Who We Are
Heather Anderson is the WCVA’s Sales and Promotions Coordinator; she assists the sales department with day to day operations and special projects. She is also the main contact for catering, tour operators and international travel leads for Washington County. She is an almost “True Oregonian,” living here most of her life after moving from Alaska at a very young age.
Heather found herself leaving the hospitality world and immersed in radio as an On-Air Host and Promotions Director. Her passion for travel and catering brought her back into hospitality, tourism, and travel and in March she landed with an amazing team at the WCVA.
In her free time, Heather is always looking for a memorable outdoor adventure, music festival or just some good family fun! Being a Washington County resident since the age of 6, Heather makes time to share with her daughter the favorite local activities she once enjoyed as a kid. She is still astonished that she can find new things to do in Washington County after living here so long!
Greg Coyle is a Portland-based writer who has spent the last 15 years traveling the highways and byways of Oregon in an effort to experience the myriad attractions of his adopted state. As a “What’s the Word” guest blogger, he looks forward to continuing that exploration, sharing his discoveries with readers along the way.
Greg moved to Oregon in the early 1990s from Seattle to attend graduate school at Portland State University. Expecting to return to Washington when done, he found instead that Portland and the surrounding counties had put a spell on him that he just couldn’t fight. An Oregon girlfriend sealed the deal.
Now married to the girlfriend, the pair is fond of taking to the road for what they call their “Mystery Trips” in which they simply get in the car on a Saturday morning and drive until they’re ready to stop. He’s sure there are plenty of mysteries waiting to be discovered in Washington County as well, and is eager to share what he finds.
Allison George is the WCVA’s Stakeholder Manager. A native of Southern Oregon, and aspiring actress, Allison has lived in the Portland metro area for 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts from Carroll College in Helena, MT. Allison also played women’s basketball at Carroll College, and was inducted into the college’s sports hall of fame in 2006.
Terry Goldman was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, and has been an Oregonian for the last 14 years. Terry is passionate about his family and loves spending as much time with his wife and two kids as possible.
The family related activities of Washington County and the surrounding area is what interest Terry the most, looking for something the whole family can enjoy, but he and his wife also enjoy finding the time to do things on their own. When he is not working as the General Manager of the award-winning SpringHill Suites by Marriott – Portland Hillsboro, or volunteering his time with the Washington County Visitors Association as a member of the executive board, he can be found trying to learn more about local wines and exploring the local farmers markets.
Gerald Kubiak is a project management consultant to WCVA, focusing on development of a new driving tour of Washington County – the Vineyard and Valley Scenic Tour Route. Having worked for Washington County from 2000-2007, Gerald is well versed in the history, geography and many attributes of this special place.
A Midwest native, Gerald has lived in Oregon for about 10 years, but has only just begun exploring the places and experiencing the events of the Beaver State.
Gerald and his wife – an almost-native Oregonian – are avid runners. They’ve run Hood to Coast numerous times, and recently completed the Helvetia Half Marathon in the lovely rolling hills of Washington County. Pairing fresh, local foods with Oregon wines is a favorite pastime, as are hiking, camping, Nordic skiing and beach combing. Gerald also has a passion for the arts, and eagerly attempts to keep up with the many plays, concerts, exhibitions and other offerings around Washington County.
Angie Suchy Marsh joined the WCVA in August 2009 as the marketing assistant. She is responsible for furthering WCVA’s online marketing efforts, including social media, website content and both consumer and industry eNewsletters.
Angie has worked as a web editor, communications associate and publications specialist for nonprofit organizations, including Multnomah Athletic Club, Mt. Hood Community College and the environmental organization Metafore. She is the author of multiple award-winning essays and publications. Marsh received her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, and is certified in sustainability through Oregon Natural Step.
A Portland native, Angie can often be found pulling her eldest daughter in a bike trailer around the area, searching for adventure.
Veronique Meunier is a native of Grenoble, France, Veronique Meunier is the Public Relations Manager for Sustainability at Travel Portland, the official destination marketing office for Portland, Ore. Veronique relocated to the “City of Roses” in 2003 with her husband and became a U.S. citizen this summer. A voracious traveler since childhood, Veronique enjoys exploring her new country, especially the great outdoors.
An environmentalist at heart, Veronique is a member of Travel Portland’s “Green Team,” an internal employee coalition that encourages the adoption of green practices by the company, as well as working with several eco-tourism nonprofit organizations. When the position of Public Relations Manager for Sustainability was created, it was only natural that Veronique would fill that role.
When she isn’t courting media attention or volunteering her time for a variety of causes, you can find Veronique hiking and biking Oregon’s numerous wilderness trails, kayaking its pristine waterways or enjoying Portland’s unparalleled quality of life.
Sylke Neal-Finnegan is the WCVA’s Communications and Public Relations Manager. A native of Las Vegas, Sylke escaped the land of neon for greener pastures, and has proudly called Washington County “home” for nearly two years.
Although she feels like an Oregonian – her often unconventional personality is a much better fit for the Pacific Northwest – and she embraces the cool, rainy days and looks forward to the changing seasons, especially when spring is in bloom and tulips and daffodils color the green landscape.
When not shopping or catching a movie, Sylke often spends her weekends scoping out the area in search of new experiences. Being relatively new to Oregon, nearly everything is a new experience, so there’s a lot of stuff for her to discover. So far, her goal is to visit every shop, winery and restaurant listed on the WCVA website, and to find new and undiscovered places to explore. This should keep her busy for the next few years…..