New Partners

(from the March 2009 Newsletter)

Steve Brook and Vanessa Hughes joined SVPP in December, after getting to know us over several months. They are enthusiastic and enjoy the option of being investor Partners, able to decide on their level of involvement based on their abilities and availability over time.

Steve is Practice Director for Point B in Portland. Point B is an employee-owned management-consulting firm that provides objective leadership, deep expertise and the ability to transform strategies into reality. Prior to Point B, Steve held management positions at Emerald Solutions, the Nautilus Group, Fiserv, Cingular and US Bank. Steve holds a B.S. from Purdue University and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Steve is also an adjunct professor at the Keller Graduate School of Management, and has served as a board member with the Project Management Institute.

Vanessa is passionate about her work as a teacher of English in Cleveland high school’s International Baccalaureate program. She co-founded MediaThink, a Portland based non-profit which focuses on teaching young people to strengthen critical thinking skills regarding the media and its messages. In addition, Vanessa runs a card business, Hand Maiden Cards, which markets exclusive, sustainable, handmade original art stationery products. Vanessa earned her B.A. from Columbia College Chicago in documentary film making; she holds a Masters in Education from Lewis & Clark College.

Steve and Vanessa moved to Portland, after leaving Chicago 12 years ago. They are very active in the outdoors; their ‘Zen dog’ Bella joins them for camping, cycling, climbing, kayaking, backcountry skiing and trips to the beach. Vanessa says, “Seven lifetimes is not enough to fully discover Oregon.” Steve plans to participate in Cycle Oregon for the second time this year while Vanessa teaches and gardens.