White Bird Clinic Leadership Team
Jeremy Gates – Executive Director
Since taking the Executive Director role, Jeremy’s focus at White Bird Clinic has been on creating and strengthening processes and structure to support the organization’s rapid growth and allow it to respond to the needs in our community.
Jeremy has held several key financial leadership positions, including his previous role as finance manager at a local private surgical practice, where he oversaw a team of 55+ and managed financial operations for a $15 million revenue organization. Before that role, he was the CFO of a pair of university bookstores in the college bookstore industry.
Jeremy holds a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from Morehead State University and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Environmental Sciences from Linfield College.
Julie Cummings – Health Center Director
Julie’s 30 years of healthcare experience began with hospice patient support and grew into healthcare operations and administration roles. Her in-depth expertise informs her smart, strategic approach to the growth and management of White Bird’s medical clinic.
Her role at White Bird sees Julie returning to her commitment to serving in a mission-driven healthcare organization. Her prior roles at Planned Parenthood, University of Washington and Harborview Medical Center inform her approach to her work.
Julie earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Washington and her MBA from Western Governors University.
Jenilee Easter – Director of Finance
Jenilee brings nearly a decade of high-level accounting experience to her role at White Bird Clinic, ensuring that our financial operations uphold the rigorous standards required to support our mission and enabling her to contribute significantly to our financial health and sustainability.
Her extensive background spans various industries, including oil and gas, travel and tourism, and financial planning services. This diverse experience equips her with the expertise needed to manage the complex financial needs of our organization effectively.
Jenilee holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Texas.
Carlos Gomez – Admin Operations Director
Carlos has over a decade of experience in facilitating health and social service programs, focusing on supporting families and impoverished individuals. With nine years dedicated to management roles, he has consistently delivered programs that make a tangible difference in the lives of those he serves. As the administrative operations director at White Bird Clinic, Carlos is responsible for managing and enhancing the operational practices and processes that drive our organization’s effectiveness.
Before joining White Bird Clinic, Carlos was the Director of Provider Network Operations for Umpqua Health Alliance (UHA), the local Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) serving the Medicaid population in Douglas County. In this role, he played a crucial part in ensuring coordinated and comprehensive care delivery to vulnerable populations.
Carlos holds a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University and his MBA from Concordia University.
Melissa Ward – Human Resources Director
With over 18 years of experience in human resources, Melissa brings a wealth of people-focused skills and strategic insight to White Bird Clinic. In her role, she is dedicated to building and retaining a professional, mission-aligned team that drives our success and impact within the community.
Before joining White Bird Clinic, Melissa was the Chief People Officer at Arcimoto and the HR Director at Gorilla Capital, both high-growth organizations where she played a key role in shaping and nurturing their workforce. Her leadership in these roles underscored her ability to align human resources strategies with organizational goals, fostering environments where employees thrive and contribute meaningfully.
Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and a Human Resources Management certificate from Oregon State University.
Mike Yoshioka – Director of Programs
Mike brings a substantial breadth of experience in non-profit management to White Bird Clinic, where he plays a pivotal role in ensuring our programs align with, and meet the evolving needs of, our community. His leadership, strategic management, and program development and delivery expertise are key drivers of our organization’s success.
Before joining White Bird Clinic, Mike held significant program director positions at St. Vincent de Paul, San Francisco Housing Development Corporation, and City of Dreams in San Francisco. In these roles, he advanced initiatives in housing and healthcare and leveraged his extensive education and experiential learning background to enhance the impact of the programs under his direction.
Mike holds a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University.
White Bird Clinic Board of Directors
- Mark Erickson – Chair
- Susan Lax – Vice Chair
- Bruce Abel – Secretary
- Mary Meacham – Treasurer
- Nissa Newton
- Amy Exah
- Sarah Capper
- Johnny Earl
- Jen Salter
White Bird Clinic is always looking for motivated individuals to join their Board of Directors. It is our hope these individuals are representative of our community and/or clients. We are committed to recruiting members of the BIPOC community to expand the voices at our table.
Do you have a strong background in finance, communications, community outreach, fundraising, and/or professional development? Applicants could also have ties to medical, dental, and substance abuse treatment, or the homeless issues in this community, as those are areas in which that White Bird specializes. All applicants should be familiar with non-profit governance.
It is our hope that applicants are enthusiastic and passionate to work in a community-focused environment and approaching challenging conversations with a sense of joy.
To apply, please complete this form: Apply to join the White Bird Board of Directors