2025 Friends & Allies Fall Summit
Keynote Panelists
Katherine Rose
Communications and Engagement Manager, Depave
Katherine Rose began working for Depave in early 2022 and has focused her time as the Communications and Engagement Manager on creative event design and community organizing. Originally from a rural setting on the Oregon coast, Katherine feels at home spending time outside, observing the landscape around her. Katherine studied environmental and urban studies at Bard College, which led to her passion for equitable access to outdoor recreation, food sovereignty, stewardship, and aesthetics. Katherine has worked to develop environmental education programs about watershed health and sustainable agriculture and is an experienced trail builder. Katherine enjoys dancing, making music, skateboarding, caring for plants, and spending time outside with her dog. Katherine has a passion for curating events which engage people, inspire change, and create community resilience.
Pamela Slaughter
Executive Director, People of Color Outdoors
Pamela Slaughter is a respected environmental advocate, TEDx speaker, author, and community leader based in Portland, Oregon. She is the founder and executive director of People of Color Outdoors (POCO), a nonprofit that creates safe, joyful, and culturally welcoming outdoor experiences for BIPOC communities and white parents of non-white children.
Pamela is the author of Hi! My Name is Robin!, a children’s book that introduces young readers to the American robin while encouraging a love for nature. In 2025, she delivered her TEDx talk titled "Our Children Need Hope AND Action," where she challenged audiences to move beyond awareness and actively reconnect children with the natural world.
Pamela was the first recipient of the Joey Pope Award from the Portland Parks Foundation (2022), selected for the adidas Community Lab Accelerator (2023), and featured on OPB’s Think Out Loud and Oregon Field Guide (2024). Her work continues to expand access to natural spaces and nurtures environmental leadership in children as well as adults.
Mark Smallwood
President, Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden
Mark Smallwood has been a volunteer with the Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden for 12 years and has served on the board for the last 8. Mark had a long career in the computer software business, including several years as a people manager. Throughout his career, he was focused on developing cross-organization relationships and partnerships. As a manager, he was committed to helping his employees grow and excel in their careers. In the past, Mark served on the boards of California Central Coast SCORE and the Redwood City Project Read, a literacy program for children and adults. He is currently co-authoring a book on leadership and innovation strategy for small and medium-sized organizations.
Moderator: Jessica Green
Executive Director, Portland Parks Foundation
Jessica Green joined the Portland Parks Foundation in January 2017. Prior to coming to PPF, she co-founded her own run coaching company in Brooklyn, NY offering virtual and personal training throughout the U.S. For the last six years she oversaw all operational and financial components for her business in addition to providing coaching services. Before starting her own business, Jessica was committed to the outdoors working as a geologist for TRC Environmental Consulting, Inc., an environmental remediation firm. She received her bachelor’s degree in Geology from Hamilton College in upstate New York. Her passion for the outdoors and public parks is strong. She spends much of her free time running along the trails in Forest Park or playing in one of Portland’s many amazing parks with her husband and three children.