Speakers
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Keynote Speaker: Casey Schlisser, AKA The Bard
Casey Schissler, also known as The Bard, is a multidisciplinary performing artist from Portland, OR and is the founder
of The Bardic Arts Revival Movement. Their work is a forensic reconstruction of the lost traditions of the Western European
Bardic mythology bearers, arriving at the belief that the lost Bards were a fusion of ancient rockstar, philosopher, mystic,
and poet. Casey’s style involves unscripted mythological storytelling, original poetry, and music through a contemporary lens,
and has been gaining momentum and a following within the Nordic and broader Portland community with multiple sold-out
shows to date.
This fusion of original and ancient work centers around three key areas:
1. To answer the question: “Why is mythology relevant to the modern audience?”
2. To ignite within audiences a felt sense of the timeless placewhere mythology lives. This place was left
to humanity by the ancestors, and by entering this zone, listeners are reminded of the deep interconnectedness between
one another and our connection to the natural world.
3. To re-examine what it means to be human and to live in community together– mythology was once an essential part of
sharing land and emotional space with one another. By accessing ancestral practices, audiences often report a rooted sense of
spiritual and cultural meaning, and often mention receiving creative inspiration or a desire to learn their own cultural
stories after experiencing a performance.
This is not entertainment. This is sacred communion with divine archetypes, and one another.
Siruis Bonner
Sirius Bonner is an organizational strategist, facilitator, and consultant who helps leaders and organizations navigate complexity, culture, conflict, and change. She is the principal of Sirius Bonner Consulting and currently serves as Interim Executive Director of Call to Safety, a Portland-based nonprofit supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Sirius brings more than two decades of nonprofit and organizational leadership experience to her work with nonprofits, public agencies, and mission-driven organizations. Her work spans organizational strategy, leadership development, equity, and organizational effectiveness, with a particular ability to make complex conversations about power, identity, relationships, and institutions practical and accessible.
Sirius is also the writer of Freedom & Desire, where she explores power, liberation, culture, spirituality, and the complicated business of being human, and co-host of The Body Trust Podcast.
Kelley Chaney, RP, ACEDS
Kelley Chaney, RP CEDS is a senior e-Discovery paralegal at Ballard Spahr LLP in Portland, Oregon. She has been a member of NFPA and OPA since 2007, serving in many roles including, President, Vice President, several terms as a Board Member, Pro Bono Chair and NFPA Pro Bono Committee, Annual Convention Chair and Data Privacy Chair. With over 30 years’ experience in the legal field, Kelley utilizes her BA in Justice Administration and her CEDS e-Discovery certification to successfully manage complex litigation matters. Kelley has presented several CLEs nationwide regarding various eDiscovery, AI, and other trending litigation topics. Her goal is to share information with paralegals about technology advancements and eDiscovery updates, so they have a roadmap to effectively discuss litigation strategies with their legal teams.
Jaimee King
Jaimee is the Managing Partner of Smith Foster King. She began her legal career in Silicon Valley big law, where her practice focused on corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and securities. Since then, she has held a variety of legal and business roles in both public and private companies, including General Counsel, Executive Director, and Chief Operating Officer.
Before law school, Jaimee worked as an ImmigraDtion Inspector with the U.S. Department of Justice and interned with the International Rescue Committee. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Lewis & Clark Law School and currently serves on the Oregon State Bar’s Legal Ethics Committee.
Jaimee earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.S. from Oregon State University. She is admitted to practice in California, Oregon, and Washington. Outside of work, Jaimee enjoys women’s rugby, traveling, and spending time with her husband, three children, family and friends, and two very energetic dogs.
Kevin McHargue
Kevin earned his law degree at the University of Texas School of Law in 1994. He was an attorney in private practice for 15 years before relocating to Portland in 2009 and become a stay-at-home parent. He received his initial mediation training at the Resolve Center for Dispute Resolutiono and RestorativeJustice in Medford, Oregon, and is a graduate of the Clackamas County Family Mediation program.
From 2017 to 2023, Kevin was the Executive Director of the St. Andrew Legal Clinic, a nonprofit law firm providing legal representation, mediation and other forms of dispute resolution for low-income clients in family court. He is a former chair of the Multnomah Bar Association's Public Service Committee and a member of the Oregon State Bar's Ethics Committee. In 2024, the Oregon Supreme Court appointed him as a pro tem judge, presiding over settlement conferences in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
David Moore
David Moore is chief executive officer of Equity Advantage, Incorporated, a nationally recognized leader in 1031 Exchange facilitation. David founded Equity Advantage with his brother Tom in 1991 after a successful career in real estate investment. Since then, Equity Advantage has developed an outstanding reputation for partnering with their investment clients to develop unique strategies for the 1031 Exchange, reducing their clients’ tax risks and increasing the value of their property portfolios.
David is a recognized 1031 Exchange expert, and is regularly invited to share his knowledge with realtors, investors, attorneys and property owners through seminars and classes. He is a power sponsor of the Certified Commercial Investment Members (CCIM) and is a former board member of the Federation of Exchange Accommodators (FEA). David played an instrumental role in the FEA’s expansion throughout the Pacific Northwest and served as chairman of the FEA Ethics Committee. He is active in Rotary Club and serves on the boards of several charity organizations.
Ted Reuter
Ted Reuter is a founding partner of Reuter Corbett LLP, practicing trust and estate litigation, fiduciary disputes, and professional license defense. A former Assistant Disciplinary Counsel, he serves on the Bar's Legal Ethics Committee, belongs to the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers and the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility. He recently co-authored the chapter on the rules governing Licensed Paralegals in Legal Ethics in Oregon, presents regularly on professional responsibility topics, and mentors through the Bar's New Lawyer Mentorship Program. Ted is admitted in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
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Christine A. Slattery
Christine A. Slattery is a partner at Miller Nash LLP with deep experience conducting independent workplace investigations for Washington and Oregon employers in a variety of areas, including sexual harassment; age, race, gender, and disability harassment and discrimination; FMLA or state leave protections; retaliation; bullying; toxic work environments; and allegations of violations related to corporate policies. Christine holds a certificate from the Association of Workplace Investigators, an international organization dedicated to promoting and enhancing the quality of impartial workplace investigations.
Christine also counsels employers on a wide variety of employment-related issues and is experienced in providing in-depth workplace trainings for management and non-management employees on a wide range of topics, including workplace investigations basics; comprehensive anti-discrimination and harassment practices; combating unconscious bias; promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion; employee engagement; and maintaining a respectful workplace.
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Julie A. Smith
Julie Smith is a Partner at Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP and an accomplished appellate lawyer with deep experience in civil appeals and litigation strategy. She has handled hundreds of appeals before the Oregon Court of Appeals, Oregon Supreme Court, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Julie regularly advises trial counsel on developing and presenting legal arguments and preserving issues for appeal. Before joining Cosgrave, Julie served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Oregon Department of Justice’s Trial and Appellate Divisions, where she twice received the department’s Outstanding Achievement Award. She began her legal career clerking for the Honorable Virginia Linder of the Oregon Court of Appeals.