It’s Oregon’s good fortune to have an incredible staff of dedicated professionals, working with volunteers across the state to ensure equal rights for all of us. Meet the staff below and learn more than you ever wanted to know!

Contact Information
P.O. Box 40625
Portland, OR 97240

Phone: 503 222 6151

Email: bro@basicrights.org

Social Networks
facebook.com/basicrights
twitter.com/basicrights

JEANA FRAZZINI, Executive Director

Jeana Frazzini leads Basic Rights Oregon, a statewide non-profit committed to ensuring that all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Oregonians experience equality by building a broad and inclusive politically powerful movement, shifting public opinion, and achieving policy victories.

After working for six years as the political director for the Death with Dignity National Center, she became the Development Director for Basic Rights Oregon in 2005. It took her two years to double Basic Rights Oregon’s organizational income. During that time, Basic Rights Oregon successfully lobbied the 2007 Oregon legislature to pass a comprehensive non-discrimination law and one of the nation’s most encompassing domestic partnership laws.

Frazzini became the Executive Director of Basic Rights Oregon in 2008. A week later, a federal judge put Oregon’s new domestic partnership law on hold. Basic Rights Oregon organized thousands of activists and hired a top attorney to enact the domestic partnership law and safeguard it against future attacks at the ballot.

In addition to policy victories, Basic Rights Oregon has seen success in building a more inclusive movement and working with coalition partners. Under Frazzini’s leadership, the organization has developed a racial justice analysis, prioritized ally work, and trained activists across the state to fight for social justice for all Oregonians impacted by discrimination.

Her work at Basic Rights Oregon continues a lifelong passion for fighting injustice. Growing up in rural Eastern Washington, Frazzini experienced first-hand the confusion, fear and isolation that LGBT people face in unsafe climates. In college, she worked with human rights and environmental groups, and moved to Oregon during the No on 9 campaign in 1992. In 2004, with the help of Basic Rights Oregon, she and her partner won a landmark parental rights case. In a historic ruling, the court found it unconstitutional to discriminate against families headed by same-gender couples.

In 2009 Frazzini was appointed to serve as a member of the Oregon Council on Civil Rights. The council plays a critical role in ensuring proper education and enforcement of civil rights laws in Oregon. In addition, Frazzini is a member of the advisory board for the City of Portland’s Human Rights Commission. She previously served as a member of the Committee on Discrimination based on Gender Variance & Source of Income for the Multnomah County Civil Rights Task Force.

Frazzini lives in north Portland with her partner K.D. and their two sons, Emmett and Griffin.

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THOMAS WHEATLEY, Organizing Director

Thomas joined the team in 2005 to develop a statewide grassroots organizing program for the organization. He brings more than a decade of experience working on political and education campaigns in Oregon, California, New York and the Midwest.

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DAN YONKER, Director of Finance & Administration

Dan is responsible for fiscal and operations management for Basic Rights Oregon. He does our bookkeeping, network administration, database management and many other tasks that help to maintain the professionalism of the Basic Rights Oregon office. One of Dan’s strengths is that he always brings a thoughtful approach to problem solving. Because of Dan’s fiscal conservatism and commitment to value you can be sure that every dollar you donate is being utilized in the best possible way! Dan rides his bike to work and loves to spend his weekends enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty.

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JUAN MARTINEZ, Development Coordinator

Juan’s connection with Basic Rights Oregon goes back to 2004, when he began volunteering for the organization by serving on the annual dinner planning committee. Juan brings deep relationships in Portland’s LGBT and allied community, a passion for social change and a head for business to his work at Basic Rights Oregon. In 2005, Juan and his partner Byron Beck served as lead plaintiffs in Martinez v. Oregon, Basic Rights Oregon’s legal challenge to Constitutional Amendment 36.

