OUR TEAM
Leadership Team
Courtney Hamilton
Executive Director
Courtney Hamiltoncourtney@oregontradeswomen.org | 971.825.3855
Courtney has over 10 years of non-profit management experience, with a focus on serving women experiencing houselessness and women re-entering society after being incarcerated. Courtney believes that we need to approach the homeless epidemic by meeting individuals on a holistic level: affordable housing, trauma-informed integrated health care, and job training. Courtney has earned a PhD in Behavioral Health and has a passion to use her education and experience to better serve the people going through the OTW TACC program.
Julian Xiong
Chief Financial Officer
julian@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4893
Photo and Bio coming soon...
Nami Bigos
Deputy Director of Operations
Nami Bigosnami@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4851
Nami brings over 18 years of non-profit management experience to the OTW’s team, with a focus on fundraising, communications, and operations. Nami fell in love with event coordination because she likes seeing people enjoy the experience, and has always been driven to make a difference in her community. She was inspired by her immigrant grandmother who formed a “gardening club” whose purpose was to aid and support the local community of new arrivals. From there, she has been involved in organizations of all sizes, supporting women’s sports, animal rights, community and cultural institutions, and other causes dear to her heart. At home, she balances the peace in the Bigos household with her dog and cat, if she is not out swimming at the local city pool.
Shawn Cass
Deputy Director of Programs
Shawn Cassshawn@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4208
Shawn has spent nearly 25 years supporting women, families, and other marginalized communities through local non-profit work. After that rewarding chapter, she switched gears for a couple of years to manage projects in the property management world, adding a fresh perspective and new skills. She loves combining her community-focused background with practical, results-driven planning to help programs thrive. Shawn is passionate about creating opportunities that bring people together and make a difference. When she’s not at work, you can often find her turning wood in her workshop, cooking or baking something new, exploring hiking trails, or spending time with family and friends.
Development + Communications
Tiffany Bowie
Public Grants Project Manager
Tiffany Bowietiffany_b@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4468
Tiffany is a registered architect with extensive experience as a general contractor specializing in high-efficiency residential and multi-family homes. She was the developer, architect, and general contractor for one of the first PHIUS-certified Passive House in Seattle, WA. Promoting equity and diversity in the architecture and construction industries has been a lifelong passion of hers, which is why Oregon Tradeswomen felt like the perfect opportunity to apply her extensive project management background. Fun fact: Tiffany was an IWA-Canada union member in high school where she worked at the local saw mill on Vancouver Island, BC.
Trytten Essing
Communications & Marketing Manager
trytten@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4884
Trytten grew up in the heart of the Silicon Valley and always had a knack for the arts. Starting his own photography business at the age of 16, he gained real-life experience taking portraits, shooting events, and maintaining an online presence to promote his work. His experience with online communications and digital media led him to Oregon Tradeswomen (OTW) to cover the annual Career Fair on social media as a volunteer. Trytten officially joined OTW’s team in July 2017, where he coordinates OTW’s social media, assembles newsletters, manages the website, develops content for a variety of channels, supports fundraising efforts, and more! Trytten also serves his team-members as Oregon Tradeswomen's Union Shop Steward after staff organized with the IAM Fighting Machinists Local Lodge 63. In his free time, Trytten is working hard on getting his Bachelor's Degree, and loves camping with his wife Chelsea, filling up rolls of film from their adventures, and avidly roots for his favorite hockey team, the San Jose Sharks, even if they do lose a lot.
Paul Morris
Development Director
paul@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4846
A highly-skilled professional comfortable with strategic visioning and “brass-tacks” tactical fundraising. Over a 30+ year career in fundraising, Paul’s work has resulted in tens of millions of dollars being raised and thousands of donors being engaged for a wide spectrum of not-for-profit organizations. He has led successful development efforts in direct health services at the state and national levels; regional theatre; architectural preservation; a statewide organization offering chess to low-income students; lead development, communication, and operations for an organization focused on breaking generational cycles of poverty in outer NE Portland through a classroom curriculum and 1:1 mentoring; and most recently lead development efforts for an environmental education organization set on a 100-acre site in the metro area.
Paul has a commitment to giving back to the community and the profession, including regular speaking and teaching engagements focused on small or emerging not-for-profits navigating success. In his volunteer work, he utilizes his background and expertise to help other not-for-profits develop their own sustainable and scalable fundraising programs.
