Staff
Cara Rothe
Executive Director
Cara brings an impressive array of professional, educational and personal qualifications to our organization anchored by her ten year tenure as the Director of Operations for First Congregational United Church of Christ, located in the middle of the downtown park blocks. A self described operations nerd, Cara’s passion for service is augmented by her meticulous attention to detail and dedication to people first management.
She holds a bachelor's degree in business with an emphasis in nonprofit organizational behavior and management from Portland State University and has over fifteen years of volunteer and peer support experience in addition to professional experience at Volunteers of America’s Addiction Prevention Services Program and De Paul Treatment Center.
Rahana Bear
Case Manager
Rahana has called the Pacific Northwest her home for over 13 years. She has a Bachelor's of Science in Human Development from Warner Pacific University, and she has worked in the social services field throughout her career.
Working with all populations from adolescents to elders, she feels that her experience and education has given her an opportunity to see the importance of building self-healing communities which can improve the health and wellness of all.
She feels that life moves in an ebb and flow process, so her hope is that we can all find the tools to support us on navigating the journey that we call life.
Amanda Perrault
Program Manager
Amanda has called Portland home for almost a decade and has worked with people experiencing houselessness in diverse service settings for the majority of that time. She holds a master's degree in social work from Portland State University, with a concentration in community and organizational practice. She believes in the importance of relationship-building, choice, and providing supportive resources that bolster community strengths and encourage self-empowerment.
Amanda is a self-described dog worshiper, and in addition to adventuring with her two pups, Tina and Gio, she spends her free time writing music, reading, and running on the many trail systems that the Portland area has to offer. She continues to support other transitional villages on a volunteer basis and wholeheartedly believes in the power of healing through co-learning and community connection.
Patrick McWhorter
Operations & Administrative Coordinator
Patrick has called Portland home with his wife, Spring, since the fall of 2019. He has been part of the Beacon Village team since January 2024. Prior to joining Beacon Village, he managed the day-to-day operations of a global non-profit organization. He brings with him over 11 years of non-profit operations and financial oversight experience. He has a passion for taking care of the operational details so others in the organization can accomplish their mission driven goals as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Patrick has two adult children and he and Spring are proud cat parents to Mike and Maddie. Mike even has his own Facebook page. In his spare time, Patrick loves to enjoy all the PNW has to offer with its many hiking trails and camping spots.
Board of Directors
Brant Moore
Brant has lived in Portland since 1979 and has been a general contractor for 26 years. He's also been a lead carpenter, construction trainer, math teacher, and wrestling coach. There are two quotes he always shares. One defines vocation as "where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet", by Frederick Buechner in Wishful Thinking. The other is, "The material and the craftsman's thoughts change together in a progression of smooth, even changes until his mind is at rest at the exact instant the material is right", by Robert Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Matt Lembo, President
Matt has over fifteen years of experience leading teams and managing software and analysis projects across a broad range of industries and environments including retail energy contracting, international humanitarian land mine removal, and major entertainment communications. After moving to Portland from NYC in 2008, he owned and operated Gambit, a digital design and software engineering agency, and Portland Shaolin Center, a martial arts school. He has a bachelors degree from Princeton University where he majored in music and dabbled in physics, philosophy, theater, history and religion. At various times he has been a line cook, opera conductor, electrician, little league coach, apple salesman, kung fu instructor, bartender, x-ray crystallography lab technician and open-heart surgery patient. Most notably, he is father to an amazing daughter Bennett, and husband to an incredible wife, Rachael.
Nicole Pennington, Secretary
Nicole has over 15 years of experience leading projects and teams across a wide variety of industries in administrative, operational, and strategic guidance. Nicole’s MBA and background in award-winning professional and volunteer work with a variety organizations such as Portland State University, The Landing, Unitarian Universalist Association, Girl Scouts, Texas PTA, American Red Cross, Face Masks for Lubbock, and WGU alumni networks, has given her extensive experience in organizing people and resources to help create real results in our community.
