Grace Institute Board of Directors

Board Chair: Kari Stanley (Director of Community Relations, Legacy Health System)

Lynne George (Director of High School Reform, Portland Public Schools)

Jeanne Lynch (Non-profit Arts Administrator)

The Rev. Stephen Schneider (Rector, Grace Memorial Episcopal Church)

The Rev. Laurie Miller Vischer (Minister)

The Rev. Esme Culver (Administrator, Grace Institute) ex officio

Amber La Madrid, CPA (Financial Advisor to the Board) ex officio

The Staff of Grace Institute

The Rev Esme Jo Culver, Executive Director , brings 30 years of leadership responsibility and experience to Grace Institute -- from designing large field studies for consumer market research to over a decade as CEO of a highly acclaimed, community-oriented, full-service staffing agency, Protem Professional Staffing Services. Esme also founded a separate nonprofit agency, Emergence, which made it possible for young parents to obtain the skills needed to succeed in the workplace by offering relevant and timely office skills training and education. Emergence made it possible for young people to find new hope and direction for their lives. Her high standards and ethical approach to hiring and placement were well known by her clients, candidates and competitors, and as a result, she has worked with very highly accomplished people due to their trust and confidence in her professional style. Esme earned a dual undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Psychology from Portland State University, and most recently her life experience, work and deeply held faith led her to a Master of Divinity degree from the west coast Episcopal seminary, The Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

Esme was twice elected as president of the Oregon Staffing Association, President of the Metropolitan Business Association and President of Altrusa International of Portland. She has been invited to speak on a variety of hiring related and leadership issues, and she has published over 60 columns offering advice about hiring and employment practices.

Esme served as a member of the Metro Leadership Council for the Oregon Community Foundation and is still a member of the Board of the Oregon Child Development Fund, after having presided for six years. A long time champion of work/family issues, she was appointed Chair of the Oregon Commission for Child Care by then governors Roberts and Kitzhauber. Her child-care benefit for temporary employees was among the first corporate child-care initiatives nationwide and set a standard for employers interested in child-related employee benefits.

A creative visionary with two feet on the ground, Esme will bring depth to the relationship Grace Institute shares with its founding institution, Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, where she also serves as a member of the clergy staff. Her gift of communication and reconciliation, her delight in working with people of all ages and histories, combined with her innate sense of humor, her deep understanding embrace of our life and times, and above all, her joy in living it, now comes to Grace Institute. Esme (from her Turkish half) Jo (from her English half) was raised on the Welsh/English border in Cheptsow, Monmouthshire, in the heart of Norman history. She has lived in Toronto and Los Angeles, and currently, Esme -- the mother of three -- resides in West Linn with her youngest son, Geoffrey, her aging German Shepherd friend, Mishka, and Maggie the cat, who, truth be known, is the one really in charge of them all!

Jude Cornwell, aka Judee Moonbeam, holds a degree in clothing design from Bassist College (now, Portland Art Institute).
She began selling her wearable art in shops at the ripe old age of 15.
She opened her studio on Alberta in the mid 90's,blurting out "Last Thursday" in a moment of silly sarcasm, not knowing it would become its own phenomena/event on that street.
A para educator sub for PPS Special Ed. Dept. and a 7 year staff member of Grace Art Camp, Jude has enjoyed developing art projects for children, particularly those involving the concept of creating art from recycled materials. She co-developed and taught a creative problem solving class at PCC in the 80's for children and adults and now teaches "Recreate Your Wardrobe" classes at the Sylvania campus.
When she's not working with children, she designs wearable art, selling at shows, fairs and galleries, does custom clothing and prototype design and develops her collection of cultural motifs for use on fibre art in her little studio north of Beaumont Village. For more information: 503.285.1875 or:
www.judeemoonbeam.com

Debra Galaty is a Wisconsin native and long-time resident who presently produces her beautiful and provocative fused glass creations in Portland, Oregon. Her work has been sold in several states and also in Europe. Debra is the coordinator of art programs at the Grace Institute. A Spanish speaker who perfected her language skills in Spain and Mexico, she is also an interpreter and Enlish language learner's aid in the public schools. A winner of the Distinguished Alumni Award at her alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Debra combines her love of other cultures, her drive to serve and her sense of aesthetics in her art. To contact Debra: debra.galaty@comcast.net or call: 503.309.7299