Alissa has spent over 40 years working to eliminate poverty, promote cross-cultural understanding and civil rights, invest in youth and children, and protect the environment.
After graduating from Stanford, Alissa spent several years doing community development in Indonesian villages. She then earned a Masters in Public Health in Hawaii, worked for Hawaiian nonprofits and the Hawaii legislature, and ran an international exchange organization in California.
Alissa and her family moved to Portland, Oregon, where Alissa devoted her time to the community, city, and state where she and Neal raised their three children.
Alissa's job included: Saturday Academy Outreach program founder/director for under-represented ethnic groups in math and science, Hanna Andersson Children’s Foundation director, Oregon Solutions Program Manager to rebuild the Vernonia K-12 Schools after flooding, and non-profit consultant.
Her volunteer commitments included serving on the boards of Impact NW, Northwest Health Foundation, Portland Children’s Levy, and Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families & Community, and parent volunteer/advocate for Portland Public Schools.
Following Alissa's legislative career from 2011-2021, she served as a senior advisor to the director of Oregon State Department of Human Services, focusing on self sufficiency and child care programs.
After Alissa and Neal's move to Santa Fe, NM, in July, 2021, Alissa was appointed to the NM Mortgage Finance Authority "Housing Trust Fund" advisory board. She is getting to know the local issues, advocates, and policy makers now!
See Alissa's resume on Linked In.
News Highlights:
Multnomah County Board appoints Alissa Keny-Guyer as new House District 46 state representative (2011)
Throw Yourself into One or More Causes”: Alissa Keny-Guyer (page 5) (PQ Monthly, 5/21/2015)
Opinion: Honoring Oregon's values of work and fairness (The Oregonian, 3/1/2019)
Portland lawmaker discloses cancer diagnosis (The Oregonian, 3/7/2019)
Rep. Keny-Guyer Will Cap Legislative Career At Decade (The Lund Report, 1/18/2020)