Partner Profiles
SVPP currently counts more than 110 individual Partners in our local network. They represent a wide variety of professions, backgrounds, personal interests and demographic differences–but they are all Partners: like-minded individuals united to leverage their community investments for maximum impact. Meet a few of them:
Partner Profile:
Lester Baskin, MD, Partner since 2007
Profession: Internal medicine physician, private practice
For fun: spending time with my two girls, Annabel and Lily, at the zoo, the park, or the Jamison Park fountain
Your favorite spot to relax in Oregon: Central Oregon, for the backpacking and views
Latest Inspiration: My daughter, for her enthusiasm and curiosity
Your perspective on SVPP: I feel with SVP there is a group of individuals with like-minded social service goals, and the teamwork to accomplish things I could not do myself. As opposed to feeling helpless, I feel more empowered to make a difference here in Portland.
Partner Profile:
Dave Eliopulos, Partner since 2007
Profession: Employee Benefit Sales, Paychex
For fun: running, skiing, working in my yard, bbq’ing with friends
Your favorite spot to relax in Oregon: Forest Park. It’s so close, but when you’re there, you feel like you’re miles away from anything.
Latest Inspiration: Having recently traveled to Italy, I would say it is the laid back, family oriented environment that the Italians create. They have a knack for enjoying the simple things in life that I think Americans miss sometimes.
The best part about your involvement in SVPP: I have no previous non-profit experience, so this has been very eye opening. Before, most of the issues were kind of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for me. It makes everything so much more real, and brings light to the fact that there are people who really need our help, and equally as important, there are things that we can do to actually help them.
Other observations: Through SVPP, you spread your time throughout the non-profit world, so the focus of what you can participate in is not narrow. You can touch a number of organizations through many areas of involvement.
Partner Profile:
Ellie Eliopulos, Partner since 2007
Profession: Marketing Director, DiversiForm, Inc.
For fun: running in Forest Park
Your favorite spot to relax in Oregon: Timberline. My husband Dave knew my love for the scenic lodge and proposed to me there.
The best part about your involvement in SVPP: Being on the Investment Team of SVPP has changed my perspective on the level of need in Portland. Unless we intervene at an early age, the disadvantaged youth of our city (and nation) are setup for failure. SVPP has helped me realize the value and necessity of early childhood education and mentor programs.
Partner Profile:
Rupa Jack, Partner since 2002
Profession: Senior Vice President, Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®), and Certified Wealth Strategist (CWS®) & Wealth Advisor with Morgan Stanley
For fun: walking with my husband Rick, Shadow and Sheeba (my flat coated retriever and collie) in my neighborhood. You may even see me hanging out with my son Steven (when his time permits) at Best Buy. Forget Nordstrom; give me technology!
Latest inspiration: I’ve been learning about yoga and how it benefits the body, mind and soul. It’s remarkable how it keeps me grounded. It helps me to see the positives that come from providing kindness and showing understanding to others (humans and other animals).
Your favorite spot to relax in Oregon: Right here in Portland because it is diverse, there are so many different types of restaurants, and there are a lot of activities. I am lucky to live in a neighborhood that is surrounded by the natural beauty of Oregon.
The best part about your involvement in SVPP: Learning the due diligence necessary to see what impact our organization has had on the investee.
Your most memorable experience in ‘giving back’: Being a lead at MFS was a great experience because I learned so much about the non-profit world from their executive director Krista Larson. Krista is so knowledgeable in the non-profit space and was very open in communicating how our funds have positively affected the Make Parenting a Pleasure Program. By the time we reached our third year of commitment with MFS, the program demonstrated sustainability.
Partner Profile:
Steve Rosenbaum, Partner since 2005
Profession: CEO of Pop Art, Inc.
For fun: Hiking, camping and hanging out with friends
Latest inspiration: I read books about technology, marketing and economics. Recent examples include: Meatball Sundae, Wikinomics,and The World is Flat. I believe that globalism, technology and population growth are irrepressible forces. If our knowledge, relationships and customs evolve to harness their power, we will produce unprecedented global progress in productivity, knowledge, equity and freedom.
Your favorite spot to relax in Oregon: The Columbia Gorge
The best part about your involvement in SVPP: Feeling like I am making a difference by donating my professional skills.
Your most memorable experience in ‘giving back’: I have enjoyed donating my firm’s time as a marketing and branding consultant to the Shadow Project. We put on a branding workshop and helped them create a brand book.
Partner Profile:
Boyce Smith, Partner since 2001
Profession: Retired from Intel as an engineer and manager of production processes and operations, product development, supplier management, and material quality
For fun: Golfing and working in the yard
Your favorite spot to relax in Oregon: Again, the golf course.
The best part about your involvement in SVPP: As a Founding Partner, I am so proud of the effort we made to figure out how to do what we were trying to do.
Your most memorable experience in ‘giving back’: I was helping an investee make expense reductions by consolidating the supplier base and bidding the business for their highest expense line item. A few times, my Investee contact would say: “Can we do that?!” My answer was always, “Of course we can ask, they can always say no.” It was fun to see the light turn on as they thought about other areas where they could use this new skill.
How SVPP has changed you: I’m more aware of the community and the issues facing many of us.
Partner Profile:
Les Soltesz, Partner since 2003
Profession: Retired from Intel Corporation from senior management positions in operations, general management and marketing
For fun: playing tennis, working out at the gym, spending time with family, seeing friends, BBQs in the summer, theater, musicals, reading
Your favorite spot to relax in Oregon: Black Butte Ranch
Latest Inspiration: I am not one to inspire easily but a recent book I read, The Great Escape by Kati Marton, resonated with me. It covered the difficult times my parents went through escaping from Hungary. It makes me appreciate how much easier my life has been compared to the life my parents had in the old country as adults during World War II.
The best part about your involvement in SVPP: Seeing a program through from the very beginning through its graduation. I was a member of the investment committee which conceived PEP and we took on a challenging and nebulous project with two elementary schools in the Portland Public Schools District. After three years the program has been highly recognized for its effectiveness and plans have been developed to continue and expand this program to a total of 11 schools.
Partner Profile:
Martha Soltesz, Partner since 2003
Profession: I retired after working as a Spanish teacher for nearly 24 years. I also worked as a Spanish medical interpreter for Multnomah Health Department.
For fun: working out, visiting friends, theatre, reading, gardening and relaxing with my family
Your favorite spot to relax in Oregon: Black Butte Ranch
Latest inspiration: A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. It’s awakening my spirit and my awareness of all that surrounds me.
The best part about your involvement in SVPP: I am more sensitive to people’s needs and their everyday challenges. By helping them in some way I feel I am contributing to their well-being.
Your most memorable experience in ‘giving back’: The gratitude parents have expressed directly to me for the instructional sessions I’m providing through Forest Grove Latino Community Network.
