SAAB 25th Anniversary Banquet
Featured Keynote Speakers
 Shelby Uritz Pierson '96
Senior Intelligence Officer, Department of Defense
Shelby Pierson served as the Vice President for SAAB for two terms during her time at Lewis & Clark while completing her degree in International Affairs. Ms. Pierson was also instrumental in her service as the student representative on both the Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committees. She credits her time on the ASLC Board as further developing her leadership and communications skills.
Today, Ms. Pierson is a Senior Intelligence Officer in the Department of Defense. She has worked a variety of issues including both regional and technical areas of emphasis. Considered an expert in her field, she chairs several analytic panels and travels across the country teaching both military and civilian audiences. Prior to her work in the Intelligence Community, Ms. Pierson worked in the public and private sectors including positions on Capitol Hill and in the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California. When time permits, she still supports Lewis & Clark activities such as the ACE program.
She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Richard.
 Matt "Buzzy" Nielsen '02
Graduate student studying Library Science and Public Policy, University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Matthew "Buzzy" Nielsen chaired SAAB from 2000 to 2002 . During his tenure at SAAB, Buzzy significantly revised SAAB's grantmaking procedures and forms to better emulate professional grantmaking foundations. He also establishing the equipment checkout program and Vice Chair position.
At Lewis & Clark, Buzzy studied Philosophy and Russian. After graduation, he served as a high school library specialist and directed a small rural public library.
Buzzy is currently a graduate student in Library Science and Public Policy at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. His interests include public & state libraries, information policy, public management, professional ethics, and the nonprofit sector. He is married to Jamie Nielsen, a fellow librarian and aspiring indexer.
 Serena Cruz Walsh '89
Former two-term Multnomah County Commissioner
Serena Cruz Walsh believes in the power of government and education to make a difference in people’s lives. Lewis & Clark played a significant role in Serena’s path to public service. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in political science and was active in the debate team, student government, and served as the ASLC Vice President for Student Academic Affairs and Chair as SAAB. “I could easily see her as mayor or senator someday,” says Donald Balmer, U.G. Dubach Professor Emeritus of Political Science and one of Cruz’s mentors. “She has an amazing ability to connect with all kinds of people, to speak to their concerns, and to communicate her enthusiasm and vision.”
After graduating, Serena worked in the College’s admissions office and later as an academic adviser at Portland Community College. Through a joint graduate program, she earned a law degree from the University of California at Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. After graduate school, Serena went to work for a private law firm.
She got her start in local government when she joined Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten’s staff. In the spring of 1998, a seat opened on the county board, and Erik encouraged Serena to run for the position. Serena won, becoming both Multnomah County’s first Mexican American and youngest female commissioner.
Serena is involved with numerous organizations, including the National Association of Counties Health Steering Committee, New Leadership Oregon, as well as the Citizens Commission on Homelessness. She is a member of Lewis & Clark’s Board of Alumni.
 Tony Abena ‘86
Senior Vice President, Thomson West
Tony Abena served as Chair of SAAB and Vice President for Student Academic Affairs in 1985 and drove the creation of what is now the popular SAAB student tutoring program that provides tutoring services to fellow students. While completing his bachelor’s degree in international affairs and minor in business, his involvement with SAAB taught him the importance and value of collaboration and teamwork. He quickly learned that a focused, inspired team working together toward a common goal produces the best ideas and most successful results.
Today, Tony is senior vice president of Law Firms at Thomson West, the foremost provider of integrated information solutions to the U.S. legal market. He is responsible for developing strategy and launching new products and services for this $1 billion business unit throughout the United States. Prior to joining West, Tony held a variety of executive roles at Gartner, a leading IT analytics firm, co-founded two technology startup companies, and earned his master in business administration degree from the University of Minnesota.
Tony lives in Edina, Minnesota with his wife and fellow LC alum, Stacy (Manning) Abena '88, and their four children. When he finds free time, Tony enjoys volunteering with local nonprofits focused on work skills training and activities such backpacking, fly fishing, classic car restoration and thoroughbred breeding and racing.
 Mark Dorsey '83
Executive Director for the American Snowsports Education Association and the National Ski Patrol
Mark Dorsey served on the ASLC Senate and later as ASLC Vice President from 1979 to 1981. He later chaired the initial ASLC Student Course Evaluation publication and co-chaired Students Organized for Activities (SOFA). Mark was part of the student group which convinced the ASLC Senate to vote itself out of existence, resulting in SAAB and other ASLC restructuring. These experiences contributed significantly to his career in association management.
Prior to working for the American Snowsports Education Association (ASEA) and the National SKi Patrol (NSP), Mark leveraged his entrepreneurial spirit to start up and successful build a consumer research company, Alaska Attitudes, Inc. He then progressed through roles as a Research Director, Account Executive, and Sales Manager where he bought and sold media in Seattle, WA, and Anchorage, AK. Mark has also served as President of the Lewis and Clark College Alumni Association.
A Certified Association Executive, Mark focuses on developing and presenting innovative corporate/association strategy with positive, quantifiable results; emphasis on change management, turnaround strategies, and revenue growth. During his tenure with ASEA and NSP, he has held progressive roles of Marketing Director and Chief Operating Officer. He was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2002, and is now Chair of the Board of Directors. Mark also serves as Vice-Chair of the Research Committee for American Society of Association Executives & the Center for Association Leadership.
Mark holds an MBA from the University of Colorado and a BS in Communications from Lewis and Clark College. Among his many sports interests, he is also a Certified Ski Instructor. Mark lives in Denver, CO, with his wife Tammi, and two children.
 Paul Jorgensen '85
Founder, The Jorgensen Law Firm PLLC
Paul C. Jorgensen was a freshman ASLC Senator in 1981 when he was enlisted to help create the new ASLC government. Amazed that he was getting the opportunity, Paul drew on his public relations, political and writing experiences to design the public face of the new government: promotions to sell it to the student body. The success of the new government emboldened Paul to co-found The Meridian, Lewis & Clark's international affairs journal, and to take leadership roles in College admissions and the international affairs symposia. After graduating, Paul helped found and served on the LC Board of Alumni, was awarded the Donald Balmer Citation, and has served for 15 years as the Washington Director of the Lewis & Clark College Washington D.C. program.
These empowering Lewis & Clark experiences led Paul to recently found The Jorgensen Law Firm PLLC. With nearly 19 years of legal experience, Paul determined that there was a better way to provide legal services: create vehicles that are useful, clear, and promote the business goals of clients. Based in Washington, D.C., the Firm specializes in contracts and intellectual property, providing solutions to a broad spectrum of businesses.
Paul was formerly with the Washington D.C. law firm of Patton Boggs, where he provided intellectual property and contract counsel to companies and organizations. Prior to Patton Boggs, Paul was Senior Intellectual Property Counsel with Choice Hotels International, Inc., where he managed a large worldwide portfolio of trademarks, copyrights, domain names and trade secrets, and where he designed profitable licensing programs. Paul began his legal career with the Washington D.C. office of Venable, Baetjer, Howard & Civiletti after graduating from Georgetown University Law Center in 1988.
Paul is a frequent speaker, commentator, and instructor on intellectual property, Internet issues, legal writing, and professional transitions to groups that include the International Trademark Association, Voice of America, Georgetown University and law firms. Paul is active in the Washington D.C. community, serving as Legal Counsel and Director to The National Cherry Blossom Festival, and as a Director to the Washington Bach Consort. Paul was honored for his ongoing pro bono service to the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities with the Mayor's Arts Award in 2004.
Paul is an avid cyclist. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife, Setareh, and three children.
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