SAGE

Civil Dialogue Across Political Lines
2023-11-01 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Parson’s Gallery, PSU Urban Center Building, 506 SW Mill St, Level 2, Portland, OR, 97201, United States
Join us on November 1 for a special event about civil dialogue during contentious political times.
The national election is one year out, and already people are worried about talking politics with friends, co-workers, and family members. It doesn’t help that the media and many of our political leaders stoke conflict, distrust, and divisions among us. The resulting polarization can leave one wondering if productive conversations with those who don’t share your viewpoint are even possible.
Panelists Jack Miller, Rebecca Tweed, and Wendy Willis will explore this issue and share their views on the state of political discourse in Oregon and nationwide. They’ll also have suggestions about how to have productive conversations across political lines.
Guests will also have a chance to ask questions and share their thoughts and ideas too.
November 1, 2023 | 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm (doors open at 4:45 p.m.) | Portland State University
Register Here.

Meet our Panelists:

Rebecca Tweed
President of Tweed Strategies, Rebecca Tweed is a top political strategist in Oregon and has worked on more than 90 political campaigns for local government, legislative and statewide candidates, plus county and statewide ballot measures. She is a regular contributor to KGW News in Portland providing political and electoral analysis.
She currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Oregon State University Legislative Scholars Advisory Committee and is an advisory board member at the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics at the University of Oregon.

Wendy Willis
Wendy Willis is the founding director of Oregon’s Kitchen Table, a statewide engagement program of the National Policy Consensus Center, designed to give every Oregonian an opportunity to participate in the decisions that affect them. Before joining NPCC, Wendy was the Executive Director for City Club of Portland. She has also served as an Assistant Public Defender for the District of Oregon and a law clerk to Chief Justice Wallace P. Carson, Jr., of the Oregon Supreme Court.
Wendy is the author of two books of poems, a book of essays, and the co-author of a text book on collaborative governance. Another textbook – Kitchen Table Democracy – is forthcoming in 2024, and another book of poems is underway. You can also read Wendy’s episodic column, “Democracy Pie,” at The Fulcrum. Wendy graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law Center and holds a bachelor’s degree from Willamette University and an M.F.A. from the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University.

Jack Miller
Dr. Jack Miller is an author, professor, speaker, and podcaster who has been teaching and writing about politics for more than 30 years. He teaches American politics and political philosophy in the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University and is the host and producer of three podcasts: The Pothole Problem, which examines ways of looking at the world to cultivate a less frustrating and more satisfying relationship with politics; Two Ring Circus, a podcast about Congress; and Applied Political Philosophy, which explores political reform.
His two novels — 1994, a novel of politics (2019) and Invisible Empire (2020) — explore enduring political dynamics through the lens of historical fiction. His third novel, The Silent Majority, is planned for a 2024 release. Video lectures and public performances are available on his YouTube channel.

Bill Howe (event moderator)
Bill Howe has practiced law for 47 years, which includes over 25 years devoted exclusively to family law with Gevurtz Menashe in Portland, Oregon. Bill has also devoted significant time to family court reform. He has been appointed by two Governors and several Chief Justices thru the years to lead family law and court reform efforts.
Bill currently serves on the Board of SAGE (Senior Advocates for Generational Equity) and was instrumental in launching the SAGE Citizen Project.

Dialogue for Depolarization Webinar - Hosted by SAGE & Facilitated by CURE PDX
2023-12-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Online Workshop
Learn dialogue skills that can help lead to less polarized relationships and communities.
Join SAGE for a webinar led by our partner, CURE PDX, that introduces you to skills that support your ability to have productive conversations across political and ideological differences.
By the end of this online event, you will:

Learn the “curiosity loading” technique to generate a curious attitude prior to any dialogue or difficult discussion.
Complete a self-assessment to gauge conversational habits during difficult discussions/conflict.
Gain skills in active listening, open-ended questions, paraphrasing, and other key dialogue practices.
Have a template or roadmap to help guide discussions on polarizing issues.

Register Here
This webinar is hosted by SAGE. The event will be facilitated by our partner, Cure PDX, which is a nonprofit that aims to reduce conflict, hate, and violence in Portland and surrounding areas by altering norms relating to violence and building the infrastructure for addressing the root causes. Cure-pdx.org.

