Laura (Lou) Reynoldson, Board President
“If it’s within three miles, then you bike there!” is Lou’s family motto. To this end, she and her family bike to work, school, and the library on a regular basis. Living in North Portland and bike commuting to Sellwood daily, Lou values our bike routes and greenways, and appreciates the opportunities for connectivity provided by the 40-Mile Loop. Lou has been actively working with the board since 2018 and has supported the board since 2015. She is a graphic artist and marketing professional with a passion for active transportation. Safety and equity are her priorities, and she is working toward a future for the 40-Mile Loop with a diverse board, to close gaps, and encourage our communities to explore our active transportation assets. Together, we can get there, and if it’s within three miles, let’s bike there!
Bob Akers, Board Member and President Emeritus
“Teaching Health and Physical Education has enabled me to learn the importance of good recreation for life. Good parks and trails give all people a chance to relax, as well as working to have good mental and physical health.”
Robert “Bob” Akers, 40-Mile Loop Land Trust Board Member and President Emeritus, coached wrestling and football and taught school in the Centennial School District in Gresham since 1966. Even though he retired from teaching in 1996, after 30 years of service, he only recently retired from coaching football at Centennial High School and still helps with wrestling tournaments as a member of the OSSA state wrestling tournament committee.
Bob has worked to get the City of Portland to develop Powell Butte Nature Park, served on the Citizens Park Advisory Committee for the City of Gresham, served on Metro Citizens Advisory Committee for Parks and Green Spaces, and has served on the 40 Mile Loop Land Trust Board since 1992.
Board Member Biographies
Glen Bolen, Board Member
Glen brings a background in regional and urban planning from both the private and public sectors. As Principal Planner at ODOT he coordinates with partner agencies on long-range planning and provides policy guidance. He also administers grants to cities and counties looking to better integrate their land uses and transportation infrastructure in support of improving living conditions for the community. His specialties revolve around land use planning and urban development with a keen interest in social equity, environmental stewardship and active transportation. Glen is also a board member with the Women’s Transportation Seminar and Portland Velo, a non-profit cycling club with over 300 active participants.
Dave Elkin, Board Member
Dave Elkin spent his youth riding the famous American River Bike Trail during the sweltering summers in Sacramento. He grew up skimboarding, swimming with lamprey, and investigating salmon carcasses strewn along the riverbanks. He could expertly dance his bmx bike across the cobble tailings left by the giant gold mining dredges that once consumed the waterways. Having been up in Oregon for a while now, Dave still seeks out his youthful experiences winding along the trails found throughout the 40-Mile Loop. Dave has worked for both public and private sectors during his last 22 years (both with the City of Portland and Metro) and now is owner of a landscape architecture practice, Juncus Studio, in Portland, Oregon.
Deb Scott, Board Treasurer
Deb joined the 40-Mile Loop Land Trust in 2016. She first volunteered to help Portland area trails in the 1990s by planting native roses and trees along the newly opened Springwater Corridor in the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. Her favorite inanimate trail feature is the bronze beaver sculpture on the Willamette Greenway adjacent to the Heron Pointe Wetland, always festooned with flower or gifts. The wetland itself is rare in the developed area and supports a variety of native wildlife. Deb is a Marketing Services Manager for HDR’s Oregon Transportation group.
Jim Sjulin, Board Member
Jim Sjulin has been active with the 40-Mile Loop since 2015. Jim uses his local government experience and his contacts with the City of Portland and Metro to get people to the table to problem-solve the remaining gaps in our 140-mile system. His main focus is on completing the Marine Drive Trail and understanding how to close big gaps in the Columbia Slough Trail. Prior to joining the 40-Mile Loop, Jim worked at Portland Parks & Recreation for over 29 years, managing the Natural Resource Program, which included portions of the 40-Mile Loop.