It’s with great excitement that we officially welcome Alaena Young to the PRN team. Alaena will play a key role in supporting the President and staff by managing schedules, communications, records, and event logistics. Her contributions will greatly enhance our capacity and expand our overall advocacy impact.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a seasoned executive assistant, an Oregon native, and recently escaped the suburbs in favor of a walkable lifestyle. My boyfriend and I love living in Portland. I don’t think we will ever run out of new restaurants to try! I enjoy trying new recipes, hiking, karaoke and have a fascination for fungi and mycology. I also have been trying to re-learn the piano and allow myself more time for reading.

I have been working in the tech industry for 18+ years but I had been considering changing the industry I worked in for many months. Over time I felt that there had to be more I could be doing in my community, and in the world, to make things better for everyone. I have a background in car culture (rallycross racing) as a hobby, so many of my family and friends were surprised when I sold my house in the suburbs and moved to an apartment in the city.

What was your first impression when you heard about parking reform, and what motivated you to apply to work with us?

Tony Jordan and I became acquainted through pub trivia over a decade ago, but only recently, when I started utilizing LinkedIn, did I begin learning more about Tony’s work with PRN. 

I started to see commonalities amongst my friends and the YouTube channels I consume, regarding to urbanist philosophies, housing equity, community outreach, and, most of all, how toxic and unbalanced car culture has become in this country.  So, when I found myself looking for a new employer, Tony and I got to talking and well, here I am!

What will you be doing as an executive administrative assistant for PRN? How will this impact our members and partners?

I will be serving as administrative support for Tony and the PRN staff, in order to help keep everything running smoothly and, more importantly, to allow you all more time to focus on your primary passions, functions and allow you each to make an even larger impact than before I arrived.  

What do you see as the most significant opportunities from this position? What are you most looking forward to doing?

I hope that PRN will grow in leaps and bounds with me here to help. I find it very rewarding to prop up excellence, I love to work back-stage to put rock stars into the spotlight, and I feel PRN is a very worthy place for me to be!

What’s your favorite mode of transportation?

Today I am most excited to get out and walk the city- Living in the urban center is so refreshing! While I have been known to enjoy a spirited drive on a rural road, to be a real part of your community means putting your feet on the ground and looking your neighbors in the eyes… Life is too short to watch it fly by from behind the windshield of a car.