Annual Meeting and Board Elections May 11th

We hope you will join us for our annual election and consider running for one of our open board positions. The meeting is going to be on May 11th at 7 p.m. at SE Uplift (3534 SE Main Street). No experience is required, and our fun and friendly board will help you figure things out right from the beginning. It’s a great way to get involved in your community and have a voice.

All residents within the Sunnyside neighborhood boundaries are eligible to run and vote (whether you rent or own is not relevant), as well as non-resident property owners. You can also run (and vote) if you are the sole designated representative of any businesses, nonprofit organization, school, or church in Sunnyside. This year we are looking to fill four two-year terms. Meetings are on the second Thursday of each month. Commitments vary depending on your interests and passions.

Serving on the neighborhood association board can be rewarding and very educational. You will be among the first to know when things are changing in the neighborhood. If you would like to send in a brief candidate’s statement to post to our website and be made available at the election, please email us at [email protected].

Candidates’ Statements

Ignacio Simon
I moved to Portland from Boston in early 2022. My partner Eleanor and I initially picked Sunnyside because of its excellent location and accessibility to transit. We like to move around by foot, bike or bus and the neighborhood certainly makes this easy. The more time I spend here, the more I realize that I made the right choice. Sunnyside is friendly, safe, and, most importantly, filled with people that understand the need for all of us to work together to support and improve our neighborhood.

Though I love living in Sunnyside, I also recognize that the neighborhood, like the city at-large, has its share of problems. As a renter, I am keenly aware of the housing/renting affordability crisis within our city. Many of us in Sunnyside feel precarious about our living situation and that’s more than the cause of a lot of stress; it threatens the very qualities that make Sunnyside a great place to live. The neighborhood’s sense of safety and community cannot survive if people are constantly priced out of settling down and building their lives here. Fundamentally, this is what the Sunnyside Land Use and Transportation Committee (which I now co-chair) believes and advocates for, and it is this message that I wish to amplify within the SNA as a board member.

Daniel Mandel
My family and I have been in the Sunnyside neighborhood for about 7 years. There were no lack of draws. The neighborhood’s quirky sense of individuality, architecture, lush gardens, a diverse array of restaurants, bars, shopping, art and very friendly neighbors all cemented our love for the neighborhood and will likely keep us here for many years to come. Advocating for a community that is safe, resilient and welcoming to current and future residents is at the heart of what I do as Co-Chair of the Land Use & Transportation Committee. I intend to build on Sunnyside’s inclusive and independent spirit by encouraging more of our neighbors to have their voices heard so we can all get involved with the future of our awesome neighborhood.

Mike Thelin
I fell in love with Sunnyside in the early 2000s when some friends and I rented a large flat across the street from the Triple Nickel, where we hosted open mics and music shows in our living room. That spirit of fun, creativity and collaboration has always been alive and well in this wonderful neighborhood, and I have always loved the diverse mix of people who call Sunnyside home—families, working artists, activists, and so many independent business owners. After living in North and Downtown Portland (and places further afield), my wife Winslett and I bought a house on SE 34th Avenue in 2018. Through my role as founder of Feast Portland, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with many individuals in Portland’s food, beverage, and cultural communities. I believe that its unique spirit of individualism, heartfelt small businesses and nonprofits are what make Portland such a gem, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Sunnyside.

Board Elections this Thursday, July 9th

We are planning to hold our annual board elections on Thursday, July 9th, at our usual meeting time of 7 p.m., two months later than normal. Other neighborhoods across the city are experimenting with ways to accomplish an election that conforms to each neighborhood’s bylaws as well as avoids risks to anyone’s health. We considered (1) a largely digital approach, (2) a hybrid video-conference-based election combined with a staffed ballot box, as well as (3) an outdoor venue using small adjustments to our tried-and-true in- person procedures.

Our hope and intention is to conduct our elections outside in the fresh air adjacent to S.E. Uplift’s building at 3534 SE Main St. The parking lot and mini-park offer a good amount of space, and the proximity to the building makes staging this relatively straightforward.

The basic format will resemble a typical election where candidates briefly introduce themselves and the membership (anyone who lives in the neighborhood, owns a business here, or is the designated representative of a business or community group or organization located in Sunnyside) votes by paper ballot. The votes will be collected and tallied by our liaison from S.E. Uplift, Christina Estime, who has helped us with past elections. We are excited to make this work and hope you will join us.

Candidate Statements

Jessie Maran

Hello neighbors.

Thank you for considering me as a representative of the voices and perspectives of our Sunnyside Neighborhood community. I’m Jessie Maran and I live near the intersection of SE Cesar Chavez and SE Hawthorne with my mom, teenage son, and a flurry of cats. My professional background is in urban planning and I spend my spare time working in advocacy at the intersection of climate action and transportation. I am also serving on the Board of Southeast Uplift. In all things, my focus is on learning from my community through inclusive and respectful conversation.

The Sunnyside neighborhood is a vibrant mix that serves as home, workplace, destination, and a place to pass through – with so much going on, our neighborhood faces many challenges. I am currently running for the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association Board in order to support the conversations needed to develop a resilient and compassionate neighborhood community.

Dave Boush

I am running for reelection to the SNA Board after one term. As the term ends, I am co-chair of the Safety and Livability Committee and the Board’s representative to the Hawthorne Boulevard and Belmont Area Business Associations (HBBA and

BABA). I also participate in the Sunnyside Foot Patrol. Serving on the board has been both a pleasure and an education. It has allowed me to meet many neighbors who are committed to improving our city and encouraged a more detailed understanding of our problems and the way Portland works. Two years is barely enough to get started making a difference for the neighborhood. I urge current SNA Board members to run again and urge everyone to get involved on whatever issues motivate them.

Russell Rinaldi

I’ve been working on the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association for the past 2 years, initially as co-chair, now as a member-at-large, and as the chairman of the Safety and Livability Subcommittee. I’m hoping we can move forward with the right balance of compromise. We can achieve workable solutions and represent Sunnyside’s concerns to the city to get the available resources we need to affect change.

I believe we can effectuate equitable solutions, and I’d like to continue working toward that goal if I’m voted in for another two year term. We’re strongest when we work together. Moving forward, I will continue to work for, and on behalf of, my Sunnyside neighbors with the hope of improving the safety and livability issues we face. This is the majority of my purpose as being a member of this board.

Thank you for the first two years, and your consideration for another two.

April Meeting and Events Cancelled, May Board Elections Postponed

We are working with SE Uplift on a protocol for conducting public meetings and board elections while complying with physical distancing recommendations. Our hope is to have this protocol in place in time to hold a regular May meeting and proceed with board elections in June.

The District 42 Candidate Forum scheduled for April 16th is indefinitely postponed. We will post back here if a plan emerges to hold this event at a later date either online or in person if conditions permit.

For the most locally relevant info, you can follow Multnomah County’s COVID-19 response measures at their website: https://multco.us/novel-coronavirus-covid-19

Stay kind out there and please check on your neighbors. If you or a neighbor you know needs help, or if you’d like to offer to be a neighborhood help coordinator for your block or immediate area, please contact us via email. [email protected]