Janet has great ideas and is always willing to listen to others as well.  She has the ability to take the consensus of a group and move it forward toward a solid product.


Peter Harnik, City Park Excellence, Trust for Public Lands

Creative Project Management

February 2014 - Present


  1. •Lone Fir Cultural Heritage and Healing Garden 2021 -

  2. Project advisor for Metro and liaison with Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation for the development of a garden at Lone Fir Cemetery in Portland. We will remember and honor those who experienced mental illness in the late 1800s and were buried anonymously at this site, as well as the Chinese workers who were buried there. Bringing this important and prejudicial history forward to today, we’ll engage those who inherit this history today and tell the stories for them and their future generations.

  3. •Albina Vision Trust 2017 - 2021

  4. Project manager for the nonprofit that seeks racial justice for the Black Portlanders displaced from Lower Albina--the area around the Moda Center and north of Broadway in Portland. Work included serving the new nonprofit administratively, writing grants and project management for the Community Investment Plan.

  5. •Leach Botanical Garden 

  6. Project advisor for Portland Parks and Recreation and liaison with Leach Garden Friends for the development of 7 acres of new botanical garden.  The project is funded by PP&R and PDC and focuses on the relevancy of this cultural asset in diverse, outer East Portland.

  7. •The Intertwine Alliance

  8. Consultant and technical expert for the Alliance which includes approximately 140 partner organizations supporting the region’s parks, trails and natural areas.  Work includes research and process around regional funding and metrics, participation at staff meetings and Core Group brainstorming. 

Metro Sustainability Center, Portland Oregon

August 2007 - February 2014


Principal Regional Planner to develop an interconnected system of parks, trails and natural areas through the region which includes three counties and twenty-six cities.  Metro property includes approximately 16,000 acres of natural areas.  Key initiatives include The Intertwine Alliance, developing public and private partnerships to raise communication and funding opportunities. 

Portland Parks and Recreation, Planning and Development, Portland, Oregon

March 1995 - May 1999; June 2001 - July 2007


Strategic Projects Manager, responsible for planning through project development (July 2005 to 2007).  Responsibility includes supervision of twelve professional staff and management of $2,000,000 operating budget and approximately $20,000,000 capital budget annually.


Planning Supervisor for the planning group for Portland Parks, which has responsibility for 10,000 acre park system and coordination with regional and local planning efforts.   (July 2002 to July 2005) Topics include strategic planning and master plans along with planning for trails and natural areas.  Responsibility includes supervision of seven professional staff and management of budget of approximately $1,000,000.


Major projects by staff include:

  1. •Strategic Business Plan for bureau

  2. •South Waterfront Greenway Development Plan; Red Electric Trail Plan

  3. •Land use review pertaining to park property
    Natural areas planning, development of an acquisitions approach

  4. •Mt. Tabor Reservoir design competition – structure and setup

  5. •Asset Management system development

Program manager for planning and design in urban renewal districts.  (June 2001 to June 2002)  Responsibilities included communication and direction in assessing the need for new parks in relationship to urban growth, strategies for acquiring and implementing new parks in urban renewal districts.  Major projects included park planning for North Macadam Urban Renewal and midtown planning for Director Park and O’Bryant Square.


2000 - 2001

Eight-month sabbatical in Florence Italy to study music, language and architectural history.


1984 - 1987

Masters degree program in Ethnomusicology, Tufts University, Medford, Mass.  Course work completed.


1981

Master of Landscape Architecture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass.  Thesis work provided guidelines to the island of St. Kitts on fragile ecosystems and development pressures.


1977

Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, University of the Pacific, Stockton Ca., concentrating in South Asian Studies. 

Education

Recent Experience