Sarai Seekamp (she/her) - Executive Director
Sarai stepped into the role of Executive Director for ACP in August 2024 after previously serving as Program Director and Board Member. Her primary goal has been to create spaces where youth feel empowered, cared for, supported, and challenged to be the best humans they can be as individuals and members of their communities.
In addition to her work at ACP, Sarai is also the Assistant Cross Country and Track and Field Coach (men’s and women’s) for Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR in her 11th year of coaching.
Before transitioning to the non-profit world, she is taught high school English and Social Studies for Portland Public Schools for six years.
Sarai hold degrees in English Literature (B.A. from University of Portland, 2015), Secondary Education / Teaching (M.A.T. from University of Southern California, 2017), and Creative Writing (MA from University of Galway, 2024). Outside of ACP and coaching, Sarai enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, and building her To Be Read stack of books.
Mariah Balderrama (she/her) - Development Manager
Mariah joins the ACP Team after several years of working with nonprofits, both on the funds giver and funds seeker end. She is passionate about equity movements, eliminating barriers to access, and investing in preventative measures against negative health outcomes.
Mariah received her Bachelor's in History and Literature from The Evergreen State College, and received a second Bachelor's degree from Willamette University in Psychology and Public Health. While she did not participate in sports during her time in school, she did greatly benefit from after school programming in the performing arts. While at Evergreen, she founded and ran Perennial Players, a student theatre company which focused on social justice through performance. Mariah first worked with ACP to help develop the theatre curriculum. When she's not networking or performing, she can be found in her home library with a good book and cup of coffee.
Dee Wallace (she/her) – Grant Writer
With experience spanning across various philanthropic focus areas and even the globe, Dee Wallace discovered while volunteering in Berenty, Madagascar, the true connection that drives her commitment in all focus areas – COMMUNITY! Whether it be environmental stewardship, the arts, education, or disease, the one thing that has always been present is community, and that the communities most impacted are those living in under-served and under-represented areas. With her experience and skills, Dee brings a passion for project management, relentless advocacy for historically marginalized and disadvantaged communities, and the zeal to successfully deliver innovative solutions to the complexities of community engagement, awareness, and funding. She also makes a mean vegetarian camping strata.