Our Team
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Lynn Renken
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Ashlee Purdy, LCSW
Clinical Director
Ashlee Purdy, LCSW, is the Clinical Director at A Village for One with over a decade of experience in adolescent mental health. A dedicated professional, she is a certified Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner and Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer, as well as serves on Oregon's Department of Justice Human Trafficking Task Force. In her free time, Ashlee chases her toddler around and shows her love for others through baking sweet treats.
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Katie Moon, QMHA
Program Services Manager
Katie (she/her) began working at A Village For One in 2020 when Anisa’s Place first opened. Katie has a degree in cultural anthropology and is passionate about non-profit work, and working within local communities . Having held several different positions at AV41, Katie has enjoyed getting to know the individuals that we work with in each program and the ongoing journey of learning about services and the systems within mental health services. In her free time Katie enjoys backpacking, traveling to new destinations and exploring the beauty of the PNW.
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Cassie Larson
Outpatient Clinician
Cassie is a dedicated and compassionate Professional Counselor Associate with a passion to contribute to the well-being and development of children, adolescents, and families through the use of counseling both as an intervention and prevention tool. Cassie comes to A Village for One with over 9 years of experience working in the anti-trafficking domain, both domestically and internationally, and with experience providing community-based mental health services to a diverse caseload of children, adolescents, and families in Los Angeles. As a clinician, Cassie is continually motivated by the growth she witnesses in her clients throughout the therapeutic process! In her free time Cassie enjoys spending time with friends and family over a good meal, taking day trips to the coast, and playing any kind of competitive game!
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Jenny Whiteman
Outpatient Clinician
Jenny was born and raised in Minnesota (where she still remembers wearing snowsuits under her Halloween costume). As a Professional Counselor Associate, Jenny approaches counseling with: “The main question is… ‘How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?’” (Henri Nouwen). She recognizes the bravery it takes to face struggles and strives to create a judgment-free space so clients are safely invited to discover deeper truths about themselves and continue their healing journey. Outside of counseling, she enjoys reading a good book, playing with other people’s dogs, and having catch-up conversations with friends. She is also fond of her experiences from spending significant time in the cultures of 30 countries and seven major US cities.
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Adrienne Steele, QMHA
Outpatient Case Manager
Adrienne graduated from Portland State University with an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice. After interning with the Multnomah County Jail Human Trafficking Unit, her desire to work with the CSEC population was sparked. She joined A Village For One in 2021, working as direct care staff at our residential program, Anisa’s Place. Adrienne took over as our Outpatient Case Manager in early 2024 and enjoys working with our clients in the community. From the DMV, to the self-sufficiency office, to furniture and food banks… Adrienne tackles barriers our clients are facing wherever she is needed. In her free time, Adrienne enjoys spending time outdoors, from kayaking, to camping, to fishing.
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Josephine Muñoz
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Lauren Hanson
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Em Esquibel
Residential Case Manager
Em is a dedicated case manager who holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Science with a minor in Black Studies from Portland State University. With a diverse background, Em has lived and worked around the world, from scuba diving school in Vietnam to caregiving roles in both the U.S. and Australia. Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, she has called Portland home since 2002, with previous stints in Hawaii or anywhere near water. Committed to giving back, she has volunteered at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand as well as representing Oregon at Standing Rock. In addition to her professional work, Em enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, camping, crabbing, fishing and being outdoors. With a lifelong desire to help others achieve success, she finds fulfillment in empowering those she works with, always striving to make a positive difference.
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Becky Zhang
Quality and Compliance Specialist
Becky (Meng) Zhang joined A Village For One in 2019 after relocating to Portland from the east coast. As the Quality and Compliance Specialist, a.k.a. "paperwork queen", Becky oversees policy development, licensing and accreditation, quality assurance, and grant management of the organization. Becky is Project Management Professional (PMP) certified and has 20 years of working experience in a variety of fields, including educational consulting, training and development, research and data analysis, public relations, media production and translation.
Originally from China, Becky holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and English, a master’s in radio and television, a doctorate in mass communication and a graduate certificate in women’s studies. Outside of her work at AV41, Becky is a freelance translator and consultant and she enjoys cooking, rock climbing, and Taiko drumming! -
Melissa Erickson
Development Director
Melissa Erickson is excited to join A Village for One as the Development Director. She has 10+ years experience in fundraising at local Portland nonprofits and a passion for social justice, human rights, and women's rights. She moved to Oregon in 2010 from Philadelphia and has a Masters Degree in Anthropology from Oregon State University. She has a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing and wrote and published a book in 2014 called Sisters, Sunsets and Self Discovery. She has two young boys, Ember and Archer and loves weekend adventures with her family, travel, dancing, hiking and camping.
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Sarah Lahey, LCSW
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Rania Abbasi
Administrative Assistant
Rania joined A Village for One in early 2024 after moving to Portland from the Midwest. She holds a BA in English from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI where she became passionate about literature and history, as well as archival work. She believes it’s important to preserve and maintain historical records, and she brings that passion for records management to her administrative position at AV41. She also has a background in nonprofit work with youth, and she feels strongly about the work A Village for One does. In her free time, Rania enjoys watching films, reading, exploring Portland, and playing with her dog, Leia.
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Coffee, best friend