SAGE Connections: Learn About Becoming a Mentor at Parkrose
2024-01-18 17:00 - 18:00 | Online
Join us online to connect and learn about SAGE’s Mentoring Program at Parkrose School District. At Parkrose, volunteer mentors help middle school students become proficient readers through online or in-person sessions. As a mentor, you can enrich your life while sharing your time and skill with a young person.
During this information session, we’ll share more about SAGE and our programs to strengthen education with a focus on the Parkrose Mentoring Program. We look forward to welcoming you and learning more about your interests and how we might work together to help students succeed in school.

Learn About Climate Solutions Education
2024-03-07 17:00 - 18:00 | Online
Join us online to learn about SAGE’s Vision 2030 teamwork. Our team includes students, teachers, volunteers, and nonprofit and government agencies working to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and connections to help Portland achieve its 2030 and 2050 climate goals.
Together, we help students learn about the thousands of solutions and jobs offered in green building, renewable power, transportation, food and natural systems, emergency response, and much more. We offer many opportunities for volunteers to engage as researchers, advisors, and facilitators, and by supporting our school-wide solutions fairs.
We offer both online and in-person opportunities.
Register below for our information session and learn more.

Let’s Build Complete Communities
2024-03-20 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
How do we build healthy, vibrant, and complete communities where you can access food, water, nature, and key services all within a 15-minute walk or roll?
Join us on March 20 for our webinar to learn about the great work going on in Portland and other regions to develop and strengthen complete communities for people to access all their needs within a close circle and to connect with creative public spaces that increase social engagement and connection.
Experts Chris Crockett, Bill Cunningham, Sarah Iannarone, and Alan DeLaTorre will highlight the importance of building complete communities, the challenges and opportunities to develop these communities, and point to meaningful opportunities for you to get involved. By nurturing more complete communities, we can strengthen economies and deliver lasting health, well-being, equity, and climate benefits wherever people live, work and play, no matter their age, race, gender or disability status.

Join us to learn more and to get involved!

Register Here For This No-Cost Webinar Event!

Special thanks to our promotional partners:

Learn more about our speakers!
Chris Crockett
Chris Crockett is a leader in transportation electrification strategy and the adoption of renewable energy sources.
He works with the company Resource Innovations to create innovative programs that drive positive change toward a greener, more inclusive, and equitable future.
Chris is our event emcee, and he has also served as SAGE’s lead trainer for workshops on electric vehicles.

Bill Cunningham
Bill Cunningham is a Senior Planner at the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.
His agency develops solutions to make Portland more equitable, healthy, prosperous and resilient.
Bill led work on Portland’s policies related to 20-minute neighborhoods and the design of the city, and is now working on community plans to make it easier for people to meet their needs locally.

Sarah Iannarone
Sarah Iannarone is the Executive Director of The Street Trust, Oregon’s advocacy group for equitable, low-carbon mobility.
With expertise in sustainable cities from her doctoral studies at Portland State University, Sarah’s experience spans innovations from low-income eBike programs to equitable congestion pricing.
She actively works to guide our transportation future and recently advised on the 2023 Regional Transportation Plan and Oregon Transportation Plan updates

Alan DeLaTorre
Alan DeLaTorre is a researcher and instructor at Portland State University where he collaborates with age-friendly initiatives in Portland and across the U.S. in an effort to make our communities better places to grow up and grow old.
Dr. DeLaTorre embraces planning and co-creating with the community to improve housing and mobility options, enhance social connections, further economic development and prosperity, and advance social and environmental justice.

SAGE Awards
2024-10-10 17:30 - 20:30 | World Forestry Center, 4033 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, Oregon, 97221
Join us on October 10 for the 2024 SAGE Awards honoring our founder, Ward Greene.
For over twelve years, Ward has served as SAGE’s President and volunteered over 7,500 hours to make our work possible. He has led SAGE with all his heart, enabled us to engage over 20,000 people in our work, and believed in and supported many people to pursue their own dreams through SAGE.
This special event will include a reception, dinner, stories, and a celebration of SAGE. Event is at the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon.

