Nonprofit Town Hall with U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas

Andrea Salinas, U.S. Representative (OR-6)

Congresswoman Andrea Salinas is the proud daughter of a Mexican immigrant, a first-generation American, and dedicated public servant working for the people of Oregon's sixth district. Her father immigrated to the United States as a child and picked cotton and tomatoes in the fields of the Rio Grande Valley before eventually going on to serve as a police officer. Her family’s story is an American story – one where hard work can provide a path to a better life.

Andrea was born in San Mateo, California, and grew up in Pleasant Hill, California. She was the first person in her family to attend a four-year university and earned her degree from University of California, Berkeley. Upon graduation, Andrea wanted to serve her community and country so she chose a path of public service. She served as a US congressional aide and policy advisor to Senator Harry Reid and Congressman Pete Stark. Later, Andrea moved to Oregon where she served as a district aide for Congresswoman Darlene Hooley and fell in love with the communities of the Willamette Valley.

After her work with Congresswoman Hooley concluded, Andrea stayed in Oregon and went on to serve as an advocate for labor unions, environmental groups, and reproductive rights organizations. In 2017, she was appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives and served through the end of her term in 2022. In the Oregon House of Representatives, she served as House Majority Whip and was the Chair of the House Health Care Committee. In 2022, she was elected to serve as U.S. Representative for District 6-Oregon.

Congresswoman Salinas's committees include the House Committee on Agriculture; the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (SST); and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

Mercedes Elizalde, Board Member and Public Policy Committee Chair, NAO

Mercedes Elizalde was born and raised in Hayward, California, a small city in the San Francisco Bay Area. She relocated to Seattle, WA, in fall of 2010 and then to Portland, OR, in the summer of 2018. She carries a passion for social justice, equal opportunity and compassion throughout her personal and professional endeavors. Mercedes started working when she was 14 as a peer educator and summer camp counselor. She brings a unique set of perspectives and knowledge to her work having experience in direct service as a social worker and program coordinator, a legislative aide to an elected official and as a community activist. Mercedes was the first in her family to attend college and now holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Women and Gender Studies, and a MA in Non-profit Leadership. She is currently the Director of Advocacy, Latino Network.

Phillip Kennedy-Wong, Director of Public Policy, NAO

Phillip Kennedy-Wong is a public policy professional with over 20 years of experience lobbying at the state, local, and federal levels. He has worked for several nonprofit organizations throughout his career and served on nonprofit boards. He brings a strong foundation and understanding of the nonprofit sector including operations, board management, fundraising, programming, and tax law. 

Phillip brings a perspective that is not shared by many public policy professionals in Oregon: lived experience as a person of color and a child of immigrants that informs his work in this profession. His parents had no formal education, spoke very little English, raised his autistic brother, worked hard in low-skilled, low-wage jobs all their lives so their children could pursue a better life. As the result of their sacrifices, he was blessed to be the first in his family to go to college, pursue enriching life experiences including military service and graduate school; build a career as a successful, senior level professional public policy advocate and give back to his community. 

Phillip served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves while earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Lewis and Clark College. Upon graduating, he went to work right away as a field organizer on a political campaign during the 1992 presidential election. Getting the political bug, he proceeded to earn a Master of Science in public policy from Rutgers University and has never looked back in his public service career. Phillip lives in Portland with his wife, two daughters, and two cats.