As a strong believer, and lifelong beneficiary of community care, you will find Nicole engaging with friends, family, social groups, volunteer projects, group hikes, concerts, planning themed parties, and gathering others to help her explore the playground that is the pacific northwest. Mother, and sidekick to the coolest daughter, you can find Nicole enjoying art, reading, and building legos with Eliza and their dog Ruffles in their downtime at home.
Emily Campbell
Emily has lived in Portland since 1981. She earned a BSN from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC. She practiced clinical nursing for 12 years in Intensive Care Units and Operating Rooms. Following a two-year period in OR management, she completed a Master's in Computer Science at Portland State University, after which she worked as a clinical data researcher for 12 years, building and implementing specialized electronic medical record systems, architecting and managing data warehouses, and using natural language processing for free text analysis. She earned a PhD in Biomedical Informatics in 2009 from Oregon Health & Science University. She spent 12 years working in Clinical Informatics Management until her retirement in November of 2021. She has a passion for detail, honest communication, kindness, and healthcare for all.
Emily and her husband William have lived in southeast Portland since 1985. We appreciate all Oregon has to offer; we enjoy hiking, camping, and especially rafting. Since retiring, Emily has been volunteering for Multnomah County Emergency management, performing qualitative data analysis and knitting sweaters for her nieces and nephew.
Janelle Fitzpatrick
Janelle's career spans over two decades in government and nonprofits straddling roles focused on social impact, environmental policy, and program implementation. She is an accomplished facilitator in personal and team dynamics through her experience as a yoga teacher and more recently a Co- Active Leadership Coach.
After moving to Portland, having her second child, and learning through the pandemic, her work and life are now optimally more integrated. She is actively building her leadership and facilitation business, supporting executives, parents, and leadership groups in 1:1 coaching, team dynamics and improving workplace culture through co- active principles and integrated somatic practices.
Originally from the Southside of Chicago, Janelle spent most of her adult life in San Francisco where she had the privilege of aligning with housing activists working for TODCO (Tenants and Owners Development Company) and contributing to the stability and wellness of thousands of tenants through supportive low-income housing. She launched programs aimed at housing stabilization through community building, mental health improvement, and partnerships to expand resource access and earth based immersive experiences (growing gardens, engaging with the natural landscapes, and creative arts). She has served as founder and Board Member of an Urban Farming Project (HayesValleyFarm.org) as well as Cooperative Childcare (NCCDC)and PTA(PPS).
Jordan Griffin-Henderson, Treasurer
Jordan brings personal and professional level knowledge of housing services needs. Growing up, her family ran an adult care home for men with mental health disorders on parole from prison. Seeing firsthand how stable housing, a community to be a part of, and genuine respect for each other no matter your background, creates true hope for change laid the foundation for her path to social services.
From her time as a high school student in Las Vegas, NV to an undergrad at Northwest Christian University (now known as Bushnell University) in Eugene, OR, she expanded her education with several study-abroad trips. In gaining a worldly perspective, she further developed a sense of meeting people where they are in their personal journey.
After her time in college, Jordan began working for the United Methodist Church along with starting a career in property management. After relocating to Portland, she transitioned into the nonprofit world of working in homeless shelters and now assisting case managers with housing needs across Oregon and in Vancouver, WA.
When not working you can be sure to find Jordan playing, coaching or overall enjoying the sport of Rugby.
Advisory Council
Pat Schwiebert
Pat was the brains, brawn and chef d’cuisine behind the Hard Times Supper at the Sunnyside Methodist Church for nearly forty years. She has extensive grief counseling experience and is the best-selling author of Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss. Pat is a founding member of Metanoia Peace Community, a Christian Church focused on the contemplative acts of community, hospitality, and peacemaking.
Jes Maran
With over 25 years of urban design, communications, and marketing experience, Jes focuses on reducing bias in urban form. She is committed to physical and social urban systems that meet the challenges of climate change while lifting up every resident through equitable and systemic change. She is co-owner of a consulting firm that works at the intersection of public agencies, private firms, and project teams to foster equity in public infrastructure work. Prior to founding The Formation Lab, Jes’s experience includes over two decades managing urban design and planning projects integrating land use and transportation for city and county agencies.