Keith Jones, Executive Director
Keith Jones is a social impact change agent with an entrepreneurial heart. Prior to Friends of Green Loop, Jones has a 25+ year track record of starting a number of successful businesses with community, innovation, and economic development at the center. He serves his community as President of the Lloyd Community Association and as a board member of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods. His involvement with the neighborhood associations led him to apply his experience in self-starting, ethical entrepreneurism and systems thinking to issues surrounding houselessness, resiliency and urban planning. The Friends of Green Loop has given him the opportunity to apply some of these practices to the development of the Green Loop. Keith volunteers in many bike-related activities and has embraced active transportation to the fullest, going car-free in 2019.
Mark Raggett, Director of Planning and Design
Mark Raggett leads the urban design and planning group at GBD Architects. He has worked as an urban designer in the city of Portland for over 20 years working on regional transit projects, citywide and district-scale plans, and public space design concepts. He specializes in addressing complex design challenges, proposing creative placemaking ideas and implementing inclusive and collaborative solutions. He received a Masters of Architecture from University of Oregon in 1999, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California San Diego in 1993. He has been with Friends of Green Loop since 2019.
Lizzy Caston, Director of Community Development & Strategic Relationships
Lizzy Caston provides integrated urban, economic and community development planning, project management and implementation. She has worked for governments, nonprofit, and private sectors with experience in large scale neighborhood and commercial district revitalization, as well as direct small business development and support. Previous work includes Interim ED at Alberta Main Street in economic disaster response through Covid, Director of Techfest NW, Director of Strategy for Clear PR, Senior Project Coordinator at Prosper Portland (then PDC), and work in New Orleans, LA doing neighborhood and commercial recovery post Katrina. She holds a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning, and undergraduate degree in community development, and is a certified project manager.
Daniel Klinkert, Director of Placemaking and Activations
Daniel Klinkert MUP, LCSW is a professional counselor and urban developer based in Portland, Oregon. Daniel spent the majority of his professional career in Detroit, Michigan earning master’s degrees in Social Work and Urban Planning from Wayne State University and working in leadership roles in both mental health and urban development. For the past two years Daniel has been engaged in a variety of community development projects in Downtown Portland through his consulting agency Dreemweaver Concepts.
Aliess Kingsley, Fundraising & Development
Aliess is the COO of Granted Fundraising Consultants and supports the fundraising and grant writing needs of Friends of Green Loop. Granted Fundraising Consultants has helped public charities, startup companies, educational institutions, and local government entities with all aspects of their fundraising needs since its creation in 2014. The company is 100% woman-owned and woman-operated and serves clients across the U.S. working in the sectors of health and human services, arts and culture, education, youth development, civic engagement, and more. When not fundraising for worthy nonprofits, you can find Aliess working towards her goal of reading 52 books in 2021 or exploring the running paths of the PNW.