Juan spent the first part of his career working in the private corporate sector and later spent five years working for his family’s small business. Over the years, Juan has maintained an active role in the community by giving of his time to causes and organizations important to him personally. He values the opportunity to build relationships not only with donors but also with other organizations working for social change. In 2009, Juan was accepted into the 21st Century Pipeline Fellowship program, a year-long program aimed to develop leaders working in the LGBT equality movement. Juan is a former Co-Chair of the Board of the Q Center, Portland’s LGBTQ community center. Juan is a native Oregonian, who lives in Portland with Byron, his partner of 15 years.

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CATHY ABBRUZZESE, Donor Outreach Coordinator

Cathy has worked directly with our supporters and volunteers since 1996. She raises over $100,000 annually in grassroots contributions, and provides a vital link between BRO supporters and the organization’s daily work. She served as a field organizer to defeat the anti-gay Measure 13 in 1994 and Measure 9 in 1992. Originally from New York City, Cathy brings nearly 25 years of grassroots organizing and outreach experience to BRO. As staff elder and card-carrying member of AARP, she enjoys being treated with “the right respect” and prefers the title “Goddess.”

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MAYA BLACKMUN, Communications Director

Maya joined the staff in 2010, part of the team responsible for communications with the community, allies and media.

After getting a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley, she worked for more than two decades as a staff writer for The Oregonian covering a number of beats. After that she was interim executive director for the Asian American Journalists Association, of which she is a longtime member.

She believes it is a privilege to work with a great team to further equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning Oregonians that strengthens the state we call home.

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AUBREY HARRISON, Field Manager

Aubrey first came to Basic Rights Oregon as an intern in 2006. She completed her degree in Gender Studies and Literary Arts from Brown University, where she was a Queer Alliance board chair. In 2007, she joined staff as Portland Metro Field Organizer in BRO’s campaign for domestic partnerships and nondiscrimination. She currently acts as field manager, mobilizing pro-LGBT Oregonians for transgender justice, marriage equality and more. Born and raised in Oregon, Aubrey is delighted to be part of an organization that has been such a strong force in the politics of her home state.

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JESSICA LEE, Racial Justice and Alliance Building Program Manager

Jessica is a second generation Korean-American, born and raised in Washington State. She received a BA from the Evergreen State College, where she was a campus organizer for the Women of Color Coalition. She then joined Planned Parenthood of Western WA providing community education and clinical assistance for three years.
Jessica relocated to Portland and joined Basic Rights’ field team in 2006, where she currently coordinates the racial justice and alliance building program and the youth organizing program. Jessica is also an active member with the Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition and the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon. She enjoys sharing an office with Kodey.

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ALEJANDRO JUAREZ, Communications Coordinator

Alejandro is a Southern California transplant, where he attended The University of California at Santa Barbara and worked at the school’s MultiCultural Center as their graphic designer for four years. He recently worked as a campus organizer for the Oregon Student Association and as a staff person for the Oregon Students Equal Rights Alliance (OSERA), which is a statewide coalition of LGBT Student organizations. Alejandro also served as Chair of the local Basic Rights Eugene/Springfield (BRES), a local political volunteer organization that brings BRO’s mission to Lane County.

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KYLE WHITE, Field Manager

Kyle White is a Northern California native who made her way to Oregon by way of New York City, Colorado and Paraguay. Kyle joined the BRO staff in the spring of 2010 and has been organizing for over 6 years. Most recently she worked as a Field Organizer for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon building political power and developing volunteer leaders in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington Counties. Kyle is a self-identified organizing geek who loves to campaign, phone bank and canvass. She is thrilled to be a part of the Basic Rights Oregon staff working towards marriage equality. Kyle enjoys spending her down time trying to garden, enjoying the beauty of Oregon and getting attacked by her cat.

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ELLEN FLENNIKEN, Community Events Specialist

Ellen first became engaged with Basic Rights Oregon in 2009 when she helped to coordinate a marriage equality field campaign as a Bus Project PolitiCorps Fellow. After her time at the Bus, Ellen worked at Oregon AFSCME to mobilize members for the Yes on 66 & 67 campaign. Shortly after the 2010 Special Election, Ellen joined BRO’s development team and now works to coordinate community-based events. Ellen is a graduate of Vermont’s Middlebury College and was born and raised in Texas, but she feels most at home working for progressive political causes in Oregon.

