Mathew Oldfield, President (he/him)
Mathew attended Oregon State University, has a background in science education, and taught science, math, and agriculture for several years at the high school and middle school levels. He currently serves as a Senior Operations and Policy Analyst for the Oregon Department of Revenue and has for the last 4 years.
He lives in Salem and spends much of his time volunteering, caring for his house plants, and shaping and pruning his bonsai trees. He is greatly excited at this new volunteer opportunity as he has been struggling to find a place where he can give back to the community and feel like he belongs.
Rowan Craig, Vice President (he/they)
Rowan grew up in Melbourne, Florida, where as a teen he founded two GSAs, led an LGBTQ+ youth group, served as their local PFLAG chapter’s Youth Advisor, and was awarded the title of Youth Ambassador by Space Coast Pride. He is also a Florida Farm Bureau certified Agriculture Associate. He, along with his family, moved here two years ago and he is hoping to use his experience to advocate for a broad range of age groups and demographics within Salem’s queer community. His biggest passions are native plants, ecological restoration, environmentalism, reading, science, fitness, and making new friends.
Chet Emmons, Treasurer (he/him)
Chet was born and raised in Salem and received a History degree from Western Oregon University in Monmouth. He previously worked for Ancestry and now works at the State Archives. He joined Salem Capital Pride in 2023 and has been a regular at events and programs ever since. Outside of the many Pride events that he attends, he also enjoys playing TTRPGs, playing board games, reading books (both fiction and non-fiction), and watching movies with friends.
Julie Hambuchen, Secretary (she/her)
Julie was born and raised in the Willamette Valley. She joined Salem Capital Pride in 2023, and enjoys working with others to create a sense of community and belonging. She has spent her career in the non-profit sector, and currently works at Marion Polk Food Share. Previously, she worked for Mercy Corps and Habitat for Humanity International, and spent three years as a community-based volunteer in Bahia, Brazil. In her personal time, she enjoys attending live theater, traveling, reading, and doing crossword puzzles.
Shade Grayson, Marketing Director (they/them)
Shade grew up in Oregon and has lived in the Willamette Valley for over 30 years. They have two business degrees, in Marketing and Management, from Oregon State University. Since 2023 they have helped Capital Pride grow from a small handful of programs into the full calendar of year-round programs and events we see today. They spend most of their days playing with their two cats or volunteering with Capital Pride. In their free time they enjoy playing TTRPGs, watching movies with friends, baking, and trying new cuisines.
Keith Mathew, Program Coordinator (he/they)
Keith grew up in Vancouver, WA and went to Western Oregon University for Public Health. They have worked at HIV Alliance in Prevention since 2019 and have been involved in a variety of groups and organizations, including Salem Capital Pride. He is excited to build fulfilling community involvement for Pride. In their free time, Keith enjoys watching video essays, hiking, playing games, watching bad movies, and finding new activities that bring him joy.