Our Board members hold diverse backgrounds and expertise and bring a rich tapestry of perspectives to the table. Together, we generate a dynamic force that fuels our organization's progress and impact.
As stewards of our mission, the Board ensures that Open Signal leads by example, upholding the highest standards of anti-racism, equity, justice, integrity, and transparency.
Board Meetings: Open Signal's board meets every other month for 2.5 hours. The public is invited to attend and submit comment — find information about upcoming board meetings on our calendar. Agendas and minutes from past board meetings can be found here.
Board Membership: Board members serve 3-year terms and may be elected to one of the four Officer positions (Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer). Every Board member participates on at least one of three permanent Committees (Executive, Governance, Finance). These committees meet monthly. Board members volunteer between 3-8 hours per month on average, tending to be a higher amount of time commitment in months where evaluations, fundraising, or planning activities are on the calendar and for those serving as Officers.
Interested in connecting with the Board to learn about supporting Open Signal financially, joining the Board, or supporting organizational development? Please email boardmembers(at)opensignalpdx.org. Ready to throw a name in the hat? Nominate your self or someone else with this form.
Kalimah Abioto is a multi-dimensional being expressing through the forms of filmmaking, ecology , writing, music, dance and more. She was born into the black woman experience and hails from Memphis, Tn. You can find out more about her via kalimahabioto.com.
Andrew is an Emmy Award-winning visual storyteller and the Director of the Agora Journalism Center, the gathering place for innovation in communication and civic engagement at the University of Oregon's School of Journalism & Communication.
Andrew is also the former Multimedia Editor of The New York Times, where he conceived and produced groundbreaking storyforms and processes that helped shape the industry.
Andre Gray is the founder of Beyondtone. He is expanding creative communication means for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community, so members of his community have a voice in documentary, podcasts and virtual reality. His main project is developing a Deaf artist film camp in Portland involving American Signers from all over the country.
Andre also collaborates with organizations like the Portland Deaf Film Festival, Art Collective That, and Abused Deaf Women Advocacy Service as a board member or director.
Justice has a BFA in Creative Writing from Arkansas Tech University and worked for over a decade canvassing for various environmental and social justice causes.They are originally from Arkansas but have been a Portland resident since 2010. They currently work as the Communications and Fundraising Director for Sisters of the Road.
In their spare time, Justice pursues a number of creative practices from poetry to digital art.
Karim spent his formative years outside the US, living in Egypt before moving to Oregon in 2007 to study landscape architecture.
Karim is passionate about amplifying civic engagement, particularly in the urban environment. He loves cities and believes in the power of community media to positively impact Portland's social, political, and physical landscape. Karim is motivated to serve the Open Signal community, supporting citizenship as a visible, vocal, active process.
JJ is a Career and Technical Education Digital Arts instructor. Born in Europe, JJ is a seasoned creative producer with experience in both factual and live entertainment, partnering with institutions like the BBC, as well as with major global brands. When not rooted in family activities, JJ likes to spend his time supporting and producing films which celebrate indigenous cultures from other parts of the globe.
Dawn is a Janelle-of-all trades who credits storytelling, volunteering, and her dog, Mustard, as key factors to her mental health. Dawn firmly believes that everyone has a story to tell.