08/07/2019 - Welcome New Staff

Welcome Diego Hernandez as the Coalition Director and Debra Kolodny as the Program Director! 
Join us in welcoming two new (but familiar) faces to the PUAH family

Portland United Against Hate is of and for the community. This is why the PUAH Coalition has been working hard to hire community leaders that can guide the coalition through the next generation of anti-hate organizing and advocacy in Portland. 

Diego and Debra have both been involved with PUAH, have exceptional skills, and bring their own deep community relationships to the work. We are so grateful to have them on the PUAH team! Read more about both of them below. We are still getting official PUAH email addresses set up, but in the meantime, you can contact them at portlandunitedagainsthate@gmail.com.

PUAH also is thrilled to announce that we have a new office and fiscal sponsorship with our longtime partners at SE Uplift. Later this summer, we will host an Office Warming Party to show off the office space and welcome Diego and Deb in style – date TBD!

Diego Hernandez was raised in Oregon by a single hard-working immigrant mom. After attending seven elementary schools and three middle schools throughout the Northwest, Diego Hernandez developed a passion for social justice and racial equity. The first in his family to attend college, he worked his way through the University of Oregon, where he received a B.A. in Political Science and Ethnic Studies and then received his Masters in Social Work-Community Based Practice from Portland State University. He is Oregon’s youngest legislator and in 2012 was the youngest person and first Latino elected to the Reynolds School Board. Diego brings broad systems change and social justice experience, including work with Momentum Alliance, Community Alliance of Tenants, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, Western States Center, and Latino Network.

Rabbi Debra Kolodny has been bringing her spiritual activism to worker, women’s and LGBTQ rights as well as racial and economic justice since 1980. Formerly the Executive Director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal and Nehirim, she serves as founding rabbi of Portland’s UnShul and combats hate White Nationalism teaching “Interrupting Hate in Public Spaces” and as a leader in the Portland United Against Hate Coalition. She also convenes the Portland Spirit Led Justice Alliance, organizing interfaith coalitions to take action on justice campaigns.