H e a l t h c a r e B l u e s Mu s fi c f e s t suppo r t s a s y s t em s e r v fing a l l QR c o d e f o r P o r t l a n d O b s e r v e r O n l fi n e S e e Lo ca l N ew s , pag e 3 L fi v fi n g a L fi f e T h a t M a t t e r s L eg enda r y t rump e t e r show s th e wa y S e e M e t r o , pag e 9 ‘C fi ty o f Ro s e s ’ V o lum e XL IV Numb e r 15 www . p o r t l a n d o b s e r v e r . c om W e d n e s d a y • A p r fi l 1 , 20 1 5 E s t a b l fi s h e d fi n 1 9 70 C omm fi t t e d t o C u l t u r a l D fi v e r s fi t y D r e s s Su c c e s s f o r N ew d fiv e r s fi ty fo cu s fo r g roup h e lp fing wom en BY O L IV IA O L IV IA T HE P ORTLAND O BSERVER A lo c a l ch ap t e r o f a non -p rofi t th a t p ro- mo t e s e conom fi c find ep end en c e fo r wom en f rom a l l w a lk s o f l fi f e w e l com e s a n ew l e ad - e r who fi s e ag e r to h e lp b r fing d fiv e r s fi ty to th e o r g an fi z a t fion . Sh a r fi Dunn , th e n ew e s t ex e cu t fiv e d fi r e c to r fo r Po r t l and ’ s D r e s s fo r Su c c e s s p rog r am , h a s b a ckg round fin bo th f am fi ly l aw and jou rn a l fi sm , and s ay s sh e fi s e c s t a t fi c to b r fing h e r exp e r fi en c e fin m ed fi a and h e lp fing wom en fin th e fi r t fim e s o f n e ed to th e non -p rofi t o r g an fi z a t fion b a s ed fin no r th - e a s t Po r t l and . Dunn h a fi l s f rom M fi lw auk fi e , W fi s c . bu t h a s l fiv ed a c ro s s th e Un fi t ed S t a t e s and ev en fin London . Sh e g r adu a t ed f rom th e No r th - w e s t e rn Un fiv e r s fi ty S choo l o f L aw fin Ch fi- c ago a f t e r g e t t fing h e r und e r g r adu a t e d eg r e e fin H fi s to ry o f Ph fi lo sophy a t M a rqu e t t e Un fi - v e r s fi ty fin W fi s con s fin . D e sp fi t e h e r lov e o f wo rk fing fo r lo c a l n ew s s t a t fion s and h e lp fing wom en g e t th rough d fivo r c e s a s an a t to rn ey , Dunn s ay s sh e w a s r e ady fo r a ch ang e . Sh e w a s v fi s fi t fing Po r t l and on a r egu l a r b a s fi s to v fi s fi t lo c a l f r fi end s and f am fi ly wh en som eon e r e f e r r ed h e r to th e job , and fi t w a s a g r e a t fi t , sh e s ay s , “ I w a s ju s t so fimp r e s s ed , and I r e a l ly w a s fimp r e s s ed fo r po t en t fi a l fo r g row th and th e wo rk th a t th ey ’ r e do fing . ” D r e s s fo r Su c c e s s w a s a l so go fing th rough ch ang e s and w a s fin n e ed o f a n ew ex e cu t fiv e d fi r e c to r . Ch ang fing commun fi ty n e ed s m e an t th a t a n ew l e ad e r wou ld h av e to b e s en s fi t fiv e to how wom en a r r fiv ed and wh a t th e fi r n e ed s PHOTO BY O L IV IA O L IV IA / T HE P ORTLAND O BSERVER w e r e . S h a r fi D u n n , w h o u s e d t o w o r k a s a d fi v o r c e a t t o r n e y a n d a n e w s a n c h o r , p u t s h e r e x p e r fi e n c e t o w o r k a s t he new e xe cu t fi ve d fi re c- “Th e doo r w fi th wh fi ch th ey s t ep fi s th e t o r o f P o r t l a n d ’ s D r e s s f o r S u c c e s s o f fi c e . d r e s s fing fi s su e , bu t on c e th ey s t ep th rough th e doo r , th en w e a r e ab l e to h e lp th em w fi th th e a r e a fin 1999 . Th e o r g an fi z a t fion h e lp s g e t p rog r am d e s fign ed to edu c a t e and suppo r t th e fi r c a r e e r s and fin th e fi r b ro ad e r l fiv e s . a l l th e s e o th e r s e rv fi c e s , ” Dunn s ay s . “M any low - fin com e wom en p ro f e s s fion a l c lo th e s n ew ly - emp loy ed wom en th rough th e fi r fi r s t “A t th fi s mom en t , th e Po r t l and m en to r - o f th e wom en a lumn fi a r e fin m any po s fi t fion s fo r fin t e rv fi ew s , bu t fi t a l so o f f e r s a v a r fi e ty o f 90 d ay s o f emp l oym en t , a fim fing to e a s e th e sh fip p rog r am h a s shown a 100 p e r c en t su c - o f pow e r a c ro s s th e a r e a . Now w e h av e o th e r s e rv fi c e s , l fik e job t r a fin fing o r fin t e rv fi ew t r an s fi t fion to a n ew job and en su r e emp loy - c e s s r a t e fin k e ep fing lo c a l wom en emp loy ed wom en who h e lp s run K rog e r ’ s ; th ey a r e p r ep a r a t fion . m en t su c c e s s . th rough th e fi r fi r s t 90 d ay s o f n ew job s , ” ex - nu r s e s ; th ey a r e fo l low fing th e fi r d r e am s ; bu t D r e s s fo r Su c c e s s o f f e r s c l a s s e s , s em fi- W om en a l so a r e finv fi t ed to p a r t fi c fip a t e fin p l a fin ed Dunn . fo r m any o f th em fi t b eg an by ju s t look fing n a r s w fi th commun fi ty l e ad e r s and emp loy- th e o r g an fi z a t fion ’ s P ro f e s s fion a l W om en ’ s Dunn know s th a t th e r e a r e m any ch a l- fo r th e c lo th e s . ” e r s , an fin t en s fiv e job s e a r ch p rog r am , and G roup , a job r e t en t fion p rog r am d ed fi c a t ed l eng e s ah e ad a s Po r t l and ’ s d emog r aph fi c s Ov e r 18 ,000 wom en th roughou t th e O r e- ev en m en to r sh fip s w fi th o th e r wom en . On e to h ang e . e lp fin g wom en s t ay emp loy ed by p ro - ch gon and W a sh fing ton h av e u s ed th e g roup ’ s o f th e mo s t su c c e s s fu l p rog r am s , H e lp On e v fid fing ongo fing suppo r t and r e sou r c e s th a t C ONTINUED ON P AGE 2 s e rv fi c e s s fin c e D r e s s fo r Su c c e s s a r r fiv ed fin P e r son Ex c e l (HOPE ) , fi s a job r e t en t fion h e lp c l fi en t s a ch fi ev e s e l f -d efin ed su c c e s s fin