Linda was born and raised in Montreal and moved to Boulder, Colorado to get married. Linda has had several careers, the highlights of which are assistant manager in a large data center at Environment Canada where they were responsible for weather forecasting for the country.  She worked in HR as employee Benefits Manager for a large hospital in Boulder and HR Director for a fast growing startup in Colorado Springs. It was there that Linda went to nursing school and had the opportunity to spend two hours in an operating room during her training.  Linda knew at that moment that surgery was for her, and after spending 3 years in Switzerland with her family where she had wonderful work, lifestyle, and travel experiences, Linda and her family moved to Portland where she has spent the last 26 years and still counting working in surgery. Linda discovered Assistance League years ago when she began to consign some of her large jewelry collection and  joined in 2019. “The longer I am involved with the League the more impressed I am with such a hard working and congenial group, whose efforts do everything to improve the lives of so many in our community”.

Janet Tapper serves as the president elect for the Assistance League of Greater Portland, assisting the president in coordinating League activities and contributing to the management of the shops and philanthropic programs.

Janet brings a strong focus on customer service, management, and an entrepreneurial spirit. The professional experience that developed this focus includes restaurant management, sales of a variety of products and services, and starting a thriving business in legal investigation. She culminated her professional career as the library director at University of Western States for 15 years, retiring Dean Emeritus.

Always an avid volunteer; working in early days as a scout leader and on various school programs and committees. Later, she twice served on the board of directors for the Oregon Association of College and Research Libraries, Chair of the Chiropractic Libraries Consortia and has been a longtime reviewer for Library Journal. She is concurrently on the board of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. At the Assistance League, Janet regularly works in the consignment shop and will continue as a grant writer seeking community support for philanthropic programs.

Janet holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from University of California San Diego and a Master’s degree in Library Science from Emporia State University.

JoAnn graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology.  She spent 24 years as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist.  Her artistic inclination & love of clothes led her to a new careers an Image Consultant  She served on the board of the AICISF, Association of Image Consultants International San Francisco, for 2 years,  Her clients were men & women who she helped design their wardrobe to fit their lifestyle, personality and careers.  JoAnn, a California native, moved with her husband Joe, to Oregon 5 years ago to be with her youngest daughter, Audrey, who graduated from Portland State and never left.  JoAnn is so grateful  that she found the Assistance League in 2022.  A newcomer to Oregon she feels blessed to have found an organization devoted to serving the community that welcomed her with open arms.  JoAnn uses her skills to outfit the mannequins & the Purple Tag wall with colorful & intriguing ensembles that the volunteers and customers appreciate.  This will be her first position on the board as VP of Marketing & Communications.  In her spare time, she enjoys sewing, sketching & painting and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Jamie Marucha serves as Vice President of Philanthropic Programs, leading initiatives that support children, families, and vulnerable adults through programs providing clothing for low-income schoolchildren, scholarships for the trades, support for at-risk teens, and assistance for unhoused individuals and survivors of domestic violence.

Jamie brings professional experience in the insurance and healthcare administration fields, along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and graduate studies in public health, both from the University of Connecticut. Her tenure with Assistance League began in 2012 at a chapter in Chicago’s western suburbs. Over six years of board service with Assistance League of Greater Portland, Jamie has contributed in roles including marketing, resource development, and Past President. Jamie is a recipient of the Anne Banning Leadership Award, and has received the chapter’s Circle of Honor recognition.

In addition to this work, Jamie serves on the advisory council of a downtown Portland project that provides hygiene services for unhoused individuals. Jamie is deeply committed to social equity and believes all people deserve to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

Outside of volunteer service, Jamie enjoys spending time with family.

Linda is a native of Northern California and a Graduate of Brigham Young University (one of a few Catholics!) where she received her B.S.in Physical Education and Health.  She married and became the trailing spouse of a university administrator. She has lived in Connecticut, Oregon, Utah, Illinois, Michigan, and now Oregon once again.  During those years Linda served 10 years, 2007-2017, as the “First Lady” of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. In addition, she was on the Boards of the Kalamazoo Symphony, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Kalamazoo Institute of Art (Permanent Collection Committee), Board member of the Gilmore Festival, WMU College of Fine Arts, and appointed member of Kalamazoo County Foster Care Review Board.  Linda has been a member of Assistance League since the mid-80’s, the first chapter in Corvallis.  She served as the President of the Salt Lake Chapter as well as served as a member of the Resource Development Committee for the National Organization.  She now serves as the Greater Portland’s VP of Retail Sales.

Volunteering has always been part of Karen’s DNA. Raised in Pennsylvania, she grew up in a family committed to community service, from four generations of volunteer firefighters to founding local youth programs. Inspired by that legacy, Karen began volunteering at a young age and has since served on numerous nonprofit boards across Oregon and Washington. At Assistance League, Karen found both kindred spirits and a meaningful way to help her community.

After graduating from Thiel College, Karen pursued her desire to see the world by joining the military, a journey that got her as far as Louisiana. There, she began her career as an elementary school teacher and met Bruce, who shared her passion for travel and adventure. The next chapter took them to Dallas, Texas, where Karen transitioned into the corporate world, building a career in Human Resources while continuing her dedication to service through leadership and volunteer roles with the Girl Scouts of the USA. Bruce’s career with Intel Corporation later brought the couple to Oregon, where Karen expanded her expertise into Organizational Development, specializing in management and leadership development at Intel.

Travel remains one of Karen’s greatest passions. She has explored much of the United States — especially the National Parks — and traveled extensively internationally. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, working on jigsaw puzzles, and reading.

Jane graduated from the University of Oregon and began a career at San Francisco’s Emporium as an assistant buyer. After she married, she moved to Portland, Oregon and continued in retail with Meier & Frank as a buyer.  When she took a break from paid work to raise a family, Jane volunteered in the schools where her children attended and ran a 350K nonprofit corporation. In 2001, she returned to school to pursue a graduate degree in Library Science and has spent the last 20+ years in librarianship. As Head of Public Services at both University of Portland and George Fox University she taught students about research and assisted faculty with theirs. Jane joined the Assistance League in 2023 and works in the Thrift Shop, on the Grants Committee, and recently became Secretary. She appreciates the many ways the Assistance League supports the community.  Jane enjoys reading, visiting with grandchildren, and traveling with her husband.

Wyn is a native of upstate New York. A few years after earning a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Michigan she arrived in Oregon. She worked as a computer programmer, quality assurance engineer, operations manager, and technical writer, mainly in the high-tech industry. She became a student of parliamentary procedure decades ago. She served as parliamentarian and board member for an international, non-profit educational organization. She found a good volunteer fit with the Assistance League of Greater Portland as she saw first-hand the difference new clothes can make to a child in need when she became the adoptive parent of an older foster child. She has served as the ALGP president-elect and president, and has served three previous terms as the ALGP parliamentarian.