Happy New Year, Concordia. The holidays were a whirlwind and now I am enjoying the quiet, crisp and surprisingly sunny days we’ve had so far this winter.
2026 brings some exciting changes to the newspaper and to Concordia Neighborhood Association. Matt Roberts, who is the Associate Vice President of Community Relations at the University of Oregon, has accepted the CNA Chair position for 2026. He is a great community connector and has been sitting on our board for three years so we are thrilled that he took on this important job. Chuck Triplett, Associate Vice President for UO Portland Campus Operations, has replaced Matt on the board.
In addition, Cathy McCarthy, who does so much good work for the social committee and for CNA as a whole, has accepted the role of Vice Chair and Autumn Voirol, who’s been creating our meeting minutes, is now offi cially our secretary.
We also have two new Concordia News staff members and some new contributors, too. Courtney Burns started her role as Ad Sales Representative late last year and Doug Burns, (who happens to be her husband), just took over the Designer role. New columns this year include one on urbanism in the neighborhood by Garlynn Woodsong and a charming literary column on a variety of topics by Caprice Lawless that I know you’ll enjoy.
We have a great team and 2026 is going to be a great year! Stay warm and safe out there. -Dina
Dina Sage loves engaging in the arts, outdoor activities, and home projects. She fi rst moved to Portland in 2011, and lives with her husband, their nine year old daughter and their pets.