Click Here For Tickets
Learn about Sponsorships

A society grows great when its elders plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.
~Greek Proverb

About Ward Greene

In 2011, Ward Greene woke up from a vivid dream that he was late for a SAGE meeting. But SAGE didn’t exist!
Over the years, Ward and our other leaders have made this dream a reality.
Ward served as our President, co-creating and hosting numerous programs and events, while baking his grandmother’s famous chocolate cakes for our Socials.
He volunteered over 7,500 hours and led SAGE with all his heart, enabling us to engage over 20,000 people in our work. He believes in and supports others as they pursue their own dreams. Ward’s efforts to promote generational equity inspire us all.
You can read more about Ward and his record of service here.

Thank You To Our Sponsors!

Boutique Buddies Sponsors

Reception Sponsor

Event Sponsor

Randy Sell & Tamara Crocker
Table Hosts

Charles & Mary Markley
Connie & Doug McDowell
Amy & Steve Higgs

SAGE Welcome: Learn about our mission, programs, and how to get involved
2025-02-05 09:00 - 10:00 | Online
Join us online to connect and learn about SAGE.
Together, we inspire and support people over fifty to give forward so that future generations can thrive. We spotlight challenges facing the future with a focus on education, the environment, and the economy. We also connect people to resources and opportunities to get involved, and we train and support people to engage in social causes and nonprofits.
We work across generations because we need each other and the future needs all the advocates it can get. During this gathering, we’ll share more about SAGE’s programs with a focus on our events, workshops, and volunteer opportunities. We look forward to welcoming you and learning more about your interests, and how we might work together.

Visiting SAGE Jane Goodall
2025-04-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Online
Livestream of Future of Hope with Jane Goodall
Conservation icon, Dr. Jane Goodall will take the stage for one night in Oregon to share personal reflections on her remarkable life, her trailblazing work and her inspirational message of hope for our planet.
This event will take place live on April 10 from 7 to 9 pm at the Elsinore Theatre in Salem.
Tickets to the event at the theatre are sold out.
You can view the event online with the purchase of a $10 livestream ticket.
Click here to get tickets to the livestream
Your purchase of a livestream ticket helps to offset the cost of offering the livestream. You can purchase a single livestream ticket and attend the livestream with other people in your household. If you are a teacher, you can also purchase a single livestream ticket and share the livestream with students in your classroom.
After the event, livestream ticket holders can view the livestream for up to two weeks.

About Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE
Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and UN Messenger of Peace, is a world-renowned ethologist and conservationist, inspiring greater understanding, and action on behalf of the natural world.
At 26, Jane followed her passion for wildlife and Africa to what is now Gombe, Tanzania and under the mentorship of paleoanthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey, began her landmark study of wild chimpanzees. Her revelatory observation that chimpanzees make and use tools rocked the scientific world and forever redefined our understanding of the relationship between humans and other animals.
Jane founded the first Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in 1977 and today 25 global chapters work to support her holistic approach to conservation. JGI’s work includes sustaining the longest-running wild chimpanzee study in Gombe, providing expert care for nearly 200 rescued chimpanzees and other wildlife in two sanctuaries, championing community-led conservation through its signature Tacare program, and engaging the next generation of changemakers through Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots. Roots & Shoots inspires young people of all ages in 75 countries to undertake hands-on projects of their choosing to benefit the community, animals (including domestic animals) and the environment.
Now nearly 91 years old, Jane travels globally around 300 days each year to spread her message of hope for our planet, inspiring audiences through speaking tours, media engagements, written publications, and a wide array of film, television and podcast projects. She has authored many books for adults and children, her latest publication “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times,” has been translated into more than 20 languages

Admission

Tickets to the event at the Elsinore Theatre are sold out.
You can view the event online with the purchase of a $10 livestream ticket.
Click here to purchase a livestream ticket.

Co-Hosts:

Thanks to our sponsors:

Thanks to our partners:

Fasten Your Seat Belts Fair Housing Tour in Portland
2025-05-06 07:30 - 12:00 | Portland Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR, 97232
Join us on May 6 for an engaging bus tour to learn about Portland’s history of housing discrimination and how it relates to the housing challenges we face today.
During the four-hour tour operated by the Fair Housing Council of Oregon, we’ll visit sites throughout Portland and feature personal stories from guests with first-hand experiences to share about the history of economic segregation in this region, long-term impacts, and ongoing efforts to help people gain access to safe and secure housing.
This tour is an excellent opportunity for you to learn about Portland’s housing challenges and how you can make a difference. People from all walks of life have taken this tour, including housing providers, public housing residents, and guests from agencies, nonprofits, businesses, schools, faith communities and more. Attorneys can receive continuing legal education credit.
Space is limited, so sign up today.
(The tour starts at Portland Convention Center. Guests travel to different spots on the tour bus.)

