Sarah Spinks Executive Director Phone: (503) 584-4803

Sarah Spinks founded Mid Valley Mentors in 2004 and has remained the Executive Director since its inception. Spinks is the driving force behind Mid Valley Mentors strategy and programs. Her leadership has brought the nonprofit from a program within the Marion County Children and Families Commission to the growing independent organization that it is today.

Spinks has a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Western Oregon University and will begin pursuing a Masters in Business Administration in Fall 2010.

Suzanne Jorgensen Communications & Development Director Phone: (503) 584-4827

Suzanne Jorgensen joined Mid Valley Mentors in November 2009 after moving to Oregon from Washington, DC and quickly revamped the image of the organization, working with staff, board members and supporters to select a new name and then completely rebrand with a new logo, website and communications strategy. Jorgensen is responsible for marketing, communications as well as donor and partner development.

Jorgensen brings six years of marketing, communications and business development experience. Most recently, she was the Director of Programming & Business Development at the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA) in Washington D.C., a non profit association for the region’s active venture capital community. At MAVA she helped produce its highly regarded annual conference Capital Connection, developed several programs and a comprehensive new media communications strategy.

Prior to that Jorgensen was the Executive Director for ExecutiveBiz’s The New New Internet conference series, which was the first of its kind on the East Coast to focus on emerging internet technologies and companies. Before helping to launch this conference, she was the Director of Marketing & Events at ExecutiveBiz, an executive networking organization and business blog in Washington D.C.

Jorgensen has B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Washington. She lives in Salem with her husband Jeff, is an avid yogini, hiker and enjoys traveling, gourmet cooking, gardening and painting.

Alma Ruvalcaba JEM Case Manager Phone: (503) 584-4805

Hi. My name is Alma Ruvalcaba; I’m the JEM Case Manager. I started working at Mid Valley Mentors in June 2009. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Minor in Chican@ Studies from Western Oregon University. I chose to major in Psychology and minor in Chican@ Studies because my career goals are to work in the Social Service field advocating for the advancement of youth and disadvantaged minority groups. That is precisely why all of my work experience is with nonprofit or social service organizations.

While still at WOU, I did a practicum at Mano a Mano, a nonprofit agency that provides social services to community members, primarily consisting of Spanish-speaking clients. My responsibilities included: gathering information to determine client eligibility for programs and services, translate documents, assist clients in completion of documents, and coordinate services with other agencies based on needs of clients.

I also took part in a Latino Mentor Program at WOU. I taught English to Oregon State Penitentiary Latino inmates. I coordinated with classmates to evaluate level of fluency of inmates and implement lesson plans. The purpose of the program was to help Latinos successfully re-enter into the workforce and society.

Prior to working at Mid Valley Mentors, I was a youth organizer for Latinos Unidos Siempre. I led workshops and assisted in development of action plans relative to lobbying, voter registration, public speaking, political campaigns, and youth empowerment. My focus was to help youth develop life skills related to academics, family life, and social interactions. I informed students about college entrance requirements and procedures; and collaborated with parents to ensure students attained educational goals.

I’m super exited to have the privilege to work for Mid Valley Mentors. That said, I just have one question; do you want to be a mentor?

Cynthia Williamson RSP Match Support Specialist Phone: (503) 584-4804

Cynthia Williamson joined Mid Valley Mentors in June of 2010, as the Match Support Specialist in the Reentry Solutions Program. Her responsibilities are to assist the Executive Director, Sarah Spinks in supporting adult offenders for successful transition from prison to Marion County communities; and working with partnered agencies to meet the mentoring needs of clients referred for services. She has a passion for serving the offender population in reentry endeavors, and a desire to help adult offenders and their families become empowered for future success.

Cynthia has an Associate of Science in Human Services (ASHS), from Southwestern Oregon Community College, North Bend, Oregon; and a Bachelor of Science in Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS), from Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon. She has joined our organization with a background working with the offender population through endeavors such as:

• Student Opportunities Achieving Results (S.O.A.R.) at Chemeketa Community College, in Salem, Oregon, who is partnered with the Marion County Reentry Initiative;

• Pathfinders of Oregon, Inc., as a Cognitive Facilitator and Parenting Inside/Out Facilitator with Shutter Creek Correctional Institution (SCCI), North Bend, Oregon; as well as in the Salem, Oregon area with: Santiam Correctional Institution (SCI), Oregon State Correctional Institution (OSCI), and Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP);

• Prison Fellowship Reentry Coordinator for Coos County, helping offenders to transition from prisons and jails back into society.

• As well as, Coos County Jail, Coquille, Oregon, assisting the Programming Deputy and the Parole and Probation Programming Case Monitor to facilitate the Criminality Program, Life Skills Program, Personal Finance Management, Employment Training, Pro-Social Behavioral Skills, the Franklin Reality Model, Breaking Barriers, and the Setting Addicts Free Eternally (S.A.F.E.) Addiction Program to offenders.