The OHSU Foundation is excited to announce the appointment of nine new trustees to its board, effective July 1, 2026. The appointments come as the foundation celebrates a remarkable year of philanthropy, surpassing its $135 million annual fundraising goal from nearly 20,000 separate donations, in addition to receiving a transformational $2 billion pledge from Phil and Penny Knight to transform cancer care as we know it.
"This year’s exceptional fundraising results, highlighted by the historic $2 billion gift from Phil and Penny Knight and a second consecutive year surpassing our fundraising goal, reflect the extraordinary generosity of our donors, the leadership of our volunteers and trustees and the strength of our OHSU Foundation team,” shared Kate Azizi, M.B.A., CDE, president of the OHSU Foundation. “Together, we are igniting the power of philanthropy to accelerate OHSU’s impact in patient care, research, education and service across the region.”
OHSU Foundation’s 2026 fundraising success at a glance:
- Total raised: $136,586,741
- Total gifts: 19,857
- Total donors: 9,148
- Median contribution: $80
"Building on this momentum, we are honored to welcome a distinguished group of new trustees to the OHSU Foundation Board,” said Azizi. “The record number of trustees joining this year reflects a collective endorsement of OHSU’s impact and future. These accomplished trustees bring valuable perspectives, deep community ties and a shared passion for advancing OHSU’s mission. I am also grateful to partner with an exceptional board leadership team, including a new Chair and Vice Chair, whose guidance will help to propel us forward.”
The OHSU Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of trustees made up of business and community leaders who are committed to helping the foundation ignite the power of philanthropy in support of OHSU’s missions of teaching, healing and discovery.
The new board officers are:
Eric Dishman, chair of the OHSU Foundation Board, is a life sciences innovation consultant through his company, DishStrong Innovation, LLC. Previously, he was the founding CEO and director of the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program and served as vice president of Intel's Health and Life Sciences Group and an Intel Fellow. Dishman has been an active leader with the OHSU Foundation, serving on key board committees and the 2022–2024 OHSU Presidential Search Committee.
Robin Gantt, vice chair of the OHSU Foundation Board, retired as chief financial officer of Northwest Pipe Company in 2020 and currently serves on the boards of McCall Enterprises and OnPoint Community Credit Union. Previously, she was chief financial officer of Evraz North America, held a series of financial roles at Oregon Steel Mills, including Corporate Controller and was a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Before joining the OHSU Foundation board in 2021, she served on the Doernbecher Philanthropy Board for 12 years.
Dishman and Gantt join fellow board officers Mike Petitt as treasurer and Aadam Hussain as secretary. Kelly Schrader serves as immediate past president.
The new OHSU Foundation trustees are:
Joe Boyle joined Columbia in 2005 and has served in a variety of capacities of increasing leadership and responsibility, including brand management, sales, planning, General Merchandising Manager of Outerwear, Accessories, Equipment, Collegiate and Licensing, Vice President of Apparel Merchandising, and Senior Vice President of Columbia Brand Merchandising & Design. He was promoted to Executive Vice President, Columbia Brand President in July 2017. In November 2025, he was appointed President of the Columbia Brand. From 2003 to 2005, Boyle served in a business development role for Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects. Boyle is a fourth-generation member of Columbia’s founding Boyle family and the son of Columbia Chairman and CEO Timothy P. Boyle.
Angelica Espinosa, senior vice president and chief legal officer at Portland General Electric, also serves as board chair of the PGE Foundation. Previously, Espinosa held executive leadership roles at SoCalGas, San Diego Gas & Electric Company and Sempra Energy and General Electric.
Elizabeth Gewecke, a former technology product manager with experience at Intuit, Greenlight.com and Yahoo!, is an active nonprofit leader in Portland. Gewecke has served on the boards of Oregon Episcopal School, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and Literary Arts and holds a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Jim Hunt, recently retired senior vice president and chief financial officer of OnPoint Community Credit Union, previously held finance positions at Washington Mutual and Fleet Mortgage Group. He served on the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines from 2021 to 2024 and joined the Investment Committee as a non-trustee member in 2025.
Patrick Miller, managing partner and founding member of ECHO Finance, has nearly two decades of experience in financial structuring, alternative financing solutions, credit underwriting and risk restructuring across a range of assets and industries. Previously, he held leadership roles at Deutsche Bank AG in New York and London and worked in accounting and finance positions in the United States and Japan.
Norah Verbout, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate in OHSU's Department of Biomedical Engineering and vice president of operations at Aronora, a Portland-based biotech company. Verbout joined the OHSU Foundation Board in 2022 as the School of Medicine Alumni Representative and now joins the board as a trustee. She chairs the Stewardship Committee and is President of the OHSU Alumni Leadership Council.
Chris Abbruzzese is a senior vice president at Robertson Stephens, a privately held wealth management firm, and currently serves on the OHSU Board of Directors. He was a public member of the City of Portland's Investment Advisory Committee from 2013 to 2020 and has volunteered as a financial literacy instructor for Portland Public Schools.
Rob Bentley, M.D., an alumnus of the OHSU School of Medicine and a retired ophthalmologist, was a shareholder in a multisite ophthalmology practice serving the Portland metro area. He is a member of the OHSU Alumni Leadership Council and volunteers with the Casey Eye Institute. Bentley previously served on the Legacy Health Board of Directors, including as board chair.
Ann Nielsen, Ph.D., R.N., an OHSU alumna and emerita associate professor of clinical nursing, has served on the faculty of the OHSU School of Nursing since 2001. Most recently, she helped establish the accelerated baccalaureate nursing program at OHSU Bend. She is a member of the OHSU Alumni Leadership Council.