Service Across Generations Stewardship Event
2025-06-14 09:00 - 12:00 | Errol Heights Park, Park entrance off of SE 45th and Tenino Drive, Portland, OR, 97206, United States
Join us for our first SAGE’s Leaders Action Board Service Across Generations Event, co-hosted by Portland Parks & Recreation at Errol Heights Park in SE Portland.
Since forever, people of all generations have worked together to build a brighter future. This event, run by our Leaders Action Board (LAB) at SAGE, provides an opportunity for all generations to continue giving to that brighter future. Join us to make new connections and restore the ecological health of Portland’s Errol Heights Park. Projects include weeding, trash pickup, and other tasks to be determined based on specific needs. Ecological enhancement of this area provides cleaner air for community members and cleaner water in Johnson Creek, which supports salmon and other water creatures.
No experience is necessary, and everyone is welcome! However, any child under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is required for all stewardship events. All necessary tools, gloves, and training are provided to complete the tasks. This site has a mix of paved, gravel, and metal pathways. Most of the upper area of the park has paved pathways.
Each individual must complete the Portland Parks & Recreation Waiver to participate in the event. Once you have registered, we will send you the waiver via a confirmation email.
Space is limited, so sign up today.

SAGE Connections: Help Kids Succeed in School
2025-08-06 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Join us online to connect and learn about meaningful volunteer opportunities to help students succeed in school.
SAGE inspires and supports people over fifty to give forward so that future generations can thrive. Among our priorities, we focus on helping students succeed in school, and we connect people to opportunities to get involved.
At this info session, we will highlight volunteer opportunities offered through SAGE to help elementary and middle school students in math and literacy in Portland and Bend, and also spotlight opportunities with nonprofit partners across Oregon.
We look forward to welcoming you and learning more about your interests, and how we might work together.

Solution Salon – Helping Children and Families
2025-09-19 11:00 - 12:30 | Path Home Family Village, 6220 SE 92nd Ave, Portland, OR, 97266, United States
Have you ever wondered why we spend so much time and money on solving homelessness, yet we still see so many people outside on our streets? Join SAGE and Path Home’s Executive Director Brandi Tuck for a conversation on the history, causes, and effects of homelessness. We’ll examine the root causes of homelessness and explore different populations that experience homelessness including the “invisible homeless” population that may be the most vulnerable group but receives the least amount of attention. You’ll also learn what we can do to end the homelessness crisis once and for all.

Local leadership to address homelessness
2025-10-17 11:00 - 12:30 | Multnomah Building, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, 97214, United States
Join SAGE and the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department (HSD) for an overview of HSD’s work, including their values, priorities and core services. The HSD works with community organizations and government entities to provide coordinated, participant-driven, and equitable services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. At this event, HSD will discuss their relationship with Metro Regional Government, the City of Portland and other community partners, and the Homelessness Response Action Plan.

Future Design for a Warming Planet: A Multi-Generational Forum
2025-10-18 09:00 - 14:30 | Vernier Science Center, 1025 SW Mill Street, Portland, OR, 97201, United States
Join us for a multi-generational forum titled Future Design for a Warming Climate.
This event will explore long-term decision-making through the lens of Future Design, a method that incorporates the perspectives of imagined future generations. Participants will reflect on Oregon’s past, engage with a fictional policy concept—the Resiliency Bond, inspired by real-world climate initiatives—and evaluate its implications from a future-oriented viewpoint.
By simulating the voices of future Oregonians, we’ll test ideas, deliberate trade-offs, and reflect on what kind of legacy we want to leave behind. The forum will conclude with a collaborative discussion on actionable steps toward a more resilient future.
SAGE is pleased to offer this forum in partnership with Elders Action Network and Future Design Group, SAGE’s Emerging Leaders Action Board, and Portland State University’s Student Sustainability Center and Institute on Aging.

