Partner Highlight: Steve Fields
Steve Fields, our SVP Portland Board of Directors Secretary, has extensive experience as a Director, significant PR/marketing/communications expertise, as well as strong business acumen, senior leadership experience, and strategic planning skills. Steve joined the Partnership in January 2019 and has worked directly with KairosPDX and AEME. He and his partner, Sims Brannon, are active and regular attendees of SVP Portland social and learning events, so you are likely to bump into him if you join us!
Q: What was compelling to you about SVP?
A: I was looking for an opportunity to use my business experience in ways to help build a better Portland. I also was attracted to the focus on expanding free preschool to historically underserved children. I view this as one of the best ways to help our next generation succeed in life.
Q: Why did you join the SVP Portland Board of Directors?
A: Since I joined, I have been extremely impressed by the impact that the organization has made in the community. The unique model of working side by side with community organizations enables them to address problems more effectively through our partnership. In addition, I am extremely passionate about expanding preschool education because I have seen firsthand—as a former school board member and a Big Brother in the Big Brothers Big Sister organization—how important being ready for kindergarten is to future success. I am baffled by SVP Portland’s relative obscurity and would like to help raise its profile in the community so it can have an even greater impact.
Q: What expertise do you bring to the Partnership?
A: My professional experience spans many years in senior leadership at Disney, where I served as Senior VP of Marketing, Senior VP of Original Programming, and Executive VP and General Manager of the Edutainment Division. I served on several nonprofit boards including the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and Food For Thought Ojai. I also served as an elected public school district board member (Ojai, 2004-11). I received my BA in Economics from UC Berkeley and MBA from Stanford.
Q: What have you learned from being a Partner?
A: I have met many incredibly impressive people both with our Community Partners and within the SVP Portland Partnership. I continue to work on developing greater patience and hope that solutions to our problems can be found with hard work and resilience.
Q: What motivates you in life?
A: I would like to leave our world a better place than what it is. I also enjoy celebrating everyone’s cultural heritage, especially including food and wine!
Q: What are your favorite things to do in Portland?
A: I like to spend time with my two dogs—an older black Lab named Ella (who is our 6th Lab) and Enzo (who is a wild year-and-a-half-old Lagotto Romagnolo, an old Italian breed that retrieves and hunts for truffles). I also love to try new restaurants. My favorite restaurant in Portland is Davenport – we often see fellow SVP Partners there, especially Val!
