Staff and Officer Bios
DPO Chairwoman Meredith Wood Smith
Meredith Wood Smith has served four years as the full-time DPO Vice Chair and as the Western States Vice Chair Representative on the Executive Committee of the Association of State Democratic Chairs.
Meredith’s political involvement was born in 1961, when she became active in John F. Kennedy’s Presidential campaign in Kentucky. Since coming to Oregon 35 years ago she has served as a Party county chairperson, chair of several Party committees, worked full time on a Congressional Campaign and volunteered on many congressional, gubernatorial, legislative, city and county campaigns, first in Jackson and Josephine counties and later in the Portland Metro area. She has also participated in local and statewide referendum and initiative campaigns (both for and against), giving her positive and constructive avenues for community participation. As State Party Vice Chair, Meredith has worked tirelessly to strengthen county parties through training, mentoring and support. She is also actively engaged in DPO fundraising and in building coalitions with allied groups, and with minority and business communities. She has served as precinct committee person for over 20 years.
First Vice-Chair Frank Dixon
Frank Dixon is serving his first term as First Vice-Chair after organizing and chairing the DPO GLBT Caucus in 2004. Frank practiced consumer law for 15 years in the state and federal courts before turning his eye toward politics and business pursuits.
Second Vice-Chair Jill Thorn
Politics has been in Jill Thorn's blood since listening to the nominating conventions of Adlai Stevenson and Dwight Eisenhower!
Jill has been elected to the West Linn City Council and served 3 terms as its mayor. As chair of the Clackamas County Democrats, Jill has built an organization with almost 250 precinct committee people in viable working house district organzations.
Secretary - Becky Gladstone
Becky Gladstone started working with Democrats after empty nesting, invited into Kitty Piercy's campaign by a fellow school lobbying parent. She has volunteered for Oregon Democrats since 2004, working as Kerry staff and Oregon 4th CD Delegate to Boston. Since then, she's been DPO Finance Vice-Chair, DPLC Events Chair, and 2005 Summit Co-Chair. She worked to initiate Treasurers' Trainings and on the DPO Grants Committee. The 2006 campaign also brought running phone banks and serving Chris Edwards as a treasurer. As DPO Secretary she wants to work to bring Democrats together, to make it easier for them to keep in touch, to get more people actively involved. She's enjoying working on the Delegate Selection Plan for Denver 2008 and with our 5 Congressional Districts.
Treasurer - Michael Radway
Mike Radway began canvassing as a four-year old when he dressed-up as a politician for Halloween and distributed flyers for the Democratic candidate for governor as he Trick-or-Treated. He inherited his political roots from his mother, a former Town Clerk, and his late father, a professor of government, state legislator, and former Chairman of the Democratic Party of New Hampshire. He was raised to believe that you couldn't take a candidate for President seriously unless he had visited your house at least once. He is thrilled that both his native state and his adopted state have transformed from red to blue.
Democratic National Committeewoman Jenny Greenleaf
Jenny originally hails from North Dakota, but had the good fortune to choose the University of Oregon for college. She has lived here since with the exception of what she refers to as a "seven-year sentence" in California's Silicon Valley. She runs a small high-tech consulting firm between volunteer projects.
Jenny and her husband, Tom Cocklin, have two kids, one cat, and one dog.
DNC Committeeman - Wayne Kinney
Wayne Kinney is in his second term as Oregon’s Democratic National
Committeeman. He has been a member of the DPO State Central Committee
since 1991, and a member of the Executive Committee since 1993. In that
time, Wayne has served two terms as DPO Secretary, two terms as chair of
the Second Congressional District, two terms as chair of the Platform and
Resolutions Committee, and he’s in his second term as chair of the Rules
Committee.
Wayne’s roots are in small-town New England, and his heart is in rural
Oregon. He thinks of himself as a rural liberal, and believes strongly in
democracy, responsive government and public service. He’s tried to stay
true to those values in his work within the Democratic Party of Oregon.
Executive Director - Trent Lutz
Trent Lutz assumed responsibilities as Executive Director effective May 15, 2007.
In 2002, Trent served as deputy field director for the DPO’s coordinated campaign. Lutz led the Governor’s 2006 fundraising efforts and U.S. Congressman David Wu’s 2004 fundraising operation. Before joining the DPO, he was deputy legislative director for Governor Kulongoski.
Field Director Autumn Wilburn
Autumn is the Field Director and is based out of the Regional DPO Office in Eugene. She has direct organizing responsibility for 9 counties and oversees the other Field staff.
Autumn says, "I work for the Democratic Party because I believe that we are the party that cares about everyone; young and old, rich and poor, urban and rural, not just a chosen few. I am passionate about Democratic politics and enjoy working in a Blue State."
Cindy Moody - Compliance Director
Cindy Moody is the Compliance Director.
Born and raised in Chicago, Lewis and Clark College brought her to Oregon where she settled after graduating. Cindy and her husband have three children.
Tech Dude John Springer
John Springer is the DPO's rapidly-aging IT director.
John was born and raised in Idaho, earned a Master's Degree at Oregon State University, marched against the war in San Francisco in the 60's, and worked in Silicon Valley for 25 years before returning to Oregon.
John still blames Richard Nixon for most of what is wrong in the world, although GWB is rapidly moving up the ladder of evil.
Field Organizer Mary Van Noy
Mary Van Noy is the party's field organizer for 14 counties. She works out of our Eugene office.
Tom Curtin - Labor Liaison
IOMM&P (Ret)