Board of Directors
Bob Sallinger
President
Bob Sallinger is the Conservation Director for Willamette Riverkeeper, working on a wide range of issues in cities up and down the Willamette Valley. Previoiusly, he was the Conservation Director at Portland Audubon, where his work included directing local, regional, and nation conservation policy initiatives, wildlife research initiatives, the Backyard Habitat Certification Program, and Wildlife Care Center. Bob’s passion for conservation was developed early exploring the woods of Massachusetts and later on solo hikes from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail and from Canada to Southern Colorado on the Continental Divide. Bob has a B.A. in Biology from Reed College and a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School. He also serves as an adjunct professor of law at Lewis and Clark Law School. He lives in Northeast Portland with his wife Elisabeth Neely, three children and an assortment of critters including dogs, cat, goats, pigeons, chickens and a hedgehog.
Brian Posewitz
Secretary/Treasurer/Director
Brian Posewitz is an attorney by trade who now works as a staff attorney for a river conservation organization. In addition to serving on the board, Brian manages the day-to-day administration of Humane Voters Oregon. He has also volunteered with other organizations over the years to help advocate for animal welfare. In his spare time, Brian plays tennis and golf and enjoys the great outdoors. He lives in Portland and has a dog named Kaya.
Jim Jensvold
Board Member
Jim Jensvold is the Assistant Director of Paw Project, a nonprofit animal protection organization, which works to protect wild and domestic cats and which provides medical care for them. He is a former Board member of the Los Angeles Animal Services Department. Jim has served on boards of directors of several nonprofit animal protection organization in Southern California during the past twenty-five years. Jim has helped craft and lobby for animal protection legislation over the past twenty years. A native of Oregon, Jim grew up in Linn County and later graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. He trained to be an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center and practices part-time. He has an academic appointment in the UCLA Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He is married to Dr. Jennifer Conrad, a veterinarian, and has a home in Northwest Portland. Jim and Jenny have five lovely cats.
Courtney Dillard
Board Member
Courtney Dillard is currently the Social Change Researcher at Mercy For Animals (MFA) where she explores how best to make effective and efficient progress in the interest of farmed animals. Having lived in Oregon over 20 years, Courtney has been involved in a wide variety of animal advocacy efforts including helping to pass several ballot initiatives, lobbying for a host of animal friendly bills, testifying at ODF&W hearings and the co-founding of Fences for Fido. Prior to working at MFA, Courtney taught for over 15 years at Willamette University in Salem where she encouraged students to find their voice for justice. In her spare time, Courtney enjoys running the Perros Project which supports the work of local groups in Huanchaco, Peru to care for community street dogs, as well as serving on the advisory board of Wildwood Sanctuary.
Nick Rumsfeld
Board Member
Following stints in the tech and finance industries, Nick Rumsfeld has spent the last decade investing in a sustainable future, an ethos he hopes to bring to his work with Humane Voters Oregon. Originally from Washington DC and Chicago, Nick moved to Oregon in the mid 1990s, raising two children with his wife Anne. Nick can frequently be found enjoying live music, playing tennis and exploring nature around the west.
Cassandra Scheffman
Board Member
Cassandra Scheffman (she/her) grew up around many animals, which have always been a constant in her life. Whether rescuing street dogs, volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation hospital, or birding, being around animals and wild nature is her jam. Cassandra has a Master of Education degree in humane education, focused on the interconnections of human rights, animal protection, and environmental sustainability. She has worked exclusively in nonprofit or educational settings and especially loves sharing her love of nature and animals with children and youth. She lives in Northeast Portland with her partner, two children, dogs, cats, and a rescued parrot.