Our People

Staff

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Carrie Hoops
Executive Director
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Michelle Reynolds
Director of Programs
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Alma Llamas
Finance Manager
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Jennifer Allen
Program Officer, Learning & Community Engagement Director
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Lacey Matney
Grants Manager
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Board Members

John Tapogna
John Tapogna
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William Swindells
William Swindells
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Kali Thorne Ladd
Kali Thorne Ladd
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Peter Koehler
Peter Koehler
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Giyen Kim
Giyen Kim
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Donald Grotting
Donald Grotting
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Subashini Ganesan-Forbes
Subashini Ganesan-Forbes
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Charles Putney
Charles Putney
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The Millers

James Miller and Marion Miller posing for the camera while dancing.
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There's no mystery around why the Miller Foundation funds the arts and education in Oregon. Founder James F. Miller grew up poor but hungry to learn. An honor roll student when he graduated from Portland's Lincoln High School in 1921, Miller planned to go onto college — a plan crushed by lack of money.

Decades after the blow, he still described the barrier as "heartbreaking." In his early 20s, he reluctantly began selling investments. He never imagined that one day he and future wife, Marion, would be wealthy enough to donate millions to causes that mattered to them.

When work took the Oregon-based couple to New York City, they deepened their shared love of the arts and cultural learning. Beginning in the 1940s, the Millers gave generously to organizations in New York, Oregon, and across the U.S.

After 68 years of marriage, Marion passed away in 1998, leading James ("Jim") to return to Portland and carry on their tradition of supporting the arts and education. In 2003, he memorialized her contributions to their joint causes by creating a foundation in both their names: the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation.

Though Jim died in 2004, the Foundation continues to honor the Millers' passion for education, the arts, and Oregon. The Foundation’s efforts focus solely on communities across Oregon, where we support K-12 education, artists, arts education, and a wide variety of art organizations.