Operations
Cassidy Vahle
Office Manager & Executive Assistant
Cassidy Vahlecassidy@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4876
Cassidy began her career in pet wellness and education. She has worked with local Humane Societies, and eventually became a veterinary technician. Cassidy then started educating pet-parents on proper nutrition and training tools as an Instructional Designer and Producer of livestreamed interactive webinars. With pets being a major passion for Cassidy, just ask her two pit-bulls, education & equity was her main focal point.
After moving to Oregon, she began searching for an industry that focused on education outside of the traditional school system. She felt like the stars aligned when hearing that Oregon Tradeswomen needed an Office Manager & Executive Assistant to help establish processes and systems to promote internal organization while moving at a fast pace. Cassidy joined the OTW team in July of 2025 and is honored to be part of an organization that pushes equity to the forefront and challenges the norms of the construction industry. Cassidy is originally from the South & mutters her fair share of ‘y’alls’ when talking or typing. When she has free time, you can probably find her on the couch next to her husband & either painting or watching a horror movie with 2 pit-bull babies directly on her lap.
Pathways to Success Program
Debbie Spickerman
Training Instructor
Debbie Spickermandebbie@oregontradeswomen.org | 971.825.3764
Debbie came to Oregon Tradeswomen from IBEW Local 48 as a licensed electrician specializing in low voltage. She has worked for IBEW Local 48 since 2004 and holds an Oregon LEA license. When Debbie got her first electrical license as a non-union worker it was a LEB license. She got only the LEB license because that is all her employer would pay for due to her being a woman. Once Debbie started at the Local, she became involved in union politics. She ran for Chairperson of the Sound and Communication side of things and held that position until 2016 when she ran for the E-board. She didn't win that race and figured it was time for her to step back and let someone else lead. Debbie is semi-retired now and wanted to give back to the community, so she thought "what place is better than Oregon Tradeswomen?" She went through a program similar to Oregon Tradeswomen's back in 1999 called B-FIT at PCC and says, "I have been where you are, and I am here to show you how to do it. Put your boots on and let's go!"
Elle Madison
Admissions Coordinator
Elle Madisonelle@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4233
Elle has spent the past 15 years helping students succeed first in higher education as an academic advisor, then as a history professor, and now in the trade's professions. Her passion is learning and helping others learn. In her own pursuit of learning and finding her place, she has received multiple degrees, first a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, then a Master of Arts in Ancient Celtic History and a Master of Arts in Public History.
Elle's work history is varied, she has extensive experience as a professor, professional resume writer, corporate trainer, and even a fire and theft investigator.
She loves to spend time with her husband and two dogs, either crocheting, or cooking. She loves to bake and has perfected cheesecake and makes a great French bread.
Ivan Castille
Training Instructor
Ivan Castilleivan@oregontradeswomen.org | 971.529.1641
Ivan is a retired LiUNA Local 737 Oregon Laborer with 30 years of experience in all phases of the building trades. He started as a Construction Craft Concrete Laborer and worked his way to become a concrete foreman with several Local Union General Contractors under a Collective Bargaining Agreement. He then became a Safety Superintendent for Mill Creek Residential Trust, a local Developer.
Ivan worked as an apprenticeship coordinator with the Oregon Laborers Training Center for the last four years of his working career as an Oregon Laborer, before pulling his pension and semi retiring in 2022. Ivan has worked with Oregon Tradeswomen for the past 6 years as an industry partner in support of the program, recruiting tradeswomen into the field. Ivan most recently worked as a Workforce Advocate on the Albina I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement project. Working on mentoring and recruiting people of color in the Albina Community and greater Portland Metro area into the Construction Trades. Ivan came to help with the OTW Career Fair in May of 2024 and is now working as an instructor for the Oregon Tradeswomen.
Ivan is originally from Hawaii, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has been in Oregon with his family since 1992. He is a father of 5 and a grandfather of 4 and enjoys spending his spare time with his Ohana, especially back home in Hawaii. He also taught Snowboarding up on Mt. Hood for 24 years.
Me ke Aloha
Julie Warner
Workforce Development Coordinator
Julie Warnerjulie@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.335.8200
Julie’s career has allowed her to gather a range of professional experiences, from working as a behavioral interventionist to teaching high school English to working as a Vocational Rehabilitation Manager at a provider agency for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Julie's transition to the nonprofit world was driven by a desire to continue making a positive impact in the community with a different group of underrepresented individuals, specifically women and gender expansive people. Her experience is predated by attending a variety of schools and earning a master's degree in education, a bachelor's degree in English, and an associate's degree in sociology. When she is not working, she is reading romance and horror novels, playing with her two cats, and taking trips with her husband.
