Aaron came to Portland in 2011, via Austin, Texas. He spent most of his younger life as a military kid, moving around the east coast and the south with his family. After bouncing around the SE and NE sides of Portland, Aaron finally settled down in the Cully neighborhood in 2019. Portland is now  home. 

After graduating from high school, Aaron jumped into the television business at a local TV station in Austin. That experience taught him to film and edit video, currently working as a Creative Video Editor &  live sports presentation contractor. His career has allowed him to visit the Middle East, Russia and travel throughout the U.S. 

Being a part of the Board has been an excellent chance to participate in local politics helping the Cully community and engaging in important issues that will hopefully help Cully be an even better place to live.

Kara moved to Portland in 2000, finally heeding the call of the west coast after a lifetime in the midwest and on the east coast. She felt embraced by the friendliness and by community-minded Portlanders. In 2013, she became a resident of Cully, loving its concentration of urban farms and ethnic diversity. 

Kara is an entrepreneur, professor, and user-experience designer who creates innovative products and services that are user-friendly. She uses her creative brainstorming and facilitation skills in her role on the CAN Board as Secretary. She is on the communications team to ensure strong lines of communication between CAN, the city, and the people of Cully. She co-leads the Cully Placemaking Initiative to bring art, color, and a sense of belonging to the neighborhood. Kara has a small urban farm in her backyard where she grows vegetables, flowers, and fruit and happily tends to her four chicken ladies.

In 2014, Meghan came for what was supposed to be an extended visit from her life in Brooklyn NY, but quickly discovered Portland offered everything she needed to truly thrive so made it official in 2015. Since settling in Cully in 2017, Meghan has laid down strong roots in the neighborhood while growing her business, MKBK.llc - a full-service bookkeeping and consulting firm. In 2025, she joined the Cully Association of Neighbors board as Treasurer, bringing with her a wealth of experience in finance, grant writing and community organizing. Meghan has also dedicated her time to furthering arts organizations, sustainability projects, bike advocacy efforts and financial education programs like Assets to the Resistance.

She resides in East Cully with her dog Bruiser (he’s the life of every party!) where she curates a sidewalk joy called the Happen/Stance, a mini art gallery. Check all the happenings out here: https://www.happenstanceminigallery.com/

Chris is on CAN’s Communications Team and has run the CAN website for 7 years. He’s attended CAN meetings for more than two decades.

Raised in the Hollywood neighborhood, Chris has lived in Cully since 1974. He met his wife Cathy while working at Dammasch State Hospital. They both worked in the Portland shipyards as welders. After starting a family Chris switched to computer programming. His four children all went to Scott Elementary School and Gregory Heights Middle School. Three of his children still live in Cully with their families; one is in the Concordia neighborhood. 

Chris was a coach and served on the board of Rose City Soccer Club for 12 years and was a basketball coach for 10 years. He served on the PTA for Scott School and is currently the chair of the Scott Goldenball Program.

Abbey lives and works (from home) in Cully where she moved in the summer of 2023. She was drawn to the neighborhood's walk and “bikeability”, accessible green spaces, active business areas, and bountiful urban farms. After volunteering at Cully Fest where she met and worked alongside many friendly and passionate neighbors, Abbey decided to join the board of CAN.

When not gardening or turning the front yard into a native landscape, Abbey can be found exploring Portland by bike, attending her nieces and nephew’s sports and music activities, knitting or other various craft projects, or cooking meals with her family.

Nick moved to Cully in late 2022 from NYC with his then very pregnant wife, a few belongings, and an N-95 mask. Portland has always been a home base, most of his extended family resides here, including many relatives in the nearby Japanese Cemetery.

Recently, he purchased the home he had been renting, welcomed a second girl into this world, and joined the board to get more connected to his neighbors.

He joined the board because he believes in building a more affordable, livable Cully for everyone. He is a trained mediator, wrote a thesis on regional governance, and is a data practitioner. He believes that a healthy, thriving democracy starts with strong community ties and equal access to leaders.