Barbara Willer- Seminary Practicum
Barbara Willer was working with Eco-Faith Recovery for a practicum as part of her Masters of Divinity degree at Marylhurst University. The focus of her practicum was to participate in the Organizing in the Bio-Commons workshop and generally support the work of Eco-Faith Recovery to address our addiction to consumerism.
The focus of Barbara’s studies at Marylhurst is eco-theology and justice and environmental ethics. She works for Multnomah County as their Interfaith Coordinator providing outreach to and connection between Multnomah County government and faith-based institutions. Her Multnomah County experience includes working on issues of poverty in the 1990s, serving as the Chief of Staff for former Multnomah County Chairman Ted Wheeler and serving as an interim County Commissioner in 2010.
Her community experience spans three decades in the Portland area working on issues of women’s leadership and empowerment, reducing poverty, homelessness and affordable housing, and public education. She is an associate of the Sisters Holy Names and a member of St. Andrews Catholic Church.
Hi Barbara,
I’m doing some volunteer for Mult Cty Comm Director Julie Sullivan-Springhetti on stories
and research. Can I talk with you about your time leading the Faith-based Initiatives office? I’d be interested
in what you think some possible initiatives have been in this year that the county has not yet taken, and
might under the right circumstances and partnerships, might be able to do?