Cynthia Guyer left the founding Board of Directors of the Portland Schools Foundation in January 1996 to become the organization’s first executive director. The Portland Schools Foundation, affiliated with the DC-based Public Education Network, is one of 85 local education funds working to improve and strengthen public education in communities throughout the country. Since 1996 the Schools Foundation has helped to lead a series of campaigns leveraging over $560 million in public funds for the Portland school district – the largest urban school system in the Northwest – and is now raising $10 million/year for a series of strategic investments in K-12 improvement at both the local school and system-wide levels.

Since 1975 Cynthia has worked for non-profit organizations and foundations in the field of strengthening civic participation and community-based organizations; public policy reform and coalition building. She has two children, both of whom have attend the city’s public schools.