Oregon Community Foundation expands leadership team with three key appointments

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Community Foundation has appointed three new leaders to executive and advisory positions to support the organization's recent growth. The hires include a vice president for corporate finance and accounting, a director of culturally responsive programs and a senior adviser for community development finance.

These newly created roles are designed to connect programs and regions across the organization as the foundation seeks to expand its impact across Oregon. The leadership additions come as the Portland-based foundation deepens its work in impact investing and community engagement.

Eric Barger will serve as the vice president for corporate finance and accounting. He brings 35 years of experience in nonprofit accounting and financial management to the role. Barger previously worked at the University of Portland for 17 years, most recently serving as the vice president for finance and operations. He is a certified public accountant and holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Portland. In his new position, Barger will oversee the finance, accounting, fund administration and grants administration teams.

John Chang has been appointed as the director of culturally responsive programs within the Community Engagement and Equity Department. Chang, who was born and raised in Oregon, has more than 15 years of experience in education and workforce pathways. He previously worked as a program officer at the foundation from 2020 to 2023. His career includes leadership roles as executive director for the Oregon Business Academy, the Clackamas Community College Foundation and College Possible. In his new role, he will focus on strategic investments in programs such as Black Student Success and the Latino Partnership Program.

Nathan Kadish joins the foundation as a senior adviser for the community development finance team. He previously spent 10 years at Ecotrust, where he served as the managing director of finance and assets. Kadish has a background in deploying mission-driven capital and developing economic development projects with community benefits. He holds a bachelor's degree in biology and public policy from Pomona College and a master's degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management. His role involves exploring creative financing solutions to support communities across Oregon.

Lisa Mensah, president and CEO of the Oregon Community Foundation, emphasized that the new leadership team will help the organization pursue more ambitious goals for the state. "All three of these leaders bring deep relationships and strong commitments to working in community to uplift Oregon in meaningful ways," Mensah said. "Bringing Oregonians together continues to be our guiding light and the wealth of expertise each leader brings — across finance, nonprofit management and so much more — helps us deliver even bolder solutions for the state we love."