Our Team
We each come to this work with personal stories, professional expertise, and extraordinary passion. Meet the team at Safety and Justice Oregon that powers the state’s public safety and criminal justice reform movement.
Babak is a first-generation Iranian American who grew up in Beaverton, Oregon. After graduating from Portland State University with a master’s degree in criminology, he spent a decade dedicated to serving youth and families in the community, treatment centers, and correctional facilities. His lived experience with the criminal justice system drives his passion for justice, equity, and healing. Policy reform and community education, especially as it relates to Measure 11 and youth justice, are major areas of focus for Babak. Outside of social activism, Babak coaches high school basketball, travels the world with his wife, and is raising their young son and two fur babies, Rumi and Daisy.
A bilingual communications strategist with nearly two decades of experience, Devon is known for high-impact media, strong coalition building, and people-centered storytelling in both English and Spanish. Prior to Partnership for Safety and Justice, she was leading statewide efforts to implement and protect Measure 110 — supporting culturally specific and peer-led organizations working in harm reduction and recovery. Originally from Portland, Oregon, she has also lived in Valparaíso, Chile. Outside work, Devon most loves spending time with her partner, Fernando and their daughter, Diana. An avid yoga practitioner and enthusiastic traveler, her best-life scenario is doing sun salutations somewhere in the world—ideally on a beach with an Aperol spritz close at hand.
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Keely is a first-generation Vietnamese American immigrant who is passionate about uplifting the wellbeing of communities impacted by structural and direct violence. Prior to joining the Safety and Justice Oregon, Keely interned at the Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Collective, an undocumented youth-led grassroots organizations in Southern California; and Start: Empowerment, an environmental justice organization in New York City, working on social media campaigns to mobilize communities across multifaceted issues. When she is not working, she can be found exploring vegan restaurants and cafes and enjoying the diversity of food and drinks that Portland has to offer.
Shannon has 30 years’ experience transforming criminal and juvenile justice systems in Oregon and Louisiana. As a policy advocate, strategist, and direct service provider, she’s led efforts to establish and implement many of the leading-edge public safety and criminal justice reforms of the past two decades. She co-founded the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana and served as Policy Director for Innocence Project New Orleans. In 2008, she began her role as Deputy Director at Safety and Justice Oregon, where she sets and drives the organization’s integrated approach to reform, addressing the needs and rights of people who commit crimes, people who are victims of crime, and the families and communities of both. She is a proud single mom to a fabulous daughter and stepson.
Interested in being part of our team?
Our Board of Directors
Dana Hepper
Dana works for the Children’s Institute where she has been the Director of Policy & Program since 2013. She previously worked for nine years at Stand for Children, where her most recent position was as National Director of Policy Development. Before that, she was Stand’s Advocacy Director and played a leading role in winning several key pieces of legislation to improve Oregon schools. Dana started her career as a pre-K and elementary school teacher. She graduated Barnard College with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Elementary Education.
Elona J Wilson
Elona has been serving on the Safety and Justice Oregon board since 2023.
Felisa Hagins
Felisa Hagins is the Political Director of the Service Employees International Union Local 49 (SEIU 49), representing 13,000 workers on issues that include health care reform and worker’s rights. She has a rich history of serving on the boards of health- and equity-related organizations where she exercises her commitment to health care reform and access to quality, affordable care for all Oregonians. Felisa also has years of electoral work experience on presidential campaigns, state legislative campaigns, and local governments in several states. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon where she studied history, Japanese, and English while gaining a passion for social justice and civic life that she carries forward in her work today.
Iris Maria Chávez
Iris Maria is a state and national public affairs consultant who’s committed to advancing equity by supporting sound, just policies that better communities. She came to the Pacific Northwest from Washington, D.C., where she worked for over a decade in education policy, civil rights, and advocacy for organizations such as the Education Trust and the League of United Latin American Citizens. She also has extensive volunteer experience in community engagement, equity, and enriching local neighborhoods’ quality of life. Iris Maria earned a BA from Tulane University and an MA in Social Policy from the University of Chicago.
Lamar Wise
Lamar is the Political Coordinator of Oregon AFSCME. In his earlier leadership roles at the Oregon Student Association, he was successful in passing all six of their 2017 priority legislative proposals, including the End Profiling bill, which Partnership for Safety and Justice strongly supported; the new law fortified existing anti-profiling laws and reduced the charges that can be made against people in possession amounts of small amounts of drugs. During the same legislative year, Lamar also helped secure an additional $100 million from the state budget toward higher education, thus preventing debilitating tuition hikes that leave college graduates with a lifetime of debt. He majored in political science at the University of Oregon, and he joined our board in 2017.
Ricardo Lujan Valerio
Ricardo is the Director of Government Affairs and Special Projects at Western Oregon University. His policy background is in immigration, education, election, and criminal justice. Ricardo has served as Director of Advocacy at Latino Network, Policy Associate for the ACLU of Oregon, and Legislative Director for the Oregon Student Association. He has been a leader in passing various state legislative priorities, including Driver Licenses for All (HB 2015) and Youth Sentencing Reform (SB 1008). More recently, he was a co-architect of the Oregon Worker Relief Fund, a multi-million-dollar disaster relief program for Oregon’s immigrant community. Ricardo was born in Netzahualcóyotl, Mexico, and graduated from Southern Oregon University with a BS in Business and a certificate in nonprofit management.
Robyn Steely
Robyn is a trainer, facilitator, and organizational consultant for social change, advocacy, and mission-based organizations. She previously worked electoral politics, issue advocacy, and the labor movement and served as Executive Director of Write Around Portland for 10 years. Robyn is a weekly volunteer at VOA’s Men’s Residential Center, an addiction treatment facility for men in the criminal justice system. She holds a degree in African-American studies from Washington University in St. Louis.
Consultants
Jacob Bell
Jacob is a diligent and hard-working researcher, policy analyst, and lobbyist at NW Public Affairs. He has worked for elected officials on Capitol Hill and the Oregon House of Representatives, but likes lobbying best. He thrives on bustling around the Capitol, meeting and getting to know a variety of interested parties, and the process of fine-tuning information into concise messages and reports.
His areas of expertise are strengthening mental health services, advancing policy for criminal justice reform and passing legislation to build permanent pathways for immigrants. He is currently serving as Co-Chair of the Human Services Coalition of Oregon. Learn more about Jacob here.
Phil Donovan
Phil founded NW Public Affairs in 1999 and has grown it into one of the top government affairs firms in the state. In Oregon politics, Phil is known for motivating and inspiring those who work with him, bringing together diverse coalitions, his deep understanding of complex legislative and political issues, and his composure under pressure.
As the lead lobbyist and strategist at NW Public Affairs, Phil assists clients with strategic planning and leads major legislative efforts ranging from energy and tax policies to land use and capital construction. Phil has represented a number of high profile interests in the State Legislature that have led to K-12 and higher education reform, water resource development, and improvements in the delivery of health care. He has also managed winning campaigns at the local, state and federal levels.
Phil received a B.A. in Political Science with honors from the University of Oregon and was awarded the Koyl Cup, Student of the Year. Learn more about Phil here.