Harry Olsen, President

Harry is the founder of PHOENIX RISING Transitions. He has served as chaplain in the Department of Corrections since 2001 and has completed the DOC’s volunteer training. He completed the Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good’s basic training in 2001 and their advanced training in 2002. He has taught for MACG since 2004. In 2005 he took the National 8-Day training offered by the Industrial Areas Foundation. He holds an Associate Degree in General Studies from Mt. Hood Community College, which he received in 2000. Harry received the DOC's Outstanding Citizen of the Year award for a Religious Services Volunteer in 2003.

DOC Volunteer Award

 

Scott Brazieal, Transition Forum Coordinator

Scott Brazieal joined the board in March of 2007. He is the lead organizer for the monthly Transition Forum PHOENIX holds at Columbia River Correctional Institute for men about to be released. He is the coordinator of Enterbeing, a Portland “spiritual cooperative” and is a licensed spiritual director. He is also a musician and computer-technician. Scott has long been involved in community organizing through MACG and Redeemer Lutheran Church. He has also taught in our leadership class in the prison and at our volunteer training in the community. Scott completed the DOC volunteer training (2006); completed the MACG’s basic and advanced training (2003) and has been a teacher for MACG since 2005. He took the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) 10-Day training 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and completed the spiritual direction program at Mt. Angel Shalom Center (Benedictine) in Mt. Angel, Oregon in 2006.

 

Kelly Fitzpatrick

Kelly has taught our Relational Culture Strategies class at CRCI. She is a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor, Qualified Mental Health Associate, Crisis Response Team member of Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) of Portland-Vancouver. The Archdiocese of Portland commissioned her to be a Minister of Consolation. She is a graduate of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) 10-Day Training and has done community organizing and training for MACG and Recovery Association Project (RAP) for several years. She was a co-founder of the RAP’s Hands Across the Bridge event. She currently works at Central City Concern (CCC) as a Co-Occurring Disorders Counselor at their Recovery Center and Community Engagement Program. Kelly has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (1980).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karen Meurer

Karen is the former executive director of Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity in Baltimore. She also served as director of education at several United Methodist churches in Maryland and most recently as a church relations associate at Bread for the World, an anti-hunger advocacy group in Washington, DC. She completed the DOC’s volunteer training, MACG’s basic training and IAF’s 8-Day training. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from Indiana State University (1981); a Master of Divinity from Southern Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky (1990); and a Master of Liberal Arts, Johns Hopkins University (2004). She has additional training in nonprofit management, fundraising, conflict resolution and mediation. She met her husband, Musa, at the IAF Training in Chicago in 2005.

 

Brian Davis, Board-Member-In-Training

Brian helped develop our first Problem-Solving class at CRCI. He has told his story of transformation at Redeemer Lutheran Church and the MACG Assembly. Brian has worked at Shari’s Restaurant in Tanasbourne since his release two years ago. He has been promoted three times and is now a supervisor. He will be eligible for full board membership next summer.