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Board Chair

Ken Thrasher retired as chairman of the Board of Alternative Legal Solutions Inc. (dba Compli) in December 2018, and was its chairman and chief executive officer from 2002 through December 2009. Prior to joining Compli, Thrasher served 19 years in executive positions with Fred Meyer Inc., including serving as president and chief executive officer from 1999 to 2001, as executive vice president and chief administrative officer from 1997 to 1999, as senior vice president and chief financial officer from 1987 to 1997, and as vice president and treasurer from 1982 to 1987. He also serves on the board of College Possible Oregon, and is on the Steering Committee for the Homeless Solutions Coalition. Prior to 2026, Thrasher served as a member of the board of directors for NW Natural, The Jensen Quality Growth Fund, Children’s Public/Private Partnership, OSU College of Business Dean’s Council of Excellence, Oregon Business Council, GSL Solutions Inc, Children’s Institute, Friends of the Children, Education Northwest, the Portland State University Foundation, the Cradle to Career Council of All Hands Raised, Albertina Kerr Centers, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and is past chair of Oregon’s Quality Education Commission. Ken is a resident of Portland and has a Honorary Doctorate Degree from Portland State University.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A long-time Pearl resident, Al Solheim, is known as the “Father of the Pearl District.” He began the development of the Pearl District in the late1980s with the conversion of the warehouses that would initiate the award-winning Pearl District, one of the most successful urban transformations in the United States. He is a long-time resident of the Pearl District. Solheim has served on a number of boards and organizations, including Pacific Northwest College of Art—Chairman Board of Governors, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Board of Directors, Portland Streetcar Inc., Board of Directors, Pearl District Neighborhood Association, Vice President (1998), Northwest Triangle Business Association, Founding President, Portland Planning Commission (1978-1982) Oregon School of Design, Director and Portland Sign Review Committee, Chairman.

SECRETARY, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Susanne Orton is President of Meadowlark Collective PDX, a women-owned communications consulting firm in Portland, Oregon. In more than 20 years leading communications and fundraising strategy, she has transformed organizations into focused, dynamic leaders in their fields.

A strategist at her core, Susanne brings deep expertise in communications, fundraising, leadership development, and organizational growth. A longtime champion of community building, she has a track record of forging connections that spark engagement, inspire collaboration, and deliver measurable results. Her clients span corporations, nonprofits, startups, high-net-worth executives, and family foundations, each strengthened in reach, relevance, and effectiveness under her guidance.

Today, Susanne partners with leadership teams, nonprofits, startups, and small businesses to align vision with action, build sustainable growth strategies, and achieve lasting strategic success.

Originally hailing from the East Coast and after 5 years in the Bay Area, Ricki moved to Portland and has lived in the Pearl District for 20 years. After retiring from 25 years in the technology industry, most recently as a Global Product Support Manager at Intel Corporation, Ricki expanded her community volunteering and is currently serving on her condominium’s HOA Board.  In addition, she is the building’s Safety and Security Chair where her enthusiasm for and focus on maintaining a high quality of residential living is apparent through her development of building improvements, safety and security guidelines and resident awareness and education.

 Coupled with her BA in Economics and years of industry experience in technology, program management and operations, Ricki spearheaded multiple projects to upgrade the building’s security systems and was instrumental in the documentation of neighborhood safety measures. Recently, in collaboration with the Portland Police, she developed guidelines to explain how to prepare for, respond to, and report intrusions/thefts/damage affecting businesses and multi-family residences.

 Ricki has enjoyed volunteering with a variety of organizations including: the Portland’5 Centers for the Arts serving as tour guide and in multiple roles on the Volunteer Council; Portland Center Stage; and the Oregon Food Bank.

Since moving to Portland from NY in 2003, Stan has been heavily engaged in the arts, community planning, neighborhood associations, and civic engagement. ​

Roles included co-founder of Oregon Art PAC, board member of cultural organizations such as Portland Center Stage, Oregon Children’s Theater (as president), and founding board member of Boom Arts. He served as president of the Pearl District Neighborhood for seven years and VP of the Neighbors West Northwest Coalition.

He is a founding member of initiatives like Quiet Clean PDX that successfully led the effort to ban gas leaf blowers and Home Share Oregon, where he was the founding co-chair and continues to serve on its board. ​

With a master’s degree in urban planning and a development background, Stan added his experience as a seven-year member of the City’s Community Involvement Committee to develop the Portland Plan and the Comprehensive Plan 2035. He was also a member of the Civic Life Bureau Advisory Committee and the first Chair of the Arts Oversight Committee. Having been unsuccessful in a recent run for City Council, Stan is happy to continue his community work on the Steering Committee of the Homeless Solutions Coalition, as a Director of NWCC, and as the Project Manager for the design and construction of the James Beard Public Market.

Vice President, Real Estate Services – Unico Properties LLC

Ty Barker is Vice President of Real Estate Services at Unico Properties LLC, where he manages corporate insurance and capital deployment, and previously oversaw a multi-state portfolio of commercial assets with a focus on performance, resilience, and long-term stewardship. A Portland resident and Certified Property Manager (CPM) and Real Property Administrator (RPA), Ty has served as owner’s representative for Unico’s Pearl District developments—including the Lovejoy Office Building—and continues to support ongoing management of nearby assets such as Rivertec.

With over two decades of experience in property and construction management, Ty has led large-scale repositioning efforts, developed risk and resilience frameworks for high-rise assets, and served as Unico’s representative to key industry bodies including NAIOP, BOMA, and NAREIM, where he co-chairs the Architecture & Engineering Committee. He also serves on Oregon’s Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission (OSSPAC), contributing expertise in private-sector risk mitigation and code compliance.

Previously, Ty served on the board and executive committee of Downtown Clean & Safe, where he helped strengthen coordination between private property owners and public agencies. He brings extensive experience integrating operational discipline with community partnerships and seeks to advance NWCC’s mission of fostering resilient, safe, and thriving neighborhoods through pragmatic collaboration between business and civic stakeholders.

Larry resides in the Pearl District, having recently relocated from Northern California. A retired attorney, he now enjoys riding his bike along the Willamette River and hiking the trails in Forest Park. His involvement with NWCC is working on specific projects that are focused on improving both the retail and residential aspects of the Pearl District.  

Retired CEO of Umpqua Bank.

“For anyone who lives in the Pearl District; if you care about improving the livability of our neighborhood, if you’re interested in reducing crime and homelessness, then we encourage you to join with the NWCC as we together reclaim the Pearl.” - Ray Davis, NWCC Advisor, and Pearl Resident.