is an ardent supporter of equity in the arts and hopes to drive awareness of and support for the Alberta Abbey. She is intrigued by the intersection of art and technology as well as the ways in which we can utilize technological advances to make the arts accessible to all.

Beck has been a technology professional in live events for over a decade, providing audio, lighting, design, and stage management solutions. She cut her teeth in the Detroit music scene and has gone on to work with events of all kinds. She is a lifelong supporter of independent venues and prioritizes working with community-minded projects and enriching the local music scene.

Originally a B.A. in Theater, she obtained her B.S. Cybersecurity and Data Assurance during the pandemic. She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics.

Technical Director

Facilities Manager

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BOARD PRESIDENT

Chef / Owner of Southern Grill Catering

JP is a dedicated community volunteer and activist passionate about helping those disadvantaged and forgotten people in society get another chance.

For him supporting and promoting local musicians and feeding the homeless is priority one and the tip of the iceberg in helping people rise from poverty and share in the American dream of equality for all.

JP attended Linfield College on a full athletic scholarship and went on to pursue his Oregon real estate license. Since then, JP has worked with Corporate Investments NW, Nike, and JFP Investments. In 2011 JP formed his own company, Southern Grill Catering. He has brought good food, good music, and good community to Portland through his work with the Jack London Revue, Botanist, and now the Alberta Abbey.

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For Jeana Woolley, the opportunity to empower the Black community in Northeast Portland and make it stronger and more economically viable is personal. The longtime community activist and business owner has worked for more than 45 years on a variety of economic development initiatives and projects intended to benefit Northeast Portland, its residents, and its business owners.

In 1997, Woolley developed Allen Fremont Plaza, the first affordable housing project ever sponsored by a Black organization in Oregon. She was a founding board member of community development organizations such as Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives Inc. and Albina Community Bank (now Beneficial Bank) that continue to serve the Black and BIPOC communities today.

Among the other projects Woolley has developed are Vanport Square and The Heritage Building on MLK Jr Blvd. She also specializes in economic development and public outreach and facilitation consulting services to ensure the participation and inclusion of feedback of diverse and underrepresented communities in large public projects. She currently serves on the City's Community Advisory Committee for the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center and is a member of the Mayor’s Council of Economic Advisors.

As the longest-standing member of the Alberta Abbey Board, as well as living near the Abbey, she is deeply committed to seeing that the Abbey is developed long-term as an entity that can serve as a meaningful resource for emerging Black and BIPOC artists and creators, as well as be a community performance venue for the broader arts community.

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Brian Gillis’s work is rooted in service related to social equity and access. By using platforms, approaches, and points of exchange in art, he creates opportunities for access to socially valuable information and support. Much of this work involves institutional partnerships that connect individuals and communities to resources associated with food insecurity, housing, mental health, substance abuse, and criminal justice. All ongoing, multigenerational issues in his family and community.

Gillis uses a variety of production strategies and conceptual approaches, often drawing from specific sites, histories, and related partnerships. Outcomes range from functional and sculptural objects and installations to edited publications, educational initiatives, and public actions. In this way, his role is often fluid and responsive, and lines between artist, designer, educator, community organizer, and anonymous steward are frequently blurred.

Gillis has completed projects with a range of partners and institutions, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, CUE Art Foundation, the Mint Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, Mildred’s Lane, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Heilongjiang University (China), the University of Applied Sciences in Koblenz (Germany), the Moth Radio Hour, the American Red Cross, Feeding America, the City of Roja (Latvia), and Seattle Public Schools.

Gillis is currently a Professor of Art at the University of Oregon where he was the founding Director of the Center for Art Research (CFAR).

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Dorianna is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in talent acquisition, professional development, career coaching, and marketing communications. She currently serves as the Director of Attorney Recruiting at Fisher Phillips, a prominent international labor and employment firm. Dorianna’s extensive background in leadership, coupled with a commitment to helping others thrive and grow has brought her to the Abbey.

Dorianna has a passion for empowering individuals which extends beyond the legal realm. As the former founder and CEO of I.N.SPIRE Consulting & Coaching, she provided tailored solutions and guidance to clients, fostering their personal and professional growth. She is also an accomplished motivational speaker and a committed community leader advocating for women's empowerment, diversity and inclusion, and social justice.

Dorianna is grounded in core values such as daring greatly, employing vulnerability, continuous education, courage over comfort, compassion paired with drive, and laughter. “I grew up with a single mother who worked tirelessly to ensure my brother and I had access to music, art, education, and activities to enhance our lives and to bring our community together. It is of the utmost importance to me to honor her and the many mentors who have helped me grow by serving others and sharing what I have had the gift of learning.”