Politics and Possibility: Talking Across Differences
2025-12-04 17:00 - 18:30 | PSU Urban Center Building, Toulon Library, 7th Floor, 506 SW Mill Street, Portland, 97201, United States
Join us on December 4th for a special community conversation about how we can talk—and work—together, even when we don’t agree.
Our national and state politics are so polarized that constructive problem-solving is often impossible. This fuels frustration and deepens the sense of division. Too often, we forget that each of us has the power to shape a different story. This event will focus on how we got here and, more importantly, how we can build trust, listen with respect, and find common ground. Together, we’ll explore practical ways to promote civil dialogue and strengthen community relationships.
Panelists Jack Miller, Rebecca Tweed, and Wendy Willis are experienced in civic engagement. They will explore this issue and share their views on the state of political discourse in Oregon and nationwide. They’ll also have suggestions about how to have productive conversations across political lines.
Doors open at 4:45 p.m. Event begins at 5:00 p.m.
Space is limited.
Click Here to Register.

Meet our Panelists:

Rebecca Tweed
President of Tweed Strategies, Rebecca Tweed is a top political strategist in Oregon and has worked on more than 90 political campaigns for local government, legislative and statewide candidates, plus county and statewide ballot measures. She is a regular contributor to KGW News in Portland providing political and electoral analysis. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Oregon State University Legislative Scholars Advisory Committee and is an advisory board member at the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics at the University of Oregon.

Wendy Willis
Wendy is the founding director of Oregon’s Kitchen Table, a statewide engagement program of the National Policy Consensus Center, designed to give every Oregonian an opportunity to participate in the decisions that affect them. Before joining NPCC, Wendy was the Executive Director for City Club of Portland. She has also served as an Assistant Public Defender for the District of Oregon and a law clerk to Chief Justice Wallace P. Carson, Jr., of the Oregon Supreme Court. Wendy is the author of two books of poems, a book of essays, and the co-author of a textbook on collaborative governance. Another textbook – Kitchen Table Democracy – is forthcoming, and another book of poems is underway. You can also read Wendy’s episodic column, “Democracy Pie,” at The Fulcrum. Wendy graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law Center and holds a bachelor’s degree from Willamette University and an M.F.A. from the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University.

Jack Miller
Dr. Jack Miller is an author, professor, speaker, and podcaster who has been teaching and writing about politics for more than 30 years. He teaches American politics and political philosophy in the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University and is the host and producer of three podcasts: The Pothole Problem, which examines ways of looking at the world to cultivate a less frustrating and more satisfying relationship with politics; Two Ring Circus, a podcast about Congress; and Applied Political Philosophy, which explores political reform. His two novels — 1994, a novel of politics (2019) and Invisible Empire (2020) — explore enduring political dynamics through the lens of historical fiction. His third novel, The Silent Majority, is planned for release. Video lectures and public performances are available on his YouTube channel.

Bill Howe (event moderator)
Bill Howe has practiced law for 50 years, which includes over 25 years devoted exclusively to family law with Gevurtz Menashe in Portland, Oregon. Bill has also devoted significant time to family court reform. He has been appointed by two Governors and several Chief Justices thru the years to lead family law and court reform efforts. Bill currently serves on the Board of SAGE and was instrumental in launching the SAGE Citizen Project.

Jeff Gudman (event commentator)
Jeff serves as Treasurer of SAGE. Jeff was also a two term (8 years) Lake Oswego city councilor. Jeff is a lifelong Oregon resident (except for time at Pomona College and graduate school at the Wharton School of Business). He has been and continues to be actively engaged in a variety of non-profits and government organizations and stays active in the business community.

SAGE Connections: Learn How to Get Involved
2026-02-17 17:00 - 18:00 | Online

SAGE Welcome: SW Portland
2026-07-07 14:00 - 15:00 | Elephants on Corbett, 5221 S Corbett Avenue, Portland, OR, 97239, United States
Welcome! This event is a free, friendly space to meet with our community connectors, share your story, and discover how you can make a meaningful impact. We are here to listen, support, and help you find your unique place in our local community.
During our hour together, we will walk through our mission and explore the various pathways available to you. Our goal is to help you find your civic sweet spot, which focuses on what matters to you, how you want to use your unique skills, and why this work is meaningful to you right now.

SAGE Welcome: Virtual
2026-07-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-23 10:00 - 11:00 | Online

SAGE Welcome: SE Portland
2026-07-21 15:00 - 16:00 | Private: Revolution Hall, Roof Deck, 1300 SE Stark Street, Portland, 97214, United States
