2022-23 PTA Board

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Carrie Bowers (she/her)

This will be my 4th year serving on the PTA Board and I am lucky to have been voted in as President this year. I have one child at Arleta, Emery, who is currently in 3rd grade with Teacher Noah. I have lived in SE Portland with my husband Jeremy since I moved to Portland in 2009. We then moved into the Arleta neighborhood in 2017 and have been thrilled with all the wonderful people we have met since then. You will generally see me around the school helping the office staff and teachers. When I am not volunteering at Arleta, I am a care-giver for my father-in-law. In my spare time, I enjoy binge-watching home improvement shows, designing kitchens and bathrooms for friends, and reading.

Denise Castanon (she/her)

This is my sixth year in the Arleta PTA. I’ve served in various board roles over the years — but my favorite PTA jobs are handing out popsicles to kids and scooping ice cream at community events. (And my family loves the Arleta community so much, we’re still attending even though we moved just out of the neighborhood to Woodstock.) I’m also involved with the Inclusion Committee and its work to make the Arleta PTA a place where BIPOC families feel welcome and have their voices amplified. My daughter, Adela, is in 5th grade and my son, Cruz, is in 2nd grade. I've lived in Portland for 17 years and work as the editor of PDX Parentmagazine. My family loves reading, cooking, family movie nights and exploring.

Sarah Johnson (she/her)

Phil and I have two kids at Arleta: Oliver is in 4th grade and Sophie is in 2nd. We moved from Seattle in 2020 and fell in love with the community here in Foster-Powell. My husband and I are both UCLA grads and former middle-school teachers. I now work as an Area Manager for Stumptown Coffee while my husband teaches math and science at Mount Scott Learning Center. I teach a children's dance class on Saturdays at Tango Beretin and our summers are spent helping out at the Portland Pickles baseball games. We have two dogs, Billie and PD, and in our spare time love to hike, do crossword puzzles, go on family bike rides, and hang out at the many fun spots in our neighborhood.

Sheryl Moren (she/her)

I identify as a 2nd generation, cisgender, neurodivergent, Filipina professional born and raised in East Portland. My daughters, Quincy (5th) and Viviana (3rd), are mixed-race. My husband, Bunk, and I have lived in Arleta's catchment since 2006. This is my third year in an IC leadership role. IC is dedicated to celebrating intersecting identities; providing diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) education; strengthening our Arleta BIPOC community and collective voice; and supporting Racial Equity & Social Justice (RESJ) initiatives within our school. I have been a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner for 18 years, yet began my career working with and fighting for vulnerable children and youth 25 years ago. In my spare time I enjoy gardening, home improvement/repair, creating/thinking outside of the box (think MacGyver), choreographed dancing, and being silly with my family.

Melissa Sircy (she/her)

I have a 3rd grader, Eliza, and a sophomore, Athan, at Franklin. I'm an Oregon native and have lived in SE for 22 years with my husband, Matt. I've really loved the connections I've made volunteering with the PTA and am excited to meet more folks as we get back to safe, in-person gatherings. I'm looking forward to advancing our Inclusion Committee work, especially supporting BIPOC and non-English speaking families to make connections at Arleta. In my free time I like doing puzzles and walking around the neighborhood with our dog, Jazz.

Alyson Kraus (she/her)

I work for Portland State University as their state lobbyist. I’m the mother of three kids Elliot (4th), Theo (2nd) and Corinne (Arleta kinder 2023). I’m really excited to continue Social Media for the school which has been my creative outlet the last few years!

Tracy Hulleman (she/her)

I have a 7th grader at Kellogg Middle School and a 4th grader and 1st grader here at Arleta. I grew up in the Midwest and moved to Portland in 2004 from Indianapolis, IN. I met my husband, Dan, running Hood to Coast and now with three kids, a dog, and a house we are here to stay! When I'm not chasing kids and dogs, you can find me at Providence NE Rehabilitation where I work as an outpatient Oncology and Pelvic Health Physical Therapist. Last year, I served on the Board as the PTA Secretary and this year I'm looking forward to continuing to help with Green Team Litter Clean up on the school grounds, working on waste reduction within the school and cafeteria, and coming up with additional sustainability projects with the Green Team. I feel so fortunate to have found this gem of a school and look forward to meeting even more students and families!

Lisa Hugelier (she/her)

I have two boys at Arleta, one in 1st and one in 3rd. And I stay at home with my 3-year-old daughter. I am so excited to show our great teachers how much they mean to us. As a former teacher myself, I understand how much of themselves these teachers put into our children’s education and well-being, and I want them to know that that doesn’t go unnoticed by our incredible community of families. I’m looking forward to working with all of you to share some love with our teachers.

Rachael Gottgetreu (she/her)

I am originally from Eugene, but have lived in Portland for 17 years. I love living in Foster-Powell with my husband, two children and our COVID pup, Suki! Both my kids attend Arleta, my daughter, Wren, is in 1st grade and my son, Alder, is in 3rd grade. I love camping, hiking, doing yoga and playing at the beach. I taught 1st, 4th and 5th grades with North Clackamas School District for 10 years and currently work at Arleta part time as an Educational Assistant! I’m excited for my first year on the PTA board and can’t wait to help us celebrate the wonderful Arleta teachers!

Melissa Hugeback (she/her)

I work part time as an RN in my day job. I have twins in 2nd grade this year. I was born and raised in Portland and went to PPS schools through high school. I’m hoping to really get the kids and classrooms involved in the garden this year. We have such a great space that has been mostly vacant for the last two years. I would love to see it filled with plants the kiddos have grown!

Leslie Nordella (she/her)

I just joined the PTA this year. I am hoping to have some exciting events for our awesome community to attend this year! I have one child at Arleta in 3rd grade. I moved to Portland in 2002 and the Arleta neighborhood in 2013. I currently work at a wine bar and restaurant in Lake Oswego. Our family loves camping, paddle boarding and playing baseball!

Jerrod Thomas (he/him)

I have a 2nd grader in Ms. Sides class and we started at Arleta in Kindergarten during the first year of the pandemic with Ms. Hedlund. I moved to Portland at the age of 8 into SE and attended Portland Public schools until dropping out of Cleveland high school at 16. After progressively more technical jobs, I eventually got my GED and returned to school to get my Bachelors and Masters degrees at Portland State University after the dot-com bubble burst. I’ve been working at PSU ever since, starting as a student worker and now a Senior Director over about a third of the IT organization there. I’m interested in cooking, food, nature, and visiting with family and friends. In my spare time, I take on masonry projects because I don’t like having a functioning back or knees.