Kim Neel
Retention Services Coordinator
Kim Neelkim@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4825
Kim has been in the social work field for more than 24 years. After moving to Oregon from Florida, she landed a job with an all-female work crew remodeling a house. Kim loved the demolition process, and for the first time, knew how it felt to go home physically tired and happy! She never forgot the empowerment she felt on that job.
When a Career Counselor position at Oregon Tradeswomen (OTW) opened in 2012, Kim jumped at the opportunity and has been working at OTW ever since. As Retention Coordinator, Kim supports women who have been through our pre-apprenticeship program, plus she coordinates monthly social hours, the annual Trades Leadership Institute, and supports various local women's committees.
Liv Edens
Training Instructor
Liv Edensliv@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4675
Liv developed a love for tools and building at a young age, often working on Habitat for Humanity projects in high school and college. Growing up, she only saw men in the trades and never realized that carpentry could be a viable career option for women and, instead of the trades, pursued a career in education, earning a master’s degree in school counseling. She’s passionate about supporting student success and absolutely loved her career in education. But she also still loved working with tools and building things and would remodel homes and build custom projects on the side.
When Liv was presented with an opportunity to change careers, she took a leap of faith to see if she could turn a hobby into a career. She enrolled in the TACC program at Oregon Tradeswomen and then went on complete her apprenticeship at Pacific Northwest Carpenters Institute (now part of the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters). Her professional experience includes significant contributions to notable projects, such as the PDX Next project at the Portland Airport and the Multnomah County Library Operations Center, where she was involved from start to finish.
Liv didn’t meet a female carpenter until she was in her mid-twenties and now aims to be the face that inspires others to see themselves in these roles. At Oregon Tradeswomen, Liv combines her passion for education and supporting the success of others with her carpentry expertise, guiding women and gender minorities as they navigate their paths in the trades. Together, they work towards building a more inclusive future in this rewarding profession.
Fun fact…when Liv moved back to Oregon over 20 years ago, it was for a job at Lewis & Clark College. Years later, she returned to that campus as a carpenter to remodel some of their buildings.
Mallory J.
Workforce Development Coordinator
mallory@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.335.8200
Bio coming soon...
Susan Rodway
Training Instructor / Administrative Assistant
Susan Rodwaysusan@oregontradeswomen.org | 971.529.1429
Susan started her electrical training in the Navy as an “Electrician’s Mate”, and her first duty station was on AS/37 USS Dixon stationed in San Diego. Four years later she moved to the Portland area with her husband Tom. Susan continued her commitment to the Navy for 17 more years as a Naval Reservist. In that time, she also had two kids, went through an apprenticeship program, earned her Oregon General Journeyman’s License, and joined the IBEW Local 48. Since the 1990’s, Susan has worked on hundreds of projects throughout the Tri-county area, Tri-met yellow line, a Century movie theater, multiple downtown Portland condo/apartment complexes, Japanese restaurants, County office buildings, and a large chip manufacturer plant.
She works part-time at OTW to educate women on the power of working in the trades and how, through hard work, they can provide for themselves, gain self-knowledge, and give back to their community.
Susan retired from IBEW in 2022 but continues to be active in IBEW as the Treasurer, PAC, Women’s committee, and Veterans group. She is also involved in her church and local politics, a book club, bunko group, and is a beekeeper.
Zoe Stansbury
Training Manager
Zoe Stansburyzoe@oregontradeswomen.org | 503.465.4112
Zoe began her career in the trades at Marine Mechanic, working on numerous vessels including, ferries, research vessels, cruise ship, and multiple navy ships.
She later became a mechanical inspector, where she worked alongside, US Coast Guard and other regulatory bodies to ensure the safety and sea worthiness of numerous mechanical systems on ships.
As the Training Manager at Oregon Tradeswomen, she is passionate about building a curriculum that both challenges pre-apprentices and helps them gain tools to be successful in their future careers.
Outside of work Zoe enjoys volunteering for recovery-based organizations, and agility training with her dog.
RISE Up Oregon
Vanessa Escobedo
RiseUp Program Manager
Vanessa Escobedovanessa@oregontradeswomen.org | 971.529.1561
Vanessa can speak from firsthand experience about how impactful Oregon Tradeswomen’s program is, not only the people who go through the Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class, but also for their families. Vanessa has been part of the Oregon Tradeswomen community for over ten years. Inspired by the potential to make a difference in the lives of others, Vanessa started as an intern in January of 2019. Now, Vanessa is proud to have grown into multiple roles at Oregon Tradeswomen, now the RiseUp Project Manager, and continues to uphold our mission to help women and gender diverse people achieve economic independence through empowerment, training, career education, advocacy, and leadership development in the skilled trades.