Julianne Johnson-Weiss, Direct Four-Year Track Coordinator

A Portland native and graduate of the University of Portland, Julianne is a teacher, actress, director and nationally-acclaimed recording artist. Julianne's move to Portland Central Young Life to direct the Act Six initiative was a logical step in light of her deep commitment to education and her long career of philanthropic engagement in the Portland community.

Jodi Stiegemeyer, Urban Service Track Coordinator

Jodi has worked with students in community college and at the university level for several years. She has been a Young Life volunteer in California, and now works for Portland Central Young Life. Jodi is especially interested in the hope that continued education can provide for students of color, low income students, and others traditionally underrepresented in higher education. Additionally, Jodi believes that the increased presence of these students has the potential to bring powerful change and growth to the campuses and communities with whom they engage, which is why the Act Six Urban Service Track is such a perfect fit for her.

Joel Perez, George Fox Director of Act Six Programs

Joel serves as director of Act Six and first-year programs at George Fox, and understands the difficulties students of color face when adapting to a new culture. When he began college at Biola University, he initially assimilated into its then predominately white culture by joking about his background in a virtually homogenous Hispanic community. It may have helped him gain acceptance, but Perez began realizing he was rejecting his identity.

After going through a confrontational stage, he decided to become a bridge-builder. Perez became president of Hispanic Fellowship, helped develop social action clubs, and became involved in student government to help increase awareness of diversity issues and the concerns of first-generation students. "I had found my voice and believed I could best express my perspective and the needs of marginalized students through involvement in the life of the college," he says. Perez looks forward to sharing his experiences with students who will relate. "When you're a person of color, you can become a mirror, reflecting how you worked through similar experiences."

Perez comes to George Fox from Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., where, since 2001, he was associate director of student programs and was instrumental in developing diversity programs on campus. Perez earned a master's degree in education from Azusa Pacific in 1998 and is working on a doctorate in higher education from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif.