Meet Danielle

Danielle was raised by a single mother who experienced mental health challenges until she passed in 2014. Danielle and her older sister navigated a life that some would say was “on the move”, unstable, and often unpredictable. Danielle attended six different elementary schools (in four different Oregon cities), two middle schools (in Oregon and California), and finally one high school, McKay (GO SCOTS!). In her high school years, she moved around to different homes beginning late in her sophomore year, when her mom was on the go elsewhere, or was facing challenges she wasn’t equipped to handle while simultaneously parenting. Danielle has always had a sense of community. Teachers, and parents of friends welcomed her with the challenges she faced, only expecting her to graduate high school. She learned early on to be helpful to others, particularly her friends’ parents, her thought was it would make them more likely to allow her to stay around, as needed.

Danielle has worked in various fields from her first job as a courtesy clerk (bagger) at Roth’s Fresh Markets, to building state agency budgets and delivering testimony in the legislature, to sitting side by side small business owners working towards business plans that will create security and sustainability for a local family owned business, to the random in-between seasonal berry picking jobs. Her approach to just about anything is hands-on. She’s approachable, and present and enjoys being a part of solutions. She learned from a young age to be useful, and to learn from those around her.

Through her community involvement and upbringing, she has learned relationships are vital to every situation. She doesn’t shy away from tough situations, conversations or projects.