Downloadable file: thumb_Emily_McLain.jpg
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon (PPAO) announced today that Emily McLain will serve as its new Executive Director. She will make her first appearance at the 2018 Courageous Voice Breakfast on May 30th in Portland, and will officially join the staff on June 13th.
McLain previously served as PPAO’s Government Relations Consultant from 2014 to 2016. During her tenure, PPAO passed landmark legislation to expand access to birth control and to protect patient privacy.
“We are thrilled that Emily will be leading our work to advance reproductive justice in Oregon — especially at this critical time for women’s health and rights,” says PPAO Board Chair Becca Uherbelau. “The Trump-Pence attacks have fueled an unprecedented mobilization of people, with women truly leading that charge. Emily has the grassroots organizing experience, the strategic expertise and a forward-thinking vision to guide PPAO as we continue to work in coalition to protect Oregon women’s health.”
McLain has extensive experience lobbying for multiple organizations in addition to PPAO, including Oregon Education Association, Basic Rights Oregon, the Oregon Bus Project and many other progressive causes. She previously served as Political Director for Basic Rights Oregon, helping to secure the freedom to marry in Oregon, and as Executive Director of the Oregon Student Association, where she led the largest nonpartisan voter registration drive in state history, registering 50,000 voters in 2012. She also serves as a Board Member for Emerge Oregon, which trains Democratic women to run for elected office.
A native of Forest Grove, Oregon, McLain has a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Oregon. She lives in Portland with her husband, Tom Hojem.
PPAO boasts 233,241 activists and supporters across Oregon, which has been named the leading state for reproductive rights by The Population Institute. Last year, PPAO worked in coalition to pass the Reproductive Health Equity Act, the most comprehensive reproductive health policy in the nation. PPAO recently received national recognition from Planned Parenthood Federation of America with the 2015 Volunteer Excellence Award and the 2018 Excellence in Advocacy Award.
