HomeLeadership

Village Steering Committee

NE Village was founded as a member- and volunteer-led organization dedicated to providing community and services to help our members age better together. During the summer of 2026, NE Village’s Village Steering Committee took on significant new responsibilities, as NEV transitioned to a new leadership model, while retaining its historical vision and values. Here are the 2026 members of the VSC team, including newly added Co-Chair Dan Cooper, who also serves as Board President of the Northeast Community Center. Dan joined Village stalwart Steve Parker as a VSC co-chair in our modified structure, which reflects our commitment to being a member- and volunteer-led program of the Northeast Community Center.

Here are the VSC members, in alphabetical order, beginning with the pioneer who got planning for the Village rolling 13 years ago, when NEV was still just a dream:

Margaret Lovejoy Baldwin

After retiring from a teaching job in the San Francisco Bay Area, Margaret Baldwin and her husband Frank moved to Portland and learned about the national Villages network. At the time, there was just one Village in Portland – Margaret made that two, by helping to start NE Village, and serving as its first volunteer. Since then, she’s helped guide the Village in innumerable ways, including a several-year stint as Chair of the Governing Council, the VSC’s predecessor before we joined forces with NECC. She once dressed up as the Little Red Hen in an effort to recruit more Village volunteers to join various committees.

Dan Cooper (Co-Chair)

Born in Connecticut in 1947, Dan headed west to Oregon in a U-Haul van in 1972 with a law degree from Columbia University. He had attended Dartmouth College and Woodstock and driven taxis in New York City and Philadelphia. Dan retired in 2012 after serving for 25 years as Metro’s general counsel, and lives in SE Portland. He and his wife of 40 years have eight grandchildren.

Michelle Fitzgerald

Michelle became a volunteer with NE Village in 2023, offering tech help, participating in yard parties, and serving as a volunteer driver, in addition to her work on the VSC. As a local real estate agent specializing in working with seniors, volunteering seemed like a natural extension of the work she does with her clients. Her passion centers on building community among her neighbors and creating opportunities for deeper connection. For fun, she enjoys sewing, cooking, and the maddening rollercoaster ride that is gardening.

David Grant

David moved to Portland in 2020 after an extensive career in international finance with banks such as Chase Manhattan and France’s Société Générale S.A., and was very happy to meet the rich and diverse community at NE Village. In addition to his time with NEV, David works with a number of agencies to help refugees integrate successfully into the United States. He likes to keep active in Oregon’s beautiful outdoors and loves to travel.

Molly Hamill

Molly joined NE Village in 2023, looking for a community and volunteering opportunities. After a career in science, engineering, and education (starting as a geologist), her retirement happened unexpectedly when her employer downsized. Molly has since joined the board of her neighborhood association, helped lead her neighborhood emergency response team (and done other emergency preparedness work), and volunteered at the local library's story time. For fun, she enjoys nature, gardening, reading, solving puzzles, and visiting grandchildren. In addition to serving on the VSC, she’s active with Soil to Supper and various support groups.

Mike Murphy

Since 1987, Mike and his wife, Julia, have called the Grant Park neighborhood home, raising their two daughters here. A Connecticut native and Boston College alumnus, Mike’s life has been defined by a 40-year career as a licensed clinical social worker and special education teacher. A "constantly recovering" Catholic, Mike remains dedicated to spirituality and contemplation. Whether he’s coaching youth leagues, cycling, hiking, golfing or picking up pickleball, Mike stays active and engaged with the community he loves.

Steve Parker (Co-Chair)

Steve grew up down the street from Providence Portland, as it’s now called. Working at Franz Bakery to pay for college, Steve learned valuable lessons in how “not” to manage people. He retired from health-care leadership during the pandemic. Steve and his wife, Care, have a blended family with five adult children and seven grandchildren; they love to travel. Volunteering at the Village, with Meals on Wheels, and as a court-appointed special advocate for abused and neglected kids, helps him stay connected to others. As he ages, Steve’s learning that adventure can be a simple connection with another person or enjoying the beauty right here in the Pacific Northwest.

Kim Williams

Kim joined NEV in 2022 after she and her husband, Chris Rauber, moved to Portland from the San Francisco Bay Area to be near family and explore the Pacific Northwest. Kim had a 40-year career in finance and business, primarily working with non-profits, and retired as chief financial officer of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. At NE Village, she’s served on the VSC, the Volunteer Coordination team and the Data Admin team. Kim loves traveling, walking, reading and playing with her five delightful grandkids, who are scattered from Portland to Scotland.

Please send any questions or comments to info@nevillagepdx.org