Brian Unflat, PTA President
This is my 10th year as a proud parent at Rieke Elementary and my second year serving on the PTA Board. My son, Jackson, is in 2nd grade and my two daughters (former Rieke students) are in seventh grade at Robert Gray and a sophomore Wilson. Professionally I spend my time as a Creative Director for an agency in NW Portland and manage a local club soccer team on the side. My favorite things to do are: gardening, spending time creating art, cooking with my family, going to see live music and coaching (more) soccer than playing. My goals are to be a great father/husband and a positive influence on our school culture, students, teachers and overall growth.
Favorite quote:
“Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal.”
– E. Joseph Cossman
Holly Ingram, Vice President
This is my 7th year at Rieke Elementary. My son Zeke, is in 6th grade at Gray Middle School and my daughter Meadow, is in 5th grade at Rieke. This will be my third year serving on the PTA Board. I joined the board because I believe schools play a vital part in contributing to the success of a community and our children. I am excited to continue working closely with Sarah Lewins to keep rike an amazing school for all. We are so fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated group of families, teachers and staff at Rieke. One of our most important assets in a PTA organization are the parent volunteers, without their dedication and commitment none of this would be possible. If you want to help to make a difference, please join us on our next PTA meeting we would love to have you there.
Melissa Light, Rieke Fundraising Chair & Rieke Auction Chair
This will be my third year serving on the PTA Board and I am excited! I have a 3rd and first grader at Rieke. As fundraising chair, I oversee all the Fundraising events and activities and will be the Chair for the Rieke Auction again. As Service Club Coordinator, I help coordinate the monthly service projects at Rieke which include such things as helping-out the Oregon Food Bank, creating cards for home-bound seniors, cleaning up local nature areas, and doing a Giving Tree at Christmas time to help-out families at our own school. I also coordinate our Backpack Program, which supplies a backpack full of food to families at our school that need some extra help. If you have ideas for future Fundraising Events, want to help with the auction or service projects, please contact me!
Kes Wold, Secretary
A long time ago I had plans to become a vascular surgeon, but ended up in IT. Regardless, fate wanted me to be a secretary! I've held this position for a condo HOA, technical standards organization, and now a PTA. This will be my second (and final) year in this role. I have one daughter (Kea) entering the fourth grade and my wife is due give birth to a future Rieke boy in December. Secretary duties include retaining records of the organization, maintaining correspondence, assisting with preparing meeting agendas, notifying membership of upcoming meetings, and recording / distributing meeting minutes.
If you've read this far you might be interested in taking over next year! I would love to talk to you about the bylaws and standing rules we maintain, as well as Oregon law applicable to non-profit organizations such as ours!
Mike Kale, Treasurer
Hi! This is my second year as Rieke PTA treasurer. I have a son Connor entering the third grade, and another son Kelvin in preschool. I handle the PTA budget, deposit funds and reimburse people for expenses on behalf of the PTA, and keep the books. My goals are to transparently manage the books of the organization, help to plan for future and present, and make money-related matters go smoothly.
Professionally I am a software engineer, and in my free time I like to run, bike, read, hike, cook, build things, play games, and learn new things.
Dana Grigsby, Rieke Foundation Liaison
This year, my husband Jason and I are the proud parents of both a Rieke fifth and first grader. I have volunteered to serve as our PPS Foundation Representative for 2017-2018.
By volunteering in our daughter’s classrooms and participating in many Rieke events, I’ve gotten to see the good work our school community does. There is so much energy, engagement and generosity shared by parents, grandparents, staff and faculty, and our kids know it. We are all in this together, and it’s important that we all feel invested and valued for our contributions. I believe that the two missions of the PPS Foundation/All Hands Raised and PTA are aligned, and essential to meet our kids’ needs. If you’re interested in learning more about the Foundation, and especially if you’d like to work with me to make Rieke’s Foundation as effective as possible, please email me.
Adrienne Hays, Volunteer Coordinator
Hello & Welcome! This is my fifth year as a parent at Rieke Elementary and my second year on the PTA board as Volunteer Coordinator. I have two daughters, one is currently in first and the other one is in third grade.
I saw this role as a great opportunity to be more involved in our amazing community, have a better understanding of how things work at the school (and in PPS), and to live in greater alignment with my values.
With degrees in Biochemistry and Physical Therapy, I have always been interested in health & optimal wellness, and how people can live the most fulfilling and rewarding lives possible. I imagine a world where every person is respected and appreciated for all the unique gifts they bring to the world. I believe that we can do a lot towards this vision, by creating a friendly, caring, welcoming culture and environment in our community where people feel supported, respected, listened to and valued. I personally believe that this is the way to create peace on earth.
As volunteer coordinator, I work with the community and PTA to determine volunteer needs for events and ongoing activities in and out of the classroom, and getting those needs met. I am finding that it is helpful to communicate volunteer needs online through signup.com and through in person communication, when possible. I maintain a yearly database of volunteers and their declared interests, so that this can be used throughout the year and so that I can easily identify and contact people at the right time.
If you are interested in being more involved in Rieke or have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me or stop me in the hallway! I love good conversation and co-creating a school where we grow together and have fun along the way!
My favorite quote: We Rise Together.
Trudi Bloom, Communications Coordinator
My name is Trudi Bloom, and my 3 daughters and I are in our second year at Rieke! My daughters are: Sarah (third Grade), Emma (first) and Natalie (first). Having relocated last year to Portland from the San Francisco Bay Area, my family and I are greatly enjoying getting to know Portland and the Rieke community. We are always looking for suggestions of places to explore – particularly the outdoors!
I find involvement in my children’s school to be of the utmost importance and am looking forward to the opportunity to immerse myself in the community while drawing upon my professional experience.
Amy Frewing, Membership Coordinator
This is my first year on the PTA Board and my job is to get YOU to join! A portion of your dues goes to the National PTA, but the rest stays at Rieke and is available to aid teachers, staff, and students have the tools they need to be creative and successful. I see the PTA as a support group for everyone connected to the school. By attending meetings and events you will experience the depth of commitment our community has to this gem of a school.
We moved into the neighborhood 6 years ago so that my son could start his educational career at Rieke - it was the best decision we could have made. Sam is now a 6th grader at RGMS and my daughter, Kate, is in the 4th grade.
Amanda Brohman, Event Coordinator
Hi! My name is Amanda, my husband is Kirk, our first grader is Leo, and our pre-schooler is Barrett. This is my second year at Rieke and first year on the PTA board. We are relatively new to the community and are excited to plant roots in this neighborhood. My interests include gardening, hiking, camping, running, traveling, and sustainability.
Last year I was able to volunteer in the classroom and occasionally at some PTA sponsored events. I'm excited to be more involved in the school and have opportunities to connect with other Rieke families. As the event coordinator, I will be coordinating the PTA Community meetings, teacher appreciation, and a couple of other smaller events. I look forward to seeing you around school and if you are interested in event coordination please reach out anytime!
Michelle Miller, Media Coordinator
This is our first year at Rieke. I have a 3rd grader, Lois, and we are very excited to be joining the school community. I will be serving on the board as Media Coordinator. I’m a designer in my work life, and happy to bring my marketing and design skills to Rieke. I joined because I want to be an active participant in my children’s community and education and I believe we’re stronger together. I’m looking forward to connecting with such an amazing group of educators and families. Feel free to reach out, I’m looking forward to getting to know the community!
Thank you 2016-2017 PTA Board Members for your most excellent dedication and service!