Encore Fellow and Board Member Ken Harris Interviewed by KGW TV

Last night, we got to see our very own Ken Harris on KGW, sharing his Encore story with Tracy Barry and all of Portland. Ken has been associated with SVP for 3 years, and began his journey as an Encore Fellow working in finance with the Boys and Girls Club.

Encore Fellows matches retiring professionals with local nonprofits who need their expertise. For example, Ken was instrumental in raising more than $7 million for the Boys and Girls’ Club’s new Rockwood campus in Gresham. Construction for that location is almost complete. Erin Hubert, CEO of the Boys and Girls’ Club said “In terms of just the complexity of this project, the financing of it, the legalities of it; Ken traversed it in a way that I couldn’t have. I would have had to pay a lot of money to have that expertise come in.” The Boys and Girls’ Club empowers young people to discover their potential through enriching after-school and summer programs, caring mentors and supportive Club communities. As a direct result of Ken’s work, Portland’s Club communities will be expanding to Gresham and providing top-notch resources to the young people in the Greater Portland area.

That is what the Encore Fellows program is all about--taking brilliant and experienced professionals and strategically placing them where they can make our community flourish. We’re proud to administer the program here in Portland. See the whole segment below. To learn more about the Encore Fellows program, go to encorepdx.org.