The PLF is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to our board of directors this year. Lori Kaliher was appointed in November 2024 to fill an open Public Member position. Her term will expire at the end of 2028. Christine Coers-Mitchell and Brent Smith have been appointed as new board members effective January 1, 2025. Ms. Coers-Mitchell’s and Mr. Smith’s five-year terms will conclude at the end of 2029.
Lori Kaliher (Public Member) – Salem
Lori Kaliher holds a BS in Business Finance from Oregon State University and is a graduate of the Northwest Bank Operations School and Northwest Bank Directors Series. Ms. Kaliher has been with the Oregon Bankers Association (OBA) since 2000, and currently serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer. She is also the chief operating officer for Synergy by Association, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the OBA.
Prior to joining the Oregon Bankers Association, Ms. Kaliher worked in the insurance industry and in operations support at the former First Interstate Bank. In 2013, the Portland Business Journal named her as a recipient of the "40 Under 40" in Oregon. She is also a past recipient of the Oregon Society of Association Management’s Presidential Award.
Ms. Kaliher serves as a member of both the Oregon State University Finance Advisory Council and the board of Cascade Employers Association. She previously served on the Audit Committee of the Mid-Willamette United Way, the Advisory Council of the Oregon Money Management Program, and held two terms as president of the Oregon Society of Association Management.
Christine Coers-Mitchell (Lawyer Member) – Portland
Christine Coers-Mitchell holds a bachelor's degree from University of California, Santa Cruz, a Master of Philosophy in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, and a JD from Gonzaga University School of Law. With a robust background in business and bankruptcy law, her experience extends to complex litigation and appeals in the areas of bankruptcy, contracts, real estate, product liability, and professional malpractice.
Before founding Coers Mitchell Law LLC, Ms. Coers-Mitchell was a partner at Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP and an attorney at McEwen Gisvold LLP. She also served as an appellate law clerk for the Honorable William Richardson. Ms. Coers-Mitchell retired from her private practice in September 2024.
Ms. Coers-Mitchell is a member of the defense panel for the Oregon State Bar Professional Liability Fund, a member of Oregon Women Lawyers, and a past board member and president of the Portland Chapter, Queen’s Bench. She is a current board member and past board president of the Irvington Community Association, as well as a former board member and board president of JOIN, a nonprofit organization assisting Portland’s homeless.
Brent Smith (Lawyer Member) – La Grande
Brent Smith is an Eastern Oregon civil litigation lawyer. He regularly tries cases to judge and jury in both state and federal courts. He uses his litigation experience to give clients strategic advice about their legal problems and help them arrive at a solution. Mr. Smith’s goal is for people who live in Eastern Oregon to obtain expert legal advice from a lawyer living in their region.
Mr. Smith holds a bachelor's degree from Southern Utah University and a JD from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. He is admitted to practice in Oregon, the United States District Court of Oregon, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Current and Outgoing Board Members
These new members will join current PLF Directors Michelle Johansson (Chair) (Portland), Ali Hilsher (Vice-Chair) (Eugene), Chris Karlin (Public Member) (Secretary-Treasurer) (Hood River), John Bachofner (Camas), Harshi Waters (Portland), and Mark Johnson Roberts (Portland).
We extend our warmest thanks to outgoing board members Steve Hill (Pendleton) and Gina Johnnie (Salem) for their years of excellent service.
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