Team - Friends of Frog Ferry

Founder / President / Board Member, Susan Bladholm

Value: Susan is a transportation enthusiast, who learned to work with multiple jurisdictions as a co-founder and first executive director of Cycle Oregon, a 30-year old bike ride that gained recognition as a top ride in the nation within the first three years of operations. She has staffed five governors, served the Oregon Economic Development Department (dba Business Oregon) for 10 years, spent 10 years with the Port of Portland (airports, seaports, industrial lands) as director of Corporate Marketing, and served as the Senior Director of Marketing and Strategy for a global aviation services company that conducts business across six continents. She currently volunteers on several boards to help foster community. Susan is a life-long Portlander who would like to promote a greater appreciation for the value of our riverways.

Loves: Her family, walks along the river or on the Wildwood Trail, and kayaking.

Vision: A thriving Portland with access to a clean river, an activated waterfront, and fostering joy on the Frog Ferry.

Contact Susan

503-319-2164

Board of Directors

Paul Brodeur

Value: Paul spent 40 years in the maritime industry, most recently as the Director of King County Marine Division (A Seattle Passenger Ferry System).

Loves: An early morning walk listening to the song birds celebrating the day.

Vision: To see the first load of Frog Ferry passengers experience the magic of the river.

Nina Byrd

Value: Nina is a strategy consultant who excels at bridging purposeful work with institutionalized systems, helping her to affect change.

Loves: Paddleboarding on the Willamette.

Vision: Seeing field trips of kids engage with the river ecosystem.

John Furukawa

Value: John is a user-design innovator and experienced start-up leader.

Loves: Ordering today’s special at a food cart, spreadsheets with conditional formatting.

Vision: To see Frog Ferry listed as the best route on Google Maps.

James Paulson

Value: James is a veteran HR professional who resides in NE Portland. He had a vision for a ferry system and joined the Frog Ferry effort in 2018.

Loves: Camping.

Vision: Watching North Portland residents commute downtown to great jobs.

Jennifer Schloming

Value: A former Portland City Hall leader and St. Johns resident, Jennifer is an activist with a heart for healthy communities.

Loves: Music and the natural world.

Vision: Seeing neighbors of all ages to-ing and fro-ing their lives on Frog Ferry, gobsmacked by the wonder of the Willamette River ecosystem.

Juan Carlos Vildósola Covarrubias

Value: A St. Johns Neighborhood Association board member, Juan is a transportation activist and filmmaker (and he makes a delicious salsa found at the SJ Farmers Market).

Loves: His family and his dog.

Vision: Seeing more of his neighbors being able to live car free like he does.

Captain Peter Wilcox

Value: Peter is the Executive Director of Decarb the Inside Passage and a decarbonization leader.

Loves: Being on the water, helping his home city thrive.

Vision: Celebrating when Frog Ferry gets support from our once exceptional city and when Frog Ferry’s pilot project is funded by the Feds.

Advisory Board

Abigail Blue

Value: Abigail is a federal grant and funding expert.

Willie Levenson

Value: Willie is the ringleader of the Human Access Project and a steward of the Willamette River.

Loves: Hearing his wife Lulu’s laugh, it’s like a bird song.

Vision: Portland feeling pride about the Willamette River.

John Sainsbury

Value: John is the principal of Maritime Consulting Partners and a Frog Ferry partner since 2018.

Scott South

Value: Scott is a former Frog Ferry board chair and manages Frog Ferry financials (CPA).

Who We Are

Friends of Frog Ferry is a non-profit grassroots initiative to bring a world-class passenger ferry service to the Portland metro region. Our neighbors in Seattle, Vancouver B.C., San Francisco and multiple river cities around the world maximize the advantage of river transit, while Portland has barely scratched the opportunity. We have nine volunteer committees comprised of 200+ pro bono industry experts, a transit savvy board, and more than 3,400 stakeholders and supporters all working to create a win-win for the local municipalities, commuters, and downtown employees. To date we have provided more than $32 million in value at no taxpayer expense (grants) of $390,000.