FriendsPDX Celebrates Inaugural Chief Financial Officer and Chief of Staff Hires

Friends of the Children—Portland (FriendsPDX) welcomes Melissa Buxton back to the organization as the inaugural Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and celebrates Audrey Forrest as she steps into the new role of Chief of Staff (CoS). They will both assume their roles in August 2022 and join the executive leadership team.

Melissa, who most recently served as Chief Operating Officer at Greater Than, will oversee all financial aspects of the organization from directing the preparation of all financial statements to identifying expansion into new revenue areas. Melissa began her financial career with FriendsPDX in 2000 as the Finance Manager and then served as the Finance Manager at Friends—National until 2010. She brings over twenty years of experience in nonprofit operations and finances.

Audrey will provide direct support to Traci Rossi, Executive Director at FriendsPDX, and the executive leadership team. She will be responsible for leading internal communications, partnering with the Board of Directors, and driving cross-functional alignment efforts with the goal of enterprise cohesion. Audrey has been at FriendsPDX since 2012 and has a proven understanding and institutional knowledge of the development and operations of FriendsPDX.