Forum Board Members, 2023 - 2024
President, Bruce Starr
Bruce Starr, a strong believer in public service, served on the Hillsboro City Council, Oregon State House of Representatives and Oregon Senate. He is a small business owner and contractor.
He is married to Rebecca who works in renewable energy and they are proud of their grown daughter who works on Capitol Hill and their son who is a midshipman at the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Past President, Spencer Ehrman
A native Portlander, Spencer has lived in Beaverton for 18 years. He is retired from the insurance industry and is committed to middle-of-the-road causes such as supporting youth and children experiencing housing insecurity, sensible fire arms laws, and eliminating racism and implicit bias from civic affairs and society at large. He serves on the Beaverton Human Rights Advisory Commission and the board of HomePlate Youth Services.
Vice President, Eric Schmidt
Eric Schmidt moved to Washington County in 1983, taking a job as a news anchor/reporter at a local TV station. In 2004 he started working for the Association of Oregon Counties as a communications and policy manager. After he retired in 2015, he joined Tualatin Valley Community Television (TVCTV) as a community affairs program host and producer. He and his wife, Suzann, live in Beaverton with their two Schnauzers, Dieter and Schatzie.
Secretary, Cate Arnold
I grew up mostly in Houston as part of the NASA community that landed the first astronauts on the moon. In my 20’s, I worked on the Space Shuttle budget and scheduling. Seeing what it takes to build a successful space program taught me the power of a focused community.
I moved to Oregon in 1985, married in 1989, and became a stay-in-the-minivan-and-public-buildings mom in 1992. My favorite volunteer positions were Girl Scout Troop Leader and Camp Director, Art Literacy teacher, Beaverton Committee for Community Involvement (BCCI) officer, Diversity Advisory Board and Visioning Advisory Committee liaison, Small Claims Court Mediator, and Leadership Beaverton Project Coordinator (we built the first Habitat for Humanity home in Beaverton).
Now that I am off Beaverton City Council after 16 years and my 3 kids have graduated from college and take care of themselves, I am in a new spot. My favorite saying is that the best use of our time is on things that outlast us. For me, that is doing what I can to build healthy, happy, efficient communities.
I joined the Forum because is a great place to learn about what our local governments and other organizations are doing on this ground that we love and live on. To be successful, we must understand what is actually happening so that we can make wise choices about what to do next. Serving on the board is a way to help.
Treasurer, Cecilia Giron
Cecilia Giron, founder and owner of Giron & Associates, LLC, Cecilia specializes in culturally specific executive coaching, fund and program development, and community engagement. She has over 20 years of experience empowering and inspiring underrepresented and underserved audiences around the state. Cecilia is currently an executive advisor and serves in the recovery efforts for Latinx families impacted by the Alameda fires in Southern Oregon. She is an independent consultant with Latina Associates for Collaborative Engagement (LACE).
Indigenous from Oaxaca, Mexico, she has dedicated her career to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts while positively impacting over 1000s of Latinx children, youth, and families. With her leadership skills and commitment to the community, she has a proven track record developing and leading culturally relevant after-school programs, partnering with school districts, nonprofits and businesses. Her initiatives have been successfully adopted by Oregon State University Extension Service’s 4-H-Tech Wizards, Adelante Mujeres’ Chicas Youth Development, and Listo’s Family Literacy Program. In 2013, her work was recognized by the Oregon Commission for Women as the recipient of the “Women of Achievement Award.”
Other leadership roles in advocacy include Oregon State Director for The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Director (2021) of Washington County Public Affairs Forum.