Our Council

Joanne was raised in Rochester, New York. She married right after college (too young!) and moved to Houston, Texas with her husband. She had two wonderful sons. She held various jobs and retired in 2017 from the Rice University Anthropology Department.   When her younger son moved from Tokyo to Portland with his family, Joanne followed in 2017. This has given her the opportunity to watch her grandchildren grow up.

She joined NSV in January 2020 and became a member of the council in October 2022.

Patricia was born and raised in New Jersey and moved to the west coast in her 20's. She has one daughter who lives in the Gorge (with an amazing view!).

Patricia has been involved in politics her whole life, giving presentations to groups about how each person can be involved. She is very active in her church and sings with the choir. She has been a singer with Aurora Chorus for 27 years and has held most offices in the organization.

In NSV, she is the organizer of our monthly Game Day and is involved with our Lunch Bunch program.

Anjala is a founding member of NSV and served on the planning committee that started in 2016.  She also serves as the liaison between NSV and Villages NW, our hub organization.  Anjala introduces prospective members to the village and volunteers as a driver and garden helper.

When asked what NSV means to her, Anjala says, “NSV is a source of some of the best friendships I've had this lifetime, and I've learned so much from my friends.  We truly support each other.”

Anjala grew up in Portland, spent two years pursuing what she calls the “wrong degree” at an Ivy League college, then finished her college education with the excellent teachers at Portland State University.  Anjala worked for the State of Oregon, volunteered on a state disability access and employment committee, worked on forest fires in a variety of capacities, and was a licensed masseuse and a licensed personal financial advisor.  She retired from the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Anjala loves books, including history books, comic books and graphic novels.  She wrote a book about the history of her neighborhood (Woodlawn).  Her other passions include birds and identifying them in the wild, identifying mushrooms, gardening, going to plays, and volunteering for do-gooder and mystical organizations.

Liz served on the planning committee for a year before North Star Village was officially established. She edits and publishes the monthly NSV Tidings newsletter, leads the Programs and Activities Team, heads up NSV’s monthly Writer’s Haven writing workshops, and is active in the Handwork Group.

When asked what NSV means to her, Liz says, “North Star Village is my community of creative and enjoyable friends and social activities, as well as a place I can use my skills to do meaningful volunteer work.  I am eager to learn more about how NSV operates and find out what I can do to help.”

She grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, earned her BA degree in English Literature from Brown University, where she met her husband of 59 years. They have two kids and two grandchildren.  Forty years after graduating, she earned an MS in Instructional Design and Technology from Emporia State University. She had several careers, including education curator and, later, associate director, of a living history museum, program director for an arts-in-education nonprofit, and freelance writer.

Ruth joined NSV just before Covid, and again in May 2022. As a former AARP volunteer for NeighborWalks, she is tuned in to aging in place, including pedestrian mobility.

Ruth grew up in Brooklyn and New Jersey, and spent 27 years in Boston; much prefers the slower pace and kinder vibe of the Pacific NW.  She has an MBA and is happy to no longer be an administrator.  She is a student and teacher of Breema, a bodywork and exercise modality, and Tai Chi.

She became a Council member in October 2022 in order to see the inner workings of the village. Ruth enjoys the people she has met in North Star Village and delights in being part of keeping older adults in their homes.

Ruth lives with her cat and garden in St. Johns. She enjoys walking, blues dancing, and helping with the North Peninsula Review newspaper.

Jan joined NSV in March 2023 and is also our delegate to Village NW’s Circle of Representatives group.  She started volunteering in 2022, specifically to help with tech support and be a driver, but quickly realized she wanted to be more involved.

Jan grew up in Las Vegas and moved to Portland in 1986.  She worked at ZGF Architects for 32 years, primarily as a database administrator.  She was also a personal trainer and taught group cycling classes at a local gym.

“When I found North Star I was excited to start volunteering,” Jan says,

Jessica joined NSV in January of 2023 and joined the council shortly thereafter.  She loves the mission of the village.

Jessica grew up in Akron, Ohio and moved to California after high school because she heard it never rains there. She moved to Oregon to be part of her family members’ lives and help out with her grandkids.

Jessica worked for a small arm of a local nonprofit.  She developed and directed a program for low-income families, homeless people, seniors, and disabled people.

Jessica loves music and describes herself as an “accidental gardener.”  She loves to walk and volunteer.  Family and being of service are very important to her.  Serving on the council is her way of giving back to the village.

Steve joined the village in 2022.  He has been volunteering as a handyman and driver for NSV for more than four years. 

In Steve’s words, “I believe that the village concept is one of the many approaches that is needed to help members of our communities age in place.”

Steve grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, graduated from the University of Oregon in 1977, and moved to a logging camp in Alaska to pay off college debt.  He ended up staying in Alaska for another 30 years working as a land and natural resource manager.  Steve met his wife in Fairbanks, Alaska, 44 years ago, and they raised their children there.

They both love to hike, bike, cross country ski, garden, and camp.

Mary joined NSV in September 2018 and has been a member of the Council for five years.  In addition to currently heading up the Outreach Committee and working with the Handwork Group, she also provides a location for events such as New Member Coffees, Game Days and others as requested.  In Mary’s words, “NSV has been an amazing experience for me.  I have met wonderful people and have found these relationships have opened incredible opportunities.  It is a venue where I can participate in activities, help others, and be helped.  The Council has given me the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Mary was born in Oklahoma but has called Chicago, Wichita KS, Kansas City MO, and San Antonio TX home as well. She was a science teacher, State of Oklahoma Director for Administrative Functions, Medical Claims Administrator/Director, and is now the owner of Creative Glass, LLC.

Mary’s passions are family, traveling, fly fishing and creating stained glass works of art.

Nancy joined the North Star Village Planning Team in 2015 and has served on the NSV Council as Treasurer from the beginning.  She lives in the Linnton neighborhood and spreads the word about the Village in our Northernmost region.

Nancy grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, but found her way to the northwest when she went to graduate school in Eugene. With a background in public health and non-profit organizations Nancy brings experience in finance and organizational dynamics to North Star.

Nancy finds joy in fostering golden retrievers and hosting her Airbnb site, as well as her weekly mentoring of high school students with “Mind Matters.”