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KODEY PARK BAMBINO, Racial Justice and Alliance Building Organizer

Kodey came up to Oregon from California to attend Reed College in 2001. And when Kodey graduated, ze liked it so much that ze stayed! Kodey is very excited to be the new Racial Justice and Alliance Building Program Organizer and is delighted to work with the talented and brilliant BRO team. Kodey is passionate about social justice and believes that we are all connected. Kodey is also the astrological sign of Cancer, is a huge fan of Christina Aguilera, and tries to watch Oprah whenever possible. As you may have already noticed, Kodey uses gender neutral pronouns like “ze” and “hir,” as Kodey identifies as genderqueer/trans/3rd gendered. Kodey currently shares an office with Jessica (which ze enjoys very much).

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tash shatz, Trans Justice and Youth Organizer

tash has been working with BRO since 2007 as a volunteer and a New Roots fellow, and is excited to join the team in a new way. tash co-coordinates the trans justice work at BRO by collaborating with community leaders to increase access to health care, legal rights, and criminal justice for trans, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming folks in Oregon. tash also works with QPOWER – Queer Portlanders Organizing and Working for Equal Rights, BRO’s youth activist and leadership team – to engage youth in the Portland Metro area with the larger movement for social justice. In spare time, tash is a spoken word artist, and enjoys cooking and the night sky.

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DEMI ESPINOZA, Portland, Field Organizer

Demi is a Southern California native from the desert area of Riverside. She has worked as a field organizer during Equality for All’s decline to sign campaign, a fellow for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force during California’s Proposition 8 campaign, and a union representative for the SEIU 6434 local union. One of her proudest work accomplishments was working as a Youth counselor for Q-Camp, a camp for at-risk LGBTQIA youth. Most recently, she worked in her hometown of Riverside as a regional field manager for Equality California’s win marriage campaign. Aside from promoting equality, Demi enjoys Almodovar films, listening to Li’l kim and playing with her kitty Tobi.

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MIKE GRIGSBY, Portland, Field Organizer

Mike wrote his first letter to the editor when he was 14, calling on the Reagan administration for unilateral nuclear disarmament. He has worked for labor rights both as a rank-and-file union member, as a shop steward and as an organizer with SEIU (Service Employees International Union), and has worked on several short-term assignments with Basic Rights Oregon since 2006. He’s delighted to be a full-time part of the BRO team at last. He believes the struggle for LGBTQ equality is inextricably connected with economic fairness, environmental justice, racial justice and reproductive rights and will work tirelessly to bring about the transformation of our society. Mike is a proud self-identifying nerd who enjoys role-playing games, Star Trek, the X-Files, and the Whedonverse (Buffy, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse).

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JETT JOHNSON, Eugene, Field Organizer

Jett has a BA in English Literature from the University of Nevada and an M.Ed. from the University of Oregon. He believes strongly in social justice on all levels and is hopeful that with hard work and his overwhelming sense of optimism, that he will someday live in a country where liberty and justice for all is a right and not a luxury held by some. He is currently the Field Organizer for Eugene/Springfield and looks forward to gaining marriage equality in the great state of Oregon! He has served as the local PFLAG president in Eugene, and has presented workshops with the Human Rights Community Summit and the Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition.

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HANA KATEN, Online Media and Communications Intern

Hana is a senior in the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication majoring in public relations with minors in communications and gender studies. She most recently worked as a Media Relations Management Intern for MyEugene, a non-profit online news source. Upon graduation, Hana hopes to make the big move to New York City and work as a public relations practitioner for an organization dedicated to achieving LGBT Equality. She has a passion for traveling, an undying love for her Italian Greyhound, Nino, and an embarrassing obsession with Third Eye Blind.

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