The board consists of nine dedicated community volunteers who are united by their profound connections to the Parkrose School District either as staff, alumni, parents, neighbors, local businesses, or all of the above.
Londa Sundin – Chairperson / Auction Co-Chair
Parkrose has been home to Londa since 1983. She graduated from Marshall High School in Portland, Oregon and earned her degree in Elementary Education from Oregon College of Education in 1980. She and her husband, Vern, have three children and a son-in-law who are Parkrose alums and a grand daughter at Parkrose High School.
Londa spent nine years as a telephone operator for Pacific Northwest Bell and then was a stay-at- home mom until she started as an Educational Assistant at Russell Academy in 2003, providing reading support and running the Rocket Writers Publishing Company. Londa was the yearbook coordinator at Russell for many years, a Cub Scout and Girl Scout leader and served seven years as Booster secretary. She also enjoyed four wonderful years as an Elite Dance team helping mom and was a 2012 Senior All Night Party co-chair.
Londa enjoys camping with family and friends, the Oregon Coast, reading, puttering in her yard and Words with Friends. She has been on the Foundation board since September 2010.
Vern Sundin – Foundation and Events Treasurer
Vern is married to Londa Sundin and has lived in Parkrose since 1970. He is a 1965 graduate of Sunset High School and retired as a QA Foreman from Freightliner Corporation after 35 years.
He has been active in many Parkrose volunteer activities: high school band parent/chaperone, four years as a dance team prop dad, building theatre props, neighborhood association cleanups and is currently on his 6th year as a board member of the Russell Neighborhood Association.
Vern’s hobbies include golf, camping, biking, old cars and motorcycles and remodeling. He also keeps all of his cars and his kids cars running by googling the symptoms. Yes, Google. He googles nearly everything and says it’s amazing the wealth of information that’s on the web.
He has been on the Foundation board since February 2012.
Tammy Ross Ruscigno – Community Relations.
Tammy grew up in Parkrose attending Shaver, Fremont & Parkrose HS (’84) where she was active in Little League softball & varsity school sports. She graduated cum laude from Washington State University with a degree in Social Science and minor in Human Development. Tammy also holds a Global Leadership certification from WSU and a M.Ed. in Professional School Counseling from City University of Seattle. She works full time during the school year as an educator for autistic children at a neighboring school district.
Tammy has been volunteering with the Parkrose High Alumni Association for several years and organizes the Parkrose High School Deceased Alumni web page as well as the Parkrose HS Alumni Business Directory, all found on Facebook. Click on the links below her name to be directed to the sites. In her spare time, Tammy enjoys reading, traveling with her family, camping and enjoying the outdoors.
Tammy has been on the board since July 2014.
Karen Sheley – Investment Coordinator
Karen Sheley has lived in the Parkrose School District since 2005. Originally from Upstate New York, she has a BA in Music from Northwestern University and an MBA from Georgetown University. She and husband, Joel, have a daughter at Russell Elementary.
After moving to Portland in 2003 to work in the brewing industry, Karen enjoyed 7 years in Supply Chain Management at Widmer Brothers Brewing, where she met Joel. She is currently in Operations at FEI Company in Hillsboro and in 2015 co-founded Gateway Brewing.
Karen enjoys volunteering at Russell in the classroom and with PTO and looks forward to supporting the Foundation and Parkrose Schools. She has been a board member since May 2016.
Gretchen Simkovic – High School/Middle School Outreach
Gretchen Simkovic has been a board member since November 2016.
Jack Lundberg – Fundraising Liaison
Jack Lundberg was born and raised in Parkrose, attending Shaver, Parkrose Middle School and graduated from Parkrose in 2012. Jack was a part of the districts’ first AVID class as well of many activities including Soccer, XC, Band, Mock Trial, Model UN, Outdoor School, theater and film production. While attending PCC and working at the SUN Community Center and the Shaver Boys&Girls Club he realized he wanted to help people and the local community. Jack moved on to work full time at the Oregon Humane Society for two years before becoming a Real Estate agent at Willamette Realty Group, a local agency, independently owned by Parkrose graduates.
Jack enjoys spending time with his significantly better half, Kasey, and taking his two dogs Luna and Pooh out on hikes, playing bass guitar, and drinking some of the best local brews the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Jack cares about the community of Parkrose and wants to make sure others have the same if not more opportunities Parkrose has to offer. He has been a board member since January 2017.
Sadie Durant – Grant Historian
Sadie has been a board member since March 2018.
Steve Ruscigno – Secretary
Steve Ruscigno is a long time Parkrosian, having attended Sacramento Elementary, Heights Jr. High, and Parkrose HS (’84). An avid sports enthusiast, he played football, baseball, and wrestling during his Bronco tenure, as well as performing in PHS musicals as a Debonaire and A-Choir member.
After high school, Steve joined the Navy, and shortly thereafter began his career as a businessman in the pacific northwest. Steve has been the general manager at Oregon Hot Tub promoting health and wellness since 2001.
Additionally, Steve has been active coaching Parkrose Little League and Babe Ruth baseball, and is excited to begin a new venture assisting students through the Parkrose Educational Foundation. His hobbies include cycling, city league softball, and spending time with his family.
Steve has been a board member since October 2018.
Nadison Kannan – Grant Writer
Nadison Kannan was born and raised in Northeast Multnomah County and has lived in the Parkrose School District since 1999. Attending Russell Elementary, Parkrose Middle School, and Parkrose High School with the class of 2012, Nadison went on to earn his B.S. in Philosophy with a minor in Physics at Portland State University with the class of 2018.
During his time in Parkrose Public Schools, Nadison was involved in many activities including Swim Team, Water Polo, Mock Trial, Model UN, and We the People. Nadison was involved in music at Parkrose as well, participating in Band all 7 years as well as Choir and Debonairs for 2 years. Nadison hopes to give back to the community that raised him by serving as the grant writer for the Educational Foundation and contributing his skills to creating a flourishing educational experience for all students and families in the Parkrose community.
When not working, Nadison enjoys reading, traveling, watching movies, spending time in nature, and producing computer music. He hopes to score films one day. He has been a member since October 2018.